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Settling into your job and life

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You may have recently arrived in Scotland and be about to start your first job in the UK. This section will provide you with lots of information to help you settle into your new career and to a life in Scotland. You will find lots of information about your employment rights, which may be quite different from your previous experiences. You will also find information on where to find help with your personal wellbeing and a guide to how far your salary is likely to go.

Your salary

This video below, has been designed to help you understand how much money you will earn and will help you decide if a job in adult social care is the right job for you. 

Video

Difficulties at work (raising concerns or settling disputes)

To help ensure public protection, people working in adult social care services have a duty to raise concerns and employers are responsible for making sure they can do this in a safe and appropriate manner.

The Care Inspectorate’s guidance 'Raising concerns in the workplace' clearly sets out these roles and responsibilities and the protection offered to people raising concerns under whistleblowing legislation. 

Your rights at work

If you have refugee status in Scotland, you have the same employment rights as any other worker.  However, it can feel harder to complain about abuse of your rights because of intimidation and the fear of dismissal as well as the perceived impact to your refugee status.

If you are a registered asylum seeker, who has been granted the right to work, you can only seek employment in those roles that are on the Immigration Salaries List (ISL).  Currently, the ISL includes the adult social care roles ‘Care Workers and Home Carers’ and ‘Senior Care Workers’.

The Scottish Refugee Council provide more advice on employment, including a number of short courses that will help you prepare for work.  To contact them call 0808 196 7274.

If you have an employment dispute, then you may need to find legal advice.  There are many solicitors in Scotland who can assist you, although you must be aware of the potential for legal costs unless you can qualify for legal aid.  The ‘Ethnic Minorities Law Centre’ is one such organisation that specialises in assisting individuals from ethnic minorities.

Registering with a Trade Union

The purpose of a Trade Union, also termed ‘Union’, is to ensure that workers’ welfare and working conditions are protected. It can include collective bargaining, fairer access to resources for workers, supporting issues relating to pay, advising employers on behalf of employees and representing or providing advocacy/advice for employees at employment tribunals.

Some of the major unions operating in Scotland, and representing most health and social care workers, are listed below:

Connecting you to your community

A Local Information System for Scotland (ALISS)

ALISS aims to ensure that everyone in Scotland has the right information, at the right time, about resources that are available to help them live well and stay connected to their community. ALISS is a national digital programme enabling people and professionals to find and share information on resources, services, groups, and support in their local communities and online.  

ALISS can help you find information about resources like:

  • Groups that support social and community connection (e.g., local cultural groups, book groups, befriending services)
  • Activities that offer opportunities for getting more active and for getting outdoors (e.g., badminton clubs, community gardens)
  • Practical, legal, and financial support (e.g., money advice, advocacy services)
  • Digital technology that can support health and social care (e.g., online forums, health related mobile apps).
  • Services that provide support for managing long term conditions
Wellbeing resources
  •  Mental Health Support Services NHS (National Health Service) 24 Line provides advice and assessment for urgent mental health crisis or emergencies. No matter what you may be going through, the mental health helpline is available to offer 24-hour advice and support to all individuals including access to a mental health professional. To contact NHS 24, Dial ‘111’.
  • Spiritual Care within social care encompasses all aspects of the wellbeing of an individual which seeks to find connection to foster meaning, purpose, significance and hope in all areas of their lives. The International Recruitment into Adult Social Care Employer Resources resource provides further information, including a case study to demonstrate the positive impact of spiritual care within social care.
Rights and entitlements

You can find more information, advice and guidance about your rights and entitlements at:

  • The Advisory, Conciliatory and Arbitration Service (ACAS), an independent public body that helps to improve workplace relations by providing advice on employer and employee rights, rules and responsibilities at work. They also support with the resolution of workplace disputes.. More information can be found at: ACAS| Making working life better for everyone in Britain or call the ACAS Helpline: 0300 123 1100.
  • Citizens’ Advice Scotland (CAS) is a UK voluntary sector organisation and an advisory body interconnected to networks of independent charities offering confidential advice, and helpline over the phone, online and in person. CAS aims to help people solve problems by providing free independent and impartial advice, with no restrictions as to who can access their services. The services they offer includes a helpline for advice on: pension guidance, support for witnesses in court through a witness service, access to a key worker, housing, employment, debt, benefits, tax credits, universal credits, disability issues, energy bills and socio-economic and even, environmental issues. It is vital for the IR candidates to confirm their immigration status, rights and entitlements when making enquiries. Citizens Advice Scotland
  • Trade Unions, as mentioned previously, are independent bodies who support the welfare of its members, advance their interests in relation to work and working conditions, and provide appropriate protection for employment related matters. Trade union members comprise of employees or workers of organisations.
  • The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) are the regulatory body tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the standards and codes of practice are upheld for social care, social work and children and young people workforce in Scotland.
  • The Blue Light Card gives you access to savings and discounts on products for health and social care staff:  Blue Light Card
  • Access to Work is a government initiative aimed at providing discretionary funds for helping people with work related physical or mental difficulties and disabilities. Access to work enables the employee to:
    • Apply for a grant to enable practical support at work such as ergonomic support to your area of work, equipment, assistive technology, vehicle adaptations or human support.
    • Manage mental health at work and
    • Access funds to pay for communication needs at a job interview.
  • Please note that aspects to your work requiring funds for ‘reasonable adjustments’ are a legal obligation by your employer and will not be covered under Access to Work. In addition, it is important to check your eligibility to access any category of this grant.
  • NHS INFORM is an online platform containing all health-related resources and information to support knowledge and healthy living for anyone living in or coming to Scotland. The platform provides information on managing any latest trends observed amongst the population that may pose a public health challenge e.g., winter bug, skin care during summer, coronavirus, or tick bites. It also provides access to your local healthcare provider e.g., General Practitioner, Optician or Dentist within any Scottish locality, acute hospital settings, sexual health clinics and your local pharmacy. The website outlines details on preventative health with lots of self-help guide whilst providing opportunities for knowing your rights when accessing healthcare in Scotland Scottish health information you can trust | NHS inform
  • Social Prescribers are often accessible through your General Practitioner (GP) surgery. It is a service tasked with enabling access to non-medical services and related activities within your local area. Not every locality has a Social Prescribing service, it is helpful to know what is available within your area.