At Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, our people are our greatest asset. Without our staff we could not provide excellent care at the heart of the community and be there for our patients and their families when they need us the most.
We also know that there is a clear relationship between the experience of our staff and the care that we provide patients and their families. That is why we are committed to supporting your health and wellbeing at work and have a range of initiatives available to you.
Our wellbeing initiatives include:
- Wellbeing conversations – these are available to all staff. Our Health and Wellbeing Passport is a helpful tool to guide your conversations and has your unique information
- Our Wellbeing Fund supports teams with activities
- Having wellbeing and menopause champions, and dedicated specialist advice and materials for those going through menopause and perimenopause
- Our Workplace Health and Wellbeing team are on hand to offer pre-employment screening and a range of services to employees and managers
- Our Connect team offer confidential support to individuals and teams
- Our Employee Assistance Programme team are on hand to answer questions and provide support with a variety of needs and offer counselling
- Our Professional Nurse Advocates are here to provide support for health and wellbeing in a safe space
- NHS Talking Therapies offers a range of talking therapies to support you to live life to the fullest
Support for everyone
The aim of our Staff Networks is to give everyone a voice. They are open to everyone and help us to provide a safe, inclusive, and diverse working environment.
- Ethnic Minorities Broadening Racial Awareness Cultural Exchange (EMBRACE) network – Championing diversity, equality and inclusion and supporting BAME staff to excel.
- Disability and Wellbeing network – Offering support, signposting and advocacy to staff living with a disability or long-term conditions
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+) network – Working alongside Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone
- Religion, Spirituality and Belief network – Supporting staff of all religions and beliefs so they can undertake their roles and responsibilities without compromise
Additional support
- Admin Hub – A community for all administrative staff, where we share useful information, good practice and discuss development
- Trade unions – Independent to our Trust, trade unions protect and advance the aims of their members in the workplace
- Freedom to Speak Up – If you are worried about something you've seen, it's important to speak up, with the option to speak confidentially with our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
- Mental Health First Aiders – Here to support any employee experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress
- Care without Carbon – Our framework to deliver sustainable healthcare
- Regular supervisions and support for all staff
- Carers support to those with caring responsibilities – We offer support to help carers balance caring and work responsibilities
- Carer's health team – Supporting carers to develop individual strategies aimed at reducing the strain of coping with their caring role
- Three onsite nurseries based in Brighton, Crawley and Hove, with places for children aged 12 weeks to 5 years
Financial wellbeing
At Sussex Community Foundation NHS Trust, we provide a comprehensive range of financial support, from advice to strategies, discounts and more, all to help you make the most of your finances. This includes:
- Salary Finance – A service offering access to better value financial products
- Wagestream – Enabling you to access money you've earned before payday
- Moneyhelper Service – Provides a dedicated helpline offering free, independent advice to support financial wellbeing.
- Fleet Home Electronics – Offering support with household electricals through salary sacrifice.
- Credit Unions – An online directory with details about cooperatives that offer members access to financial products
- Charity and wellbeing grants – Available to you and your team to develop skills, access advanced equipment and enhance patient experience.
- My Trust Benefits – Access to national NHS discounts sites to save on everything from a mobile phone tariff to high street shopping and eating out.
Financial planning for the future
Retirement may be a long time away or just round the corner – either way we're here to help you plan for the future. Our support includes:
- Inclusion in the NHS pension scheme – One of the most comprehensive retirement schemes in the UK
- Retirement seminars – A valuable learning tool to help you plan for retirement and live the life you want
- National Nest Pension – Our staff can access the national Nest pension scheme, which is an alternative workplace pension provided by the Government
- Retire and return – If you're part of our NHS Pension Scheme, you can opt to retire and take your pension benefits before returning to work
Support with travel
Whether you have a daily commute or have to travel during your working day, we have a number of options in place to support you:
- Lease car scheme– If you travel more than 30,000 business miles per year, you may be eligible for a new lease car, which the Trust will contribute towards with deductions from your net pay
- Salary sacrifice car scheme – You can lease a new car over three years with deductions coming from your gross salary
- Travel bureau – Providing support with route planning, pool cars, public transport information and cycling schemes
- Pool cars – Access to a range of low-emission vehicles for individual drivers or teams to book
- Cycle to Work scheme – Purchase up to two bicycles, plus safety equipment, tax-free
- Season ticket – We offer interest-free season ticket loans to enable staff to benefit from discounted rate from annual travel passes
