Coventry City Council has developed a new infographic bringing together the impact of its support for international care workers, care providers and communities between 2023 and 2026.

The infographic provides a useful snapshot of what local international recruitment support has delivered in practice – from helping displaced workers back into employment to strengthening community support and investing in skills and employability.

It also demonstrates the value of capturing not only activity and outputs, but the difference this support has made to workers, providers, families and local organisations.

Supporting workers, providers and communities

Over the three-year period, Coventry City Council distributed more than £74,000 to the local care market to support the redeployment of displaced care workers, alongside more than £55,000 awarded to voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations supporting individuals and families affected by sponsor licence revocations. 

The council directly supported 46 people – many with dependent families – into new roles with ethical employers through coaching and job matching. One individual was also supported to reconnect with nurse training at Nottingham Trent University. 

This employment support has been complemented by a strong focus on providing accessible help within the community. Working with community partners, Coventry delivered more than 50 weekly drop-in sessions at a city-centre venue, providing free legal and employment support. Six Connect with your Community marketplace events also helped individuals and families connect with Coventry’s VCSE organisations and local networks. 

This builds on Coventry’s earlier Welcome to Coventry approach, which brought workers together with organisations offering practical and emotional support. One event welcomed more than 150 international care workers and demonstrated the importance of providing a trusted, accessible space where workers could seek advice and connect with local services. 

Read more about Coventry’s community and drop-in support

Building skills and employability

Coventry’s work has also evolved to respond to the changing needs of international care workers already living in the city.

Regular training has been provided, including a Pass Your Driving Test webinar, which was subsequently shared regionally. St Francis Employability also delivered Refresh Your CV sessions to more than 60 international workers. 

This reflects the more recent direction of Coventry’s enhanced support offer. With limited suitable vacancies within the local care market, the focus has increasingly included skills development, maintenance and family support alongside regional job matching. 

The difference behind the numbers

Importantly, the infographic also captures the experiences of the people and organisations receiving support.

Feedback includes a care home owner describing how council guidance and financial support enabled them to sponsor an employee, an international care worker describing securing a new sponsored role as a “new beginning”, and a family carer explaining how the support enabled continuity of care for her son. 

Community partners also highlighted the value of flexible funding, while workers spoke positively about employability support and having an approachable environment in which they could ask questions. 

Together, these stories help demonstrate that the impact extends beyond individual employment outcomes. It includes continuity for people drawing on care and support, greater stability for families, support for local providers and stronger connections between international workers and their communities.

Capturing learning and legacy

As the West Midlands International Recruitment Programme increasingly focuses on learning, legacy and longer-term workforce impact, Coventry’s approach provides a useful example of how local authorities can bring their story together.

The new infographic helps turn activity into a clear account of what was delivered, who benefited and what difference it made. As we look to capture the legacy of international recruitment work across the West Midlands, local stories such as Coventry’s will be important in understanding what has worked, sharing learning between areas and demonstrating the wider workforce and community impact of the programme.

Coventry’s experience also reflects themes identified through the wider West Midlands International Recruitment Programme Learning & Evaluation work, including the importance of strong local infrastructure, collaboration, community partnerships and effective pastoral support. 

Find out more about the learning and impact from across the West Midlands International Recruitment Programme:
Read the latest Learning & Evaluation Report and programme learning