Tool to help recruit world class social care professionals launches

Employers in care and children’s services need to draw 90,000 new workers into the sector each year for the foreseeable future.  Skills for Care and Development’s (SfC&D’s) ambassadors service aims to support this process. Ambassadors are individuals supported by their employers to promote careers in social care or early years services to those in schools, colleges and job centres.

Each part of the sector across the UK has its own network of ambassadors, who together make up an impressive 1,000-strong UK service.

The ambassadors service has attracted support at policy level as well as with employers and with careers advisers – as demonstrated by a range of events across the UK including parliamentary receptions and an early day motion that currently has the support of 24 members of parliament.

Increasing awareness of jobs in care is one thing, but with employers reporting that every vacancy costs several thousand pounds to fill, it’s important that they get it right first time whenever they seek appoint a new worker.

SfC&D has also launched ‘A Question of Care: a Career for You’ – a new online pre-screening tool to support recruitment of a world class workforce for social work, social care and early years services across the UK.

‘A Question of Care: a Career for You’ tests the aptitude of potential recruits against the requirements of both employers and those with social care needs. It aims to increase service quality and reduce recruitment costs and churn. The tool can be used both by individuals and by employers as part of their recruitment process. It also provides a useful resource for career advisers in schools, colleges and job centres.

Potential job-seekers watch a series of short films and are asked to make judgements about what they see. This informs the feedback they receive in the form of a personal profile. The tool has been developed and tested with schools, colleges and employers.

The ambassador service and ‘A Question of Care: a Career for You’ tool are part of a project that has received co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) through the Employer Investment Fund.

Individuals or employers interested in getting involved with the Ambassadors programme should contact sscinfo@skillsforcareanddevelopment.org.uk