October 2nd 2025
Supporting recruitment and compliance with Borderless
When Luke Donohue and his parents set up Spire Home Care in Salisbury nine years ago, their aim was simple: to provide high quality domiciliary and live-in care across Wiltshire. Like many providers, they soon found recruitment to be one of the biggest challenges.
That is where Borderless came in. The platform helps care providers manage international recruitment and sponsorship with full compliance and a streamlined process.
“We held off applying for a sponsorship licence for a year to see how the market would react,” Luke explains. “Recruitment was tough, and we wanted to be sure it was the right move. When we did take the plunge, our first attempt with another provider didn’t work out and we had to withdraw our application.”
It was a recommendation from a neighbouring service that led Spire Home Care to Borderless.
A smoother process
From the outset, Luke noticed the difference. “With Borderless, communication was clear. We had demos, we could see the platform in action and they explained every stage of the process. It was completely different to what we had experienced before.”
Spire Home Care opted for a premium membership, giving them hands-on support with every step. Their role is now simply to enter a carer’s basic details into the platform. From there, Borderless manages the rest: contacting the applicant, checking documents for compliance, and ensuring everything is submitted correctly.
“For us it is incredibly straightforward. We can see the entire process from start to finish on the platform, but we are not bogged down in chasing documents or fixing errors. It saves time and gives us confidence that everything is done properly.”
Benefits for carers and the business
The system has also improved the experience for staff. Spire Home Care only sponsors workers who are already part of the team on a part-time basis. Once they choose to apply, the platform guides them through each requirement with support from Borderless experts.
“That makes a big difference,” Luke says. “Instead of going back and forth through us, they get professional guidance directly from people who know the process inside out. It feels streamlined and supportive.”
Having all documentation stored and tracked in one place has also strengthened compliance. “If the Home Office or CQC were to inspect, we have a clear audit trail. Everything is recorded and easy to evidence. Compliance in social care is rightly a huge focus, and we wanted to be sure we were doing everything properly for our clients and our carers.”
Building confidence in sponsorship
While the platform is straightforward to use, Luke believes it is important for providers to understand the process themselves. “We made a conscious effort to learn how sponsorship works before asking our carers to trust us with their applications. Borderless gives you the tools, but you still need to take responsibility for knowing what is involved.”
He also advises providers to think carefully about why they want to sponsor. “It should not be about growing the business. For us, it is about filling gaps in areas where recruitment has been really difficult. Used in that way, it is a huge benefit.”
Looking ahead
Spire Home Care now has ten sponsored carers working in the community and is applying for more certificates to cover ongoing shortages. The experience with Borderless has given them the confidence to move forward without the stress and uncertainty of their first attempt.
“We are really pleased we went ahead. The platform is simple, the support has been great, and it has taken a lot of pressure off us,” Luke reflects. “It is a big commitment for any provider, but with the right partner it can be the right decision.”
Photo by Nicole Geri on Unsplash
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