'I paid thousands to a company for jobs that never came'

A company has been accused of promising jobs in the healthcare sector which never materialised, leaving people thousands of pounds out of pocket.

Registered in 2025, Synetal Solutions Ltd says it offers career-focused training programmes in the healthcare and IT sectors.

But the BBC has spoken to a number of people who claim they were promised training and support to secure sponsored healthcare jobs that never became available to apply for.

London Citizens Advice says it has seen an increase in recruitment-related scams since the government stopped overseas recruitment for care workers, external. The charity described the firm's practices as "unethical".

Synetal Solutions says it "takes these concerns seriously and disputes the broad allegation that its services or candidate outcomes are fictitious".

Apurv Patel, who has been in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa since 2023, said he paid Synetal Solutions £3,600 across February and March for healthcare training after he and a friend were verbally promised guaranteed sponsored jobs.

Eight months later he has received no job offers, interviews or meaningful employment support, he said.

"I'm frustrated. I paid money, I wasted my time. I did whatever they wanted without any result," he said.

"It's had a miserable effect on my family and finances."

Patel said he did receive some training but described it as poor quality and ultimately "worthless".

Having previously worked for two years as a healthcare assistant, he said he became concerned when a trainer was unable to answer routine questions about care work.

"She didn't give us any answers and we realised she didn't have any experience of healthcare," he said.

The company disputes claims that training was ineffective.

He also alleged communication with the company deteriorated after he made his second payment, with responses sometimes taking several days.

Patel has since complained to his bank and sought help from Citizens Advice.

The BBC has seen emails from the company advertising a "three-month recruitment programme" offering "training and placement with sponsorship" for £5,500.

Home Office guidance, external states agencies may charge for services such as training or CV-writing assistance, but cannot charge fees solely for finding, or attempting to find, employment.

Responding to questions about its marketing, Synetal Solutions said: "We acknowledge the 'guarantee' wording in the emails supplied and recognise that contractual terms alone do not resolve concerns about those assurances."

As part of its programme, Synetal Solutions created accounts for trainees on iHasco, a health and social care training platform.

The BBC contacted iHasco, which confirmed the company was a customer. However, it said its terms did not permit customers to resell its training content to individuals who were not employees.

The company said it was reviewing Synetal Solutions' account and would take appropriate action if necessary.

Synetal Solutions said it had acted in accordance with its agreement with iHasco.

The Care Quality Commission said there was no single qualification that automatically qualified someone to work as a care worker. Instead, providers are responsible for ensuring employees are appropriately trained and competent for their roles.

The BBC also contacted a number of healthcare organisations whose logos appeared on Synetal Solutions' website as examples of employers where graduates had worked.

Those organisations that responded said they had no links to the company. Some also said they had not authorised the use of their branding, and some said they would not accept certificates provided through the company's training.

Daniel Blake, director of London Citizens Advice, described the company's approach as "exploitative".

"The promises that were made are impossible promises," he said. "They are targeting people with vulnerable immigration status.

"This company is asking for large sums of money upfront without any reputable standards, without any reputable evidence of success, and yet when it goes wrong they are refusing to take any responsibility.

"For us, it seems a very unethical way of conducting business."

He added that no reputable recruitment agency would guarantee a successful outcome without first assessing a candidate and matching them to a suitable role, and urged anybody asked to pay large sums upfront to seek independent advice.

"If it seems too good to be true, it probably is," he said.

The company's website states: "Synetal Solutions provides the right support, guidance, and guaranteed job placement to help you succeed."