Health and Social Care Trust (HSC)
HSC Trusts provide integrated health and social care services across Northern Ireland, and there are 5 main HSC trusts as below:
Belfast HSC Trust
South Eastern HSC Trust
Western HSC Trust
Southern HSC Trust
Northern HSC Trust.
These HSC Trusts deliver a wide range of Health and Social Care Services to the population of Northern Ireland, and each have a variety of Community and Acute Hospital based services - including sub-acute care for older people. The Trusts deliver services both locally - within the Trust boundaries - and on a Northern Ireland wide basis. All of the Trusts have core values which whilst the wording varies between Trusts generally cover the themes of: • Treating all with dignity and respect • Openness and honesty • Excellence in delivering services • Valuing and supporting staff • Listening and learning
The HSC in Northern Ireland has an excellent record of delivering high quality services and we welcome you to our team .HSC Trusts manage and administer hospitals and each trust have couple of hospitals operating under them
Salary: Band 5 starting from £24,907 per annum
On-site accommodation costs for a period of two months.
37.5 hrs weekly duty and additional shift payments for unsocial hours (for night/ Sat / Sun / holiday shifts)
Pension scheme
Free airline ticket
Visa costs – Reimbursed on arrival
NMC Admin Fee Reimbursed on arrival*
NMC Stage 1 CBT Cost – Reimbursed on arrival
NMC Stage 2 OSCE - £992
NHS Health Surcharge
27 days per annum leave
Welcome pack within your accommodation (including)
Meals on day of arrival
Initial 3-year contract with a view to a permanent
OSCE exam training and support
Salary paid during OSCE preparation
Family Can Join
Northern Ireland has a low cost of living compared to England - Compare the Cost of Living comparison in the UK(England) and Northern Ireland : Check cost of living
Working Hours / Salary Arrangements
Standard working week of 37.5 hours
Band 5 salary scale is £24,907 to £30,615 per annum
Monthly salary paid directly into your bank account on the third clear banking day before the end of the calendar month
The option to join the HSC Superannuation (pension) Scheme, where both you and your employer contribute
Standard HSC Package
Details of Band 5 Adult Nurse post within the Health & Social Care service in Northern Ireland, The HSC will support you on arrival to Northern Ireland to help you settle in. The following confirms the standard Terms & Conditions / package of support you can expect and should be read in conjunction with your offer letter issued to you following interview:
Hours of Work 37.5 hours per week.
Annual leave 27 days per annum on commencement rising to 29 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years’ service.
Salary Scale Once on the NMC register you will be paid on the Band 5 pay scale which is currently £24,907 to £30,615 per annum. In addition to the basic salary you will receive unsocial hour’s payment and weekend allowances as appropriate to your shift. Increments are paid annually until you reach the top point of the pay scale providing your performance remains satisfactory.
Please note until NMC registration you will be paid on the Band 3 pay scale which is currently £18,813 - £20,795 per annum.
Tax and National Insurance are deducted from your salary on a ‘Pay as you Earn’ (PAYE) basis.
Pension You may choose to join the Health & Social Care Pension Scheme. Further information may be obtained from the HSC. Pension Service Website at www.hscpensions.hscni.net .
Advance: Prior to arrival you will be offered the opportunity to avail of a salary advance which includes support for costs associated with your NMC Application. Any advance offered will be Salary reclaimed over a maximum 36-month period. Should you leave the Trusts employment prior to the completion of 36 months any monies advanced in respect of these items will be reclaimed from your final salary.
Professional Support: On arrival to Northern Ireland you would be provided with induction and support to complete your OSCEs to gain your NMC registration. The Home office requires your NMC registration within 8 months of arrival.
Following NMC registration you would be provided with 6 months dedicated support from an experienced nurse within your clinical area(this is called preceptorship) which is provided for all new registrants with an emphasis on consolidating your role as a Registered Nurse
Accommodation: The Trust will organize your accommodation for the first 2 months and will support your cost up to a maximum of 400 pound in total. If there is a holding deposit this also will be supported (up to a maximum of 200 pound), however is element will be reclaimed over an agreed period up to a maximum of 36 months
You would be provided with access to essential items such as toaster, kettle, bed linen, towel and basic food items on arrival. Should you leave the trusts employment prior to the completion of 36 months any monies advance in respect of these items will be reclaimed from your final salary
Information on Costs:
HSC are paying for:
NMC Stage 1 CBT - £130 – Reimbursed by the HSC on arrival
NMC Stage 2 OSCE - £992
Accommodation – £200 per person per month for 2 months will be paid by the Trust and if required, the Trust will pay the deposit which shall be reclaimable.
HSC are paying for but require you to pay back over 36 months:
NMC Application - £140
NMC Admin Fee - £153
NHS Health Surcharge (£400 per year = £1200).
All of the above is on the basis that the appointee will accept an offer and remain with the Trust for a minimum of 36 months – should the individual leave prior to this time then the Trust would seek to reclaim prior to leaving.
RMC PARTNER – pays for the following for nurses
Flights paid for by RMC UK PARTNER
Nurses pay for their own Visa and Surcharge and RMC partner reimburse all nurses when they arrive in the UK
Public Holidays and Leave
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.
When the usual date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the 'substitute day' is normally the following Monday. For example in 2020, Boxing Day is on Saturday 26 December, so the substitute bank holiday is Monday 28 December.
Time off for employees
Though many HSC employees receive the day off work on bank and public holidays, due to the nature of our services some staff will have to work on these days. Any right to time off or extra pay for working on a public holiday will be detailed in your contract of employment.
Annual Leave
Full time staff are entitled to the following levels of annual leave.
On Entry - 27 days
After 5 years service - 29 days
After 10 years service - 33 days
For staff who work less than full time hours this leave is pro rata and is calculated in hours.
Work/Life Balance Policies
HSC recognises that the opportunity to work flexibly can greatly improve the ability of staff to balance home and work responsibilities. This in turn benefits HSC as it enables us to retain skilled staff and to reduce recruitment costs. A range of work-life balance and flexible working arrangements are in place, including:
Part-time working
Flexi time (Available for staff up to and including Band 6, dependent on the needs of the service)
Jobshare
Employment breaks
Phased returns to work following maternity leave and sick leave (recommended by Occupational Health)
Marriage leave
Adoption leave
Maternity, Paternity and Parental Leave
Study Leave
Bereavement and special leave
Human Resources Policies
All HSC Trusts have a wide range of Human Resources policies to underpin the value that is placed on staff. Whilst these may vary slightly from one Trust to another, the type of policies offered include:
A range of Work Life Balance/ Flexible Working Policies
Employee Health & Well-being Support
A strong commitment to Equality of Opportunity
Savings on Social and Leisure Facilities
Child Care Voucher Scheme
Cycle to Work Scheme
Modern Facilities
HSC Trusts are continually updating their facilities, to ensure modern ‘State of the Art’ care environments for all service users and staff.
Continuous Professional Development
All HSC Trusts offer ongoing continuous professional development through Annual Personal Development Reviews.
The HSC Pension Scheme is one of the most important elements of the financial package on offer to employees of the HSC.
As an employee of the Health and Social Care Service in Northern Ireland, your employer will automatically enrol you into the HSC Pension Scheme.
The HSC Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme and an important and valuable staff benefit for people working in the health service. Being a member of the HSC Pension Scheme is one of the ways in which you can prepare financially for your retirement.
Membership of the scheme is an important and valuable staff benefit for people working in the HSC. As a scheme member, you get an excellent package of pension benefits, index linked and guaranteed by the Government.
This is good value for money, especially when you know your benefits are secure and will be there when you need them.
If you join the scheme, you will receive life insurance cover of twice your pensionable or reckonable pay from the day you join.
Membership of the scheme is voluntary; however, you will be entered into the scheme automatically and will have to choose to opt out.
You can find out more about the HSC Pension Scheme on the HSC Pension Service website. Below are links to important pages on the website:
For more information about HSC pensions, please visit the HSC Pensions Website |
Below are links to important pages on the pensions website: Scheme Guides Scheme Factsheets Scheme Calculators
The HSC offers a strong continuous professional development ethos through Annual Personal Development Reviews and Personal Develop Planning.
Learning and Developing - Building capacity and empowering people through appropriate development and support and sustaining a learning culture.
Each HSC Trusts also draws on the evidence requirements of this quality standard as a best practice model to support an ethos of continuous improvement and to ensure a cycle of ‘plan, do, review’ to improve our performance through people development.
Plan
Develop strategies to improve the performance of the organisation through its people.
Do
Takes effective action to improve the performance of the organisation through its people
Review
Demonstrates the impact of its investment in people on the performance of the organisation
You can expect to receive education and learning and development which will equip you for your role and develop you in your career in Health & Social Care. Each Trust is committed to providing appropriate learning and development opportunities to all staff. HSC training is designed to equip employees with the skills and knowledge they need to undertake their jobs to the highest standard while developing themselves to progress in their careers. All staff are given the opportunity to discuss their work and draw up a personal development plan with their manager through the personal contribution framework system.
There is a comprehensive range of high quality, personal and professional learning and development opportunities, available to all staff which empower individuals, teams and the organisation to deliver safe, effective, compassionate, patient centred care through a learning culture.
HSC Learning and Development Strategies will adopt a structured and robust approach to learning and development planning and opportunities for all staff, with consistent commitment to developing and supporting staff at all levels and grades throughout the organisations. It will establish a shared culture and vision of learning and development, which will be achieved, in partnership, through equitable, innovative and flexible learning and development opportunities. This will help to ensure that staff feel valued, and will therefore contribute to sustained staff motivation and engagement, developing a more confident and capable workforce.
Each Trust therefore will have a learning and development strategy responsible for:
Statutory & Mandatory Training
Coaching and mentoring initiatives
Leadership and management strategies
Support employee engagement
Embedding the Trust values within teams to support a value based culture
Accredited learning centres for ILM, ProQual, City & Guilds
Team effectiveness
HRPTS
Quality and service improvement initiatives
Staff development reviews
Best practice
e-learning
With a population of 1.8 million people spread across six distinct and unique counties - Antrim, Armagh, Londonderry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone - Northern Ireland is one of the most beautiful and welcoming areas of the United Kingdom. It is here that you will find our five HSC Trusts’ hospitals and services.
Northern Ireland is not only a region of outstanding natural beauty, filled with dramatic mountain landscapes, verdant forest parks and sparkling lakes, but it’s also a place populated with bustling cities and historic towns and villages. In short, you’ll find the perfect mix of outdoor, indoor and social pursuits where there’s always plenty to see and do. There’s an excellent education system, a world-class healthcare service and all types of affordable property, all helping to ensure a high standard, yet low cost of living. Northern Ireland may be renowned for its work ethic, but it places equal emphasis on the friendliness of the people and the quality of life
Living in Northern Ireland means there’s always an adventure to be had. You can cross the country by car in about two hours – north to south, or east to west- and in between you’ll find a rich variety of eye-popping scenery, captivating leisure and outdoor activities, and a host of distinctive cultural attractions. In no time at all, you’ll be exploring our dramatic coastlines, castles, mountains and lakes. For the more intrepid, there’s action-packed watersports, superb ocean and freshwater fishing, and a huge range of walking trails - from casual strolls to challenging peak climbs. And for those who like to take things at a slower pace, there’s no shortage of breathtaking drives, historical landmarks and some of the best golfing in the world. If you love great social life, Northern Ireland offers many fine restaurants, cinemas, leisure centres, and renowned theatres, galleries, arts and entertainment centres - there’s something for every lifestyle! And if all that isn’t enough, 2012 saw the opening of the enigmatic Titanic Exhibition Centre in the dramatic Belfast shipyards and the new visitors centre at the legendary Giant’s Causeway. Derry~Londonderry was the inaugural UK City of Culture in 2013 and Belfast, the capital city, has just been voted the top UK tourist destination by readers of The Guardian and Observer (March 2016). But that’s only the beginning. Here are some of the other visitor attractions you will find in the different counties
ANTRIM Not only the home of the eclectic city of Belfast, but also the starting point of the gorgeous Causeway Coastal Route that takes you to other amazing places such as the Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, and the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge.
ARMAGH Gaze at the heavens at the Armagh Astronomy Centre and Planetarium, spend some time reflecting at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and enjoy the best of life here on earth at Gosford Forest Park.
DERRY~LONDONDERRY Walk along the City Walls of Derry~Londonderry and be part of its living history. County Londonderry is also where you’ll find the stunning Roe Valley Country Park and the enticing Castlerock Beach
DOWN Home to the mighty Mountains of Mourne, Tollymore Forest Park, family friendly beaches, forest walks of Crawfordsburn Country Park and much, much more.
FERMANAGH Although known as the land of lakes, you can also step into a marvellous subterranean world at the Marble Arch Caves, shop in Enniskillen, or cook up something special at the Belle Isle Cookery School - the choice is yours.
TYRONE Take a journey back in time at the Ulster American Folk Park, shake out the cobwebs at Todds Leap Activity Centre, or create your own adventure in one of the many forest parks.
Northern Ireland has a very high standard of education with over 60% of young people leaving secondary education and going on to university or college. School education for children up to the age of 18 years in pre-schools, primary schools and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland is nonfee paying. Two world-class universities, Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast (both having close links with the Trusts), together with an extensive network of Further Education Colleges, provide outstanding vocational and academic training for young people. In addition, the Open University offers excellent part-time routes into Higher Education with a variety of courses with no entry limits. This gives you the option to study at your own pace, no matter what your academic background may be.
Moving to Northern Ireland will make your money go further. Northern Ireland is one of the most affordable places to live in comparison to most other areas in the United Kingdom. In fact, according to the British Council, Northern Ireland has the lowest cost of living in the UK. Property prices in Northern Ireland are the lowest in the UK. Renting a room in the country’s capital, Belfast will cost just £250 per month on average and renting a two-bedroom apartment in the city will cost £450-£650 depending on location and size. As well as the affordable rent and property prices, the cost of transport, food shopping, entertainment and leisure are all lower too!
Northern Ireland has excellent public transport with extensive rail and road networks (meaning less time commuting to and from work!), five commercial ports and three airports. Most places can be reached by road and rail and global connections to Great Britian, Europe and beyond are excellent. Public transportation to Trust locations is widely available
Prior to coming to Northern Ireland, you will be allocated to one of the five Trusts. Some are based in Northern Ireland’s main Cities and others in smaller sub-urban areas. Whilst we need a fair distribution of nurses in all of our Trusts, we will do our very best to allocate you to your preferred Trust that best matches your previous environment along with some people you may already know .
Living in Northern Ireland | About | Queen's University Belfast
Prior to coming to Northern Ireland, you will be allocated to one of our five Trusts. Some are based in Northern Ireland’s main Cities and others in smaller sub-urban areas. Whilst we need a fair distribution of nurses in all of our Trusts, we will do our very best to allocate you to your preferred Trust that best matches your previous environment along with some people you may already know Read more
Best Places to Live in Northern Ireland 2020
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