Care Ambassadors

CareMatch Recruitment Service can offer a range of services for both employers and candidates. We not only work closely with schools and colleges in regards to career information but also with a wide range of other organisations such as health, Job Centre Plus, Connexions, Remploy and Jet etc. on a variety of recruitment initiatives including pre employment training and specific Introduction to Care training courses.

We are able to link employers with a range of support organisations and funding opportunities in relation to your recruitment needs. This also includes such schemes as work trials, Future Jobs Fund, young people and adult apprenticeships etc.

We attend a wide range of jobs fairs and promotional events and this therefore markets current vacancies from the website.

A member of the CareMatch team can arrange to come and work with you to address your organisations needs and to build a package of support that is appropriate to you. Let us be the link for you to a wide range of people who can offer you a variety of services.

Some of the other projects that CareMatch provide:

Care Ambassadors

Care Ambassadors is a national Skills for Care initiative that has been developing successfully within Staffordshire since 2004. We not only work closely with schools and colleges but also with a wide range of other organisations such as Job Centre Plus, Connexions, Remploy and Jet etc. on a variety of recruitment initiatives including pre employment training and specific Introduction to Care training courses.

The Care Ambassador vision:

To create an identifiable image for social care
To enhance and change perceptions about careers in social care
To raise the image and status of the social care workforce
To increase recruitment into the social care sector
To inspire personal and professional development in the existing workforce
To help achieve a highly trained workforce to meet future demands

What is the Care Ambassador scheme all about?

Empowering care professionals to represent their sector
Raising the profile of careers within social care
Enthusing people to consider and take relevant courses to enter social care or develop their qualifications and skills within it.
Promoting care as a career with a future rather than 'just a job'
Care Ambassadors support and offer guidance to people who are interested in a career in social care

The Care Ambassador role

Be a social care presence at careers and recruitment events and conferences
Provide information on the various areas of work social care has to offer, qualifications and training options, different career routes, job roles, how to get started and where a career in social care can lead
Inspire, encourage and offer guidance to those entering social care as a career
Act as a link to care providers offering placements, taster sessions and employment
Act as mentors within their own workplace, facilitating a creative programme of work experience and taster sessions
Care Ambassadors range in age, job roles, service provision, aspiration and training routes
Care Ambassadors have appropriate presentation skills training
They will act as a direct link for taster session and work experience
Care Ambassadors can run workshops to support students'curricula
They provide information on what it is really like to work in Social Care from their perspective and direct experience
The passion of Care Ambassadors for their work has a huge impact on their audience

Care employers in all sectors have for some time experienced difficulties in recruiting staff that are prepared to undertake the necessary training and career development needed to meet future demands. To sustain and increase this vital workforce it is essential that people are encouraged into the profession. This can only be achieved by raising the status and image of care work, and demonstrating the many career opportunities available.

Ambassadors can also be users of the services who seek to ensure that they have quality of service delivery. It also gives an opportunity to develop community relationships and has been included in care plans as employment skills development.

Ambassadors are nominated by their employers and chosen for their enthusiasm, commitment, confidence, the wish to portray a positive image of the care sector, and the ability to convey their passion to others in an informed way. There is no minimum criteria - we just ask that people have worked in social care for long enough to be able to talk confidently about the work that they do and are able to answer questions about the skills, experience and qualifications needed.

Care Ambassadors are paid as usual by their employer's and are released for the time needed to undertake their Care Ambassador duties. We ask that Care Ambassadors commit to attending approx four events per year. An event may only take a couple of hours or it might take a whole day. In addition to this there are training days offered. Some of our Ambassadors choose to attend more events in a year than this if their work allows them to.

Care Ambassadors are involved in a programme of working with schools/colleges and the unemployed, offering guidance and advice on the various career opportunities, and helping to facilitate a creative programme workshops to address a range of topics including communication skill, anti discriminatory practice and care planning etc that meet curriculum need.

Each event is different and Care Ambassadors are involved in many different ways. As a Care Ambassador you might give a talk to a group of students in the classroom, talk to individuals who visit a jobs or careers fair or be part of an interactive activity. Care Ambassadors choose which events they would like to be involved in.

What are the benefits to the Care Ambassador?

Care Ambassadors benefit from their involvement in the scheme in many ways. It is a fantastic opportunity for them to share their knowledge and skills with other people, provides an excellent career development opportunity and creates a new challenge. Some of the current Care Ambassadors say that their confidence has increased in their work since they have been talking in front of groups at Care Ambassador events, many have reported that being a Care Ambassador has been a fantastic experience which they would recommend to anyone.

Ambassadors have also received a variety of training including presentation skills and a City and Guilds accredited Mentoring award.

What are the benefits to the employer?

Care Ambassadors are working for the benefit of the whole social care sector in promoting the types of careers that are available and raising the profile of the social care sector. Having a Care Ambassador on your team provides the opportunity for you to promote your own posts in the local area to a wide range of potential employees.

If you feel that you, a member of your team or a user of your service would be interested in becoming a Care Ambassador, please contact the CareMatch Recruitment Service to discuss further.

Young People Social Care Conferences

These conferences are provided for young people aged 14-19 who are interested in a career within the social care and health sector. They are delivered in partnership with New Vic Theatre, Borderlines and has received two highly commended awards at the annual Skills for Care Accolades.

As delegates, the young delegates have the opportunity to meet and work alongside a range of professionals from the caring services, potential employers and training providers. More importantly they will have the chance to work alongside people who have been involved with caring services or users.

Young people will be provided with pre and post conference packs which will assist in providing evidence for their various awards and encourages them to research specific topics and build on case studies provided by the conference. A one day event is also provided for tutors prior to the conferences.

If you would like more details about getting involved in the Young Peoples Conferences please do not hesitate to contact the CareMatch Recruitment Service.