Scotland expands adult social care workforce with scheme reopening

The Scottish Government has reopened the Adult Social Care Displaced Workers Scheme to recruit international care workers already living in the UK who have lost sponsored employment. The scheme aims to deliver up to 45,000 additional care hours each month and has already enabled 37 social‑care employers to hire 120 workers.

First Minister John Swinney said the boost is needed to meet rising demand from an ageing population and urged the UK Government to reverse recent immigration and tax policies that he says have harmed the sector. The initiative is part of broader efforts to increase workforce resilience and improve care capacity across Scotland.