Employment terms for bank healthcare assistants (FOI)

Request

A

Please, can you tell me why bank healthcare assistants are not paid for their first three shifts or the full day of manual handling training they are required to do?

B

Please, can you tell me when this policy was last reviewed?

C

Please, can you tell me any other areas within Health and Social Services that require people to work / shadow unpaid; specifically, but not limited to, porters, cleaners, receptionists, catering staff, domestic, drivers, including the number of unpaid hours they are required to work / train / shadow?

Response

A

Manual handling and orientation / shadowing shifts are part of the recruitment process for bank healthcare assistants (Bank HCAs). Bank HCAs are not appointed as employees until their Orientation / Shadowing booklet has been completed. This allows assessment of their approach to the work and their suitability at a clinical level especially candidates who are new to Healthcare delivery. It also allows the candidates themselves the opportunity to see what the role is and some will find that the role is not what they expected and remove themselves from the process. The interview process in itself is not robust enough to demonstrate appropriate attitude, behaviour and values in healthcare delivery.

This process is also in line with safer and values based recruitment (VBR).

B

This process has been in place since 2006.

C

There are no other roles within the Health and Social Services Department where staff need to come in ahead of their respective working hours as manual handling training (where appropriate) is completed as soon as they commence their duties.