A care home is recruiting nurses from India to fill staff vacancies.

As other homes struggle to find carers, Hengist Field in Pond Farm Road, Borden, Sittingbourne is now training its own.

In a bid to beat UK staff shortages its parent company Nellsar has taken on 24 registered nurses from its Indian training centre in Kerala to work across all its homes. All have now passed their Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE).

The programme was launched last year to allow carers from overseas to gain Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration to work in Britain. After passing two exams in India, the nurses took part in OSCE training at Hengist Field Care Centre and Nellsar’s Princess Christian Care Centre in Surrey.

Nurse development manager Paula Persaud said: "The training programme will help strengthen the nursing pool in the UK. The nurses coming through our training centre have proven to be a vital resource. We look forward to welcoming more in the future.”

She added: "We have invested in our own training programme to emulate the high standards championed across all our homes. It prepares students for a prosperous and successful career as a qualified nurse."

The OSCE assesses clinical skill at pre-registration and postgraduate level.

All candidates were given 12 weeks to prepare for their exams. Nellsar, which runs 13 care homes across Kent, Surrey and Essex, provided isolation housing, training, guidance and transport.

Recruitment manager Jinu Jose said: "We are very proud of our OSCE training for yielding a 100% success-rate. We are delighted to have such a diverse group of qualified nurses who all performed an integral role throughout pandemic.

"They are now crucial team members in their respective homes. That’s testament to their commitment to care as well as our trainers who have supported them throughout their journey."

The programme has proved so popular that other providers have since approached Nellsar to undertake training with the group.

Hengist Field is a purpose-built home with up to 75 residents. It has five lounges, three dining rooms, cinema and hair salon.

To learn more about a career in care, and Nellsar’s latest job vacancies, visit https://recruitment.nellsar.com

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