Maybe Jon Snow knows nothing, but Kit Harrington, the actor who plays him on Game of Thrones, knows a thing or two about the looming crisis facing the learning disability sector in the United Kingdom. A recent government ruling threatens to require care providers, including Mencap, to pay up to six years of back pay to “sleep-in” care workers. Harrington, acting as a Mencap ambassador, believes this ruling will be detrimental not only to the care industry, but to the patients and their families who rely on care workers. So, What Does Harrington Know? Harrington and his family are all too aware of the importance of having care workers taking care of loved ones. The actor grew up with his cousin Laurent, who has Down’s Syndrome and autism. He knows the critical role that care workers employed by Mencap and similar organizations play in helping people with disabilities live an independent life, sometimes with 24/7 care services that include overnight sleep-ins. Harrington also knows that if agencies like Mencap are required to pay back pay, many will go bankrupt and patients will suffer with the loss of care jobs as companies cut back staff or go out of business entirely. Don’t Let Mencap’s Problems Happen to You The UK government doesn’t have the same view as Harrington. It believes the onus is on care agencies and charities that should have been paying workers at least the national minimum wage for sleep-in staff. It’s a good idea to view what is happening to Mencap and other care agencies in the UK as a cautionary tale for your own health or home care agency in the United States. Keeping accurate records with DCI software ensures you are in compliance with federal and state regulations and help you avoid audits and lawsuits such as this.