The move comes in response to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s declaration on 11 May 2025 that overseas recruitment routes for care workers will be closed, alongside wider warnings from Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, about the NHS’s “dangerous over-reliance” on international clinicians.
This sudden policy change presents a major challenge for the sector:
- 1 in 5 social care workers in England are non-UK nationals
- 50% of new NMC registrants in 2022/23 were internationally educated
With over 150,000 vacancies already in social care, urgent action is needed to attract and retain more UK-based workers.
Niche Jobs, which operates leading job boards including Nurses.co.uk and Socialcare.co.uk, is responding with a new package of support for UK care and healthcare recruiters:
Key initiatives launching in 2025:
- UK-only application filters to reduce wasted time on ineligible candidates
- Frictionless ATS integration to reduce candidate drop-off and speed up hiring
- AI-powered job marketing to extend reach and increase application volumes
- Candidate storytelling campaigns to inspire new entrants into the sector
- Affordable pricing for NHS, local authorities, charities, care homes, home care employers, and private providers
Matt Farrah, Co-founder of Niche Jobs, said:
“We’re putting politics aside and focusing on what matters: supporting care and healthcare employers to find the talent they need. With overseas recruitment no longer an option, we’re investing in the tools and content that will inspire more people in the UK to consider careers in these vital sectors.”
The new features are being rolled out across all four of the company’s UK and Irish job boards, with full implementation expected by Autumn 2025.
For more information and to read the full blog, visit:
For press enquiries, contact: Matt Farrah, matt@nurses.co.uk, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattfarrah/