A sufficient, skilled and sustainable social care workforce is essential in providing high quality, person centred care to vulnerable residents living in South West London. However, there are considerable challenges in achieving this with chronic problems in recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce to a sector characterised by low pay and low status alongside intense competition from other sectors.
The number of vacancies in social care in South West London is already high and without concerted action will be further exacerbated as increasing demand for care services is estimated to create a further 10,000 jobs by 2035.
SWL Social Care Workforce Strategy
The six South West London boroughs of Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton and Wandsworth have collaborated and with wider partners to develop a strategy setting out how their joint action will support the development of a more sustainable social care workforce in South West London. The report developed by SCIE and Skills for Care can be found here.
INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT
South West London local authorities have been awarded funding for 2023/24
by DHSC to support care providers with the international recruitment of care
workers. South London Partnership are managing the development and
delivery of the support offer working closely with local authorities and care
providers.
We are in the process of developing a support offer for providers and would
like to know how many providers are likely to want to take up the offer which
will comprise of:
- Getting Started with International Recruitment – advice on sponsorship
licences, costs, what’s involved, ethical recruitment. - Assistance to recruit staff internationally – including advertising,
application processing, interviews, employment checks, support with
visa application and processing. - Pre-arrival support – arranging travel, securing temporary and
permanent accommodation, transfers from airport, bank account set up,
pre-arrival induction. - Post arrival pastoral support – helping secure permanent
accommodation, GP registration, settling in support, introduction to area
including local transport, cultural awareness, community groups and
networks including places of worship, support for managers, ESOL if
needed, post arrival induction.
Further information on getting started with International Recruitment can be
found here which helpfully sets out what you need to do, and the costs
involved.- https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/partners-care-and-health/care-and-health-improvement/adult-social-care-workforce/overseas-recruitment
There is a fuller guide on becoming a visa sponsor which will need to be in place to start the recruitment process – https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/resources/documents/Recruitment-support/Widen-your-talent-pool/International-recruitment/Becoming-a-Visa-Sponsor-Help-Sheet-for-ASC-Providers.pdf
To develop and administer the support offer if you are an Adult Social Care Provider we would be grateful if you could let us know whether you are likely to want to take up the support offer in 2023/24. In order to do this you must be planning to recruit internationally in 2023/24 with the intention of having international recruits arriving in South West London to take up posts before March 2024.
Adult Social Care Providers can request an Expression of Interest form from SWLSocialCareAcademyHub@southlondonpartnership.co.uk
Any queries please contact sheryl.brand@southlondonpartnership.co.uk