Three healthcare unions have joined forces to publish a new standards document for international recruitment, following reports that overseas staff are being subjected to bullying, harassment and discrimination.
The organisations behind the new publication are the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the Society of Radiographers (SoR), and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
The three unions have drawn on their own internationally recruited-members’ experiences, as well as good practice.
RCM’s employment relations director, Alice Sorby, said: "Internationally educated midwives make an invaluable contribution to the NHS.
“They are a vital cog in our heath service, and yet all too often they are not treated with the respect they deserve.”
The standards and principles set out centre around:
- Promoting welcoming cultures
- Valuing diversity and equality
- Providing adequate information during the recruitment process
- Supporting shared monitoring of international recruitment and retention practices
- Signposting recruits towards unions and professional associations
The unions highlight that many overseas workers are left to unscrupulous recruiters and private providers, with some even left vulnerable and isolated.
The document produced by the unions covers both recruitment into the NHS and independent sector. They now intend to release advice guides for international recruits, which will outline the essential information about their rights at every stage of the recruitment process.
Executive director at SoR, Dean Rogers, explained: "We have seen far too many examples of horrifying treatment of overseas professionals.
“We recently represented a member whose case against an independent provider featured elements of modern slavery. The judge in the resulting employment tribunal commented on the shocking levels of racism involved.”
The unions are hoping other organisations now sign up to the standards and principles document.
Jim Fahie, assistant director at CSP, added: “By pooling our thoughts and sharing resources, we can empower members through examples of best practice and guidance documents, which we will develop and build on through the year."
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