‘Grow your own’ training schemes to tackle recruitment crisis

Employers should hire dedicated co-ordinators to oversee “grow your own” training schemes to help tackle the recruitment crisis in social work, according to new guidance from the General Social Care Council.

The GSCC is promoting the schemes, where unqualified staff or prospective recruits are sponsored to train as social workers, in a new grow your own (GYO) toolkit, a step-by-step guide for students, employers and universities.

The toolkit advises employers to make a “visible commitment” to the scheme by hiring a co-ordinator to support students, liaise with managers and higher education institutions, and organise placements.

Role may be shared

The co-ordinators could be full- or part-time and may be based in workforce development departments. The role may be shared between two or more people.

For organisations where there is no GYO infrastructure, it recommends absorbing the co-ordinating role into a line management or training role.

The toolkit was jointly produced by the GSCC and the Social Care Workforce Research Unit at King’s College London, and combines the experience of people who have already run or participated in GYO schemes.

“We hope this will provide practical advice to employers who are looking to solve recruitment needs through such schemes, which can result in highly competent and committed staff,” said Rosie Varley, chair of the GSCC.

Download the toolkit from the GSCC’s website

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GSCC study encourages use of grow your own training schemes