Five funded initiatives to help you recruit new staff

Recruitment practice and policies are key to finding the best staff for your care organisation.

Recruitment practice and policies are key to finding the best staff for your care organisation.

Recruitment can be a time consuming process, and there are costs involved, but getting it right means you can get the right people to join your team and ensure you’re providing the best care to the people you support.

To help you implement an effective recruitment strategy there are several funded initiatives available to support with recruitment of staff.

We've rounded up five funded schemes to help you with your recruitment.

1) Kickstart Scheme

The Kickstart Scheme is a great way to introduce new people aged 16-24 into the care sector and support young people to get on the career ladder, as well as bringing new talent and a new role to your team.

To utilise the Kickstart Scheme you create a new role in your organisation to support a business need, and recruit a Kickstart participant into the role. The successful recruit’s salary will be paid for by the Government as part of the scheme and the role will last for six months, though you may then wish to hire the person permanently after that.

Find out more about the Kickstart Scheme.

2) Sector-based work academy programmes

Sector-based work academy programmes are a great way to support people of all ages to get started in social care if they haven’t worked in the sector before.

The programme offers a work placement for job seekers new to the sector allowing them to gain work experience as well as taking on accredited learning. At the end of the programme participants will be given an interview for a role in the sector.

This programme is funded by the Government with no cost to you as an employer and allows you to work with people new the sector who can bring transferable skills and new perspectives to your organisation.

Find out more about sector-based work academy programmes.

3) Traineeships

Traineeships are a skills development opportunity for 16-24 year olds which include a work placement.

When taking on a trainee you can be very flexible with the approach and design a programme which fits with your business needs as well as providing the relevant support and development opportunities for the trainee.

After a traineeship you may decide to take on the trainee as a permanent employee and you’ll have helped to have shaped their skillset and embedded them into the team.

The cost of the traineeship is funded by the Government and you may be eligible for an incentive for taking on a trainee.

Find out more about traineeships.

4) Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship provides a job as a full member of the team, providing a salary alongside the opportunity for learning and developing new skills and knowledge, with training undertaken as part of the apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships run for a minimum of 12 months and provide a structured learning programme for the apprentice which is also shaped to meet the needs of the employer. An apprenticeship is available to anyone over the age of 16.

Funding is available towards the cost of taking on an apprentice.

Find out more about apprenticeships.

5) Workforce Development Fund

The Workforce Development Fund can be used to fund training and learning opportunities for your staff, including apprenticeships or upskilling existing staff to take on new roles.

The fund will open soon for applications for 2021/22.

Keep up to date with the launch of this year’s fund and find out more about how you can use the funding.

Find out more about funded initiatives to support with recruitment and development of staff.

You can find more recruitment support in our #RecruitmentReady spotlight.

Print this page