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Virtual centre of excellence supporting international recruitment

International Recruitment East is an Eastern regional programme funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and one of 15 similar regional partnerships across England.  

DHSC first announced international recruitment funds in March 2023. Criteria require a lead authority for purposes of administering funds, and Norfolk County Council undertakes this role. The Eastern partnership comprises of the 12 Eastern local authorities, care associations and Eastern region care association alliance:

  • Bedford Borough Council
  • Bedfordshire Care Association
  • Cambridgeshire County Council
  • Central Bedfordshire Council
  • Eastern region care association alliance
  • Essex Care Association
  • Essex County Council
  • Hertfordshire Care Association
  • Hertfordshire County Council
  • Luton Borough Council
  • Milton Keynes City Council
  • Norfolk Care Association
  • Norfolk County Council
  • Peterborough City Council
  • Southend City Council
  • Suffolk Care Association
  • Suffolk County Council
  • Thurrock Borough Council

Key aims of International Recruitment East are to:

  • Support migrant care workers impacted by non-compliant sponsors or unethical practice into new ethical, sponsored employment in the adult social care sector 
  • Engage with adult social care providers to encourage recruitment of migrant care workers impacted by non-compliant sponsors
  • Support work to prevent and respond to exploitative employment issues

Delivery of the International Recruitment East programme has been shaped following regional consultation with key stakeholders including the 12 Eastern local authorities, care associations and alliance, along with migrant care workers.  

Hub and spoke model

International Recruitment East is focused upon providing practical, tailored solutions to challenges and barriers that are responsive and accessible to all providers and migrant care workers to meet local needs, via a hub and spoke model.

The hub delivers commissioned resources that are free of charge to access for both providers operating in the East, and migrant care workers residing in the region. These include:

  • Cultural adaptation training - beyond the care certificate
  • Driving adaptation support and e-learning
  • Eliminating racism in the workplace webinars, 1:1s and e-learning
  • Ethical recruitment guidance
  • Mock UKVI compliance audits
  • Modern slavery webinars and resources
  • Online accommodation guides
  • Provider access to legal advice relating to international recruitment and employment of migrant care workers
  • Scam awareness webinars and resources
  • Solicitor support workshops for providers
  • Sponsorship management systems compliance webinars and guidance
  • Work related grant for migrant care workers

Further resources soon to be available:

  • Digital platform to facilitate provider access to displaced migrant care worker seeking a new employer within the sector
  • Funding support for providers who provide alternate employment for migrant care workers impacted by provider licence revocations
  • Migrant care worker access to employment and immigration legal advice

Spokes provide a single point of access for:

  • Migrant care workers affected by provider licence revocation to access support to find an alternate employer within the sector. 
  • Care providers seeking to recruit a new care worker from overseas who are currently required (see GOV.UK's immigration rules information) to first attempt to recruit from the displaced migrant care worker pool.

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