New feature available on Staffshift

Candidates on android can now view all their upcoming shift details on our easy to use app to help manage your work calendar. This new feature will allow you to have easy access to where and when you’re working 7 days in advance. Remember that you can also update your availability on the go using the app.

For those of you who are not currently registered, or if you have not yet received your Staffshift invite please email us at info@staffshift.com and we will be in touch. All candidates registered with A24 Group are eligible for an invite.

Visit Playstore to download the app: https://goo.gl/WkOeJ8

About Staffshift:

View your Staffshift availability calendar for the next 7 days right from your phone. Simply download, login and update your calendar!

Staffshift, www.staffshift.com, is a web based platform for your online career profile. Simplify your life and connect with multiple agencies through us. If you are not currently registered with Staffshift and you know your agency is a part of Staffshift contact them to set you up and get access to our fantastic features.

Being a busy professional you need a quick, easy and convenient tool that will allow you to update your availability instantly. We understand that your availability for work can change at any given moment so quick access to update it is important.

Features:
Update and view your availability for the next 7 days.
View your upcoming shifts for the next 7 days.
Receive automated reminders to update your availability

Staffshift Mobile

We understand how busy our Candidates schedules can be and now have an app for all the hard-working Candidates which can be updated easily. The major feature of this app is ‘Easy to use’. It allows our candidates to indicate their availability for shifts for up to 7 days in advance which are split into the standard Early, Late and Night availability within the calendar.

Our candidates are able to see when they are booked and easily see what additional shifts they may be available for. Scheduling can take a lot of your time and energy. Fortunately, there’s a better way, download Staffshift Mobile now! 
 

As a Healthcare Professional, you have many responsibilities, let our Staffshift Mobile application allow you to manage your diary more proactively.

When we are co-ordinating shift requirements with our clients it requires the utmost efficiency and timely feedback to our Clients. With our Candidates having a simple mobile application to ensure their availability is always current ensures that we will have the benefit of being able to fill shifts quickly.

• Shift Planning of your availability for work which will enable the A24 Group to see your availability and call you for shifts according to your indicated preferences. The calendar will allow you to update for up to 7 days in advance.
• Accessible, Staffshift Mobile is at your fingertips, log in and update your availability on the go which is an immediate update to the A24 Group.
• Fast, friendly, helpful support from our offices, we are available 365/24/7.
• Accommodate a variety of Staff, if you are a Locum, AHP, Nurse or a Caregiver this simple app will work for you.
• System requirements, you will need iOS 7 or later and for Android you will need Android 4 or above in order for Staffshift Mobile to be supported by your mobile device. 
• Cost of the Staffshift Mobile application is FREE!

For Android you can Download the app now from your Google Play Store
For iOS you can Download the app now from your App Store

We are automatically sending invites for registration to Staffshift for A24 Group candidates in the next week, once you have registered your details you will be able to download Staffshift Mobile, log in with your Staffshift log in details and immediately begin to update your availability for work.

If you would like the invitation to join Staffshift sooner, you can inform your consultant and they will arrange for the invitation to be sent to you within 24 hours.

If you are not currently working with the A24 Group, this is another advantage for you to join our Agency now, with one registration you will be eligible for work with the 5 Agencies under the A24 Group.

Register now to take advantage of great work opportunities.

Guidance for staff intending to travel to, or returning from, Ebola affected countries

The on-going outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, primarily affecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. This is the largest outbreak of this disease to ever happen. 

Ebola is a severe and life threatening viral disease caused by the Ebola virus. The onset of illness is sudden, with fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, sore throat and intense weakness. This is then followed by diarrhea, vomiting, rash, impaired kidney and liver function and stomach pain. Some patients may develop a rash, red eyes, hiccups, internal and external bleeding.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is fatal in between 50 to 90% of all clinically ill cases. Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood and body fluids from infected people. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days. Anyone who has close contact with a person infected with the virus, or someone who handles samples from patients are at risk. This includes hospital staff, family members and laboratory workers, all of whom are at risk if they do not use appropriate protective equipment / barrier nursing techniques. These precautions include wearing protective gowns, gloves, and masks, in addition to wearing eye protection (e.g. eye goggles) or a face shield.

The government advises against all but essential travel to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea except for those involved in the direct response to the Ebola outbreak. It remains unlikely but not impossible that travellers infected in one of the affected countries could arrive in the UK while incubating the disease and develop symptoms after their return. Although the likelihood of imported cases is very low, travellers returning to the UK from the affected areas, particularly those who have been involved in health care overseas, need to remain vigilant.

For staff who are planning to visit Ebola affected countries:

The agency requests that staff follow FCO advice and do not place themselves at risk of infection. The agency recognises that some staff may have family in one of the affected countries but it does not consider essential travel to include, for example, visiting family at Christmas. If staff choose not to follow the FCO advice and travel to one of the affected countries, this may then result in work restrictions and / or exclusion upon return as noted in the scenarios below.

All staff who travel to one of the Ebola affected countries (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) irrespective of the reason for travel (personal or work related) must contact the agency prior to leaving the UK and on return to the UK, prior to their return to work.

Existing staff who have visited Ebola affected countries - this will mainly apply to those who have visited affected countries for the purpose of charity and/or healthcare work.

If no healthcare work was undertaken whilst in one of the Ebola affected countries, and staff had no direct contact with a known or suspected Ebola, including attending a funeral, staff should:

• Inform the agency prior to departure 
• Monitor their health / temperature for 21 days from leaving the affected country
• If the staff member becomes unwell with symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat or rash within 21 days of coming back from Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone, they should stay at home and immediately telephone 111 or 999 and explain that they have recently visited West Africa. These services will initiate the appropriate care pathway 
• They must keep in touch with the agency prior to return to work
• Staff member will be able to return to work after 21 days

If healthcare work was undertaken abroad or the staff member had direct contact with an Ebola case e.g. routine medical / nursing care but wore appropriate protective clothing with no known breaches in the personal protective equipment (PPE), the staff member should:

• Inform the agency prior to departure 
• Check temperature twice daily for 21 days after return and report any raised temperature or other suspicious symptoms to the monitoring team at Public Health England (PHE)
• Must provide Occupational Health with documentary evidence from their Voluntary Aid agency / affiliated health care institution who organised the overseas placement outlining the extent of their exposure and specific detail regarding the PPE used
• Contact the agency prior to return to work
• Staff member will be able to return to work after 21 days and monitoring completed

If healthcare work was undertaken abroad or the staff member had direct contact with an Ebola case and may have had unprotected exposure of skin or mucous membranes to potentially infectious blood or body fluids, including on clothing or bedding, for example:

• Unprotected handling of clinical/lab specimens
• Mucosal exposure to splashes
• Needlestick injury
• Kissing and / or sexual contact

The staff member should:

• Inform the agency prior to departure 
• Check temperature twice daily for 21 days after return and REPORT DAILY to the
• Monitoring Team at Public Health England (PHE) even if the temperature is normal and the staff member is not experiencing any suspicious symptoms

Staff member will be able to return to work after 21 days and monitoring is completed.

For more information about the Ebola virus disease, see:

Government UK
NHS Choices: Ebola and Overview
Ebola virus disease: clinical management and guidance
Ebola virus disease: information for humanitarian aid workers

Meeting Standards for Nursing & Care Agencies: New CQC Report

A24 Group nursing and care agencies are registered with the UK's Care Quality Commission. They are regularly inspected to ensure they meet the National Minimum Standards for nursing and domiciliary care agencies.

These external checks complement our own program of internal reviews and audits that help ensure all our nursing agencies are operating to the very highest levels of care. To find out more about the CQC's inspection of A24 Group, you can see the latest report here on the provision of care to people in their own homes - or visit the Care Quality Commission website.

The new report inspected service provision in the following key areas:

1. Care and welfare of people who use services
People should get safe and appropriate care that meets their needs and supports their rights.

2. Cooperating with other providers
People should get safe and coordinated care when they move between different services.

3. Requirements relating to workers
People should be cared for by staff who are properly qualified and able to do their job.

4. Staffing
There should be enough members of staff to keep people safe and meet their health and welfare needs.

5. Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision
The service should have quality checking systems to manage risks and assure the health, welfare and safety of people who receive care.

6. Records
People’s personal records, including medical records, should be accurate and kept safe and confidential.

For more information: 

View our Contact Details

You can also visit our Facebook Page, follow us on Twitter or add us on Google+


 

Ten tips on Agency Nursing: How to get the Best out of your Nursing Agency

1. Register with several nursing agencies: to increase the opportunity for agency work, you can register just once through the A24 Group to work with five different group agencies
    
2. Tell the agency when you will be free to work: the on-line web diary A24 Connect enables nurses and HCAs to log their future availability. Update the diary at least weekly.
    
3. Keep in touch by phone: find out which agency consultants deal with the area where you choose to work. E-mail the names of the towns and hospitals. Then phone the consultants at least monthly so they get to know you and the sort of work you want.
    
4. Be flexible in your availability: it will help the consultants find you work if they know that you will accept jobs at short notice; or if you will work some evenings, weekends or Bank Holidays. These shifts can offer more, higher-paying shifts
    
5. Stay compliant: after you register and have on-line access through A24 Connect, ensure annual certifications are kept up-to-date: such as for training and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
    
6. Consider work further afield: you can update your ‘Work Areas’ in A24 Connect – the geographical locations to which you are happy to travel for shifts. The agency consultants will search for and offer shifts according to the areas you've chosen.
    
7.  Do you have specialist skills? ICU, PICU or SCBU trained for example? There is high demand for specialist nurses. Current certificates are essential to prove your speciality. Also, if you do specialist training on an annual basis in your permanent job - such as Ventilator, Tracheostomy, IV administration – please inform the agency.
    
8. Web Social Media: it’s worth registering for the agencies’ Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter pages so that you are up to date on agency news, job opportunities, tips and advice
    
9. Your feedback: your comments are always welcome. Let the agency know if there is anything you are unhappy about or you think could be done differently - or issues you have in the workplace. Good agencies are grateful for feedback
    
10. Tell a friend: if you have friends or colleagues who are interested in medical agency work – as a nurse, HCA, AHP or locum doctor - then do please tell them about the agency group. You could post on Facebook
    
     

A24 Group Opens in Pitsea, Essex

The A24 Group today announced the opening of a new branch in the planned programme of expansion of its UK network. The office is at:

Suite 1
Broadway Chambers
High Road
Pitsea, Essex 
SS13 3AS

The medical staffing group also has branches in Bristol, Sutton, Grantham, Portsmouth and Walsall. Agency nurses and other care staff can visit branch offices at any time between the opening hours of 8am - 5pm Monday - Friday. No appointment is necessary.

The A24 Group is a privately-owned staffing agency. It has traded successfully since 1996 and now operate on two continents, in the UK and South Africa. We supply locum doctors, agency nurses, AHPs and HCA care assistants to healthcare service organisations, who include hospitals and primary care providers, prisons and care homes, insurance and other companies. We also supply catering and industrial staff to service providers. 

For more information please contact us:

Click here for our Contact Details

You can also visit our Facebook Page, follow us on Twitter or on Google+ 

Grosvenor Nursing's new website

Grosvenor Nursing, a member of the A24 medical staffing group, has launched a new website at www.grosvenor-nursing.co.uk where the agency lists the full range of jobs and services. Grosvenor has vacancies for all specialisations including SPMH Mental Health, SPLD Learning Disabilities, SCMH Community Mental Health, and SCLD Community Learning Disabilities nurses.

Since 1986 Grosvenor Nursing has achieved a reputation amongst UK nursing agencies for delivering a quality service to candidates as well as care service providers who include Care Homes, Hospitals, Prisons, Primary Care Trusts and Mental Health Trusts.

At Grosvenor Nursing each consultant assists candidates to find the most suitable shifts, to meet their work and career goals. The consultants have a detailed understanding of the staffing needs of the mental health care sector. This means that Grosvenor Nursing is able to offer a responsive and accurate service for mental health staffing, 24-7.

Grosvenor Nursing has been part of the A24 Group since 2010 when the medical staffing group acquired BNA, The British Nursing Association, and its associated nursing agency brands Grosvenor Nursing and Mayfair Specialist Nurses. Read more about this acquisition here.

On the new site, visitors can find online registration, pay rates for all grades of staff as well as the latest jobs and vacancies. Care service providers can also find the information they need for selecting an agency to meet their needs.

Candidates who are interested in working with the agency can register on the web site for free by clicking here. Care Service Providers wishing to speak to a consultant directly regarding their needs can find contact details by clicking here. 

Candidates and care providers can also visit Grosvenor's Facebook, follow the agency on Twitter or on Google+.

New Criminal Record Disclosure Rules Cut Employment Costs for Agency Workers says A24 Group

​The new Update Service  of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), launched on 17 June 2013, is welcome news in cutting employment costs for agency doctors, nurses and care assistants, says Penny Streeter OBE, managing director of A25 Group medical staffing agency.

DBS was established when the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) merged in 2012.

“ Millions of agency workers and volunteers will no longer have to apply for a new criminal record check each time they apply for a job. Working with a main employer and a number of agencies has required a criminal records check for every single one of them. The cost has been high, with a long waiting time for criminal records checks to be completed,” says Penny Streeter.

“ With the new rules, when a disclosure is issued staff can register with the DBS Service for the update for £13 annually. Workers can give permission to the agencies for which they work to access this information. So you can start work as soon as any other agency compliance checks are done - and you won't be stopped from working when your disclosure is 12 months old.”

The Update Service puts individuals in greater control of their own information, the Government says (*see reference below). It allows DBS certificates to be reused when applying for similar jobs, and reduces bureaucracy:

“ The new service should save the customer time and money and improve the overall safeguarding landscape. Workers may never need to apply for another DBS check again.

Individuals can choose to subscribe to the Update Service for an annual fee of £13 which will keep their DBS certificate up-to-date so that they can take it with them from role to role within the same workforce. As a result millions of employees and volunteers will no longer have to apply for a new criminal record check each time they apply for a job.

“ If an individual has subscribed to the Update Service their employer will be able to go online, with the individual’s consent, and carry out a free, instant check to find out if the information released on the DBS certificate is current and up to date.”

The A24 Group is a privately-owned medical staffing agency. It has traded successfully since 1996 and now operates in the UK and South Africa, supplying locum doctors, agency nurses, AHPs and HCA care assistants to healthcare service organisations, who include hospitals and primary care providers, prisons and care homes, insurance and other companies.

​For further information: CLICK HERE

​Or Contact Us

Mayfair Specialist Nurses publishes Agency Job Rates on-line

Mayfair is a leading Specialist Nurse Agency and our stand pay rates, which you can view by clicking here, reflect the importance of the roles and services which nurses and care assistants provide. From time to time it may be necessary to depart from the rates in which case the rate you get paid will depend on a range of factors. Always check with your Mayfair consultant at the time of each booking. 

Mayfair has developed advanced IT systems and processes for candidate compliance, management and selection. This ensures a precise match of experience and capability for every shift, the agency says, and supports a friendly and helpful service and long term relationships with both nurses and clients of the agency.

Mayfair Specialist Nurse recruits and places agency nurses for speciality posts in the public and private sector. This includes: NHS Theatre Nurses, Surgical, SCBU, Renal/ Dialysis and PICU - as well as Paediatrics, ODP, NICU, Midwives, Dental, ITU, HDU, CCU and Cardiac, Cardiothoracic, Acute Medical, and Accident and Emergency.

Registering with Mayfair Specialist Nurses enables staff to work with all five agencies in the A24 Group.

As a major national recruiter of specialist staff, Mayfair's systems and procedures are regularly audited and updated according to best industry practice, client feedback and analyses of candidate needs. Recruitment processes include.-

·         Information campaigns: national advertising programmes, including local campaigns to meet spot staffing needs

·         Interviews: face-to-face interviews to assess each candidates suitability

·         Registration process: CRB checks, 23-page career application form. All referees are contacted and career certification verified

·         Checking and auditing: further detailed checks to confirm full candidate compliance

·         Selection safeguards: automated processes to ensure continuing compliance and also mandatory training

·         Complaints, Audit & Review systems: to support safety, performance and responsiveness of systems

The A24 Group on Web Social Media

The A24 Group is increasingly using social media - and Facebook and Twitter in particular - for two-way communication with new candidates and those already registered with the agency. The medical staffing agency runs Facebook sites for all its divisions – locum  doctors, agency nurses, AHPs and HCA care assistants – for each country where the company operates.

“ A 24Group encourages open communication with candidates: this keeps us on our toes and ensures we get active feedback from our stakeholders. We can quickly communicate news and important information, such as that concerning compliance and regulation, using a range of multi-media – including e-mail, blogs and our own Connect portal,” says Penny Streeter, founder and managing director of A24Group.

A24Connect is a major ICT project that the A24 Group is currently rolling out to all its operational divisions. A24Connect is unique: it gives candidates more control of their work-life balance. At any time they can log into A24Connect with a unique password and let A24 Group know their availability for work, check any outstanding matters relating to their work status, make a relevant purchase such as for a training course, or ask a question about working with the agency. www.a24group.com

RN Registered Nursing Agency top Jobs and Pay at Ambition 24hours

Ambition 24hours has a range of nursing agency jobs for RN Registered Nurses.  Ambition has a reputation for offering amongst the highest rates of pay  of all UK nursing agencies, because of its reputation for providing  staff at very short notice, when other nursing agencies fail. Ambition  was the first to offer a full 24-7 service, 365 days a year - nurses and  HCAs can register at www.ambition24hours.co.uk.

Employers of RN Registered Nurses use Ambition 24hours for temporary staffing because it offers the most  advanced system for compliance and safety in the management and booking  of nursing agency staff:-

• Enterprise  ICT System: the unique staff management system developed for nurse and  HCA registration, compliance, selection and booking: 100,000 hours of  development time in-house over six years.
• System  safeguards: Enterprise only allows selection of nurses & care staff  after 100% completion of registration: all relevant, employment,  training & CRB registrations & references fully confirmed; and  the staff work record is finally checked, re-checked and cleared.
• Booking  safety: agency nurses & HCA healthcare assistants are selected for  shifts from verified data recorded on Enterprise ICT. Consultants can  match the exact requirements of clients according to agency staff  qualifications, experience and availability.
• Nurse  registration and compliance: face-to-face interview to confirm language  ability; CRB checking; 20+ page registration form, full details of  career history & qualifications; four referees; original ‘right to  work’, qualifications & training certificates; & employer’s  report.
• Our  Compliance team: Over 100 dedicated staff obtain verified professional  references from past employers, Occupational Health checks for fitness  to work, verify professional qualifications, apply for CRBs, and confirm  mandatory training is certificated. Quality Control re-check.

Ambition 24hours has positions available nationwide, in addition to RN Registered Nurses,  for HCA healthcare assistants, RN Registered Nurses; RGN Registered  General Nurses; RMN Registered Mental Nurses; EN Enrolled Nurses; SEN  State Enrolled Nurses; ENG Enrolled Nurse General nurses; ENM Enrolled  Nurse of Mental Health staff; RSCN Registered Sick Children’s Nurses;  RFN Registered Fever Nurses; RM Registered nurses; Midwives; and RHV  Registered Health Visitors

RN Registered Nurses are provided for a range of healthcare settings: Primary Care GP  surgeries; A&E Accident & Emergency; ITU Intensive Treatment  Unit; ICU; Intensive Care Unit; HDU High Dependency Unit; CCU Cardiac  Care Unit; SCBU Special Care Baby Unit; ENT Ear Nose & Throat; and  Maternity. Other wards for which nursing agency and HCA staff are  provided include: Recovery, Oncology, Acute Stroke, Neuro   Rehabilitation, Surgical, Medical, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Urology.

For more informatin:

View Ambition Contact Details

You can also visit our Facebook Page or follow us on Twitter

Depression Awareness Week

This is Depression Awareness Week  - we support the work of the Depression Alliance

Grosvenor Nursing is a specialist agency in the A24 Group with a range of mental health support jobs nationwide: if you work or want to work in this sector please contact Grosvenor today www.grosvenor-nursing.com . Positions include: SPAN Special Practitioner Adult Nursing, SPMH Mental Health Nursing, SPCN Children’s Nursing, SPLD Learning Disabilities; SPGP General Practice; SCMH Community Mental Health; SCLD Community Learning Disabilities; SPCC Community Children’s nursing; SPOH Occupational Health; SPSN School Nursing; V100 Independent Nurse Prescribing; V200 Extended Nurse Prescribing; V300 Extended/Supplementary Prescribing; and LPE Lecturer/Practice Educator.

Therapeutic relationships

Mental ill health can be brought on by a crisis in life such as depression following the death of a partner. Depression is one of the range of conditions that come under the heading of mental ill health. There are also neuroses, psychoses, psychological and personality disorders.

Therapeutic relationships between the mental health nurse or HCA, those with mental ill health, and their families is crucial to successful mental health nursing. Helping people back to sound mental health can be every bit as valuable and satisfying as caring for those with a physical illness.

Core qualities and skills

The main tool as a mental health agency nurse will be the strength of your own personality and communication skills. Nurses and HCAs will need to empathise with the people with whom they are dealing and show warmth and to care about them. There is still some stigma attached to mental illness. Combating this and helping the individuals and their families deal with it is a key part of the job.

The danger of violence is often associated with this branch of nursing and one of the special skills required is to spot a build up of tension and be able to defuse it.

Diverse settings

Most mentally ill people are not cared for in hospital but in the community instead. You might be based in a community health care centre, or a day hospital and outpatients department or specialist unit. Working as a nurse, you will need to have an understanding of the theories of mental health and illness. You would work as part of a team which includes general practitioners, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, arts therapists and healthcare assistants.

How to Find Agency Work – Where You Want It

Agency nurses and HCAs want local work – handy to get to by car or public transport. So how can you ensure that our agency consultants know the best locations for you?

The best way to ensure shifts are where you want is to update your Work Areas on A24 Connect. (Work Areas are the geographical locations where you are happy to travel to for shifts).

Agency consultants search for and offer candidates shifts according to the work areas they’ve chosen. If you are being offered work in areas where you don’t want to travel to, this may highlight an issue with the work areas selected. Likewise if you are not being offered much work it may be that you have a very limited work area chosen. Either way, it’s good to check and update the information as necessary.

So where are the best places for work right now?

Vacancy ‘hotspots’ currently include Scotland and Northern Ireland; the cities of Birmingham, Bristol, London, Newcastle, Portsmouth; as well as the counties of Essex, Surrey and Sussex.

The situation changes regularly of course. But you may want to check your local travel situation to see where you can get too easily – there are some travel web sites like tfl.gov.uk in London, where you can plan a route from your home to the place of work, check which transport to use – and even how long the journey will take.

‘Safety’ is about investing in the right processes

Patient safety requires that proven processes are in place for each healthcare activity and then following them. Then regularly auditing performance to ensure the process is followed correctly. And finally ensuring the necessary resources are in place to support the whole system.

This applies to recruiting and managing staff for any healthcare setting. In the A24 Group we’ve over 100 staff dedicated just to Compliance, to follow up all references and carry out background checks and confirm mandatory training is up to date.

It requires some 2,000+ phone calls daily to register agency workers, with an average of 30 calls to validate just one nurse’s application. Weekly the department uploads 24,000+ files to the specialist computer system (which required 100,000 hours of development time). The team sends 1,000+ emails and nearly 500 faxes weekly.

The whole process – from recruitment through to registration and selection of an agency worker for a shift, and monitoring of results and payments – is audited regularly. Any complaint or deviation from the process is analysed and assessed, and reported to at board level. This means that changes are made as soon as they are required.

Always, at the start and end of the process, the focus is on the safety and welfare of each patient that is in receipt of care by the doctors, nurses and HCAs that are registered with the agency.

‘Safety’ is about investing in the right processes

NSUK: How to find the best nursing agency jobs

Nursing agency jobs and HCA temporary posts are more in demand than ever before, following public sector cutbacks. This is particularly the case for qualified staff who want to work at the times and locations of their choice – says NSUK.

In 2013 work with a reputable nursing agency offers great opportunities for those nurses who want extra shifts and pay or choose to balance their work-life commitments because they have family dependents for example.

The NSUK – Nursing Services of the UK – offers the following advice for getting the most from nursing agency work and work providers:-

1) Register with several nursing agencies in one group: to increase the opportunities for work, qualified staff can register through the NSUK web site, just once, to work for eligibility for five different agencies in the A24 Group- visit Nursing Services of the UK

2) At registration, ensure you provide all the information that is required: NSUK provides a detailed list of documents to supply. The agency meets with all candidates locally to help them complete the registration process. Initial registration may be started on-line through the NSUK web site. Documents required include a completed CRB, as well as a detailed NSUK application form; and job references.

3) Keep your registrations current: once you are registered and have on-line access through A24 Connect, ensure annual certifications are up to date – such as for training and CRB. Also, update your ‘Work Areas’ in the A24 Connect job management system– the geographical locations to which you are happy to travel for shifts. Agency Consultants will search for and offer shifts according to the work areas you’ve chosen.

4) Are you a specialist nurse in ICU or PICU, or perhaps SCBU trained for example? There is high demand for specialist nurses in many regions. Current certificates are essential as proof of your speciality, so NSUK can match your qualifications with relevant work. Also, if you do specialist training on an annual basis in your permanent job – such as Ventilator, Tracheostomy, IV administration – please inform the agency.

5) Let the agency know when you are available to work: NSUK’s on-line web diary enables nurses and HCAs to confirm when they are ready for shifts. It’s worth updating the diary at least every week. Be flexible: if NSUK knows that you will accept work at short notice – or will work some evenings, weekends or Bank Holidays – then you will get more, higher-paying shifts

6) Stay in touch: find out which NSUK consultants deal with the area where you want to work. E-mail the names of the towns and hospitals. NSUK’s consultants are there to help, and when they get to know you and the type of work you want, it will increase work opportunities

7) Social Media: it’s worth registering for NSUK’s Facebook and Twitter pages so that you are up to date on agency news and job opportunities – you can see details too at the Nursing Services of the UK web site

8) Complaints: feedback is always welcome. Let NSUK know if there is anything with which you are unhappy or could be done differently – or issues you have in the workplace. Good agencies are grateful for feedback

9) Tell a friend: if you have nursing friends who are interested in agency work, then telling them about the agency is helpful for feedback and communication. Visit NSUK’s Facebook and click on ‘Like’ or visit the web address: www.NSUK.co.uk

10) Consider your career: are you looking for specific nursing jobs or types of work or experience? If you are, then do discuss this with your NSUK consultant, as the medical staffing agency may be able to help, if you meet the standards required by clients for relevant nurses’ jobs with healthcare service providers.

Contact:-

NSUK
http://www.nsofuk.com/
Tel: 0871 873 3380
Email: info@nsofuk.com

Address:
NSUK
Group House
92 – 96 Lind Road
Sutton
SM1 4PL

A24 Group Shoebox Project 2012

Each year around Christmas time the staff of A24 Group try to give something extra back to the community by getting involved in a worthy charitable cause in South Africa. This year we decided to have our very own “shoe box” project.

The idea of the project is to give each child of Bottelary Primary School in South Africa their very own gift from Santa as a lot of the children come from impoverished families that work on the farms in the nearby areas. Most of their parents are illiterate and are not always able to help the children with their school work and this is one of the biggest challenges that face the teachers of the primary school. The school already runs a feeding scheme, ensuring the children get at least one meal and one piece of fruit a day. When speaking to the teachers at the school they explained that many of the children only come to school for that daily meal. This just confirmed to us that helping brighten these children’s day by a small act is definitely the right thing to do.

We put the challenge to our staff to each bring two shoe boxes that are wrapped with Christmas paper. We also raised money from our employees for the items that have to go into the boxes. Firstly we bought things that they are in need of like hair bands and clips for the girls and beanies for the boys. We did not stop there however, we also bought things that would bring them a little bit of joy like sweets and small toys.

It took a team and our amazing organiser Tatum Houston to utilise all their resources and we have over 420 gifts by the end of the project – one for each child. We then loaded it all and delivered them at the school. Unfortunately we were not able to hand out the gifts personally to the children but the teachers assured us that they will hand it out that very day, especially since the children saw us drive up with a car filled with presents and their excitement increased exponentially.

We would like to thank all of our staff and employees who took part in this massive project for all their hard work, donations and dedication. Without them this would not have been possible.

For more information:

Tel:  0871 873 3309

Web:  www.a24group.com

Address:-
Group House
92 – 96 Lind Road
Sutton
Surrey, SM1 4PL

United Kingdom

Ambition 24hours Investment Tops £1.5 Million in Nursing Agency Safety And Compliance Initiative

Ambition 24hours has invested over £1.5 million and 100,000 hours in the development of ICT systems to support safety and security in agency staff registration, compliance, selection and booking. The group of locum doctor and nursing agencies has one of the largest compliance teams in the UK, the company says, with over 120 staff engaged exclusively to procedures such as following up employment references and validating medical training status.

The group’s six year project to develop its Enterprise compliance system has provided the technology to enable agency consultants quickly to match the requirements of clients according to medical staff qualifications, experience and availability. Clients for the 24-7 service include NHS hospitals and primary care providers, the private health sector, prisons and care homes, insurance and other companies.

The compliance system ensures that medical and care staff can only be selected for work once they have each completed a detailed registration process. All relevant, employment, training and CRB registrations and references are confirmed by the agency, and the staff work record is checked again for each assignment. Without this validation, the Enterprise ICT system automatically excludes the candidate from selection and booking.

Every agency nurse completes a face-to-face interview to confirm the ability to read and speak English. Compliance also includes a CRB check and completion of a 23-page registration form that requires full details of career history and qualifications. Candidates also supply four work referees and original ‘right to work’, qualifications and training certificates, which are scanned and recorded in Enterprise; and also a report from the most recent employer.

Ambition 24hours has 124 staff in its compliance team, who obtain verified professional references from previous employers and carry out Occupational Health checks for fitness to work. Other tasks includes verifying professional qualifications, applying for CRB checks, and confirming mandatory training has been completed.

All compliance data is rechecked and verified by a separate quality control team. They read all references and the links to employment history; check the system keywords that workers have selected to match their experience for use in the Enterprise ICT system; then ensure all records are verified and correct. Any record that fails the required standard is sent back to the compliance team for re-examination.

The Enterprise system also supports the process of ensuring that all compliant agency staff are annually certificated for the mandatory training courses that Ambition 24hours provides either on-line or through training partners at venues nationwide. Up to 60 courses are organised every month, with some 900 candidates attending in total.

Mandatory training courses are: Basic Life Support, Manual Handling, Health & Safety, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, Infection Control, Lone Worker Training, Handling of Violence & Aggression, Data protection, Complaints Handling, Safeguarding Level 2, Fire Safety. Ambition 24hours also sources specialist training courses such as ventilation, tracheostomy, and peg feeding.

Compliance protection is maintained by recording every annual training certificate in the Enterprise system, with an upload and expiry date, which are re-checked. A daily system-generated ‘expiry report’ details the candidate, the document that will expire, and the number of days to expiry. The compliance team contacts each candidate in good time before expiry, so that they can re-register.

The pre-programmed expiry dates in the Enterprise system automatically trigger warnings and prevent the booking of candidates where annual training compliance may have lapsed. The automated process ensures that candidates are moved out of ‘Work Live’ status to prevent selection for work. Some 100 candidates each month fail the compliance process and lose their agency work status.

For further information:-

Ambition 24Hours
Ambition House
92-96 Lind Road
Sutton, Surrey, SM1 4PL
United Kingdom

Tel: 0845 452 3333

CRB Renewal in just Nine Days with A24 Group for Registered Locum Doctors, Agency Nurses, AHPs and HCAs

Agency nurses, locum doctors, AHPs and HCAs can now apply for CRB Criminal records Bureau checks on the internet with A24 Group following the release of the latest application update of the agency’s web-based system, A24 Connect.

This new advance in CRB renewal will speed up dramatically the turnaround of Criminal Records checks, the agency says, to ensure that all its registered medical staff remain compliant and are able to work at all times. A24 Group, a division of the A24 Group, estimates that renewals will take from just nine days, where there are no previous convictions or cautions present on the applicant’s record.

Penny Streeter OBE is managing director of the A24 Group, which employs a dedicated development team of 18 software developers - and includes the Ambition 24hours nursing agency she founded in 1996:-

“This is a further stage in our constant investment in healthcare staffing technology and services – to ensure that we remain the leading agency group. We’re one of the largest users of the Criminal Records Bureau and process in excess of 900 enhanced disclosures every month and have worked with the bureau to develop our CRB online module.”

The requirement by the NHS is that all agency workers must hold an enhanced CRB disclosure that is less than 12 months old. With current delays within the CRB system, says the agency, this has meant that some candidates currently have to re-apply four months before expiration.

Agency workers registered with A24 Group can apply by logging onto www.a24connect.co.uk, the unique web portal that enables medical staff to access work information and interact with the agency online 24 hours a day. Web visitors are prompted if their CRB certification is due for renewal and can then complete an on-line application form.

Agency staff simply log onto www.a24connect.co.uk and follow the prompts to complete the online CRB application form. An electronic payment is then required for the CRB fee, currently £46.20. The agency countersigns the document once it is received and the application is automatically sent to the CRB. Candidates can log into A24 Connect to track progress at any time.

A24 Group advises that with the introduction of the web-based service, applications on CRB printed forms cannot be accepted by the agency, and all submissions and payments must be on-line.

A24 Connect is an advanced web-based system that offers Agency nurses, locum doctors and HCAs an on-line work diary and range of advanced service features to help personnel to save time and ensure compliance. Candidates can update their availability for work, change bank information, download timesheets, view their compliance status, manage work history and references, and provide feedback.

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A24 Group South Africa Division Hosts ‘Women of Strength’ Forum with CANSA

Nursing Services of South Africa, NSSA - a member of the A24 Group - hosted the ‘Woman of Strength’ forum with CANSA on 22 August 2012 at the nursing agency’s offices at Bellville, Cape Town. Some 60 nursing managers, matrons and other senior nurses were invited, from a range of hospitals and other healthcare organisations.

The theme of the event was empowering women: guests heard from speakers on the need for women to care for themselves and other women too because of their central role in the family life, in healthcare and industry generally. The forum was an opportunity to discuss issues of women’s welfare, including healthy living and emotional well being – supported on the day by a range of refreshments and body and cosmetic treatments donated by the event sponsors, such as Revlon and The Beauty School.

There were inspirational addresses from a range of women, who included Penny Streeter, OBE, founder and managing director of A24 Group, and Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, Transformation Director of Pick n Pay Holdings Ltd – who spoke about the Goodness Campaign and its work in empowering local communities. Pick n Pay generously donated catering, gift bags and vouchers for the event.

The forum was held in support of CANSA, which promotes research, educates the public and provides support to people affected by cancer. “We encourage cancer survivors to live life to the full and to see themselves as a survivor from the day of diagnosis,” says CANSA’s CEO and cancer survivor of 29 years, Sue Janse van Rensburg.

NSSA invited some 60 nursing managers, matrons and senior nurses from a range of hospitals and healthcare organisations. These included: AGS Tehuis, Albow Gardens CHC, Belhar CHC, Brooklyn Chest Hospital, Cheshire Homes, Communicare, D P Marias TB Hospital, De Rus, Departmen Of Health, Goodhope Park, Frailcare, Groote Schuur, Gugulethu MOU, Huis Aristea, Huis Uitsig, Karl Bremmer Hospital, Kendrick House, Khayelitsha District Hospital, Lenterguer Hospital, Life West Coast Hospital, Mitchells Plain District Hospital, Mowbray Maternity Hospital, Nomzamo, Oasis Retirement Village, Panorama Palms, Victoria Hospital and Vredenburg Hospital.

Event sponsors and their donations included the following:-

• Revlon Cosmetics and Edgars: gift bags and make up
• Pick n Pay: catering, gift bags and vouchers
• Bon Courage: refreshments
• Chery Milnerton: transportation
• Aquiziana: pure water.
• The Beauty School: nail and other treatments

For further information:

NSSA www.nursingservices.co.za

CANSA www.cansa.org.za

CANSA Email: info@cansa.org.za Tel: 0800 22 66 22

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Brain injuries: Children’s Homecare support with Ambition 24Direct

Children’s nursing services are available at home for Acquired Brain Injury care with nursing agency Ambition 24Direct. A care assistant or qualified nurse will visit the patient at home to provide the experienced homecare and private nursing as needed, at any time of the day or night, for as long as support is required.

An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is an injury caused to the brain since birth. There are many possible causes, including a fall, a road accident, tumour and stroke.

Ambition 24Direct can help with all the nursing support and care needed - whether the patient requires the expertise of a qualified nurse or just an extra pair of hands to assist with personal care and domestic tasks. Children’s services support high standards of nursing and personal care in a domestic setting, in the child’s own home, surrounded by family and friends.

Often this enables early discharge from hospital and may be a helpful alternative to residential care. In addition to brain injuries care, Ambition 24Direct has experience in meeting the medical staffing needs of children with a range of challenges such as autistic spectrum; cerebral palsy; challenging behaviour; learning difficulties; sensory impairment; spinal injuries; substance abuse; terminal illness and physical disabilities.

Ambition 24Direct offers the reassurance of professional private nursing or home care, overnight if necessary, just when it is wanted. Nurses and healthcare assistants are qualified and selected to ensure the highest standards of quality care provision for private nursing. The agency can also work in close partnership with Local Authorities, Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) for complex care and other needs. Ambition 24Direct is a member of the A24 Group, one of the leading homecare agencies, the specialist in complex healthcare staffing.

A well-established organisation with some 13,500 healthcare professionals on call nationwide in the UK, it offers a 24-hour booking hotline, so anyone can call for an initial assessment by a qualified nurse, at any time. In addition to children’s’ services, homecare nurses and private nursing at home is available for: Children’s paediatric care, detox, anorexia and other eating disorders, geriatric care, mental health, learning disabilities, oncology cancer care and post-operation rehabilitation.

The agency operates in England and Wales: including in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester; Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Sunderland, Wakefield and Crewe, for all children’s’ services, including care for brain injuries.

For more information:

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