Better pay and improved quality of life were what led Neethumol Kulangarathazhe Padm to seek work outside her native India.
“It was my dream to work in Europe,” says the long-time nurse. So when a job beckoned in Scotland, she jumped at the chance, moving here in early 2022.
Like all of Balhousie Care Group’s overseas nurse recruits, Neethu not only had to gain the relevant nursing qualifications to work in the UK, including the clinical and competency OSCE exam, she also had to sit language proficiency tests. Plus there were training courses, shadowing and time spent in Balhousie homes.
Today, Neethu is settled at Balhousie Forth View in Methil, Fife. So, too, are her husband, a chef, and her 8-year-old daughter.
Neethu says: “Scotland is the best place to live. My friends who settled in England say they’ve had quite a different experience.”
There has been one stumbling block, though, and that’s the language. “It was quite difficult to understand,” she smiles of the Fife accents she has encountered. “That was my main issue but I’m OK now.”
The best thing about her job? “The staff are really cooperative and the residents are lovely. I’m very happy.”
Want to join Neethu at Balhousie Forth View, or interested in joining one of our other care homes as a nurse or carer? Email careers@balhousiecare.co.uk
