Jersey’s Care Sector Responds to Recent Review of Work Permit Holder Welfare

The Jersey Care Federation (JCF) has welcomed the recent review by the Work Permit Holder Welfare Review Panel, which made recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the current Work Permit Policy (WPP), including the provision of clearer information for prospective overseas workers, streamlining of processes, support for employers, further consultation and key policy changes.

Cheryl Kenealy, Chairperson for the JCF, commented:

‘While the Care Sector does not employ a large percentage of Work Permit Holders, compared to Agriculture and Hospitality, overseas carers are increasingly becoming an essential part of Jersey’s healthcare provision. Because of the extremely high standards and requirements in our sector, we do not face most of the issues highlighted in the recent report around accommodation and working conditions, however, we welcome the proposals to improve the WPP overall.

That said, there are several additional areas we would like to see addressed. Firstly, we believe that the provision of healthcare on arrival, at the same time that Work Permit Holders begin paying Social Security contributions, is simply the right thing to do. Telling people who are moving their lives to come and work in Jersey that for the first six months, they will not have healthcare if they require things like basic repeat prescriptions or if they suffer an injury at work makes Jersey uncompetitive in a global marketplace, and also does not align with the spirit of the recent review, which is committed to improving standards for workers.  

Secondly, we believe that Jersey’s WPP would benefit from becoming more flexible and having sector-specific iterations - what works for one sector does not work for another. One of the main advantages Jersey has as a worker destination is its size and relative independence, which could enable us to have uniquely competitive policies.

Finally, no mention was made in the review of the new Government accommodation service to aid key worker recruitment. As the report highlighted the need for better accommodation overall and clearer guidelines for both employees and employers, it would be helpful to understand where this new service will fit within the WPP. For instance, will only Government health workers be considered key workers, or will Private Sector and Charity Sector health workers also be eligible?’