Caring Homes Welcome 100th Overseas Healthcare Worker
Last week, Mwarianesu Taderera hit a very special milestone with the Caring Homes Group. Originally from Zimbabwe, we’re delighted to announce Mwarianesu as the 100th overseas Healthcare Support Worker to join us at our fantastic range of care homes. She was met and welcomed at Mellish House Care Home by Catherine Martin, our Head of Recruitment, and Katie McGovern, our International Recruitment Lead. Mellish House Care Home’s new manager, Maekhala Allan, was also there to mark the occasion.
Rising to the Challenges of the Health & Social Care Sector
With the health and social care sector facing ongoing recruitment challenges, Caring Homes Group have undertaken an innovative approach to recruitment. Namely, we have created a new and dedicated Healthcare Support Worker (HSW) position. Senior to a care assistant, this role supports care homes by fulfilling several clinical duties and providing vital support to nursing teams.
Our aim with this progressive action is to ensure that our care and nursing homes across the UK and Scotland continue to deliver high-quality care to residents. The wellbeing of everyone within our care homes is fundamental to all we do, and we are delighted at the specialist care we are able to offer.
Mellish House Care Home Welcomes Their Latest HSW
Marking the 100th HSW recruited by Caring Homes, Mellish House Care Home in Suffolk welcomed Mwarianesu Taderera with treats and smiles from both staff and residents.
Speaking on their new role, Mwarianesu said: “It means a lot to me leaving my children miles back in Zimbabwe, but I want my efforts and contributions to add value to Caring Homes with the help of my fellow workers.
“Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Many thanks to the Caring Homes Support Office team and Hillside and Mellish teams for the warm and loving 100th welcome. I feel very privileged and grateful to be given this opportunity to join Caring Homes.”
International Support at Caring Homes
One of the biggest challenges for overseas colleagues can be homesickness. In a bid to help individuals settle in, Caring Homes Group ensure the new roles receive a mobile phone and a sim card with pre-loaded credit. This enables our colleagues to contact their friends and family back home.
Speaking about the day, Catherine Martin said: “This initiative is not just about changing the lives of our residents but also changing our new carers' lives too. Some of the HSWs have left their families behind to create a new life for themselves in the UK, and Mwarianesu is no exception. Alongside our residents, the wellbeing of our teams is the utmost priority here at Caring Homes. Today has been such a joyous occasion and we are looking forward to continuing to welcome Mwarianesu into the Caring Homes family.”
Leading the Way in International Recruitment
Since Brexit, and due to sponsorship requirements, organisations have been unable to recruit care assistants from outside of the UK.
On December 2nd, Caring Homes Group applied to the home office for our first Certificate of Sponsorship. Once granted, our recruitment team scoped job profiles, person specifications, and responsibilities to establish existing roles and which of our care home teams needed HSWs the most.
Reflecting on the recruitment process, Catherine said: “Staffing remains a challenge for the sector, however, in the past year we have developed a strong employee value proposition and new careers website, demonstrating to prospective colleagues what makes Caring Homes an employer of choice.
“I am extremely proud of the recruitment team and the success we have had with overseas Healthcare Support Workers. Landing our 100th HSW in four months is a fantastic achievement and having the opportunity to meet our new employees, whether at the airport or within our homes, really gives us that person-centred approach.
“The recruitment team’s tireless efforts to implement the HCSW role and focus on recruiting candidates has enabled Caring Homes to access a huge pool of talented candidates who have become invaluable members of their team. Our people strategy will continue to be our focus as we strive to attract and retain the best people to support the occupancy growth of our business and maintain the delivery of quality care. We now have a very strong pipeline of candidates and are delighted to be able to offer many great opportunities from people across the world.”
For more information about the career opportunities at Caring Homes Group’s fantastic care and nursing homes, please visit caringhomescareers.co.uk. You can also contact our friendly recruitment team by emailing [email protected] or by calling 01206 224188
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