This episode of the Care Home PR And Marketing Podcast features Stephen Forster, founder of the Care Social Network.

Drawing from his background in care and recruitment, Stephen shares how to revolutionise care worker hiring for care homes.

Stephen used to work as domiciliary care assistant in Huddersfield, and it was here that he advanced to HR manager subsequently helping to double the size of the company within two years before founding recruitment and retention company Care Social Network.

In the episode Stephen focuses on:

• “Why you can recruit all your carers via Indeed”: Stephen believes care providers need only use Indeed for hiring care assistants – and he offers unique insights into optimising job adverts and budgets.

“Indeed is 100% a golden ticket. Learn how to use Indeed you can smash it! One provider I’ve been helping has at least 500% more applications while using the same budget as previous,” says Stephen.

He adds: “focusing your efforts on Indeed rather than spreading them thin across various channels,” is key.

• Why “it’s now a candidates’ market – so you must strip back your entire recruitment processes to make it work”

Stephen addresses how overuse of agency staff can lead to permanent staff being unhappy, which ultimately negatively impacts care.

• Why “time-to-hire: is vital:

“Often if someone applies for a care job on Indeed the care home will reply three days later, and it’s often a boring ad. And yet they expect candidates to get back to them!?” says Stephen.

“The truth is you must treat applicants with unbelievable respect, like gold dust - and get on the phone to them straight away”

“I use a VET (voicemail, email, text) system, and I do this twice per day, per applicant.

“Remember, candidates may be applying for 4 or 5 care jobs in one go on Indeed. So you have to be fast

“And you must sell the company ethos to candidates, and why your provider is the best place to work.”

Stephen gives the example of one Lancashire provider with three homes which cut agency usage from 60% to 5% saving over £10,000 a month in agency fees.

• Why face-to-face interviews are, in the present recruitment climate, more about “candidates interviewing the care provider.”
• Why lengthy screenings of applicants via the phone need to be reduced - and face to face interviews should be around one hour.

Why offering jobs on the spot should not be considered as “being desperate”.

Rather it’s about doing “whatever it takes,” to get the right person to work for you.

• No-shows: “Providers complain that potential applicants are not good enough and do not show up – but when I dig deeper it’s because processes are not good enough from the start,” says Stephen.
• Hiring registered managers: Stephen recommends “using Indeed and its CV search features to proactively reach out to potential candidates, potentially saving on recruitment fees…..You can hire a new manager for £250 – and that can be done by every care company…”

This episode of the Care Home PR And Marketing podcast features Saskia Binns, a communications, brand and marketing consultant who serves on Championing Social Care’s organising committee.

Saskia shares how, when starting a new care home or care provider, “it's important to understand your brand positioning, demographics, competitors, and determine your niche”.

Saskia also examines the importance of competitor analysis, defining your values and vision, adopting your own tone and matching images with words.

Drawing on her years of experience as former head of communications at Majestic Care and building the Championing Social Care brand, Saskia shares secrets to building a brand with unique insights including:

• How understanding your brand positioning is crucial, “it’s about recognising the unique essence of each care home and telling their story in a way that resonates with their community.”

• Analysing market demographics, competitors, and identifying a unique market niche by conducting thorough competitor analysis to gain insights, possibly through industry forums or conventions.

• The critical considerations when building your brand and how “it's not just about what you offer; it's about how you offer it”.

• The importance of strong values and vision aligned to staff and how emotional connection and values are key in care.

• Ensuring your website content connects emotionally through tone of voice and matches brand values and how “images and words must align”.

• The importance of brand USP and how “your people and team will be your unique selling point.” so promoting them well on social media sells the care.

• How brand colours have psychological impact, what colours associate with care and what colours to avoid in your branding.

• Why logos should reflect your company ethos, avoid overly simplistic designs and resonate with the consultancy's mission rather than focusing solely on initials or acronyms.

• Utilising Facebook is key for care marketing and ensuring a consistent brand and calls to action.

• Utilising platforms like Linkedin to build professional networks and aligning company branding across platforms.

• How “a care home's website should be more than information; it should take visitors on an emotional journey, giving them a feel for life within the home."

• How Championing Social Care started from small conversations in lockdown about care workers and has grown to huge national events led by volunteers passionate about care.

 This episode of the Care Home PR and Marketing Podcast discusses how care homes can become the preferred choice in their catchment areas through effective community engagement with Carl Roberts and David Martins.

Carl is the Associate Sales and Marketing Director of Boutique Care Homes, a care provider with a focus on quality and innovation. 

 With five years of experience in the care industry, Carl believes in being a social care influencer, building networks within your team and the local community, identifying needs, and tailoring events and initiatives to local needs.

David Martins is the Head of Sales at Westgate Healthcare, an experienced professional with around eight years of experience in the care sector. 

He emphasises the importance of community engagement in becoming a care home of choice. 

David's strategy involves understanding and meeting the community's needs by collaborating with various local groups, offering events and building strong relationships based on shared values and goals. 

The pair offer practical strategies for engagement, including becoming community hubs by offering valuable services and initiatives that address local needs, such as setting up a cinema club for young carers, and how each team member has a network that can be leveraged to build contacts and relationships. 

 Both Carl and David stress the importance of taking action and recommend planning events well in advance, focusing on unique and engaging ideas that benefit the community, and approaching engagement with a genuine desire to help and collaborate, including:

•     Insights on how care homes can become integral parts of their communities by identifying community needs and offering valuable services.

•     Tapping into the networks of care home staff members to build contacts and connections within the local community.

•     David discusses the value of planning events and initiatives that are unique, engaging, and serve the community's interests.

•     Both guests stress the importance of taking action and not being afraid of rejection, as the community generally responds positively to care homes' efforts to engage and contribute.

•     Emphasising the importance of becoming a social care advocate and engaging with local communities.

•     Dementia care providers should aim to connect with people who may not be familiar with their services, even through insurance channels.

•     How local care providers play a crucial role in offering information and support to the community.

•     Changing the outdated perception of care by building trust and helping people on their care journey.

•     Tailoring engagement to community needs, as demonstrated by a care home adjusting its outreach for builders.

•     Sharing examples of successful community engagement events, like coffee mornings and support groups.

•     The significance of relationship building in sales, connecting on a personal level to guide emotional journeys.

•     Getting sales basics right, promptly addressing enquiries, sending brochures, and following up with personalised calls.

•     Leveraging the power of simple tools like text messages for communication and follow-up.

•     The need to focus on genuine care before the formal care process begins, showing empathy and support.

•     The impact of promptly addressing enquiries and avoiding unnecessary barriers in the process.

•     Listening to and analysing calls for effective customer service improvement.

•     Utilising live chat and text messages for engagement and follow-up, adapting to busy schedules and preferences.

•     The intimate nature of phone communication, the importance of tone, and the need for effective follow-up to advance sales.