Ways to work with us

Qualified and experienced nurses, healthcare assistants and housekeeping staff are just some examples of available temporary positions, to help meet areas of need and to suit your lifestyle.

Some of the roles include:

• Healthcare assistants
• Registered nurses
• Housekeepers
• Administrators
• Occupational therapists
• Physiotherapists

If you're interested in joining us, please contact our friendly Temporary Workforce Service team on 01273 242227 or email: sc-tr.bank@nhs.net

There are lots of reasons to join the Temporary Workforce Service ‘bank’.

These include:

• Being paid a 12.5% supplement (at least) on your usual rate
• Weekly pay
• Get access to a number of staff and benefits, including the NHS pensions scheme (Find out more about NHS Pensions); The NHS Pension Scheme is still one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK. Every member of the Temporary Workforce Service will automatically receive this excellent package of pension benefits.
• Get access to training and development opportunities
• Gain experience of working in innovative services providing solutions to our communities biggest health and care challenges
• Be treated as an internal applicant if you want to apply for permanent jobs with us
• Access to our occupational health services

Pay

Temporary Workforce Service members are paid based on Agenda for Change pay rates. Pay is made up of a number of elements including:

• Holiday pay at a rate of 12.5%, instead of accruing annual leave (WTD)
• Unsocial hours payments (when applicable) at the following rates:

Looking to volunteer?

Please join our Facebook page to see what opportunities we have across the Trust.

We have a dedicated volunteer service that provides support across the organisation with just under 550+ volunteers. Find out about our volunteering opportunities.

Volunteering at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with us. Volunteers play a huge part in supporting the delivery of care to the many people who use our services. We have lots of roles and you can play a very important part by helping us enhance the quality of care to our patients and by supporting our staff.

Why volunteer?

• Do you enjoy helping others?
• Increase your social and relationship skills.
• Gain career experience.
• Volunteering provides a sense of purpose.
• Support and training provided.
• Increases self-confidence.

Who can volunteer?

• Are you 16 years old or over? There is no upper age limit to volunteer with us (please note if you are aged 16 to 17 we normally require contacts details for a parent/guardian and we will contact them to obtain consent for you to volunteer. If you are unable to provide this information please contact us on SC-TR.Voluntary-Services@NHS.net to discuss)
• Do you enjoy helping others?
• Would you be willing to volunteer regularly for a minimum of once a week for 6 months?
• Do you have the right to work in the UK?

If your answer is 'yes' to all these questions, we would love to hear from you.

What do volunteers do?

Our volunteers get involved in a wide range of activities across our services, supporting our healthcare teams to enhance our patient's experience. Currently, we are prioritizing increasing volunteers in our Intermediate Care Units Sussex wide, these include Mealtime support and Ward Helper roles. From simply listening and chatting to patients or playing games over a cup of tea, to helping with reminiscence activities and offering support at mealtimes, our volunteers bring a huge amount of value to all our services.

What our staff say

“The volunteers on the ward bring a huge amount of extra skills and time and our patients benefit hugely.”

Want to know more?

Find your volunteering opportunity (please note: this link will take you to our Careers microsite - click on the home button to return to the main website). 

Please note before you apply, you will need to have 3 pieces of ID to hand, please have a look at the checklist to ensure your documents are suitable.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please email sc-tr.voluntary-services@nhs.net or phone 01273 242292.

Volunteer Newsletters

• December 2022
• Summer 2022
• December 2021
• Summer 2021
• December 2020
• October 2020

The team is on Twitter - Please follow us:

Are you interested in becoming an apprentice at SCFT?

Apprenticeships have changed nationally and are now much more widely available to anyone over the age of 16 who meets the criteria.

An apprenticeship is a genuine job where you earn a wage, with an accompanying skills development programme. Apprentices gain the technical knowledge, practical experience and wider skills they need for their immediate job and future career and gain a nationally recognised qualification. Your course fees will be paid with no cost to you.

Do you meet the criteria?

• Age 16+ (there is no upper age limit)
• Not in full time education
• You must be a citizen of the UK or have been an ordinarily resident in the UK or European Economic Area (EEA) for at least the previous 3 years
• Graduates can also now apply, as long as it is in a different subject area to their degree and relevant to their current job

What courses are available?

Apprenticeships are available at all different levels from Level 2 to Level 7 (master's degree level) and are a real alternative to university without incurring a hefty student loan. Apprenticeships are available in a broad range of subjects (both clinical and non-clinical) leading to many different occupations within the health sector.

We offer a wide variety of apprenticeship courses at SCFT. To find out the apprenticeships we can offer our staff (depending on current experience and qualifications), please visit this link. You can contact us via our online form if you would like more information about a specific course.

How long does a course take?

Apprenticeships take a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 5 years (depending on level) where you will spend time learning in the workplace alongside formal off the job learning. You will be able to benefit from being in a real work situation where you can practice and develop new skills.

What are the benefits?

• Receive recognised qualifications
• Earn a wage and get holiday pay
• Work alongside experienced staff
• Gain job specific skills
• No need to get a student loan if studying at university – no debt!
• NHS Pension Scheme
• TOTUM card
• Join a Trade Union (UNISON)
• Family and childcare support

Want to get in touch?

Please complete our online form if you have a query or would like to find out more.

COVID-19

Due to COVID-19, social distancing guidance and added pressure to our services, we are unfortunately currently unable to accommodate Work Experience requests until further notice. We look forward to being able to accommodate Work Experience placements again soon.

This page will be the first place updated as soon as we are able to begin offering placements again.

What is Work Experience?

Work Experience is a short period spent in the workplace to learn what it is like to carry out that kind of profession, giving an opportunity to gain real life experience in a work setting.

At Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust we offer 1-2 weeks of Work Experience to school, college and university students, as well as staff looking to go into other areas and individuals who are looking for a career change.

Work Experience can be offered to individuals aged 14-15 in administrative based roles, and 16+ in a wider range of roles. There is no upper age limit.

Due to high demand for Work Experience we are not always able to accommodate specific requests, although we will work with you to search for an alternative.

A Work Experience placement may comprise of work shadowing/observation and work-based projects.

Please note:

• All placements are unpaid, and the Trust will not meet any costs of travel, subsistence or accommodation.
• Work Experience applications must come from the applicant themselves or their school/college Work Experience Coordinator. We will no longer be processing work experience applications from parents/guardians unless special circumstances apply.

How do I apply?

If you are interested in Work Experience, please contact sc-tr.workexperience@nhs.net with the following information:

• Name
• Age
• Area of interest
• Location

We look forward to hearing from you!

The role of a Patient Safety Partner

Patient Safety Partners is a new role which gives you the chance to be the voice of patients and members of the public, and support patient safety across the Trust! You will be part of the Patient Safety Team, and attend key meetings, as well as being involved with key projects delivered by the Patient Safety Team, or the wider Trust.

Location

The role covers the whole Trust. However you will be working with the Patient Safety Team who are based at Brighton General Hospital. The role will be a mix of both virtual and face to face.

Key Tasks

These include attending key meetings and committees including those in relation to learning from patient safety incidents and investigations, supporting the Patient Safety Team with key patient safety projects, and being a voice for patients, ex-service users and members of the public.          

What is in it for you

You will be able to share your voice and opinions to improve patient safety on both a local and trust wide scale. You will receive travel expenses as well as an involvement payment for the time you give (£75 for half a day, and £150 for a full day).

How to apply

**The closing date for applications is 24 March 2023.**

If you are interested you can apply for the role please use this application form. 

Once you have completed the form, please email it to sc-tr.patientsafetyteam@nhs.net or alternatively, you can post it to: 

Patient Safety Team, Quality and Safety Department, Bramber Building, Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove, Brighton, BN2 3EW.

For further information please see Further Applicant Information.

if you have any questions, or if you require a paper version of the form, please contact:

sc-tr.patientsafetyteam@nhs.net.