Supporting the Professionals who Support the Sector

In today’s care sector, the reliance on overseas staff has never been greater and yet, they continue to be unfairly labelled as ‘unskilled’ in parts of the media. This narrative is not only inaccurate, it directly undermines the invaluable contribution these individuals make in care homes and communities across the UK. In fact, Age UK emphasised just this week that the UK care system “simply cannot function” without migrant workers, highlighting the urgent need for better support and integration, not criticism.

Indago Development proudly stand behind our graduates -  skilled, caring individuals who make a real difference in people’s lives.

Our graduates complete rigorous lengthy training in care standards, Dementia, end-of-life care, Emotional Intelligence and more - and only those who meet the highest expectations go on to placements in care settings. These are not entry-level workers without preparation; they are trained, compassionate professionals ready to provide consistently excellent care.

Identifying the Missing Piece

Through ongoing conversations with care associations across the country, a consistent and critical gap became clear. While these team members bring genuine commitment and proven competence, many still face challenges that impact their confidence and their day-to-day communication with residents, families and team mates.

What’s missing isn’t technical knowledge - it’s everyday British language: cultural references, idioms and common phrases that can be hard to interpret for those new to the UK. Think of the confusion over phrases like “see you later” or mix-ups between gravy and custard - it’s these small misunderstandings that create unnecessary barriers in care delivery.

Registered Manager Verity Walmsley from Gibraltar Nursing Home in Monmouth shared how this showed up in daily practice:

“When I would leave for the day I naturally would say ‘see you later’, my team would either respond ‘when?’ or ‘what time later?’ or they would relay the message to the rest of the team that I was returning. I never thought such a simple phrase could cause confusion. After the Foundational English Language course, I saw a huge confidence shift. They would poke fun at my idioms or ways I spoke with humour, and we understood each other.”

This kind of mutual understanding doesn’t just improve morale, it creates stronger, safer teams who communicate clearly and confidently.

Foundational English Language

To bridge this gap, Bhavin Tailor, Indago’s Director of Programmes and a former London Head Teacher, developed our range of English Language courses, starting with Foundational English Language and English for Health and Social Care courses - a practical, care-specific programme that’s already transforming services by boosting confidence, connection, and communication across teams.

Overseas care professionals are essential in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and we must invest in retaining all members of our team, not just recruiting them. This course is a simple, effective way to do just that.

As the Nuffield Trust warned “closing off international recruitment” without properly addressing the UK’s “poor” domestic supply of care workers is “hugely risky”, as care providers cannot boost domestic recruitment “overnight.” Retention and support for our existing overseas teams is not just smart - it’s essential.

For information about our English courses please visit Foundational English Language & English for Health & Social Care or Contact Us to enquire about course costs (preferential pricing for group enrolments and sector partners).

Food & Culture - Free eBook - Edition 1 BREAKFAST we invite you to download this free eBook for your teams - we’ve received positive feedback from care settings that the eBook has been a helpful support during mealtimes.