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Connecting communities to careers in health and social care

Sharon Blaney, Employment and Skills Project Officer (NHS and Health) at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, discusses a recent recruitment event hosted by the Race Equality Hub that aimed to get ethnically minoritised staff into care careers.

In March of this year, I had the privilege of supporting an excellent recruitment event aimed at supporting the social care sector in becoming more diverse. At St George’s Hall in Liverpool, we brought together an amazing mix of opportunity, career ambition, and community at a health and social care recruitment event that delivered great results.

The event was about making those valuable connections and ensuring that all job seekers, regardless of background, had equal access to opportunities, face to face with employers. It was a purposeful, practical recruitment event – a space for people from Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic backgrounds to connect directly with employers who had live vacancies to fill. The only requirement to attend was that you had the right to work in the UK and didn’t require sponsorship.

The inspiration for this event came from a series of successful NHS-led recruitment days also held in Liverpool which I facilitated and co designed, where in just one day, 200 healthcare assistants were recruited. Two follow-up events brought that total to over 600 roles filled. We wanted to replicate this success but aimed at filling social care roles instead.

Our goal was to help open doors for those who are too often overlooked in social care. Many of those attending would struggle to apply through traditional means and face a variety of barriers, such as not being aware of where opportunities are advertised or a lack of experience.

The event was promoted through a variety of ways. First, it was shared via Liverpool City Region communications, while externally it was promoted to relevant stakeholders and partners through our network contacts, as well as to community residents. Additional promotional efforts included posts on LinkedIn, a feature on the Liverpool City Region Be More website, and direct outreach to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) customers via work coaches. Word of mouth also played a role, alongside stakeholder information, advice and guidance sessions delivered directly to community residents through sessions which I delivered personally.

Accessibility was front and centre in our planning. St George’s Hall is a centrally located and is easy to reach by public transport. We began the day with a dedicated quiet hour to support individuals with ADHD or other neurodiverse conditions, offering a calmer, more relaxed environment to explore opportunities and engage with employers.

Employers came ready to act, conducting face-to-face interviews on the spot and making conditional offers of employment there and then. Over 170 people attended the event, 19 different employers were welcomed including 15 adult social care organisations. On the day, 19 interviews were conducted, 34 interview offers given and six job offers made on the spot. A further 48 application forms were issued and 105 referrals provided for further support.

Feedback from employers was very positive, with one stating they had been trying to fill their vacancy for weeks without success and had managed to fill it on the day as a result of the event. Employers also commented it was a fantastic opportunity to connect and engage with potential candidates. Several candidates attending stated it was the best recruitment event they had ever been to. Combined authority staff said they gained valuable insights into the sector and the experience helped boost their confidence interacting with attendees and employers.

For me, it confirmed what I’ve always believed: when we remove barriers and bring people together with purpose, we can create real, lasting change and provide career-defining opportunities. We’re not stopping here. Plans are already underway for two more events like this, and we’re excited to keep building momentum.

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