Private healthcare company BUPA has announced that it is taking on 800 new staff to work in its nursing homes.

In addition to nursing and care roles, there will also be jobs for cooks, housekeepers and maintenance staff.

Ian McDougall, client relations director at Castlerock Care Services, told Recruiter: “This is great news. We have supplied staff to BUPA for a number of years and they are fantastic company to work for.

“This buoyancy in the jobs market isn’t unique to BUPA. We have an  abundance of vacancies to fill – UK-wide and across the whole healthcare sector. And we need staff to fill these positions now.”

Construction recruiters at risk from client insolvencies

More than10,000 construction and property firms could fail in 2009, according to research from accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward.

Andrew Conder, managing director of construction recruiter ACS Resourcing, told Recruiter having credit insurance is essential when working in the sector.

“Get credit insurance, even if you have to pay £10-£20k a year you will save yourself money,” adding credit checking firms could also prove to be a useful resource.

Conder said the company had been affected by bad debt in the past including Milton Keynes-based construction consultants Avebury International, which went into administration in June 2008.

John Arundell, managing director of construction recruiter J A Recruitment, told Recruiter he tried to limit risk by carefully choosing clients.

“I’m very particular about the companies I work for - I get paid within 14 days.”