Expert tips

Neil Eastwood, founder of Sticky People and author of 'Saving Social Care', has recorded two webinars for UKHCA members on care staff recruitment and retention. These are available exclusively to UKHCA members and the links to each are below:

UKHCA resources

• UKHCA used a large scale online survey of homecare providers in England to help answer a regular question we receive from employers: “Where should I advertise for careworkers?”(this resource is free to UKHCA members)
• Make sure you know the employment status of your careworkers to avoid any legal pitfall (this resource is free to UKHCA members)
• Younger workers can often be an under used resource, this guidance explains the regulators' position on employing people aged 16 or 17 years (this resource is free to UKHCA members)
• This article from Homecarer Magazine explains tax incentives that employers in the homecare sector may make use of (this resource is free to UKHCA members)
• UKHCA offers country-wide training courses for both recruitment and retention

Other resources

• Skills for Care produce a range of free resources on recruitment and retention including:

  • Recruitment and retention in adult social care: secrets of success
  • Finding and keeping workers
  • Values based recruitment tool
  
  
• The Jobcentre Plus also offer guidance to employers looking for new staff

Criminal record (DBS) checks

UKHCA's Disclosure Service team have extensive experience with care staff applications so they can quickly guide you on how best to complete criminal record checks on current or prospective employees - allowing your care staff to start work sooner. Some of the benefits include:

• In-depth care sector knowledge
• Support on applications to ensure accuracy
• Experienced with applications from foreign nationals
• Quickly submit applications online
• DBS Adult First checks available to enable careworkers to start work before their full DBS check has been completed
• Transparent pricing with preferential rates for UKHCA members

To register to use UKHCA's Disclosure Service - simply email the UKHCA Disclosure Service team with your company name, address, contact number and the full name and email address for each person you would like to use the service.

For further information on DBS checks and the Disclosure and Barring service please refer to the following:

• CQC guidance on DBS checks.
• The Disclosure and Barring Service website provides further information on the DBS