'I paid thousands to a company for healthcare jobs that didn't materialise'

**'I paid thousands to a company for healthcare jobs that didn't materialise'**

Apurv Patel said he paid Synetal Solutions £3,600 and claimed he was verbally promised a guaranteed sponsored job

A company has been accused of promising healthcare-sector jobs that never came through, leaving people thousands of pounds out of pocket.

Synetal Solutions Ltd, which was registered in 2025, says it provides career-focused training programmes in the healthcare and IT sectors.

However, the BBC has spoken to several people who say they were promised training and help to obtain sponsored healthcare jobs that never became available to apply for.

London Citizens Advice says recruitment-related scams have risen since the government ended overseas recruitment for care workers.

The charity called the firm's behaviour "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 in February and March for healthcare training after he and a friend were verbally promised guaranteed sponsored jobs.

Eight months on, he said he has had no job offers, interviews or meaningful support with employment.

"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".

He had previously worked for two years as a healthcare assistant and said he became worried when a trainer could not answer basic 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 rejects claims that the training was ineffective.

Patel also alleged that communication with the company worsened after his second payment, with replies sometimes taking several days.

He has since complained to his bank and contacted Citizens Advice for help.

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

In response 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 set up accounts for trainees on iHasco, a health and social care training platform.

The BBC contacted iHasco, which confirmed Synetal Solutions was a customer. But it said its terms did not allow customers to resell its training content to people who were not employees.

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

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

The Care Quality Commission said there was no single qualification that automatically made someone eligible to work as a care worker. Instead, providers must make sure staff are properly trained and competent for their roles.

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

Those that replied said they had no connection to the company. Some said they had not authorised use of their branding, and some said they would not accept certificates issued through the company's training.

Daniel Blake says the way Synetal Solutions has operated is unethical

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 success without first assessing a candidate and matching them to a suitable role, and urged anyone 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 says: "Synetal Solutions provides the right support, guidance, and guaranteed job placement to help you succeed."

Its social media channels also promoted healthcare as "one of the most reliable paths" for people looking for visa-sponsored work in the UK.

Sarah and Rahul, whose names have been changed, said they paid £3,000 to Synetal Solutions while looking for sponsored work before their student visas expired.

Rahul, a former dentist in India, could stay in the UK longer on a graduate visa, but Sarah's immigration status was close to expiring.

To pay the fee, the couple said they borrowed money from a family friend and took out a loan.

Rahul said he was shocked by the standard of the training.

"The mentor didn't know anything about healthcare," he said.

The couple said they were also shown the names of established healthcare providers, including Bupa, as examples of possible employers. Bupa told the BBC it had no connection with the company.

Synetal Solutions says some candidates "told us they had secured employment with Bupa" and that the reference was "not intended to suggest a formal partnership with Bupa".

It says it had not verified those outcomes and "cannot attribute the recruitment decisions to our training".

Rahul said he got one or two interviews, but prospective employers rejected the certificates he had received through the programme.

The couple said Synetal Solutions had since stopped replying to their messages.

"We're desperate," Sarah said. "We don't see any other way out."

Amisha - not her real name - says her certificates were rejected as invalid by one company she interviewed with

Amisha, whose name has also been changed, said she signed up with Synetal after being told that both a placement and visa sponsorship were guaranteed.

Her student visa is due to expire soon.

She said the training consisted of three sessions of about 90 minutes each.

After paying an initial £1,800, she was reluctant to make a second payment because she felt she had received very little in return. She said the company warned her that her contract would be cancelled if she did not pay, prompting her to send another £1,800.

"I was waiting for interviews for two or three months. They were ignoring me," she said.

According to Amisha, the company applied for only a small number of vacancies advertised on job-search website Indeed. She eventually got an interview for a healthcare assistant role, but said the employer told her the certificates she had been given were not recognised.

A screenshot of a supposed testimonial from Synetal Solutions' website with content that does not appear to make sense

The BBC also found what appeared to be at least a couple of stock photos or AI-generated images being used as testimonials on the company's website.

The company said it had not verified the two reviews identified, and removed them after being contacted.

Teni Shahiean, an immigration lawyer at OTS Solicitors, said the promises being made to people facing visa deadlines were "particularly concerning"

Teni Shahiean, an immigration lawyer at OTS Solicitors, said it was "particularly concerning" when people facing visa deadlines were being asked to make large payments on the understanding that jobs, sponsorship or immigration outcomes were apparently guaranteed.

She urged caution, saying that a job offer alone does not guarantee someone can stay in the UK.

"The outcome can depend on the role, the sponsor, the individual meeting the relevant immigration requirements and, ultimately, any decision by the Home Office," she said.

Blake told the BBC: "If it seems good to be true, it probably is. If you are considering handing over money upfront then seek advice."

He said that "if people have given money and haven't received the service that they were entitled to they should seek redress".

"First of all, make a complaint directly to the company, then to Trading Standards.

"If people feel a criminal offence has happened, we would encourage and support them to go to the police."

A government spokesperson said: "We know how much distress scammers cause to their victims, which is why we will do everything in our power to protect hardworking families and vulnerable customers.

"Our reforms have provided Companies House with new and improved powers to prevent companies from acting unlawfully and to query, remove and share suspicious information."

Synetal Solutions said: "We provide training and employment assistance and maintain supporting records. Recruitment, sponsorship and visa decisions depend on employers and the Home Office."

The company said it had records of genuine candidates who had secured jobs and sponsorship through its services.