Funding of £29,000 from the Skills for Care Council will finance The Fed to run a ground-breaking pilot scheme providing an avenue for nurses seeking to return to the profession, and a route for overseas nurses wishing to qualify to work in the UK.
The background to the scheme is rooted in The Fed’s own experience of overseas recruitment, and largely based on feedback from nurses who started work at Heathlands Village in 2019, having been recruited from India and Africa. They have reported how the orientation and friendship offered early on were instrumental in easing their transition and encouraging them to commit to the post.
Recruitment of well-qualified experienced staff is a continuing challenge for care homes, matched by the difficulties that returning and new nurses face in getting on the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) register.
To assist with this, we are providing a holistic programme across the Greater Manchester region of education, training, and mentorship to support new and returning nurses through the process, and to help employers understand the protocols and provisions of the appropriate pastoral care for new recruits.
The scheme will go well beyond training alone, with free living quarters for the first month’s stay in the UK provided, where available.
The Fed’s track record in investing in our staff is something we can share with other social care providers. We want to help create confident and successful nurses.
