FEATURE
RECRUITMENT RED FLAGS
Not all care staffing agencies can be trusted, warns Unity Plus as its experts share some top tips to help managers make safer, more informed hiring decisions.
With the health and social care sector under growing strain, staffing agencies have become a vital part of care provision. But many providers could be putting residents at risk by working with the wrong recruitment agency partners.
With this in mind, here are some key warning signs that care homes should look out for.
UNREALISTIC PRICING AND MISSING VAT REGISTRATION
If an agency offers unusually low hourly rates, it’s worth questioning how they’re able to operate. “The basic cost to employ someone on minimum wage is £16.21 an hour,” says Ross Hodgson, health and social care expert, and CEO at Unity Plus. “If you’re being quoted below that, something’s not adding up, and they may be cutting corners on pay, training, or compliance.”
He also warned that any agency turning over more than £85,000 should be VAT registered. “If they’re not, they’re either very small and unlikely to support you when you need them, or they’re not paying their taxes.”
LACK OF COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTATION
Agencies must be able to provide full staff profiles, including DBS certificate numbers, NMC PINs, training dates, right-to-work documents, and visa status. Leigh Midgley, Senior Customer Relations Officer at Unity Plus, says: “If these can’t be provided, care homes can’t do their due diligence, which is a major issue both legally and for resident safety.”
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On the other hand, a transparent agency would follow a detailed process to verify original documents, check visa restrictions, retrieve reliable references, ensure completion of mandatory training, and keep an audit trail. Agencies are responsible for checking visa work limits, such as the 20-hour cap for staff on a student or sponsored visa, and for ensuring that staff are working in the same code as their visa permits.
MISLEADING EXPERIENCE AND LACK OF TRAINING
It’s common for agencies to accept candidates solely on the basis of their certificates, without testing their actual skills or meeting them in person. Leigh adds: “Some applicants even exaggerate experience on CVs, and the wrong agency wouldn’t even question it.”
Healthcare workers should be required to complete extensive training modules and attend mandatory in-person sessions, including annual practical training refreshers. All healthcare workers should provide a valid, recent professional UK reference that demonstrates their experience. If this doesn’t happen, it's really concerning to think about the type of care patients are receiving, says Leigh.
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY ON RATES AND CONTRACTS
Some agencies operate without formal contracts, using basic rate cards that hide details like extra fees for emergency shiſts, bank holiday premiums, or late cancellations, leading to unexpected costs and strained relationships.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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