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The funding announcement for this programme was made in February 2023 by the Department of Health and Social Care. Each region in England has received an allocation of funding to promote collaborative arrangements which enable international recruitment. The aim of the grant is to fund initiatives which reduce administrative complexity and burden, particularly for SMEs, develop shared solutions to local challenges and strengthen safeguards against exploitation.

As well as regionally co-ordinated support, we have included a Small Grants Programme for locally determined projects / activities to support international recruitment and or support for international recruits themselves.

The conditions of the DHSC funding enable a support offer at regional, sub-regional or local level and all support needs to be equitably accessible to all providers. As part of this the funds need to be channelled through the lead local authority (Shropshire) to regional local authorities to providers / and or delivery partners responsible for delivering the activities. The allocation of funding locally will be decided on the basis of proposals developed by local authorities working in partnership with their local providers. Successful proposals that meet the DHSC grant conditions and local needs will be awarded funding. This funding will thus be devolved to the relevant local authority who in turn will pass on that funding via an agreement to local delivery partners or providers who are carrying out the activity.

Absolutely. This support offer is for every CQC-registered provider operating in the West Midlands to access. It is intended to cater for a range of capabilities, whether a provider is new or experienced in international recruitment.

Absolutely. See response above. We also ask that providers or councils with experience of recruiting to adult social care roles from abroad get in touch with the programme to share their learning. Please contact intlrecruitmentinfo@wm-adass.org.uk.

The programme will run through to the end of March 2024 and as per the government’s grant conditions, all funding needs to be accounted for and spent by this time. There aren’t currently any published plans for 2024-25.