International healthcare recruitment: NHS and social care

Welcome to our international recruitment hub. We are here to support any members involved in leading and delivering international recruitment in the NHS and social care.

Our aim is to encourage and enable good practices and processes for international recruitment of occupational therapists, but with many of the resources being used for allied health professionals generally.

Introduction

Who will find this hub useful?

The resources, case studies and information we've shared in this hub is accessible by all and could benefit – members and non-members.

You'll may find our information most useful if you're:

a recruiting manager who is looking to recruit from overseas for the first time
a health and care professional involved with recruitment and want to gain an understanding of what's required
an international applicant who wants to gain some understanding of what the process is like to apply and be recruited to the UK
a health and care professional who wants to get a better understanding of recruiting occupational therapists from overseas specifically.

We’ve got a host of materials, case studies and signposting links to help you at the start of international recruitment activity and to refer to if you already have experience but want to reinforce any of the basic information you need to identify, recruit and support individuals coming to work here from overseas.

Many of our resources have been co-produced with members and give some direct insight into the opportunities, challenges and general information about the process of recruiting occupational therapists from overseas.

We encourage anyone who wants more technical detail or further support to refer to our signposting links at the bottom of the page, where you'll be directed to the website and resources from NHS Employers.

We also encourage you to read further and detailed information provided by Health Education England.

From 2022/23 there will be a national programme running aimed to support NHS Trusts who are keen to start or expand their AHP international recruitment offer. If you'd like to find out more, email: [email protected]

Background

There is a high demand for occupational therapists in the UK with a shortage of qualified staff to fill the available vacancies. The UK government recognises this issue and has included occupational therapists on the Shortage Occupation List. This means it's easier for people who have qualified or practiced as an occupational therapist outside of the UK to take up employment in the country.

Around 7% of the existing occupational therapy workforce across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are from overseas.

We want to ensure that our members have access to materials and resources so that they can understand the essentials when they look to recruit workers from international settings.

We’ll be updating this page regularly when there are new materials to signpost or information to share that may benefit or impact the recruitment of overseas workers.

Whilst the information held on this online hub is to support members with the basics, we encourage any professionals to seek official advice if they have a specific query or concern which may need input from official bodies, such as the Department for Health & Social Care, NHS England, Department for Education or the Home Office.

As part of our workforce project with NHS England (NHSE) formerly known as Health Education England (HEE), we've worked closely with members across RCOT to get insights into the challenges and opportunities of recruiting occupational therapists specifically.

We have spoken to dozens of members and interviewed. They've shared their experiences and knowledge into what to be aware of when it comes to recruiting occupational therapists from overseas.

Key resources

Here we've outlined some of the essential go-to resources that are provided by Health Education England, NHS Employers and other organisations which underpin many of the key questions that our members put to us around international recruitment.

Below, we have drawn out short summaries and links that'll be useful to members who are looking to recruit occupational therapists and other allied health professionals.

Quick guide to AHP international recruitment, NHS England (NHSE)

This guide aims to improve the understanding of organisations and recruiting managers in the recruitment of international Allied Health Professional (AHP’s) through highlighting the differences in process and registration, recognising the challenges faced by the 14 AHP professions and by providing case studies to illustrate good practice approaches.

This is a complex subject area to compress into a useful guide and so hyperlinks are included throughout to support more detailed understanding of relevant areas. Additional complexity is recognised relating to the changing immigration rules and the pandemic with further links to national webpages where updates to national policy and health guidance will be accessible following the publication of this guide.

It is one of a series of focused online resources produced by Health Education England for NHS organisations to support the national AHP work programme. This aims to ensure an essential supply of AHPs, maximise their contribution and support the development of the AHP workforce.

Follow this link to access the PDF resource and further information

International Recruitment Toolkit, (NHS Employers)

This toolkit is for workers involved in leading and delivering international recruitment in the NHS. It aims to encourage and enable good practices and processes for the recruitment of international staff across a wide range of professions.

The We are the NHS: People Plan for 2020/2021 acknowledges the importance of increasing our ethical international recruitment and building partnerships with new countries (bringing benefit to the person and their country, as well as the NHS). Work is also underway to remove barriers to international recruitment and increase capacity for induction and support to overseas recruits.

This toolkit is designed to support collaborative, effective and ethical international recruitment that provides value for money.

This resource was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care and produced by NHS Employers in collaboration with NHS England, and Health Education England.

You may also wish to view their supplementary guidance on restarting international recruitment following COVID-19, which was launched in June 2020 and is to be read in conjunction with the toolkit.

Casestudies

We were able to capture the stories of OTs who have gone through the international recruitment process. They've provided accounts of their experiences and shared knowledge and insight of their journey's from their homeland working as an OT professional. They've also highlighted key things to consider for anyone from overseas who is planning to seek employment in the UK.

Additional resources

Global migration and factors that support acculturation and retention of international nurses: A systematic review - ScienceDirect

Code of Practice for international recruitment | NHS Employers

Recruitment agency list | NHS Employers

NHS England » Nursing workforce – International recruitment

International recruitment FutureNHS collaboration platform

NHS Long Term Plan – International recruitment

Why work as an OT in the UK?

There are lots of opportunities for occupational therapists in the UK. Many occupational therapists are employed by the National Health Service (NHS), whilst others are employed by private hospitals or independent occupational therapy practices, or set up privately. There are also opportunities within the public sector, such as local councils or the police. Whatever your specialism or area of practice, there is a wide range of opportunities across the UK and excellent career development.

Occupational therapists in the UK also have excellent earning potential and can earn up to £79,000 a year as a consultant therapist, or more as an independent practitioner or independent researcher.

Joining RCOT brings excellent benefits for any occupational therapist working in the UK, including professional indemnity cover of up to £6 million.

Find out more about becoming a member of RCOT
Find out more about citizenship and living in the UK
Find out more about housing in the UK

Applying for a job and visa

If you have already qualified or are practising occupational therapy, there are three steps to working in the UK.

Get registered with HCPC

To practise occupational therapy in the UK, you need to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You will need to provide details of where you have trained and your experience to date. Full details of how to register are available on the HCPC website.

You can join RCOT whilst practising abroad as an overseas member. Any full- or part-time occupational therapist with a WFOT-approved qualification currently residing outside of the UK is eligible for Overseas membership. If you are an overseas member looking for advice or would like to speak with someone about moving to live and work in the UK, please contact us.

Secure a job offer

Once you are registered with HCPC, you will need to secure a job offer before planning your move to the UK. You can find current occupational therapy vacancies in the UK on our jobs page.

Apply for a work visa

When you have secured your job, you will need to apply for a Tier 2 general work visa. Since occupational therapy is a shortage occupation, all you will need is a Certificate of Sponsorship from your employer, and you will not need to show proof of earnings. You will also be charged less for your application. Additionally, if you want to apply for permanent UK residency after your Tier 2 visa has expired, you would be exempt from the £35,000 salary requirement.

Once you are resident in the UK, you can then apply for Professional membership of RCOT.