June 11th 2026
We are urging care providers to review how they protect staff, following reports of racist abuse, intimidation and anti-migrant incidents affecting care workers in communities across the UK.
Recent media reports have described migrant care workers being spat at, chased, threatened and racially abused while travelling between visits. These incidents are a direct threat to the safety, confidence and wellbeing of a workforce already under immense pressure.
International care workers make an essential contribution to adult social care, supporting older and disabled people in people’s own homes, at unsocial hours and in isolated settings. British-born workers from ethnic minority backgrounds are also being affected by the same hostile climate. No worker should feel afraid to do their job, wait for a bus, visit a person’s home or walk through the community they serve.
Care workers deserve protection
Michelle Corrigan, Chief Executive of Digital Care Hub, said:
“This type of behaviour has no place in our society. It is creating a culture of fear and intimidation against the very care workers who are supporting some of our most vulnerable people. Overseas care workers, and British-born workers from ethnic minority communities, are valued and essential members of our care workforce. They deserve respect, protection and practical support.”
How digital check-ins can help
Digital tools cannot solve racism. That requires leadership, accountability and a clear zero-tolerance approach from employers, public bodies and wider society. But technology can help providers strengthen their duty of care, especially for home care and lone workers who may be travelling alone, working across unfamiliar areas or supporting people where immediate help is not close by.
Providers should consider whether digital check-ins could form part of their staff safety arrangements. These can allow workers to confirm when they arrive safely at a visit, when they leave, and whether they need support. Some systems can alert a manager or on-call lead if a check-in is missed.
- Lone worker apps that enable quick check-ins and alerts.
- Discreet panic alarms or emergency buttons.
- Secure messaging groups for urgent contact with managers.
- Incident reporting systems that help providers spot patterns and act on them.
- Location-sharing tools, used proportionately and transparently, where there is a clear safety need.
Technology must be used with care. Monitoring should be proportionate, transparent and respectful of staff privacy. Workers should know what information is collected, who can see it, how long it is kept and how it will be used. Digital safety measures should be developed with staff, not imposed on them.
Stay alert to sponsorship scams
The current climate is also creating opportunities for fraudsters. Digital Care Hub has published a scam alert about fake emails claiming to be from the Home Office or UK Visas and Immigration and targeting users of the Sponsorship Management System. These messages may look official, claim urgent action is needed and ask users to log in through a fake link. If successful, criminals may gain access to sponsorship accounts and use them for fraud.
Providers with sponsor licences should remind staff never to share login details, never to use links in unexpected emails, and to access official systems through GOV.UK. They should also review who has access to sponsorship systems, remove users who no longer need access, use strong passwords and check account activity regularly.
More information is available in our alert and advice about this scam.
A joined-up response
Digital Care Hub encourages care providers to take a joined-up approach: listen to staff, update risk assessments, make reporting routes simple, review lone worker arrangements, and ensure cyber security advice reaches the people who manage sponsorship and HR systems.
Racism, intimidation and exploitation must never be treated as an unavoidable part of care work. Every care worker deserves to feel safe, valued and supported. Digital tools are not the whole answer, but they can be part of a practical response that helps providers protect their teams and stand clearly with the people who keep care services running.
View all News