A NORTH Wales specialist health and social care staffing provider is taking radical steps to help tackle the rising demand for care workers in the face of sector-wide shortages across the UK.

Enhanced Healthcare, which supplies temporary healthcare staff across North Wales and England, will invest £100,000 to train job seekers aged 18+ who would like to retrain for a career in care.

The staffing provider says this will pay for 100 job seekers to retrain with their industry-leading ‘Pathway into Care’ course.

The Colwyn Bay-based business is partnering with care homes across North Wales to deliver the comprehensive and fully accredited course, which is designed to give real-world insight into the practicalities of being a carer within a supportive learning environment.

Set over five weeks, the Pathway into Care course starts with four days of theory-based classroom learning, designed to prepare candidates who are new to the care sector for support roles within a care home setting.

Delivered by experienced healthcare practitioners who will share their own valuable real-world experience, the course will include interactive activities including dementia simulation, practical training in moving and handling, basic life support, and the realities and importance of infection control.

The classroom element of the course will be followed by a paid and fully mentored 30-day work placement at one of the North Wales care homes which is partnering with Enhanced Healthcare to deliver the course.

Enhanced Healthcare was launched in 2021 by Chanel Williams, a former care worker who went on to work in HR and management.

She says Enhanced Healthcare prides itself on being an advocate for continued personal development, and fully supports flexible working to allow for part time study and career progression.

Chanel said: “As far as we are aware, no other UK agency in our sector offers this level of support or upfront investment in their healthcare assistants.

“By funding all training ourselves rather than expecting our candidates to pay, and then offering flexible hours and paying our staff more generously, our ambition is to dismantle the very real barriers to entry to a career in care, which have held the sector back for far too long.”

Natalie O’Brien, director of operations for Enhanced Healthcare, said: “There’s no disputing that care work can be demanding, and it’s not going to be the right career option for everyone.

“But the flip side of that is that it can be incredibly enriching, rewarding, and progressive.

“Attitude is far more important than experience. By offering the right candidates the best possible training and support, we can help them to kick start what could become a hugely rewarding career and vocation.”

Haley has worked with Enhanced Healthcare since it was launched, having worked with Chanel and Natalie previously in the sector.

The registered general nurse started her career in healthcare when she was 19, and worked as a carer for ten years before deciding to enrol on a nursing degree.

She said: “After a few false starts and frustrations, that first job I got as a carer is when things started to fall into place for me.

“It felt like I had found my direction in life, and had a real career to pursue.

“As well as being able to support myself with part time work whilst I was studying, care work gave me a great grounding in a lot of valuable skills, and the ability to adapt to so many nursing situations.

“Yes, it can be challenging, but it is hard to think of many more rewarding career options. I’ve worked with so many great people over the years.”

With a first cohort due to start their training mid-December, Enhanced Healthcare says it has already had significant interest from workers leaving the seasonal hospitality sector, which has just entered its winter low season.

“Once the initial training and month-long placement has been completed, care workers registered with Enhanced Healthcare can earn up to £19 per hour. Qualified nurses earn up to £46 per hour.

The first Pathway into Care course stars on Monday, December 13, with subsequent courses running throughout 2022.

With limited places available, job seekers who are interested in finding out more should contact Enhanced Healthcare as soon as possible by calling 01492 459 896, or by emailing register@enhancedhealthcare.co.uk.

Candidates must complete their registration prior to their course start date.