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Anyone done contract work for the NHS directly?
I've been contacted by a former manager who is stuck looking for someone to cover a secondment and am wondering if it's poss to bypass using agency contracts should anything come of it.
Anyone experienced this? I know I can go back to the agency who originally got me the work (finished some years ago so no finders fee nonsense) and get a good deal through them as they operate on a tight margin, but it's always nice to cut out the middle man where poss.
It depends on the organisation. Most NHS organisations have tightened up considerably (and ridiculously in many situations), partly due to legislation and partly transparency.
Presumably this post can be advertised as a short-term contract and you apply directly as you would for any other post. EU law means that all jobs have to be publically advertised but it's possible to give short closing dates etc. The trouble with this is that the NHS organisation will take on empployer's responsibilites for you that they probably won't want to as they are generally trying to shed staff and costs.
Re agencies - most NHS organisations now have very specific systems and sometimes their own bank of staff. They've tightened up as agencies can be really expensive so it's attempts to cut costs and not just plough public money into agencies. The manager should know about it. To do it directly through you I assume you'll need to regester yourself as self-employed but then you may come unstuck with 'approved suppliers' lists where established agencies will be on them but you not. I wouldn't have thought this would be much of a go-er but I might be wrong.
My recommendation - the manager needs to talk to HR and find out what they'd recommend, short term contract or agency. You'd be better of as an employee on a short-term contract but what they'll offer will probably depend on the length of the contract (and therefore the cost implications to the organisation of each option).
I really don't understand the problem.
The NHS works within tight guide lines regarding recruitment at a national level and local level, each NHS organisation will have set procedures on how posts can be recruited to.
Ask the manager how they have previously tried to recruit to the post. Generally they will get given approval to recruit either to a fixed term post, or to go out to agency.
From your perspective you are much better to be given a fixed term post by the NHS organisation.
It sounds like the post has been out as a fixed term post on NHS jobs and they have failed to appoint through that process. If you want the job they will have to readvertise and basically you will go through the appointment process.
Employing you through an agency will costs them roughly the same as employing you direct (dependant on the agency agreement and your salary)
It is extremely unlikely that any NHS organisation will employ you as a consultant.
It is extremely unlikely that any NHS organisation will employ you as a consultant.
This is what I figured. Thanks for the comprehensive replies; time to update my CV 🙂
My Mrs does - she does it via her own company, mainly because she normally has times where she's juggling two part-time contracts when going from one job to the next and they can never get PAYE tax right.
Accounting is all via http://www.no-worries.co.uk/ who set up the company and they have a web system for timesheet/invoicing/expenses.
Hmmm.. ta for that.
If anything does come of this I'll be self employed (currently am doing something unrelated) and er... Umbrella or LtdCo. - may well be back with more Qs soon 🙂
Or just go and speak to the accountant whose office is 3 doors down from me 🙂
Rob - Its not to say they wont do it. Alot of it depends what your offering ie tends to be skills that cant be found in the organisation, and tends to be the higher end of the salary scale too.
I would seriously speak to the manager first and ask them which way they can do it/want to do it. Every recruitment exercise in an NHS organisation needs to go through the Board (sounds more grand than the reality) but none the less it needs that signature. Consultancy on the other hand doesnt, but the Finance Director would be very interested if any Budget Manager suddenly turned round and said they had employed a consultant.
If it is done via recruitment to a fixed term post you will have to appply through NHS jobs online, which is a fixed format document.
Edit: Didnt see your last post.
If you are going in self employed, I wouldn't waste too much time until you have written confirmation from a Budget Manager and a Purchase Order number.
NHS Budget Managers have a nack of thinking they can do what they like...