Sign up for Recruitment and Retention road shows

News release 20 June 2011

Skills for Care is running a series of road shows designed to help employers tackle recruitment and retention issues.

Based on the new Recruitment and Retention Strategy, produced by employers for employers, these events will provide information and practical tools to help employers attract the right people, train them and retain them.

The programme will include:

• How employers can use their Apprenticeships to recruit and retain motivated staff
• The launch of the new employer guide for taking on apprentices
• How Jobcentre Plus can refer people with the right skills to adult social care employers
• How the Common Induction Standards can make sure your new starters hit the ground running
• How the new qualifications framework can help your staff become capable, confident and skilled.

The dates for the event are:

• 10am - 4pm Wednesday 6 July - London
• 10am - 4pm Wednesday 13 July - Leeds
• 10am - 4pm Thursday 14 July - Birmingham

"Skills for Care has estimated that recruiting and inducting a new starter costs an employer over £3,000 and with turnover rates as high as 23% we have created these road shows to help employers tackle an issue that is costing the sector millions of pounds," says Skills for Care CEO Sharon Allen.

Delegates to the event will also receive:

• a free Skills for Care DVD on how to recruit apprentices with first hand testimony from Employer Apprentice champions and their apprentices
• the employer guide for taking on Apprenticeships
• money off vouchers for products to help improve recruitment and retention.

To cover the administration cost there will be a small charge of £35 (+VAT) to attend this subsidised event which includes lunch.

To book online go to www.skillsforcare.org.uk/events or you can download the PDF booking form to complete and email/post/fax back to us at marketing@skillsforcare.org.uk.

Media enquiries:

Paul Clarke: 0113 2411297/ 07977519287. paul.clarke@skillsforcare.org.uk

Notes to editors:

1. Skills for Care is the employment-led strategic body for workforce development in adult social care in England, which is licensed jointly with its UK allies by UKCES to be the 'Skills for Care and Development' Sector Skills Council (SSC). Both organisations are chaired by Professor David Croisdale-Appleby. The other members of the SSC are the Children's Workforce Development Council (also for England), the General Social Care Council, the Scottish Social Services Council, the Care Council for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.
2. Skills for Care forms a strategic overview of workforce needs in adult social care, which accounts for nearly 1.6 million workers or 5 per cent of England's workforce, spread over 40,600 establishments employing care staff. Skills for Care members are drawn from groups representing public, private and voluntary sector care employers, along with representatives of staff, trainers, service users and informal carers. Social care includes residential care, domiciliary care and social work with all its specialisms.
3. Skills for Care and its SSC allies promote and develop the social care sector's National Occupational Standards which are statements of competence that describe 'best practice'.
4. Skills for Care regional committees are major brokers of funding for social care workforce development.