As an employee of the Western Trust you will be employed under the one of three terms and condition of employment which are in line with NHS Terms and Conditions of Employment.
- Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions of Employment
- Medical and Dental Terms and Conditions of Employment
- Senior Executive Terms and Conditions of Employment
Our employment policies, procedures, practices adhere to all relevant employment legislation and we are committed to promoting diversity and equality of opportunity in the employment of our staff.
Agenda for Change Pay Bands – please click here for information on current pay bands for AfC posts.
Please note that Senior Executive and Medical and Dental posts are not part of the Agenda for Change National Framework – pay scales for these posts will be available on specific job advertisements.
HSC Pension Scheme
The HSC Pension Scheme is one of the most important elements of the financial package on offer to employees of the HSC. For further information please click here. More detailed information is available on the HSC Pensions website.
Working Hours
Full time posts have working hours of 37½ hours for all staff employed under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions of Service.
Annual Leave
Full time staff are entitled to the following levels of annual leave. For staff who work less than full time hours this leave is pro rata and is calculated in hours.
- On Entry – 27 days
- After 5 years service – 29 days
- After 10 years service – 33 days
Statutory Leave
Full time staff are entitled to 10 statutory and public holidays per year. For staff that work less than full time hours this leave is pro rata and is calculated in hours.
Sick Leave Entitlements
Sick pay entitlement is dependent on length of service and it also take into account any period of sickness absence in the 12 months immediately preceding the first day of the current absence.
Maternity Leave and Pay
All employees will have the right to take 52 weeks of maternity leave which may be a mixture of paid and unpaid leave at either statutory or occupational maternity pay rates which is dependent on meeting the relevant eligibility criteria.
Work/Life Balance Policies
We recognise that the opportunity to work flexibly can greatly improve the ability of staff to balance home and work responsibilities. This in turn benefits the organisation as it enables it to retain skilled staff and to reduce recruitment costs. We have in place a range of work-life balance and flexible working arrangements:-
- Flexible Working Arrangements including Unpaid Leave and Employment Breaks
- Flexi Time Scheme (mainly available to Administrative and Clerical Staff)
- Job Share Scheme
- Special Leave Provisions, e.g. Carers Leave, Parental Leave
Unpaid Leave Scheme
Managers are expected to consider all requests to avail of work/life balance policies with a view to achieving a solution which is not, for example, at a detriment to service provision, incur additional costs, etc. Employees are expected to make reasonable requests and be willing to compromise when necessary.
Induction
New staff appointed will be invited to attend a corporate induction programme and have access to an e-learning course. Staff will also receive induction to their area of work.
Health and Wellbeing of Our Staff
We recently launched our Staff Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2019-22 which provides a commitment from senior leadership to create a supportive workplace culture, policies and practices that protect, promote and improve the health and wellbeing of all staff. We engage with staff across the organisation to understand their health and wellbeing needs and empower them improve their health and wellbeing and the health and wellbeing of others.
Staff have access to our TWIST West Wellhub. This contains health and wellbeing information in one easily accessible website to help increase staff awareness of the diverse range of wellbeing programmes activities and benefits, promote engagement in them and aim to staff’s health. This can be accessed in the workplace or at home and will play a key role in the development of our wellbeing community.
Health and Wellbeing Programmes such as Cycle to Work Scheme, Couch to 5k, Swim Scheme, Stop Smoking Service, Weight Reduction, Physical Activity, Mindfulness and Resilience programmes.
Staff Support
Staff are able to access support, advice and direction from a number of sources
Line Managers – job role concerns, concerns about colleagues, harassment, grievance issues, health issues, etc.
Colleagues – advice regarding the job role
Trade Union Representative – job role concerns, concerns about colleagues, harassment, grievance issues, support and representation at meetings, personal issues, etc.
Policies and Procedures – Domestic Violence and the Workplace Policy, Conflict, Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace, Disciplinary Procedure, Grievance Procedure, Work/life balance policies, Gender Identity and Expression Policy, etc
Human Resources – job role concerns, personal issues, advice on application of policies and procedures, etc.
Occupational Health – job role concerns or personal issues which are affecting your health, etc.
Staff Counselling Service – is a confidential service available to staff through an independent company called Inspire which is totally external to the Western Trust. Inspire counsellors will help you to resolve the problems facing you and develop ways of coping.
Confidential Staff Care Freephone Northern Ireland: 0500 127 079 or Republic of Ireland: 1800 409 388