Care workers’ sponsorship: How do we do it responsibly?

There is a shortage of care workers in the country and although we have a fantastic team of Acacia Angels already, some of who have been loyal to us for years, there is an increasing demand for yet more.  Our recruitment strategy has always been to hire and train caregivers in the Surrey area and that will always remain our priority. 

It took us a while for us to look at the sponsorship route as our initial thoughts were, how many people we do we need to recruit?  What happens if it doesn’t work out?  However, our deepest concerns were related to the welfare and wellbeing of employees from overseas.  So we took our time before we decided that if we were going to apply for a sponsorship license, we were going to do it with respect to the employees arriving to the UK – sensibly and responsibly. 

We had our list of rules in place.  Candidates would need to meet the following requirements:

• Proficiency in English-  speaking, writing and reading
• Care experience, either in a hospital setting, domiciliary care, or some form of other establishment.
• Must have a base in the UK, in or close to the areas that we operate in. This is really important to us as we don’t want to employ a number, but a person, who wishes to build a life here and to do so, they need a community.  We want our employees to have a life outside their work and to learn the cultures and traditions of life in the UK as well as be able to enjoy their own traditions here.
• Must have the finances to be able to rent accommodation and purchase a car so that they can work the full time hours required for this role.

We ensure that overseas employees feel welcomed to the Acacia family, are nurtured, cared for and are supported as they navigate life in a new setting.  That is our promise, to ensure that they are well settled and happy in their environment and treated with the same respect and care as our current care staff.

Currently we have recruited two people from overseas; Harleen from India and Blessingfrom Nigeria and we have been overwhelmed with their dedication to their role as support workers as well as to Acacia Homecare. 

Harleen has been able to settle in really quickly, navigating the Surrey roads really well in her new car and not having problems with getting to care calls on time.  Initially, it took some time for her to get used to the accent, however, with the constant support, she is now thriving- she was elected as our Acacia angel of the month for December 2023 and she also emerged victorious in the Halloween Competition that was organized for all our carers. Here’s what she had to say when we asked her about her experience at Acacia, “They expertly managed the international recruitment process for a care worker position, ensuring a seamlessly smooth experience. The overall engagement with Acacia Homecare was delightful, with their warm familial approach enhancing the entire journey.”

In fact, customers that she regularly sees are always overjoyed to have her care for them.  Jeanne Kennedy, the daughter of one of our customers said , ” Harleen is such a wonderful, caring person. She is such a great ambassador for Acacia. Always smiling and ready to take care of any request for our mum. We all love her and wish her the very best on her onward journey “

Blessing arrived a couple of months after Harleen and getting used to a different culture and community was a challenge for her too, but just like Harleen, she has settled in really well and says: ”It’s clear that Acacia team values thoroughness and professionalism in hiring process. I was impressed with the interview schedule as It was well organised and communication was top notch. Working with Acacia has been a wonderful and an exciting one for me, I appreciate the team as they are always ready to assist me, and this has made the job easy.”

We receive continuous positive feedback from customers that have had the pleasure of Blessing as their carer.  In fact one particular long time customer Val Smith, told us “Blessing is very aptly named because anyone who is fortunate enough to have Blessing as their carer is definitely blessed.  She is kind, gentle and efficient, with such a cheerful personality.”

Both Harleen and Blessing have family based in the UK and it has made such a difference as they have a much needed community for when they are not working and therefore a great balanced lifestyle.

We are immensely proud of our two overseas recruits and will continue the same journey with more people as and when the need arises and when we find the right people.