18th September 2018

​Minister meets National Care Association member to discuss staff recruitment.

​Minister meets National Care Association member to discuss staff recruitment.

Recognising the substantial challenges faced by care providers regarding recruitment National Care Association was delighted to support one of our members to take the debate to the heart of government with a private meeting with the Minister for Care, Caroline Dinenage MP. Raj Sehgal of Armscare in rural Norfolk was able to persuade his local Member of Parliament Sir Henry Bellingham MP to seek a meeting to discuss the challenges.

National Care Association has been supporting Mr Sehgal over the past two years as he fought the system to restore his right to recruit staff from overseas in order to ensure that he is able to provide quality services to the service users in his care homes. Executive Chairman of National Care Association, Nadra Ahmed OBE, accompanied Mr Sehgal as did his solicitor Sadhana Soni of Denning Sotomayor, ensuring there was the opportunity to highlight the issue from a national perspective.

Recognising the challenges the Minister and her officials asked Mrs Ahmed and Mr Sehgal to provide her with more details so she could take the issue to her colleagues at the Home Office Minister responsible for the legislation

Mr Sehgal said he was delighted at the outcome of the meeting.
“Without the ability to recruit the best staff, it’s impossible to provide a good service to those in our care.”

Sir Henry Bellingham MP reinforced the issues for rural Norfolk ;
Commenting on the recent Ministerial meeting Henry Bellingham said: “It really was a breath of fresh air to have a meeting with a Minister who was on top of her brief, and obviously dedicated to the very best for the care sector. At a time when the NHS is facing a recruitment crisis it is absolutely vital that the care sector remains a key pipeline for providing top quality staff into the NHS. However, they will not be able to do this if they continue to face major recruitment problems of their own. This is why it is essential the Minister wins the battle within government to enable the care sector to recruit suitable staff from the EU and further afield.”
M.P. for North West Norfolk
 
  
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For further information please contact Nadra Ahmed on 01634 716615
press@nationalcareassociation.org.uk