Accessibility Page Navigation
Style sheets must be enabled to view this page as it was intended.
Walsingham

Frequently asked questions for staff

This page has some common questions that people who are thinking about working for Walsingham ask us.

 

What does the job involve?

When you're working for Walsingham, each day is different. You could be supporting someone to cook a meal, organise a holiday, go to college or go to work.

But whatever you are doing you will always be supported by the rest of your team.

Back to top of page.

 

I have no experience/qualifications - can I apply?

Absolutely! Lots of people have joined Walsingham at Support Worker level without previous experience in social care.

We train each member of staff so they can give the best support possible and so they know how to do their job properly.

Back to top of page.

 

Who would I be working with?

You could be working with lots of different people. We believe that everyone is equal. So everyone who works for Walsingham is treated equally and is not discriminated against.

We have a diverse staff team which means we are able to meet people's individual needs much better.

Back to top of page.

 

What does Walsingham expect from employees?

We expect our staff to:

  • Value and treat everyone equally
  • Be able to solve problems in different ways
  • Be good at talking and listening to people and building relationships
  • Like working as part of a team
  • Support the people using our services in all parts of their lives
  • Promote and support people's independence
  • Be flexible and eager to learn.

Back to top of page.

 

What hours would I be expected to work?

In our services, hours of work are based on flexible shifts over a four-week period. Full-time hours are 150 hours every four weeks, averaging 37.5 hours per week.

Part-time hours depend on both the needs of the service and the employee. However, these hours would also be worked over a four-week period.

We also have a flexible Minimum Guaranteed Hours (MGH) scheme in which employees are guaranteed a minimum of four hours' work per month with the possibility of additional hours if agreed with the Locality Manager.

The standard working week for full-time office-based employees is Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Back to top of page.

 

What shifts could I expect to work?

The shifts vary depending on the needs of the service and the people being supported. In many services, we provide support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This means you may be asked to work late or early shifts, weekends, bank holidays, as well as do some night work, like sleep-ins or waking nights.

Back to top of page.

 

What are sleep-ins and waking nights?

A sleep-in is a night shift where you sleep at the workplace, so you are available to support people during the night.

A waking night shift means you must stay at the service overnight and work as you would during the day.

Back to top of page.

 

What would my salary be?

We offer competitive salaries that take account of local market conditions and all of our geographical salary bandings are reviewed annually. You will also be compensated for working on bank holidays and you will receive extra payments for sleep-ins.

Starting salaries will depend on your relevant experience and/or qualifications. From then on, your salary will usually be reviewed annually and future increases will reflect your overall performance.

Back to top of page.

 

Is there a pension scheme?

You will be invited to join our stakeholder pension scheme after you have been employed with us for three months. This is a valuable benefit as we will contribute up to 9% of your salary towards it, subject to you contributing up to 6%.

You will also receive tax relief on your contributions to the scheme making it a very tax-efficent way for you to save for your retirement.

Back to top of page.

 

What other benefits do you offer?

We offer a number of other benefits which include:

  • Annual leave starting from 28 days per year and increasing up to 38 days per year (including bank holidays) with length of service
  • Life assurance equal to three times your basic salary at no cost to you
  • Training payments/bonuses for successful completion of relevant qualifications
  • Long service recognition
  • Sponsored study scheme for work-related qualifications
  • Season ticket loans.

Back to top of page.

 

Do you have a probationary period?

All employees are subject to a six-month probationary period. You qualify for a salary increase if you complete this period successfully and have also met other requirements such as the completion of induction and foundation programmes within the set timescales.

Back to top of page.

 

What training opportunities are available?

Walsingham is an Investors in People organisation. This means we have been successfully assessed against national standards for the training and development of our employees. We make sure that every member of staff is fully trained and supported to carry out their work.

The people we support are also trained so they can be actively involved in recruiting and inducting new staff. Walsingham invests a lot of money in training our staff to make sure that we provide the best support possible for the people using our services.

Our training programmes include:

  • An induction programme including an introduction to Walsingham, our values, first aid, moving and handling, food hygiene and health and safety.
  • A foundation programme including communication, person-centred thinking, introduction to behaviour management, reporting and recording, abuse awareness and our values.
  • A manager induction programme including an introduction to Walsingham, our values, supervision and health and safety.
  • A manager core competencies programme including selection & recruitment, discipline, appraisal skills, diversity, finance & budgeting, business planning, time management, managing best performance, project management and managing change.
  • Encouragement to gain relevant nationally-recognised care qualifications through a full programme of courses, assessment and support days.

Any additional training required for your role is also available.

Back to top of page.

 

What other support would I be given?

At least once every six weeks, you will have a supervision meeting with your line manager where you can discuss any matters relating to your day-to-day work.

You will also have an annual performance appraisal where you can discuss any matters affecting your work and identify your training needs. Independent support is also made available to employees through trained professional counsellors.

Back to top of page.

 

Where exactly are your services?

We have services throughout England and Wales. See a map of our services.

We only give out specific locations to applicants who are shortlisted for interview as we respect the privacy of the people we support.

Back to top of page.

 

I want to apply for a job - what do I do next?

Have a look at our job vacancies, read the job description/person specification and then fill in our application form. It's that simple!

If you are shortlisted for the position, you will be asked for an interview. Where possible, you will also be given the opportunity to meet other employees and some of the people we support - feel free to ask any questions you like. Many people have memory lapses at interviews, so it is a good idea to write down questions beforehand!

All interview candidates who pass the first stage of the process will be reference checked and will also be required to submit a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Enhanced Disclosure Application. Once these checks have been satisfactorily concluded, you will receive an offer of employment.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Back to top of page.

 

I have another question – who do I contact?

If you have any more questions about working for Walsingham, contact our recruitment team.

Back to top of page.