Councils are to be given a fund of £15 million to help grow and improve international recruitment within the adult social care sector.
The international recruitment fund should primarily be used to source care workers, says the Department of Health and Social Care - however, it can also be used to help hire nurses, occupational therapists or social workers.
This arrives as part of the initiative to improve staffing numbers across social care, with the number of vacant posts having increased by more than half in the last year.
It is hoped that recruiting from overseas will help alleviate pressures on the NHS, including speeding up hospital discharges and reducing waiting lists for social care services.
While staffing shortages have been highlighted as a major catalyst for these issues, the government equally recognises the challenges around international hiring (including visas, housing and travel), which it also aims to address.
The DHSC lists ‘helping new arrivals to access affordable housing’ and ‘helping international recruits with solutions to work travel requirements’ as examples of how the funding could be deployed.
The maximum funding allowance for each region can be found below:
North East: £820,000
North West: £2,050,000
Yorkshire and the Humber: £1,380,000
West Midlands: £1,620,000
East Midlands: £1,640,000
South East: £2,540,000
East of England: £1,650,000
London: £1,710,000
South West: £1,580,000
Lead local authorities were asked to submit applications on how much they required and what the funding would go towards by 24 February.
The DHSC has set a maximum funding allowance for each of the nine English regions but is requiring lead local authorities to submit applications setting out how much they need and what it would be used for, by 24 February 2023.
Payments will be approved between 6 and 10 April 2023.
Imperium Solutions is here to support local authorities and social workers across the UK. Reach out on 0208 929 4000 if you need help finding staff or want to find out more about what we do.
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