Communication with Migrant Workers: The Perspectives of People Using Care Services in England

There have been few studies of people’s experiences of receiving care from

migrant workers. This is despite the growing move to employ migrants to provide

care and support for older and disabled people in the developed world. This

article reports empirical findings from a study of migrants working in social care in

England conducted between 2007 and 2009. It focuses on the reported

interactions between service users and carers with migrant workers. Face-toface

semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 adults receiving social

care services and family carers in home and residential settings who had a variety

of needs for care and with support. Analysis highlighted the range of their

experiences. An emerging theme arising from the interviews was that of

communication and the difficulties experienced by people using care services,

or family carers speaking on their behalf, of understanding and being understood

by care workers whose spoken English was not easy for them to comprehend.

Social workers will need to be alert to alert to the risks facing service users,

carers and migrant care workers in such contexts. We conclude that the marginal

position of both social care users and migrant workers is reflected in these micro

encounters.