Diversity Recruitment Programme

NL Academies and Early Years Services Diversity Recruitment Programme was a ground-breaking initiative that allowed individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Ukrainian and Congolese re-settlers, to step into roles in early years settings.

43 candidates were engaged, and 33 were appointed to support worker posts. These new recruits brought their skills and experiences to nursery settings across North Lanarkshire, working flexible hours to suit their needs.

The programme's success is a testament to the power of collaboration, with elected members, council services, and community groups all working together.

This initiative was about building a professional, diverse, and confident workforce that reflects the wider community, as well as enhancing children's experiences and fostering empathy and understanding.

Partners Into Care

Working with Lanarkshire Care Partners, we built a plan that was based around providing practical experience, to identify what could make an individual more employable during an application sifting process.

As part of this plan, it was a key goal to open employment opportunities where residents of North Lanarkshire had a desire to work, particularly in care, but who faced friction, such as gaps in their C.V, their first time in employment, or those with no current skillset that translated into the care sector.

It was a key goal of the project that participants gained accreditation that was translatable to any social care provider and met their regulatory needs, while also being quantifiable in terms of CPD or SCQF points. The programme lent a real sense of achievement to the candidates in the work-placement scheme and helped them to overcome any lack of confidence that presented a barrier to employment. This sense of worth was amplified by the placement scheme being paid work, in line with SLW.