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.
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