New recruitment event launched in bid to tackle social care staffing crisis

A specialist job events specialist is staging its first ever UK show which is solely dedicated to recruitment in the social care sector.

Hosted by pioneering brand Jobshows, Health & Social Care Jobs Live is taking place on June 16-17 at Westfield Shopping Centre in White City, London in a bid to help reduce the unprecedented staff shortages in the social care sector.

Social care organisations can book stands which include the full shell scheme, back wall graphics, power, Wi-Fi, a table with cloth, two chairs and two spotlights.

Exhibitors will also have their profile and current vacancies added to the event website, their logo listed in a special Health & Social Care Jobs Live Newspaper as well as on all leaflets and posters as well as social media promotion.

Staff shortages in social care are even in greater than the NHS with 165,000 vacancies in England – a 52 per cent increase in one year as care homes struggle to recruit and retain staff who could earn more at working at a local supermarket.

However, Jobshows aims to provide social care organisations with a tailor-made solution with this new recruitment show.

For over a decade, Jobshows has hosted ‘regional’ recruitment exhibitions, heavily frequented by many public sector employers including NHS Trusts, the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, councils, colleges, universities and even the British Army. 

However, Simeon Jackson, event organiser at Health & Social Care Jobs Live, says that in response to a growing number of requests from social care providers, the new show has been set up to serve them exclusively, as well as NHS Trusts.

Jackson said: “It’s well documented that social care is vastly under resourced with staff vacancies so upon speaking to lots of providers it was clear that they were crying out for a solution to promote in-house recruitment. 

“Health and Social Care Live is our first to be totally dedicated to healthcare and we’ve already had a number of social care organisations sign up as they are so desperate to recruit staff. We have an 83 per cent re-booking rate at our regional recruitment shows so we’re expecting this new show to be really successful.

“Westfield W12 is considered the UK’s most prestigious shopping destination and has a natural footfall of around 250,000 every Friday and Saturday. By taking the show to the main hub of a busy shopping centre, we take social care providers into the heart of the people, making it even more accessible for job seekers. 

“Rather than having to buy a ticket and get yourself to Excel London or London Olympia, holding the event at Westfield removes all geographical barriers. We will also have 15,000 pre-registered candidates who will be ready for interview with CV or certificates in hand.

“The show will give social care providers the chance to stand out offline, meet thousands of jobseekers face-to-face, create a talent pool, network and share ideas with other health organisations and even interview pre-screened candidates immediately and hire them directly.”