Landmark charter launched to protect migrant care workers from exploitation

Cardiff Council has become the first local authority in Wales to formally adopt a Migrant Care Workers Charter.

The Charter, developed jointly with UNISON Cymru and shaped by the experiences of migrant care workers, aims to tackle poor practice, raise employment standards and ensure dignity and respect for a workforce that plays a vital role in supporting vulnerable residents.

The local authority relies on hundreds of migrant care workers, many of whom are recruited internationally to fill persistent staffing shortfalls in domiciliary and residential care.

The Council says the Charter acts as a direct response to mounting national concern about exploitation, coercive employment conditions and unfair practices linked to visa sponsorship.

The Charter sets new expectations for care providers commissioned by the Council, with measures designed to safeguard rights and prevent exploitation.

Under the Charter, the Council will expect all commissioned care providers to guarantee transparent and ethical recruitment, with measures in place to prevent modern slavery and coercive practices.

Providers will be required to pay at least the Real Living Wage, ensure payslips are clear and accurate, and make certain that care staff are properly paid for travel, waiting time and mandatory training.

The Charter also prohibits illegal recruitment fees and unfair repayment clauses, which have emerged as a concern across parts of the UK.

The Council has committed to monitoring compliance and acting swiftly where threats of sponsorship withdrawal or deportation are used against workers.

The local authority will also push for care roles that offer secure working hours rather than unstable shifts tied to visa requirements. Providers will also be required to create inclusive workplaces, put in place confidential reporting arrangements and engage constructively with trade unions.

Benchmark

Council Leader Huw Thomas said the Charter establishes a new benchmark for Wales.

“By signing this Charter, Cardiff Council is taking a stand against exploitation and setting a benchmark for ethical care commissioning in Wales,” he said. “Migrant care workers make a valuable contribution to our communities. Supporting their rights strengthens the entire care system.”

Cabinet Member for Social Services (Adults), Cllr Leonora Thomson, said migrant workers deserved better protection.

“They provide vital services every day to our most vulnerable citizens,” she said. “It is right that Cardiff leads work to safeguard them and ensure dignity and respect.”

UNISON Cardiff County branch secretary Emma Richards said the Charter “sets clear standards to protect care workers, secure fair pay and uphold dignity,” while UNISON Cymru head of social care Mark Turner warned that the sector still contains “real risks of labour exploitation and modern slavery” for migrant workers whose visas are employer-dependent.

The Charter will be supported by an operational tool to guide care providers through its requirements. It goes before Cardiff Council’s Cabinet on Thursday 22 January following scrutiny by the Community & Adult Services Scrutiny Committee on 19 January.