Nearly 600 jobseekers in York attended a jobs fair which included social care jobs as part of a drive by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to boost hiring for the sector ahead of the winter season. 

The event last Wednesday (the 20th) at The Railway Institute in York brought together including Mencap, Wilf Ward Family Trust and NRS Healthcare, who were hiring on the day, seeking to fill a range of roles.

The drive follows the Department of Health and Social care spending an extra £40m with local councils on boosting social care provision this winter.

Wendy Mangan, Employer & Partnership Manager, at York Jobcentre added:  "York jobs fair has given people the opportunity to meet with some of the region’s biggest social care businesses face-to-face. 

“It’s crucial that people of all ages and backgrounds have the chance to progress and we want people to know our local Jobcentre teams is on hand to support them on their work journey.”   

There are also 9,000 vacancies in social care on the Government’s Find a Job portal, including social care assistant and teaching roles, which the government says shows the breadth of roles available in the sector to suit different levels of experience.