Issue 165 08.11.23
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Seal of approval for overseas recruitment A GOVERNMENT delegation has given its seal of approval to a North Yorkshire care provider’s game-changing overseas recruitment programme. Saint Cecilia’s Care Group has employed 32 staff from India, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria in the last year. And officials from the Department of Health and Social Care were impressed when they called in to see how they were settling in and the impact they had made. Saint Cecilia’s managing director Mike Padgham said: “We were delighted to welcome the DHSC party to our nursing home in Scarborough where they were able to meet a cross-section of the overseas recruits who have joined the Saint Cecilia’s family over the past year. “I know they were impressed and following the visit wrote to say that from just a few hours’ visit the sense of shared values, strong connections and genuine love for the profession was so clear from everybody they spoke to. And they said it had been a great experience to speak to the international recruits, whose efficient journey to the UK was a ‘huge credit to the dedication and commitment’ from our team. “This was lovely to hear. We have been bowled over by the impact our overseas recruits have had in such a short time on the care that we can deliver. “It is no exaggeration to say that we were in dire need of staff
to cope with shortages within the sector and they have literally ensured that, in some cases, we were able to keep on delivering care. They’ve made a fantastic difference by strengthening our care and nursing team and helping us to look after our residents. We couldn’t have got through the past year without them. But more than that they have brought so much in terms of adding cultural diversity and bringing in new personalities and fresh energy to our care centres.” Earlier this year a party was held at the group’s Normanby House care home in Scarborough, when the overseas staff brought in food that was native to their home country to share as part of the celebrations. Saint Cecilia’s overseas nursing recruitment was helped by a ground-breaking partnership with York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Drawing on the previous experience the Trust had in recruiting via these channels saved the care group countless hours and streamlined the process enormously. A pilot scheme was set up to enable social care providers to access health trust facilities for staff to study for and take their Objective Structured Clinical Examination, a competency test that is part of the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s registration process for nurses and midwives trained outside the UK.
Singing Chelsea Pensioner Colin Thackery has performed at Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton. The 93-year-old, who served in Korea with the Royal Artillery and won Britain’s Got Talent in 2019, sang for fellow comrades. After singing, Colin was taken on a tour of the award-winning home, and officially opened the newly created general store in the dementia care area. He then joined residents, including others who served in Korea, for tea and cake. He had earlier wowed residents with songs including ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’, ‘Moon River’, ‘Sweet Caroline’ and ‘Thank You for the Music’. The concert was organised by the home’s dedicated wellbeing team, which deliver activities, companionship, outings and exercise for residents seven days a week.
CUK Awards tickets in demand TICKETS are selling fast for the industry’s biggest end-of-year party, with plans in place to make this year’s Caring UK Awards the best one yet. Organised by Script Media in partnership with Caring UK and headline sponsor Virgin Money, this annual celebration of success will culminate in a glittering ceremony – taking place at the Athena in Leicester on Thursday December 7 – where the lucky winners will be revealed. We received a record number of entries from all over the UK with so many stories of wonderful and we want to thank everyone who sent in nominations.
Shortlisted entries from far and wide have made the finals, now progressing to the next stage of the judging process. Event organiser Dominic Musgrave added: “We have been amazed by the incredible work that has taken and is continuing to take place in homes nationwide. “Once again we were overwhelmed with the standard of entries we received from homes up and down the country. We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone at the awards on December 7.” Tickets to the care industry’s party of the year are available at https://scriptevents.co.uk/cuk-awards-tickets/
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