How is HC-One supporting flexible working for Nurses in the care sector?
HC-One Scotland’s Flex Force launch heralds a new era or flexible working for Nurses in a bid to overcome recruitment and retention challenges in the care sector.
What does Flex Force mean for Nurses at HC-One?
Following HC-One’s successful launch of a new flexible working initiative in June 2023, the care provider has taken its next step in rolling out flexible working options for nursing roles across its 51 care homes in Scotland, which will bring enhanced flexible working arrangements to even more of the social care workforce.
Colleagues on Flex Force Nursing contracts work flexible hours across multiple homes in a given area, receiving guaranteed and consistent pay each month and have complete access to HC-One Scotland’s full induction, standard training and other standard benefits, including paid annual leave.
Who can benefit from flexible working?
The scheme aims to target experienced Nurses who are working parents, recently retired, or who are currently working as bank or agency staff. Flex Force will allow Nurses to have access to positive, practical and mutually beneficial working arrangements. By moving away from traditional shift patterns, Flex Force allows colleagues to design their shift patterns around their family life or other commitments.
Do Nurses have flexible hours at HC-One?
Flex Force Nursing colleagues will choose between three contracts depending on the hours that best suit them over a 12-week period. Individuals can select the shifts that best suit their lifestyle in this timeframe – meaning that some weeks they may choose not to work any hours, as long as they meet their agreed contracted total hours by the end of the 12-week period.
What are the benefits of flexible working for Nurses at HC-One?
• A guaranteed set monthly pay.
• The opportunity to work across several HC-One care homes in their area.
• Flex Force Nurses can select the shifts to suit their lifestyle – e.g., family and personal commitments.
• Paid annual leave.
• Flex Force Nurses will be part of the HC-One family and team (including receiving a HC-One uniform and induction).
• Flex Force Nurses will benefit from enhanced rates of pay that progress with experience.
• Flex Force Nurses will also have a support network of HC-One Nurses across their patch of homes.
HC-One Scotland hopes that by providing nursing colleagues with choice over shift patterns and greater flexible working options, recruitment and retention rates for nursing colleagues will increase. The Nursing Flex Force initiative also aims to reduce agency usage in participating homes and aims to boost occupancy thanks to the additional capacity created in the local workforce.
HC-One plans to build on the success of HC-One Scotland’s roll out of Flex Force Nursing contracts by rolling this out to other regions in more of their 260+ homes in Britain over the coming months – offering flexible working options to thousands of nursing professionals across the UK.
John Handley, People Director at HC-One said:
“For too long, care work has been associated with rigid shift patterns while much of the rest of the world of work has adapted to the demand from colleagues for more flexibility and personal balance.
“With this in mind, we’re excited to be able to offer an innovative flexible working model to Nurses, who give so much to bring kindness and compassion to the residents in our care.
“Introducing Flex Force to colleagues in HC-One care homes is already boosting colleague morale for our Carers in Scotland. This extension of the Flex Force offer will allow us to grow our workforce, and welcome people who have a diverse set of flexible needs and wants, into a career in nursing care.
"This is part of our plans to bring the flexibility and security of Flex Force Nursing contracts to more of our homes across the UK.”
Interested in joining the Flex Force Scotland Nursing team?
We have several flexible working Nurse vacancies available to support our care homes in Scotland. To find a vacancy near you, visit:
https://jobs.hc-one.co.uk/flexforce-nursing-scotland