Care UK wins national Employer of the Year Award

Company news

Nov 19, 2010

The award was presented to Niki Butler, HR Manager for Care UK, by Brandon Lewis, MP, at a ceremony at the House of Commons.

Avanta is a national welfare to work training and enterprise organisation, helping people to develop their skills and overcome barriers to enter employment or self employment.

Care UK was honoured for its dedication to providing opportunities to those without jobs, for educating potential employees about the rewards of working in the care sector, and for its commitment to staff development.

The partnership between Care UK and Avanta’s training provider arm TNG started in May 2009 in Nottingham. TNG delivers, through its large number of Government contracts, a tailored training and mentoring service linked to local labour market needs to support people from welfare into work. TNG also specialises in assisting hard-to-reach groups such as the long term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities.

Care UK was impressed by the quality of candidates put forward for placement opportunities by TNG and decided to extend the working relationship to other areas of its business in the North, East and South.
 Firm working relationships have been developed with Care UK representatives across the country, and as a result nearly 50 TNG customers have been placed into work as carers with the organisation, caring for individuals to ensure they have the necessary support to be able to live independently within their own homes.

Care UK has worked closely with TNG to develop an effective recruitment process to ensure the right people are placed in the right jobs, ranging from holding pre-recruitment training at TNG offices through to making offers of employment.
           
Once in employment, TNG offers support for existing employees to develop their skills and ensure they do their job to the best of their potential. More than 60 Care UK employees on this scheme have gained NVQs in Health and Social Care, with a further 200 staff expected to enrol on the programme over the next four months.

Peter Brooks, Managing Director of Avanta, said, "Care UK is a shining example of what can be achieved through our collaboration with employers in order to create opportunities for individuals looking for work. Our commitment and expertise in helping the unemployed back into work, coupled with Care UK’s hands-on approach to recruitment and focus on attracting the right person for the job, are providing people with the chance of a career in an extremely rewarding sector. We look forward to building on our existing relationship with Care UK so that we can go on to help people around the country back into employment."

Debi Marriott Boam, Managing Director at Care UK, said, "I am proud that Care UK has been named Employer of the Year at the Avanta Awards. It is imperative to us that we attract and keep the right calibre of staff."

Pictured: Care UK's HR Manager Niki Butler, Brandon Lewis Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth and Stuart Vere Chairman of Avanta