ERA Employment, a local ethical recruitment agency in Grimsby, is working in partnership with Hales Home Care and NELC to create a more personal approach to jobs in care.

ERA wanted to reach out to candidates that have the desire to work in the Care Sector but don’t know where to start and have struggled to apply in the past.

ERA’s new Proud to Care pathway is supported by the local council and the regional home care employer Hales Group, who have branches in North East Lincolnshire, to provide training and temporary work for people that results in permanent employment for the successful candidates.

ERA’s Proud to Care Pathway

ERA’s idea has been derived by the realisation that there are willing candidates out there who want a job in care but are struggling to get work because they don’t have the skills or knowhow to apply effectively and are getting dismissed by the normal channels. 

Rachel Button, ERA Manager, shared; “I know this is a fact as I spoke to a few candidates at recruitment events.  One young lady had passed her Level 2 Health and Social care course but couldn’t find work in the Care Sector due to having no experience nor did she have the skills to portray herself on Indeed. She had to take a job in a factory as she needed the money – what a waste! This inspired me to see how ERA can make a change.”

ERA is working with Hales Home Care in Grimsby to provide the Care Certificate training along with a DBS certificate and 12 weeks paid temporary employment, supported by a mentor, with the aim to train them in this challenging but valued care role; and take them on permanently after the 12 weeks.

Hales Home Care wanted to work with ERA on this pilot as they could see the benefit of offering support to new candidates and they share ERA’s ethical, community approach.

Roza’s Story

The young lady that inspired ERA to run the Proud to Care pathway – Roza is now employed permanently with Hales after successfully completing 8 weeks of paid shadowing shifts.

“Hi my name is Roza Teklay I am 22 years old. I was born in Eritrea, in Ethiopia. I came to the UK December 9th 2016 as a refugee, I lived in the Willows Children’s Residential Home for 2 years.

I started learning English at CLS down Freeman Street, which is now called Learning4life, while I was there I studied English maths and ICT, for 2 years. I improved my English and maths skills and I had a lot of support from tutors. After studying for 2 years at CLS I moved to Grimsby College to study health and social care, as I always wanted to become a nurse that was the course I had chosen to begin my dream career. While I was studying health and social care I have also did my GCSE English and Maths, and worked part time at Youngs factory to support myself.

As I always wanted to work with people and to become a nurse I had to apply for care jobs several times but it wasn’t easy to get one in the care sector.

I finally got the opportunity to work in care with the help and support of Ethical Recruitment (ERA) they gave me the opportunity to become a caregiver and this has helped me to see my future career path. Working with people is one of the best ways to become a good caregiver or nurse. I was offered permanent role with Hales in June.

It has also helped me to apply for my university nursing degree course as I added this experience in my personal statement which got me a good feedback from the university.”

Katie Brown, Director or Adult Services, North East Lincolnshire Council, added; “Recruitment and retention of staff in social care services in North East Lincolnshire continues to be a challenge for us.”

“The work that ERA have done to support people into work is a great example of how we can work with partners in the voluntary sector and with social care employers to help address this problem using new ways of working.”