Advice, guidance and support
Throughout your journey into adult social care, you may require advice and support along the way.
Below you will find points of contact and support to help you make it through.
All the Help you need
"Surround yourself with people who support you. Find champions"
Sarah Gavron
NHS Education for Scotland - International Recruitment Advice and guidance
For more advice, support and guidance for all aspect of your new candidate journey, we can help you along and point you in the right direction.
You can contact the team direct by emailing nes,cwssocial@nhs.scot
Our team are on hand to answer your questions, send you guides and advice, signpost you to other support networks and help your transition into your job and community easier.
Scotland's Migration Service
Scotland’s Migration Service, funded by Scottish Government, provides information and advice to employers seeking to hire or retain international workers. This includes free one-to-one appointments with a qualified immigration lawyer. Please see Scotland's Migration Service for Employers and Investors | Scotland.org. International workers can also access information and advice from the service at Move to Scotland | Scotland.org.
Note that the service operates across two separate websites. Information for employers is available at https://migrationservice.scotland.org. Information for migrants is on www.scotland.org/move-to-scotland.
Sponsor Matching
You could approach a sponsor-matching agency, some of whom specialise in helping displaced workers find a new sponsor. You can search online to find one, or approach one of those listed below, but please be aware that we are not recommending or endorsing their activities, you need to be confident that what they are offering meets your own, personal requirements:
- Osborne & Allan specialise in international recruitment within the health and social care sector, supporting candidates who have been displaced and find themselves in a difficult situation to gain employment with a reputable UK employer with no costs to the candidate. They can be contacted by email at emma@osborneallan.co.uk or hello@osborneallan.co.uk, or by phone at 07841017452 and/or 01592 859999.
- Lifted offers a free (to the candidate) sponsor-matching service to workers throughout the UK. Their website can be found HERE.
Trade Union Support
There are other sources of advice and support, such as:
Trade union support
If you are a member of a trade union, then they may be able to offer support.
Many care workers are members of UNISON, who do offer advice and support to migrant workers, but if you are a member of a different union then they may also be able to provide assistance.
Most unions will also provide free legal advice to their members, so if you are a union member it would definitely be worth approaching your union representative.
Police Scotland
If you are feeling unsafe, or at risk, then you can contact Police Scotland, who have a dedicated team dealing with issues of modern slavery and human trafficking. If you feel you have been trafficked, or you are being exploited, please report this to Police Scotland on 101. In an emergency always dial 999.
You can also use the Police Scotland online Contact Form, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Your call will be treated in confidence. You can also report via the Modern Slavery helpline on 08000 121 700 or on the Modern Slavery helpline website.
Anti-slavery
Unseen (Anti-slavery Charity)
Unseen is a UK charity with its head office in Bristol. They provide safe houses and support in the community for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery. They also run the UK Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline and work with individuals, communities, businesses, governments, other charities and statutory agencies to stamp out slavery for good.
Unseen has many resources, in many languages, that can be downloaded from their website at https://www.unseenuk.org/
Unseen has also created an app, available in Apple and Android formats, that has information in 27 languages and provides lots of great advice concerning identifying and reporting modern slavery. https://www.unseenuk.org/about-modern-slavery/download-the-app/
The UK Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline is provided by Unseen on 08000 121 700.
Other organisations
Other organisations that may be able to offer support and guidance are Citizens Advice Scotland or Scotland’s Migration Service.
