Pilot International Nurse Recruitment Programme for Social Care
Posted: 7th January 2025
Overview
An initiative to share NHS international recruitment skills and experience with social care provider partners to resolve recruitment challenges in a Core 20 area.
Approach
A collaborative approach to provide support and problem solving and a coaching approach to skills development and confidence building.
Impact
The initiative helped address shortfalls in the local labour market, preventing the closure of crucial nursing beds. And improving patient flow through the system. Staff and patients experience improved environment and wellbeing.
Overview
To develop a pilot programme where two nursing home providers were supported to deliver an international nurse recruitment campaign in Scarborough and York. Plan to recruit 6 nurses internationally and develop arrangements for the NHS to provide OSCE training and support in advance of NMC examinations.
Objectives
- Build relationships across the NHS and social care local community
- Upskill staff within nursing homes with the skills to recruit internationally
- Establish recruitment processes to continue recruitment
- Develop a mechanism to support internationally recruited nurses to obtain their OSCE support prior to their NMC examination.
Approach
NHS and social care teams looked to rebuild relationships, trust and confidence following the impact of COVID. Long-standing vacancies in social care threatened the continuing provision of services in the locality. Care managers reported not recruiting internationally previously due to a fear of the unknown, the potential cost, the complexity of the process and access to OSCE training support. NHS staff shared expertise and practical support and used coaching techniques to develop skills and confidence.
Results
The project resulted in the successful recruitment of 6 nurses and 1 care worker. The care providers have developed their own recruitment process and have gone on to recruit a further 3 more nurses and 22 care workers. Care managers report improved well-being for teams and patients. All nursing staff successfully completed NMC registration.
Lessons Learnt
On evaluation, the key points of learning in this project were:
- Early recognition that social care providers are SMEs who didn’t have the support networks and infrastructure that the NHS and Local Authorities already have that enabled early adoption of overseas recruitment. However, this did not mean that they did not have the appetite to explore innovative recruitment.
- Sharing expertise and OSCE training resources helped to develop collaborative working relationships within the health and care geographical patch that went beyond this project.
Recommendations
Shared ownership and understanding of the issue resulted in a positive outcome which supported both health and care.
Contact Information
Further information can be obtained from Nichola.Greenwood1@nhs.net, Social Care Workforce Lead, North Yorkshire and York.
“The world of overseas recruitment for a typical social care provider like us is a complicated and scary place. Without ICB’s support and direction over the past year, I struggle to see how we could have made a success of our overseas recruitment. Putting it simply, I cannot see how one of our homes would still be registered to provide nursing care without the overseas nurses we have taken on.”
Managing Director, Nursing Home Provider, Scarborough