Scotland’s adult social care system is made up of organisations that provide personal care, or support, to adults in need or at risk.
. Most social care services are delivered by three different types of organisation:
Any of these organisations may decide to recruit staff from outside of the United Kingdom, as internationally trained staff are an integral part of the adult social care workforce in Scotland, with ethical recruitment being a key part of the Scottish government’s plan to grow the adult social care workforce.
Genuine, ethical recruiters and employers in Scotland want the experience of an international recruit to be as positive as possible. They will provide a package of support from the moment that an offer of employment is made, help with travel to Scotland, arrange for temporary accommodation to allow you to settle in, and many other support measures throughout your employment.
However, some people and organisations will be fraudulent and in some cases criminal, wishing to exploit people seeking a new life. Being able to recognise which organisations are ethical, and which to avoid, is critical to a successful transition to working in Scotland.
If you are approached by a recruitment agency, then make sure that they are listed on the UK’s official ethical recruiters list. Agencies on this list have agreed to abide by a code of practice and should be the only agencies that ethical employers in Scotland are using.
DO NOT pay any money to an agency or employer to find you a job. It is illegal for any agency in the UK to charge anyone who is looking for work in the UK. If an agency tries to charge you money to find you employment, then walk away and find a different agency to work with. You can report any such organisation to NHS Employers, by emailing internationalrecruitment@nhsconfed.org, who will then investigate.
There is a saying in the UK that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true. Be sceptical and investigate further until you are sure that what is on offer is genuine.
For more details and advice on how to avoid being scammed by unethical recruiters and employers read our guide International recruitment: avoiding scams, or go to UK.Gov website.
Most of the time a recruitment agency, and a potential employer, will be perfectly legitimate, but there will still be costs to be considered. For example, you may have to pay for the cost of applying for a visa, for medical examinations and you will need to be able to show that you have sufficient funds to be able to support yourself, and perhaps your family, whilst you are waiting for that first pay check. Our guide The cost of working in Scottish Social Care, provides lots more detail on what costs you can expect to have, and which ones your new employer may provide assistance with.