1. Introduction Welcome to Recruit4vets Thank you for choosing to work with. With over 10 years experience in the healthcare recruitment sector, our team has the experience, knowledge and skills required to find you the right job. We are dedicated to offering our locums an exemplary and supportive service through which you can steer and develop your career, by offering choice and convenience along with professional support and backing. As a member of Recruit4vets temporary team you are an invaluable asset to its business, this handbook clearly sets out Recruit4vets guidelines and expectations and it assists you in understanding your obligations by summarising its policies and procedures. 2. Office hours Our normal office hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm, our telephone number is 01423 701 321. Outside of these hours we operate a telephone answering service. If you have an urgent concern or emergency that needs immediate attention please email info@recruit4health.com and we will endeavor to get back to you as soon as possible. 3. Working as a locum Always: Ensure that the care you give is of the highest standard. You comply with the professional, legal and ethical requirements Act as an advocate for all patients and clients in managing their care Be on time Wear the appropriate uniform Wear your locum ID badge if required Fully complete and return your signed timesheet on time Inform your Recruitment Consultant immediately if you are unable to attend a placement or interview Let us know if a client offers you a permanent role Where possible, give at least one weeks notice if you will be leaving a placement early Inform us of any training you have undertaken and update your CV Inform us of any disciplinary proceedings/suspensions immediately Tell us if you: fall ill, get injured or become pregnant Keep your professional registrations up to date Enjoy your placement Never Be late Arrange or provide a substitute worker yourself if you cannot attend Report for an assignment unless you are medically fit to do so Be afraid to let us know if something is unsatisfactory Take unauthorised breaks 4. Your first assignment Your first day at any new job is always daunting. At Recruit4vets we re dedicated to making things easy for you. Before your first assignment, you ll be given the following: Directions to your place of work The name of the person to meet A precise meeting place and time Details of accommodation if applicable On arrival you will be given a brief induction that should include: Orientation how to find your way around Explanation and clarification of times (e.g. Tea or lunch breaks etc)
Introduction to new colleagues Health and Safety overview Fire policy and procedure Any relevant policies and procedures Please familiarise yourself with the following Health and Safety information: Health and Safety Fire and Evacuation Policies Security Policies Environmental and Smoking Policies Uniform Policies Maintenance Policies It is always a good idea to work alongside an experienced member of staff on your first day until you find your feet. Always ask before you start a locum assignment if you will have support on your first day be it from a senior nurse, vet or receptionist. If the practice is unable to offer such support it will be beneficial to arrive at the assignment early and ask to be shown practice protocols, policies and other relevant information before you start. Remember, every practice works differently and has different policies. If you are not sure about anything, don t be afraid to ask. Locums who provide the highest standards of care and fit in well with the rest of the team are always the locums who are asked to come back again and again. Good references are invaluable and will help you secure the best locum positions and the best rates of pay and also will go a long way to securing you a position when you decide to return to permanent work. Every practice is different and all have different ways of working. The best locums are the ones who follow instruction from the practice and adopt their working practices and procedures. If you don t agree with the way the practice operates or you think the practice would benefit from working a different way, keep it to yourself until you are comfortable with your colleagues, only then make suggestions. Never criticise the way the practice works with customers or other members of staff. 5. How you are paid Recruit4vets is dedicated to giving you the best possible service. This includes prompt payment. To ensure prompt payment you will need to complete a timesheet each week. You will find your timesheet enclosed with your booking confirmation. Timesheets Write the time you started your first assignment in the relevant day s column. Then write down the time you finished. Once you have completed the timesheet, you must get it signed by an authorised member of staff. We strongly advise that timesheets are faxed or emailed rather than posted in order to ensure prompt payment. When you accept your first assignment you will receive a timesheet with your booking confirmation, if you require further timesheets please contact Recruit4vets. Fax your timesheet to 0870 112 3795 or email your timesheets to timesheets@recruit4health.com by 3pm Friday for payment the following Friday. Failure to do so by the deadline could result in late payments. Payment This process starts on a Monday, by the payroll department. You will be paid by BACS directly into your bank account. Payments by BACS will arrive in your bank account on the Friday of the week it is processed. Payroll Department Should you have a query regarding payment, please contact our Payroll Department directly on 01423 701 441 PAYE Umbrella Company If you chose to work PAYE (Pay As You Earn), locums are normally paid via an Umbrella company. The advantage of working through an Umbrella company is that you are able to offset legitimate locum expenses against tax, as such you should able to achieve a higher take home pay than you would through standard PAYE. For example you are able to offset travel expenses, CPD, professional membership, insurance, equipment, uniforms, etc.
At the end of each week you will submit your timesheet to Recruit4vets and also submit a timesheet and expenses form to your Umbrella Company. We calculate your gross pay and make a payment via BACS directly to your Umbrella Company. Your Umbrella Company will then calculate your net pay and pay you via BACS directly into your bank account. The whole process is very simple and takes 5 working days. We work with a number of Umbrella companies, if you would like further advice about Umbrella companies please contact Recruit4vets on 01423 701 321 Limited Company If you work through a Limited Company you will submit your timesheet a n d i n v o i c e to Recruit4vets who will make a payment via BACS directly into company bank account. We always ensure payment is made within 5 days of receipt of your timesheet and invoice. 6. Insurance As a locum we strongly recommend you take out your own insurance cover through the Veterinary Defence Society. If VDS insures the vets of the practice you work in as a locum, the practice is covered for allegation of professional negligence involving you, but complaints to the RCVS and VCI about you are personal, so you need to carry your own insurance cover. If you wish to become a member of VDS, or if you are in any doubt about your own insurance cover contact VDS on 01565 652 737 email admin@veterinarydefencesociety.co.uk or visit www.veterinarydefencesociety.co.uk 7. Accommodation A few practices do offer accommodation and wherever possible we will try and negotiate this for you. If your place of work does not offer accommodation, where possible, we will assist you in finding suitable accommodation locally. 8. Complaints procedure Recruit4vets Business Sector Managers will handle all verbal and written complaints, reporting to Directors respectively. In the absence of each business Manager, the Directors will handle the complaint. Please refer to our complaints policy procedure. Should the complaint be made against the locum, the locum will be informed of the complaint within 24 hours and given right to respond in writing within 7 days. Should the complaint be raised by the locum, in the first instance the locum may contact their recruitment consultant. Advice will be given and a decision will be made in conjunction with the locum as to the next stage of the complaint. 9. Equal opportunities As an organisation recruit4vets is committed to equal opportunities and does not discriminate on grounds of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, race, nationality or religious belief. 10. Your first job in the UK Recruit4vets offers a wide range of opportunities for healthcare workers around the world to work in the UK. If you have trained outside the UK and this is your first working experience, the following is designed to provide you with some essential information. National Insurance number If this is your first job, you will have been asked to provide a National Insurance or NI number. This is a unique reference number the Tax Office gives every worker. Obtaining an NI Number is relatively quick and easy. In the interim period before you gain a permanent NI number, you will be issued with a temporary one which will be enough to get you working. It takes approximately 6 weeks to receive a permanent NI Number. To apply please contact your nearest Department of Work and Pensions office (Job Centre). Bank accounts
Prior to travelling to the UK for your first assignment we can assist with the opening of a UK bank account. Please advise us if you require assistance and we will provide you with a letter of introduction. We suggest you do this three to four weeks prior to departure so that all the paperwork has been processed and you can collect your bank account details from the relevant branch once you are in the UK. On the production of your passport, the bank will open a current account and provide you with a cheque book and cash card. Please remember to give us your bank account details immediately. The Working Time Directive The European Working Time Directive was implemented in October 1998. The regulations entitlements. give you certain The UK Working Time Regulations require that a worker s average working time must not exceed 48 hours per week. You may accept as few or as many hours per week as you wish. If you wish to work more than an average 48 hours you must inform recruit4health in writing. If you wish to change your mind you must give recruit4vets two weeks notice in writing to end the agreement. 11. Additional information Uniforms Where required by policies, rules, procedures, or standards the candidate shall wear any special protective clothing or footwear. Uniforms are not necessarily provided by the practice and you should confirm the uniform policy before starting a new locum assignment. Client premises Client premises, facilities and equipment are to be only used in connection with the provision of services and are to be kept clean, tidy and properly secured. All temporary workers must observe the local security procedures at all times. The candidates shall be responsible for the safe keeping of any keys and access passes provided whilst on assignment. Confidentiality All agency staff are expected to protect confidential information regarding patients and their colleagues, and protect the interests of this company. You are required to protect all confidential information concerning patients and clients obtained in the course of professional practice. 12. Health and Safety A Guide for Temporary and Contract Staff All employers are legally responsible for ensuring the Health & Safety of their employees and any visitors to their premises, including temporary and contract staff. Recruit4vets industry association, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, has produced this advice, which describes how the health and safety laws affect you as a temporary worker. Recruit4vets should be in a position to give you information about the work you are expected to perform and any specific risks or hazards associated with each assignment. The prime responsibility for your health and safety during an assignment lies with the client hiring your services (the hirer). This guide summarises the hirer's responsibilities and your duty to co-operate, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and regulations. Induction On arriving at an assignment, the hirer should explain the layout of the premises, identifying the toilets, kitchen facilities (if any) or other drink making facilities, and coat storage. Attention should also be drawn to the fire alarm mechanisms, fire exits and assembly point arrangements. Ideally the hirer will also refer to the accident recording, first aid provision and smoking rules see below. Machinery, equipment and chemicals If you are required to operate any machinery or equipment, you should first be shown the correct operational controls by the hirer or another experienced employee. Ideally there should be a written operating statement to which you can subsequently refer, if in doubt. The hirer should also draw your attention to any special arrangements required or risks arising from the use of chemical agents and substances.
Manual handling You should not be asked to lift or carry items without proper instruction on the correct way to do this. If you are required to move heavy or bulky items that cannot be split down, or carry items across or through awkward areas like steep winding staircases, ask the hirer for assistance and instruction on how best to move the items. Computer screens Hirers have a duty to ensure that computer workstations are well designed. If you find the working arrangement uncomfortable, ask the hirer if it can be modified or rearranged. You should not work permanently in front of a VDU without regular breaks, 5 minutes in every hour is advised. As a temporary worker, most hirers will expect you to have had regular eyesight tests and if necessary use glasses where prescribed, prior to accepting the assignment. Pregnancy If you are pregnant, tell the hirer. Both you and the hirer have a responsibility to conduct a risk assessment, to avoid risks to yourself and your unborn child. Accidents and first aid Larger hirers, with over 50 employees, are encouraged to appoint and organise the training of First Aiders. It is wise to enquire about the first aid provision on your first day during induction. Hirers are also required to maintain an accident record book. If you are involved in an accident involving any injury, however minor, report it to the appropriate person and ensure it is recorded in the accident book. In the case of more serious accidents resulting in time off work the hirer has a duty to report the accident. You should therefore notify your agency and/or the hirer if you are off work due to a work related injury for more than 3 days. Working Time Regulations Controls on working time, including a maximum working week of 48 hours, night work restrictions, prescribed minimum rest breaks and rest periods and minimum paid holiday entitlements were introduced in October 1998. If you are unsure of your rights, ask your agency to provide you with the details. Employee responsibilities The health and safety legislation places obligations and responsibilities on employees and on persons who undertake to do work personally other than under a contract of employment. This includes you as a temporary worker. In extreme cases, employees and others can now be personally prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive for failure to co-operate with their employer's instructions or misuse of anything provided for their health and safety. Whilst at work, all workers have a duty to: Take reasonable care of their own health and safety at work and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions; Co-operate with the hirer or any other person with responsibility for work place health and safety; Not intentionally or recklessly misuse any equipment provided for their health and safety. The health and safety of workers is of paramount importance, reflected in the increasing range and scope of legislation. Your employment agency will want to ensure that their temporary and contract staff benefit from the protection offered by the legislation. General Obligations It is unlawful for any agency or employment business to charge you a fee for providing work finding services although there are some limited exceptions to this rule. Recruit4vets will never charge you a fee for providing work finding services. Recruit4vets will confirm whether you are looking for temporary or permanent work, the type of work they are looking for, for you and the terms which apply between you and the agency. Before you start work on an assignment or a position you will be given information about the proposed position including: 1. The identity of the hirer, 2. Start date,
3. Likely duration of the work, 4. Type of work, 5. Location, 6. Hours, 7. Any risks to health and safety and steps the hirer has taken to prevent or control such risks, 8. The experience, training and qualifications required for the role, 9. Any expenses applicable, and 10. The actual rate of remuneration to be paid. Such information will be confirmed verbally and in writing. As a locum worker on a contract for services you may not be penalised for ending an assignment. As recruiters, Recruit4vets owe you a duty of confidentiality and may not disclose information about you without your consent, except for particular circumstances. For example, information may be disclosed for the purposes of providing work finding services and for the purposes of complying with obligations towards the hirer regarding your suitability. Further information If you require any further information contact at: 7th Floor, Windsor House Cornwall Road Harrogate HG1 2PW Tel: 01423 701 321 Fax: 0870 112 3795 Email: info@recruit4vets.co.uk Web: www.recruit4vets.co.uk