Human Resources (HR)

Use of Agencies

• Does the trust use agencies to support with permanent/international hires?  No
• Which agencies do you work with for international recruitment? N/A
• Which types of hires do you regularly hire through these partners? (doctors, dentists, nurses, AHP, Non-medical) No
• Please provide a breakdown of how many hires you made through these sources in the last 12 months. (doctors, dentists, nurses, AHP, Non-medical)  N/A
• Please provide details about the fees paid to your agency partners, including the lowest fee, highest fee, and average fee. (over the last 12 months) N/A
• What was the total spend on permanent international hires over the last 12 months? N/A

Recruitment Practices and Processes

• Do you do any direct internal international recruitment? No

If yes, what processes does the trust use to find and hire? N/A

If yes, can you provide an example of the last time you did this, the number of hires you made, and how much it cost you? N/A

If yes, which countries did you target? N/A

If yes, what were the challenges of the experience? N/A

• How do you assess the qualifications and credentials of international candidates? English language tests (IELTS/OET, CBT), nursing qualifications in own country, nursing registration, references
• Do you have a minimum requirement for experience for international hires? (doctors, dentists, nurses, AHP, Non-medical) 2 yrs experience working in a hospital setting

Current and Future Hiring

• Do you intend to continue to hire foreign-trained medical professionals? Possibly
• What percentage of your staff are currently foreign-trained? – Data not held – we do not hold details of training on ESR aside from any professional registration for UK professional bodies.
• Would the trust benefit from an international agency with lower fees? n/a
• Does the trust have enough of a budget to hire all the staff they need? n/a
• Do you have a specific budget for international recruitment? If so, how much? Not for 2024
• What is a breakdown of the open vacancies the trust currently has? (doctors, dentists, nurses, AHP, Non-medical)  Nursing (band 5) – 54, Nursing (band 6) – 46, Consultant – 60.73, F2 – 22.5, ST3+ – 8, Therapy (band 5) – 2.80, Therapy  (band 6) – 1, Imaging (band 5) – 2, (band 6) – 1, Imaging (band 7) – 4
• Would the trust hire internationally for these vacancies? For medical yes
• Does the trust believe the number of vacancies will increase in the coming years? Unable to answer – the FOI Act is for recorded information or facts.
• Do you have any plans to support this? As above.

Recruitment Efficiency and Challenges

• What is the average time to hire for international positions?  International recruitment was around 45 working days
• What are the main challenges your trust faces in recruiting international staff? n/a
• What support services do you provide to international staff to help them integrate into the UK and the NHS? This can include language training, cultural orientation, and professional development. Professional development, support from previous international cohorts
• What retention strategies does your trust employ for international staff? Career conversations, enrolled on 12months preceptorship, ICB lead aspiring band 6 development programme
• How do you measure the success of your international recruitment efforts? Recruited to all vacancies, good retention of internationally recruited staff
• Do you collaborate with any educational institutions or professional bodies to support international recruitment? no
• What percentage of your total recruitment budget is allocated to international hiring? n/a
• Have you implemented any digital tools or platforms to assist with international recruitment? If so, which ones? n/a
• Are there any upcoming changes in your international recruitment strategy or policies? Yes – we are not conducting active international recruitment in 2024 for nurses and midwives, we would consider international recruitment of medics.

Benefits and Support

• What benefits do you offer international staff? (including but not limited to: free flights, initial accommodation, visa sponsorship, onboarding programs, test or qualification fees)  International recruitment was flights, accommodation for 6 weeks, visa payment, OSCE support, training and exam payment (X2).
• Who deals primarily with international hires? (person & department) Head of Resourcing

Visa and Immigration

• What types of visas does the trust sponsor for international hires? Skilled Worker Visa
• What is the average time taken to process visa applications for international recruits? Down to Home Office and can fluctuate
• Are there any specific challenges the trust faces in securing visas for international staff? n/a
• Does the trust provide any assistance or support for international hires during the visa application process? Pay visa
• What percentage of international hires face visa rejections or delays, and how does the trust manage these situations? As far as we are aware we did not have any visa rejections