NEARLY £2 million pounds is being invested to give people across Essex the opportunity to work in social care.

Under the aims of Everyone’s Essex, where no one is left behind and everyone has the same opportunities, even more people can now access the Nightingale Care Bursary (NCB) to join one of the most noble of professions.

The County Council is investing an additional £1.8m to help hundreds more candidates access the bursary across the next three years, backing the belief that a society is judged by the way it cares for older and more vulnerable people.

The NCB aims to support people from the most deprived communities in Essex to achieve social care qualifications or support existing care workers to achieve further qualifications. It aims to reach those in areas where they may not otherwise have such an opportunity or, if they do, may not have the confidence to take it up.

In addition to career entry, there is also support available for those who wish to progress to higher-level grades through programmes delivered by ECC’s Adult Community Learning.

Leader of ECC, Cllr Kevin Bentley said: “This is levelling-up at its best and a real ‘win-win’. With one initiative we are both enhancing the career prospects of individuals while addressing our own need for more social care professionals.”

Cabinet member John Spence commented: “We are utterly dedicated to providing the best care in the most efficient and imaginative ways we can. Essex has gained a national reputation for our innovation in areas such as technology and post-hospital approaches; Nightingale is another superb example.”

The next phase of the bursary will begin in September 2022 and will run until August 2025.