We are having great difficulty trying to recruit staff from the EU for Chaseley Trust, Eastbourne. Help!?

Question

We are very short of care staff at our nursing home- 'Chaseley Trust' , South Cliff, Eastbourne. BN20 7JH. We have tried recruiting from the EU, though have come up with what can only be described as surmountable obsticles. Agencys are abundent in Eastbourne with both African and EU staff in abundance. Most are poorly trained though we now find ourseves - as do many other nursing homes - having to rely on such, and in the process having to pay a contortionate rate for doing so.Can you help please!

Answer 1

Sure, pay a decent wage and try targeting native people who hold the correct qualifications. Oh yes and I will be forwarding this onto eastbourne council to let them know you are operating your 'care home' with unskilled staff and are woefully understaffed - good luck traitor.

Answer 2

I guess it's the usual problem of supply and demand.  If you could afford to pay higher wages then you will get better trained staff; if you can't then you are stuck with the problem.

Eastbourne has a very high number of care and nursing homes so the problem is made worse because demand for staff is proportionately higher.  You could consider training the staff yourself, of course......

Answer 3

It depends on how much you are willing to pay.

You can advertise in the Nursing Times, which also will have information on courses that you can send the nurses on.

If you are paying agencies, you may find it more profitable to just pay the nurses a higher wage, but one that is less than that you have to pay the agency.  Remember, many of the nurses who work for an agency only get a proportion of the money the agency takes.