CareTech Foundation has announced a partnership with The Prince’s Trust and its Health and Social Care programmes, aiming to get young people into social care jobs.
The Prince’s Trust is working in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Health Education England (HEE), aiming to secure careers for 10,000 young people in the health and social care sector across England.
The programme will support young people into work at a time when youth unemployment is high, and health and social care workers are needed more than ever. It also helps the recruitment and retention of the next generation of NHS workers securing the sector for the future. The Prince’s Trust’s Health and Social Care programmes have so far seen over 400 young people move into jobs in health and social care, with 35% of these being young people from diverse backgrounds.
The CareTech Charitable Foundation, the first and only private care provider to contribute to the programme, providing a grant of £225,000 over the period to June 2023. Combined with a match of £640,800 from HEE & DHSC, this will provide £865,800 toward this key initiative. In total, this would support up to 320 young people into roles across the sectors.
CareTech Foundation will also play a key role in providing hands on experiences to programme participants by offering placements at CareTech PLC care home locations that will range from administrative roles to hands-on healthcare apprenticeships mentoring opportunities, career guidance and experience through their Talent Advisory division, CTAL a skills and education subsidiary of CareTech PLC that provides a range of advisory, consultancy and support services to improve skills and workforce development.
CareTech PLC employees will spend 4-6 hours per month for six months and longer to help young people to identify and achieve goals, support programmes and workshops and provide career guidance, including supporting with CV writing.
Jonathan Freeman MBE, CEO of CareTech Charitable Foundation said,
“CareTech Charitable Foundation is thrilled and honoured to be the first private social care provider to contribute to this initiative. Our young people in this country want to work and want a job where they can help their communities directly. We believe this programme will give young people the opportunities to do that and, in the process, secure a better, more diverse and inclusive health and social care sector for the future.”
The Prince’s Trust’s Health and Social Care programmes aim to support young people from a range of backgrounds, including those from lower income backgrounds or those affected by long term unemployment, into sustainable jobs in the health and social care sector. The programmes also serve to widen participation within the sector, particularly for those from diverse backgrounds. The flexible delivery model means young people gain first-hand experience working in a health and social care setting and are given the opportunity and support to upskill and develop their abilities.
Ruby Smith, NHS Director at The Prince’s Trust said,
“At the Prince’s Trust, we are committed to supporting 10,000 young people to find work in Health and Social Care. As such, we are delighted to have the support of the CareTech Foundation in helping us on this journey to secure the next generation of young talent for the sector. Young people have faced unprecedented challenges throughout the pandemic, but their skills, talents and resourcefulness couldn’t be more needed by the health and social care sectors right now.”
One young person who has taken part in the programme is Alex, 24 from Lancashire. He was made redundant during the Coronavirus pandemic but was able to find meaningful work and a new direction through The Prince’s Trust Get Into Health and Social Care programme.
“I’ve always wanted to work in the NHS, but I’ve never found the right path to get into it. I didn’t feel I had some of the qualifications for it. “When I heard about the Get Into Hospital Services course, I couldn’t believe it. I was quite shocked to find such an amazing programme, as I’ve always found it a challenge to get into the NHS. I think it’s an amazing programme, and everyone I’ve spoken to so far has been incredible. I feel very lucky.”
Alex attended a placement at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital as part of the programme and is starting a job there as a Logistics Services Assistant.
“In a way, being made redundant has helped me find my path. There’s so many interesting jobs in the health sector beyond being a doctor on the logistical side of things, for example being a porter, that I want to do.”
Ruby Smith NHS Director at The Prince’s Trust added,
“By working together at this crucial time, we can support more young people to move towards a future where they feel hopeful about their lives and careers.
We are excited and hopeful by the prospect of what we can achieve for young people and the health and social care sectors by moving young people into life-changing careers.”
