Workforce Information and Support

The adult social care workforce strategy identifies many strategic priorities. These seek to overcome workforce challenges and ensure high quality and person-centred care for local people and families.

The current initiatives in place support adult social care providers. This is by building the capacity and quality of the workforce. Please read on to find out more about all the different offerings that current exist:

Norfolk Care Careers

Norfolk Care Careers is a website for Norfolk and Waveney adult social care jobs and careers. It is free for social care providers to sign up and advertise adult social care vacancies.

We are developing a comprehensive marketing plan including investment in:

• Search engine optimisation
• Social media campaigns
• Promotion using platforms including tv, radio and outdoor media
• Attendance at key events throughout the year

With this, we aim to drive traffic to the Norfolk Care Careers website and support awareness of careers in adult social care.

We also develop career case studies to promote careers in the sector.

Visit the Norfolk Care Careers website for further information.

For more information about advertising vacancies or sharing a case study please contact us at norfolkcarejobs@norfolk.gov.uk

Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support

Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support is an independent, not-for-profit company, established in 2002, dedicated to supporting the local adult social care sector. Contracted by Norfolk County Council to provide support to the adult social care market, with an emphasis on information, advice, guidance, training opportunities and recruitment support.

They provide information, advice, guidance and training via the Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support website, weekly e-bulletin and a printed newsletter, Norfolk Care News, twice a year. These ensure that the adult social care sector is aware of the latest news, developments, training opportunities and events.

They promote adult social care careers and support recruitment by visiting schools, colleges, and job centres to inform people about the options to work and train in social care. They undertake project work such as Care Academies and Earn as you Learn scheme to support care providers to recruit new staff, including students, and encourage uptake of the Trainee Nursing Associate role in adult social care.

They distribute funding for staff development via Skills for Care’s Workforce Development Fund (WDF) which helps fund social care qualifications and other learning programmes.

Care Academies

The academies are free to attend and offer a week’s training based on the nationally recognised Care Certificate. The following week there is an online session of introductions and interview opportunities with local social care employers that have current vacancies. Care Academies support individuals to understand the wide range of opportunities available and provide the wrap around support to find the right career pathway.

Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support developed and deliver the academies on behalf of Norfolk County Council.

Find out more about Care Academies on the Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support website.  

Earn as you Learn

Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support operate the Earn as you Learn scheme. It develops connections with local colleges and higher education establishments. They match students across Norfolk to part time flexible work in adult social care.

Find out about Earn as you Learn on the Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support website.  

Skills for Care

Skills for Care is the strategic workforce development and planning body for adult social care in England. Their role is to understand the key drivers of workforce change, using insight, data and evidence.

They provide managers and those involved in the delivery of social care with:

• Guidance on best practice
• Tools and resources
• Intelligence to support workforce recruitment, capabilities, and culture

Visit the Skills for Care website for further information.

Contact the Skills for Care team via their contact us webpage.

New2Care Incentive – Supporting the Learning Disability, Autism, Mental Health Workforce

As part of a new pilot, funding from Norfolk County Council will support the learning disability, autism and mental health adult social care workforce in Norfolk and Waveney via a financial incentive paid to new recruits to the sector from 1 September 2023 to 31 March 2024.

The payment is not paid immediately to the employee, thus offering a short-term retention tool, and further seeks to drive quality through the requirement to undertake Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) training.

Further details:

• A one-off payment of £750, subject to tax and NI, per new employee on completion of 12 weeks employment, subject to qualifying conditions.
• There must be a commitment to the employee undertaking PBS training within 6 months
• The funding must be passed on to the new recruit and will be subject to tax and NI
• The employee must work a minimum of 8 hours per week - the payment is not pro rata
• Payments will be made on a first come first served basis, with a cap of 5 employees per provider

The employer must make a claim within one week the new recruit starting their employment using the official New2Care application form.

Care Friends Licenses

2100 Care Friends licenses are available to the Norfolk adult social care market. These licenses are free of charge, on a first come first served basis for 12 months to assist with recruitment and retention.

To find out more visit the Care Friends website or watch the 'How Care Friends works' video.

Contact Care Friends to register your interest.  Inform them that you wish to take up the Norfolk County Council offer, and they will help guide you through the process.

Blue Light Card 

Adult social care workers in Norfolk who bought the Blue Light Card after 19th September 2022 can claim a refund.

The card costs £4.99 and is valid for two years. It provides discounts both on the high street and online on a range of items. This includes utilities and other essential household purchases.

Please note: the blue light card is currently only available to employees of CQC-registered organisations.

Find out more information about claiming a refund for the Blue Light Card.

Wellbeing Support

Our Frontline offers one-to-one confidential support from trained staff.

It also has a collection of resources, tips and ideas to support your mental health, such as:

• Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support useful wellbeing resources for staff
• Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support useful wellbeing resources for managers
• #WeCareTogether - Health and Wellbeing 

Norfolk and Suffolk foundation trust (NSFT) staff support line also offers wellbeing support. Visit the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS foundation trust website for more information.

Recruitment and Retention Workshops

Over the past 12 months we have hosted online and face to face best practice workshops.

You can find more information about these workshops on the Norfolk Care Market events calendar.

Skills and Development

We want to help you maintain a well-led, skilled, and valued adult social care workforce. To achieve this, it is important to keep your staff trained and up to date.

Find out more on the Skills and Development webpage.

HR Community of Practice

Do you work in HR and support recruitment and retention in adult social care in Norfolk and Waveney?

We would like to invite you to an online Community of Practice of HR professionals.

This a confidential space to discuss and exchange best practice and support one another- providing an opportunity to build networks with peers.

*This is not a space to offer legal advice which should be sought independently where required.    

See our events calendar for upcoming COP meeting dates.

International Recruitment - Community of Practice (COP)

The bi-monthly online COP is for the growing interest in international recruitment. It is one of the many ways to increase capacity in the adult social care workforce.

The COP aims to bring together adult social care providers in Norfolk with international recruitment. This enables a platform for best practice, the sharing of information and collaboration.

See our events calendar for the upcoming COP meeting dates.

International Recruitment System Hub – supportive offer

We developed a supportive recruitment offer to assist with recruiting international care workers and nursing staff. The service is free of charge.

To find out more contact us at norfolkcarejobs@norfolk.gov.uk

International Recruitment – eastern region offer

Norfolk is the Lead Authority for the approved application for £2.4m from the Department of Health and Social Care on behalf of the Eastern Region, to establish a Centre of Excellence to further support the market with International Recruitment.

There is a dedicated programme of support available - take a look at the Adass East website to find out more.

For any questions, please email internationalrecruitmenteast@norfolk.gov.uk