Increased referrals leads to recruitment drive at Eden Futures

Eden Futures needs to recruit more staff to meet high levels of referrals for placements at its supported living setting in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

The setting, which comprises 14 self-contained apartments for people with learning disabilities, mental ill health and autism, is close to capacity less than a year since it opened.

However, Dave Parsons, Eden Futures team manager, said: ‘The high level of enquiries and referrals for placements is such that we could fill the remaining apartments tomorrow, but we need to recruit more staff before we can do that.’

It is looking for eight permanent workers to join its team in Nuneaton.

Eden Futures, which was appointed by Warwickshire County Council to deliver care and support packages for the people living at the setting, plans a further development in the town to add extra capacity.

The company said it ‘urgently’ needed more specialist staff to support people not just in Warwickshire but also in other parts of the country.

Requirements for staffing were driven by rising referrals, especially into its new services. It is also looking for staff in Chesterfield and Derby.

Dawn Berry, Eden Futures chief executive, told CM: ‘It’s no secret that social care services have seen fewer candidates following the impact of Brexit, and increased competition from hospitality and retail making it really important that providers are flexible, agile and actively ensuring that candidates move through the recruitment process as quickly as possible.

‘There is a mobility in the workforce at the moment, with providers in competition for the best offering and employment opportunities.’

The operator is partnering with Lifetime to provide more diploma training to support workers, and giving existing staff their birthday off as additional leave from January.

Earlier this week, charities wrote to the health and social care secretary about the shortage of care workers in the sector.