Competition for experienced care home managers has intensified as a result of the acute skills shortages in the current market and finding this scarce commodity is no easy task. With the increasing sophistication in jobseeker attraction solutions, the onus is on employers to plan a careful strategy if they are to source the best talent.
While the number of care homes catering for the growing number of elderly people continues to multiply as the UK’s life expectancy rates rise, never has the calibre and experience of care home managers been more important to provide the level of service that meets government requirements as set out in the National Minimum Standards of the Care Standards Act 2000 (which replaced the Registered Homes Act, 1984).
Boosting the visibility of the recruiting organisation and its advertised roles is one of the fundamental ways to secure the best vailable talent in the marketplace. Questions that need to be asked include, ‘Is the job advertisement reaching its intended audience?’ For example, where placing an advertisement in the local paper would have formerly proved to be the most effective way of targeting jobseekers, recruiting senior level and business critical appointments such as care home managers, requires a multi-targeted approach.
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Attracting the right candidate can mean adopting a range of offline and online solutions to turn the process into a sleek recruitment cycle.A specialist recruitment consultancy can provide guidance on an array of topics, from preparing and writing the job description and person specification, to selecting the most appropriate advertising media in order to achieve an optimal recruitment outcome.
In terms of skills sought, care home managers need to demonstrate empathy and a genuine concern for residents.The individual needs to be commercially competent, as many homes are privately run businesses with shareholder accountability. Providing excellent care remains the top priority, but getting to grips with business performance and complex budgeting structures are essential competencies for care home manager jobs.
Managerial responsibilities are central to the care home manager’s role: the recruitment, training and supervision of large teams means that communication and people skills need to be first class. Managers need to cope with staff absences, for example, and ensure that staff ratio levels are maintained. A track record of ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, or having lifted a care home from ‘poor’ to ‘good’ in the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) ratings, is an invaluable indicator of a manager’s capabilities.
Both residential and dual registered nursing homes are legally obliged to recruit qualified managers. This is an area that has been tightened up considerably, and with the increasing transparency of measurable targets – inspection reports are published online – the onus is on the care home’s management to provide a quality service. According to the CSCI’s guidance on qualifications, care managers are expected to have a Registered Manager Award (RMA) at NVQ level 4 (awarded by several examining bodies). For dual registered homes, qualified nursing staff and managers will typically either be Registered General Nurses (RGNs), Registered Mental Nurses (RMNs) or Registered Learning Disability Nurses (RNLDs).
The key to successful recruitment is knowing your target market: offer an unrealistic remuneration package and you risk missing out on the best candidates, who will seek a better financial package elsewhere or perhaps receive an improved counter offer from their current employer.The small details matter and acting on CVs is imperative as many candidates may well be juggling several interviews and potential job offers at any one time. The time allocation afforded to interviews also needs to be considered as not all candidates will be able to make certain slots given the shift or rota-based nature of care home manager jobs. Keep the gap between first and second interviews as short as possible; otherwise, the best care home managers will seek alternative employment.
While the current economic downturn may well prove to create opportunities for junior level roles in social care, a shortage of qualified care home managers – notably experienced nurses – is likely to persist. How care homes cope with these pressing issues will go a long way to ensuring their success and potentially their survival in a fiercely competitive marketplace.An effective recruitment strategy and all it entails is a good place to start.
www.hays.com/healthcare 2011-07-13 14:26:38
