Benefits
At Team North, we value the dedication and compassion our staff bring to their roles every day.
As part of our commitment to supporting your wellbeing, growth and work-life balance, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits.
From generous annual leave and pension schemes to professional development opportunities and health and wellbeing support, our benefits are designed to help you thrive both at work and beyond.
- Pay, pensions and annual leave
- Flexible working
- Lifestyle benefits
- Family friendly support
- Health, wellbeing and growth
Pay, pensions and annual leave
Pay bands
As part of a national framework of terms and conditions, known as ‘Agenda of Change’, the majority of Health and Social Care (HSC) posts are ‘banded’ depending on the tasks required and level of responsibility across a number of core and specific dimensions.
The regional HSC jobs website provides detailed information regarding HSC Pay bands.
Our staff have access to the Payroll Service Centre for any queries regarding pay.
HSC pension scheme
Our pension scheme is one of the most important elements of the financial package we offer and as a member of our Trust you will be automatically enrolled.
All staff can join the Health and Social Care Pension Scheme where two thirds of the amount is contributed by the Trust. This offers:
- A pension and tax free lump sum on retirement
- Life insurance cover
- Voluntary early retirement
- Partial Retirement
- Ill-health retirement benefits
- Redundancy benefits
- Family benefits
- Options to give up some of the annual pension for an additional lump sum.
Employers contributions to the scheme are 22.5% and staff contribute starting from 5.1% depending on their salary.
As a reminder, your tax is unique to you, so it is important to understand it. Find out more from HMRC
Our staff have access to the HSC Pension Service for any queries.
Annual leave and public holidays
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.
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.
All listed public holidays can be found on the HSC Jobs website.
Flexible working
We recognise that flexible working can greatly improve the ability of staff to balance home and work responsibilities, which, in turn, benefits Team North as it enables us to retain skilled staff and to reduce recruitment costs.
All employees have the opportunity to request flexible working from the first day of their employment, regardless of their role, band or service they work in.
A range of work-life balance and flexible working arrangements are available within all HSC Organisations including:
- Fixed working patterns to give certainty over hours worked and/or location
- Part-time working (any number of hours under 37.5)
- Flexi-time around core hours including staggered start and finish times
- Compressed/elongated hours
- Average hours working patterns to allow a set number of hours to be averaged out over an agreed reference period
- Term-time working
- Job-share
- Flexible retirement
- Team self-rostering
- Homeworking
- Career Break
Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance.
Special Leave
As a HSC organisation, we also offer our staff a number of very generous Leave provisions including:
- Occupational Sick Pay
- Parental Leave
- Maternity Leave
- Adoption Leave
- Paternity Leave
- Compassionate Leave
- Dependants Leave
- Marriage/Civil Partnership Leave
- Carer’s/Emergency Leave
- Unpaid Leave
- Time off to represent your country at a Sporting Event
- Time off for Medical Appointments
Lifestyle benefits
Our lifestyle benefits are designed to support your everyday wellbeing and helping make life outside work that bit easier.
The following perks can help you save money, stay healthy and enjoy convenience as part of your role with us.
Health Service Discounts
Our staff can receive a number of discounts both in stores and online by registering with Health Service Discounts.
Alternatively for a fee, you have access to a Blue Light Card. For £4.99, Blue Light members can register for 2-years access to more than 15,000 discounts from large national retailers to local businesses across categories such as holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones, and many more.
For local discounts, our staff have access to Staff Services – a dedicated platform offering a wide range of savings and special offers in Northern Ireland.
Eye Care Voucher Scheme
We offer a scheme where eye sight tests are made available for staff identified as being Display Screen Equipment (DSE) users.
Staff may also be entitled to glasses/lenses if it is confirmed that they require them in their job.
Those members of staff who already wear glasses/lenses and who are identified as requiring further corrective lenses specifically for using DSE will also be entitled to this scheme.
Car Leasing
Car leasing is part of a salary sacrifice scheme, which is designed to provide all permanent staff with the option of having access to a new car of their choice at a very competitive price whilst at the same time providing savings for the organisation that will support the services provided to patients.
Please note that as this is a benefit in kind there will be tax, national insurance and pension implications. These should be fully understood before entering into an agreement.
Family friendly support
Here at Team North, we are well aware that life outside of work can bring both joyful and challenging moments.
We’re committed to supporting our staff through key life events and caring responsibilities, in order to help you balance your work and home life with confidence.
Parental support
Maternity and paternity leave
For our mums to be, staff who have one year of service at the beginning of the 11th week before their expected week of childbirth (EWC) and 26 weeks continuous service with the Trust at the beginning of the 15th week before their EWC are entitled to full maternity leave entitlements of 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP,13 weeks SMP only, and up to 13 weeks unpaid leave. This is a total of 52 weeks or one year.
Paid time off is also allowed to attend doctor/hospital appointments and antenatal classes.
In regards to paternity leave, staff who have 52 weeks continuous service by the beginning of the expected week of childbirth (EWC) are entitled to two weeks full pay.
If they have 26 weeks continuous service at 15 weeks before the EWC they are entitled to two weeks off with full pay for three days and the rest at Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rate.
Shared parental leave
As a member of staff within our Trust you can access both Shared Parental Leave and Shared Paternal pay if you have a baby or adopt a child.
Adoption support
Adoption entitlement is similar to maternity leave and paid time off is allowed for staff to attend official meetings as part of the adoption process.
Carer support
There is a lot of support within our Trust for carers.
This includes Emergency Carers Leave, where in emergency situations and unforeseen circumstances all staff are entitled to take short periods of leave with pay, from a half day to three days in any one period, up to a maximum of 12 days four times a year, this applies to immediate family only.
There is also a number of unpaid leave policies such as time off for dependents and parental leave which allow people with dependants and children to take time off without pay to allow them to fulfil caring roles.
Carer’s register
For those staff within our Trust who are looking after or supporting someone, the Carers Register is a great way to find our information about what’s available in Northern Trust.
The Register is a contact list so that we can keep carers up to date regularly with what’s going on. As part of the Carers Register you will have access to our Carer Support Programme.
The programme is renewed every six months and those on our mailing list receive it first. Classes are available to promote carer wellbeing and personal development. Events vary with anything from first aid training to mindfulness as well as carers catch ups or simply some tea, coffee nibbles and a chat with other carers.
Digital resources for carers
We are a member of Employers for Carers and through this we have exclusive access to a designated carer website.
This brings all resources together onto a platform that is easy to navigate. You will need to create an account to access the content and use the access code DGTL2770. On the webpage you will find eLearning entitled “About me” – to help build resilience and the importance of networks, a nutritional advice section, all the Carers NI/UK resources and guides and an online forum.
Carers have 24/7 access and the website works on all iPhone, smartphone, Android, tablet and web browsers.
Time off for dependants
Time off for dependants leave allows an employee to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off during their working hours to deal with certain unexpected or sudden emergencies and to make necessary longer-term arrangements.
Health, wellbeing and growth
It is our belief that when our people are well-supported, they can truly thrive.
That’s why at Team North, we’re committed to nurturing your health and your potential. From access to a wealth of health and wellbeing resources to learning and development opportunities, we’re here to help you feel your best and grow in your role.
Staff health and wellbeing
Nothing is more important than good health. That’s why we focus on your wellbeing, aiming to support you in achieving a healthy lifestyle both inside and outside the workplace.
We have a wellbeing hub for staff called i-matter, with a range of resources and information to support you and your family.
Our Occupational Health and Wellbeing service is here to help promote and maintain your health and wellbeing in the workplace as well as offering support and guidance if you are experiencing health related difficulties at work.
We have an occupational health physiotherapy service is to help staff rehabilitate back to work following a period of absence and maintain fitness for their job. Occasionally, staff may also be signposted to Clinical Psychologist or Occupational Therapist where this is deemed appropriate following consultation with an Occupational Health Practitioner.
We offer a Cycle2Work Scheme – whether you’re a nervous novice, endurance enthusiast or just spending some quality time with the family! More information available at www.cycle2work.info. As this is a benefit in kind there will be tax, national insurance and pension implications. These should be fully understood before entering into an agreement.
Free Flu Jab: Each year all our staff are offered the Flu Jab to protect themselves, their patients and their family.
Unlocking your potential
We are committed to nurturing our people, enabling our talent and building our teams, through a culture of lifelong learning. To help foster this, we offer:
- A diverse learning and development offering to help you succeed in the Trust, including a comprehensive Team North Induction and formal training based around your role, as well as on the job learning, secondments, job shadowing and project-based learning opportunities.
- Leadership, management and professional development opportunities including bespoke Trust pathways, programmes and projects, as well as regional learning opportunities to help build your skills, capability and professional network.
- Funding support for additional training, development and education through our Assistance To Study Policy.
