International recruitment into adult social care

• Organisational values that demonstrate what your organisation stands for and are important in attracting like-minded candidates.

• Employee value proposition that articulate the unique set of benefits that anyone joining your organisation will receive, including why people are proud and motivated to work for your organisations.  This might be your vision or positive workplace culture.

• Development Packages so that potential employees can understand what opportunities are available to develop within their role, and what progression for their career looks like within your organisation.

• Total reward packages including information on pay, any employee assistance or salary sacrifice schemes e.g. cycle to work scheme; childcare voucher schemes, etc.

• Testimonials, both written and vox pops of candidates within the organisation that joined through international recruitment and why they like the organisation. 

NHS Scotland has also produced a Step by Step Guide to Renting Property in Scotland

nhs-scotland-rental-guide.pdf

It is of course vitally important that, as an employer, you ensure that the people you recruit are not a risk to other members of staff, or the individuals receiving care.  This is equally as important with recruiting UK-based staff as when you are recruiting from outside of the UK.  However, it can be more difficult to ensure all the proper checks have been done, or even to know what those proper checks are, when recruiting from overseas.  The Care Inspectorate and SSSC have recently released the latest version of their guide ‘Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment’, which is a great place to start looking for the answers to any questions that you might have. 

To get the best out of potential candidates, it is crucial to signpost them to information on the recruitment process. Value-Based Recruitment (VBR) occurs when both organisational and candidate’s values align. VBR encompasses shared values, promotes a positive work environment, and improves staff performance. VBR also helps employers gain the right person for the job, increases workforce capacity, and has the potential to maximise retention. It is imperative to be aware of VBR when hiring both locally and internationally.  VBR will help candidates align themselves to an organisation and demonstrate their own values.  Ensuring candidates understand what VBR will help them produce better applications, and support retaining them once they are in role.  Information to signpost candidates to can be found here:

• Skills for Care – What is values based recruitment?
• NHS Employers – Value-based recruitment
• SSSC – Elements of a values based approach
• SSSC - Building collaboration and compassion for integrated working: A booklet of stories from the social service workforce

Organisations that provide help and advice on how to apply for their own roles will build a good rapport with potential candidates.  This need not be intensive, highlighting useful information for candidates on other websites.  Examples of helpful links to signpost to can be found here:

• Health Careers – Identifying Transferable Skills
• Indeed – Functional CV: Tips on how to write a good functional CV
• Indeed – How to write a care assistant cover letter
• Indeed – How to write a supportive statement when looking for a job
• Indeed – How to use the STAR interview response technique  

To ensure that candidates can make an informed decision about taking up a care worker post in Scotland, it is important that you as an organisation provide them with their employment rights (both statutory and contractual) before they accept an offer.  This must be done in a way that supports any learning needs they have (e.g making it available in a specialist format, supporting them if English is a second language). This should also include information on:

• Working hours
• Statutory sick pay
• Annual leave
• Maternity leave
• Protection from discrimination in the workplace

More information can be found here:

• Scottish Development International – Employment Law, Regulations and Policy
• Gov.UK – Employment statushttps://www.gov.uk/employment-status/worker
• MacRoberts – Employment law in Scotland  

CWSS has produced a guide on Challenging Unethical Practices in International Recruitment with the aim of ensuring the transfer of individuals for the purpose of work is done in a fair and ethical manner. This document considers factors that contribute to human trafficking, forced labour, and debt bondage. It provides helpful tips to ensure recruitment, workplace policies, and culture are in line with ethical considerations.