Shetland News - Advertise with us
Wednesday 30 July 2025
 16.4°C   NNE Light Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

News / Care pilot scheme could recruit people without qualifications to fill vacant roles

A NEW council pilot scheme will look to recruit more people in care by making it easier for people without formal qualifications to find jobs.

The Shetland Islands Council initiative will test a new approach to hiring in Edward Thomason and Taing Support Services, supported living and children’s social work.

It comes with the council continuing to struggle to fill care vacancies, leading to extra pressure on existing staff and the need for agency staff to be drafted in.

The council said that, instead of focusing on qualifications or past experience, they will now be looking for “what really matters in care” – including the “values, behaviours and attitudes” a person could bring to the role.

It hopes to attract more people into the care sector by simplifying the application process and putting more emphasis on personal qualities such as “respect, dignity and working well with others”.

HR manager Ingrid Smith said they knew there were many people who had the qualities to thrive in a care role that “may be held back by traditional recruitment processes”.

“It’s also about supporting our services by finding people who not only want to work in care, but are more likely to stay because their values align with the work they’re doing and the team around them,” she said.

The application process will be “more straightforward and welcoming”, the council said.

“While applicants will still need to show basic competencies, the focus will shift away from formal qualifications and previous experience, greater importance will be placed on personal qualities and values, with successful candidates supported to learn on the job and gain relevant training and qualifications as they go,” it added.

The scheme could be rolled out more widely if successful, with the council set to assess whether it leads to more applications, better staff retention and a reduction in the reliance on agency staff.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:

  • Removal of third-party ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 

Sign up
for our Newsletters

Stay in the loop with newsletters tailored to your interests. Whether you're looking for daily updates, weekly highlights, or updates on jobs or property, you can choose exactly what you want to receive.

Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

  • Removal of third-party ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.