Mother’s Day has always carried deep meaning for me. I was raised by a single mum who worked multiple jobs to keep us afloat. This was the one day each year when we paused to recognise everything she did: the quiet sacrifices, the constant juggling, the care that held our lives together.
This Mothers Day, last Sunday, I was also thinking about a group of social care workers I met just days earlier, many of them mothers. They came to a meeting with the Scottish Government to talk about their futures, and what they shared was both deeply personal and urgently political.
These women came to Scotland to do essential work. They’re caring for our loved ones, and holding together our already fragile social care system. They’re also supporting families of their own – here in the UK and across the world.
But many recently lost their jobs after the Home Office suddenly revoked their employers’ licences to sponsor international workers. Overnight, they were left “displaced” – anxious, uncertain and searching for a way forward.
This isn’t just about employment. Losing a job in this context means losing stability. It means not knowing if you can continue to provide for your children. It means being unable to plan for the future.
And yet, in the face of that uncertainty, these women showed real leadership. They didn’t just share their experiences – they pointed to solutions:
→ Creating job fairs to connect displaced workers with new employers
→ Exploring more flexible “common sponsorship” models
→ Clearer local authority support when licenses are revoked
Their message was clear: there are clear practical steps we can take, if we choose to act.
For me, ultimately this is about the kind of country we want to be. Do we value the people who care for us?
The Scottish Government now has an opportunity to reflect these workers’ care back – by listening, and then by acting on the solutions they themselves are putting forward.
As one woman put it so powerfully in our meeting: “Have a heart and care for those who care for you.”
By Caroline Robinson, Executive Director, Worker Support Centre.
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