I run a domiciliary care agency, what is the kickstart fund and can I use it to help with the shortage of care workers in my area?

Answered by Sheila Scott

Dear B

Thank you for your email. The government has introduced a new Kickstart Scheme in Great Britain, a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high-quality 6-month work placements aimed at those aged 16 to 24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long term unemployment.

Funding available for each job will cover 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. As a care organisation, you can apply for funding as long as you meet the criteria set out by the Government. I have attached the link here and the rules around it are not onerous and it looks like a great opportunity to be able to attract new people into the sector.