Agency Worker Handbook Declaration

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This handbook is available for download and review at www.a24group.com/downloads

Agency Worker Handbook Declaration

I have read a copy of the Agency Worker Handbook which outlines the goals, policies, benefits and expectations of the A24 Group and its clients, as well as my responsibilities as an Agency Worker.

I have familiarized myself with the contents of this handbook. By my signature below, I acknowledge, understand, accept and agree to comply with the information contained in the Agency Worker Handbook provided to me by the A24 Group. I understand this handbook is not intended to cover every situation which may arise whilst on assignment, but is simply a general guide to the goals, policies, practices, benefits and expectations of the A24 Group.

Updates to this manual will happen from time to time. Whenever this happens the A24 Group will notify me of this by email. I agree to familiarize myself with these changes before undertaking any further shifts through the A24 Group.

I understand that the Agency Worker Handbook is not a contract of employment and should not be deemed as such. Print Name Profession Registration #: Signature Date

I hereby give permission for the A24 Group to allow access, as a minimum, to my personnel files as part of any official audit, or client compliance purposes, carried out by, but not limited to, NHS Buying Solutions and/or any person authorised by the NHS Authority. These personnel files will be viewed in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Signature: Date:

Please forward this signed page to: The A24 Group Compliance P O Box 850

Uxbridge, UB8 9BR

or by fax to 0871 87 333 72

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Welcome to the A24 Group and the Staff Handbook.

We are very glad you have chosen to work for the A24 Group. We are acutely aware that you have a choice of where you can work. We aim to make your experience of working for the A24 Group as positive as we can.

We have designed this handbook to give you an idea of what to expect from your time with us, and to give you the information you need to carry out your role with confidence. It sets out the standards, with which you are expected to comply with, and gives you clear policies and procedures to follow. You should read it thoroughly and familiarise yourself with the information provided. It includes a number of guidelines and standards required under the Framework Agreements we have with the NHS. It is important that you fully understand everything covered in it. If there are any points which you do not fully understand or if you have any feedback on how we can improve the handbook for the next edition, please direct these to us at the address below:

Whilst this handbook outlines the A24 Group’s own policies and standards, these do not supersede the national guidelines of the NMC, GMC, etc., and any other professional membership bodies such as the HPC, CSP, COT, UKRC, RCSLT, RPSGB, BDA, and the Social Care Councils in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Parts of the Staff Handbook will be updated from time to time to reflect any changes. Whenever this happens we will send you an email notification. It is your responsibility to review the changes and seek advice if you do not understand any of the contents of this handbook.

As a member of the A24 Group we sincerely hope you enjoy your time with us whether for a short time or for the rest of your career!

The A24 Group P O Box 850 Uxbridge UB8 9BR

Tel: 0207 112 4557 Fax: 0871 873 3372

This Agency Worker Handbook was last reviewed on 17 June 2013 Date of next review: June 2014

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UPDATES

Our contracts with our customers require us to update this Handbook annually, and once updated we are also required to get a new written (or e-signed) confirmation from you that you have read and familiarised yourself with the updated contents. To save you the time of reading the whole Handbook again, we have provided you with a list of updates together with the section numbers.

Updates to this Handbook from previous Handbook dated November, 2010

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Changes to DBS (Previously CRB process) Sections 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.4 and 5.15

Changes to Uniforms Section 4.5

Changes to Occupational Health Section 7

2.0 INTRODUCTION

The A24 Group is a collection of agencies that provides temporary assignments to nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, social workers and healthcare assistants. We operate across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and we have been established for over 15 years. We have two major call centres, one in Sutton, Surrey and the other in Cape Town, South Africa. We employ over 600 recruitment staff that are spread between our offices in the UK and Cape Town.

Our recruitment procedures are fairly long, but reflect the fact that we work within the UK healthcare arena. It is due to current legislation that it can take so long to clear you for work. We have to adhere to these guidelines at all times - we can assure you that your registration is important to us.

Once you have completed our processes you will have the opportunity to pick and choose the best assignments from the UK’s top nursing, locum and allied health care agencies. Best of all, this means that you will only need to update your professional portfolio of training, immunisation, references, etc. just once a year with us – and you will automatically become compliant to work for all our relevant agencies. Each of our agencies has its own individual website, consultants and contact numbers. All of our pay rates are available for you to see on our websites, so you have maximum opportunity and choice.

To track your progress please call 0871 87 333 30 or email [email protected], or login to your profile on A24 Connect at www.a24connect.co.uk

Nursing and Care Agencies

www.ambition24hours.co.uk

0871 87 333 33

Ambition 24 Hours, the first UK nursing agency offering 24-7 service, in

1996, specialises in the provision of registered nurses and NCA healthcare assistants for both temporary and permanent placement for healthcare service providers and for domiciliary care. Ambition 24hours has a reputation for ensuring an exceptionally fast, high quality service at very short notice, when other agencies fail. Service users are busy

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healthcare providers who want a safe, reliable solution 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year with higher than average pay rates. Ambition operates in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

www.bna.co.uk

0871 87 33324

The British Nursing Association (BNA) was founded in 1948. The

Association is one of the best known and largest suppliers of nursing and care professionals for the UK healthcare sector. With over 60 years’ experience we have successfully developed our member list of nurses and HCAs to meet healthcare staffing needs throughout the UK with its network of branches. BNA provides Nurses and Care Professionals to the NHS, Private Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Industry, Prisons, Schools, Nurse-led care at home and Domiciliary Care. BNA operates in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

www.NSofUK.com

0871 87 333 80

Nursing Services of the UK (NSUK) was launched in 2009. Agency staff

can be confident they receive the choice of a wide range of assignments to suit their professional and personal needs, with prompt and professional service, supported by experienced, friendly recruitment consultants. Approved by NHS Buying Solutions, NSUK is backed by the latest IT. Staff have personal on-line diaries to support availability for work; jobs alert by SMS text; and automatic notifications by e-mail when mandatory training and annual registrations fall due. NSUK operates in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland as a nursing agency.

www.grosvenor-nursing.com

0871 87 333 41

Grosvenor Nursing is a leading provider of mental health care services,

providing high quality Mental Healthcare staff nationwide through our network of offices. Established in 1986, Grosvenor has a strong reputation for delivering a first class service to our clients including Prisons, Primary Care Trusts, Mental Health Trusts and small non-profit making organisations. We provide a range of specialist staff: SPAN Special Practitioner Adult Nursing, SPMH Mental Health, SPCN Children, SPLD Learning Disabilities; SPGP General Practice; SCMH Community Mental Health; SCLD Community Learning Disabilities; SPCC Community Children; SPOH Occupational Health; and SPSN School nurses. Grosvenor operates in England.

www.mayfair-nurses.com

0871 87 333 26

Mayfair Specialist Nurses was established in 1998 and has built up an

enduring reputation for the supply of quality nursing and care staff. Mayfair Specialist Nurses are committed to delivering a safe and reliable service through the matching of skills and knowledge of our Nurses and Care Workers. Mayfair Specialist Nurses specialise in a wide range of areas including A&E, ITU, HDU, Renal Dialysis, Cardiac, CCU, Dental, Cardiothoracic, Operating Theatre Practitioner, PICU, NICU, General Paediatrics, Acute Medical and Acute Surgical. Mayfair Specialist Nurses operates in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Locum, Allied Health & HSS Agencies

www.a24locum.co.uk

0871 87 333 00

Ambition 24Locums offers a range of temporary jobs for locum doctors

in hospital and GP primary care settings. A member of the A24 Group, Ambition is a nationally contracted provider for NHS Buying Solutions, with staff for prisons, PCTs (Primary Care Trusts) including GP surgeries, and private health providers throughout the UK.

Qualified doctors can earn extra pay as a locum GP or hospital doctor, with local work at high rates for their specialisation and experience. Doctors can register for free just once with A24 Connect and then have two work and pay options. They can choose from, firstly, NHS Buying Solutions work and pay conditions, or secondly private client work at higher rates of pay.

www.a24ahp.co.uk

0871 87 333 66

Ambition 24AHP offers a range of positions to Allied Health

Professionals (AHP) and Health Science Services (HSS) throughout England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Ambition is a nationally contracted provider of AHP locums to the NHS, and is PASA Approved. The AHP agency supplies medical staff to a range of hospitals, PCTs, prisons and private organisations.

www.locumservicesuk.co.uk

0871 87 333 90

Locum Services of the UK (LSUK) has Locum Doctors jobs to fill a range

of temporary staffing posts. LSUK’s service is 24-7, 365 days of the year. Advanced compliance and staff selection systems ensure a precise match of medical staff skills with the specialisations and experience required. Safety is of the highest priority throughout the process. LSUK consultants can match the exact requirements of client healthcare service providers according to agency staff qualifications, experience and availability.

System safeguards include selection of staff only after 100 per cent completion of registration - all relevant employment, training, criminal record checks and references must be fully confirmed and the staff work record validated and checked again. LSU operates throughout England, Wales and Scotland.

www.pinnacle-healthcare.co.uk

0871 87 333 46

Pinnacle Healthcare is a well-established medical staffing agency that

recruits and provides all professionals allied to medicine and locum doctors on both a temporary and permanent basis.

The agency holds a current contract with NHS Buying Solutions for the supply of AHP Professionals Allied to Medicine as well as Podiatry. Pinnacle operates in England and Scotland.

www.holtmedical.com

0871 87 333 43

Holt Medical Recruitment (HMR) was established in 1997 and is a

leading specialist in the provision of Allied Health Professionals, Healthcare Science Staff and Medical Administration personnel to the Ministry of Defence, NHS, Private and Industry Sectors. HMR believes that successful recruitment is built on strong relationships. Understanding the needs of locums is key and knowing exactly what HMR’s clients are looking for is vital to ensure that the agency not only

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excels as a recruitment company, but also exceeds the expectations of clients. HMR consultants have a wealth of experience in the healthcare sector and strive to deliver an outstanding service to both our clients and locums. HMR offers extensive opportunities to work within different environments across the UK and Internationally.

3.0 WHAT THE A24 GROUP CAN DO FOR YOU?

3.1 PROVIDE THE WORK YOU WANT, WHEN AND WHERE YOU WANT IT

Most agency workers, who join an agency, say that they do so because they want flexibility in their work. They want to work but they also want to choose where and when they do so, for a variety of reasons:

 To broaden their experience.

 To continue their careers around family life.  To plan their work around other commitments.  To earn additional money.

We aim to:

 Get to know our Agency Workers and understand how they like to work. We can offer very flexible shift patterns as well as contract work.

 Support our Agency Workers in their work - we call you after your first shift with the client, for feedback and for any assistance if required.

 Give people the opportunity to work in different environments - hospitals (NHS and private), industry, Ministry of Defence establishments, nursing and residential homes, prisons, schools and home-based nursing care.

We do our utmost to provide a personal and rewarding service for our Agency Workers. With support nationwide, you can gain access to the widest variety of Temporary work in the UK. Our Agency Workers can contact us 24/7 for a more personal service or they can visit us online for the latest vacancies.

We not only have an extensive range of temporary work, but also have permanent vacancies with top healthcare organisations. We can introduce you to companies and establishments, which have suitable vacancies for you. We can arrange interviews and provide you with professional career advice. In fact, all you have to do is let us know the type of permanent work you are seeking and we will provide support and expertise.

3.2 HELP YOU TO MAINTAIN YOUR COMPLIANCE

The process of reaching and maintaining compliance with government legislation and client requirements are managed for you by the A24 Group's compliance team.

The A24 Group works with local Recruiters; initially to ensure that all new applications are processed efficiently and accurately to maintain each Agency Workers’ records at full compliance and then ensuring that you never find that you are unable to work in a particular area because an item in your file is missing or has lapsed.

Once your recruitment file, including qualifications, references, health & training has been established, you will be offered work.

We will alert you whenever any of your documentation requires updating, and you should immediately take steps to ensure that these items are updated. In most instances many of our contracts do not offer any grace period so once a document has expired, you will be required to immediately stop working. In the case of annual training, a refresher course should be booked in good time to ensure no gaps in your work offerings.

Your full compliance status is also available on your A24 Connect profile. www.a24connect.co.uk. Please contact your compliance consultant if you require any assistance.

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3.3 OPERATE EFFECTIVE PR OCESSES FOR BOOKING YOUR WORK

The A24 Group has developed a sophisticated computer booking system, which enables your bookings team to identify assignments, which are suitable for you.

The most important thing is for you to communicate with your bookings team. Keep your availability updated on your A24 Connect profile. www.a24connect.co.uk. It is inevitable that the work will go to those Agency Workers that have updated their availability, as the first list our booking system provides is a list of available Agency Workers, and they are the first Agency Workers to be offered work.

We also ask you that you keep your contact details including your mobile number and e-mail address up to date so that we can always contact you at short notice and send you details of available assignments. These details can also be quickly and easily amended on A24 Connect.

Self-booking is certainly permissible and is very much welcomed by some clients. However, you should ensure you inform your bookings team before working the next shift, giving appropriate reference numbers, where applicable, in order that your timesheet can be processed correctly. This is important because we are required to maintain our records and knowing when and where you are working assists us to ensure we give you the best possible service.

3.4 ASSIGNMENT BRIEFINGS

We will give as much notice as possible when offering and confirming your assignments. We will also provide you with a full briefing, which will include:

 The dates and times of the shift(s), booking reference number noted if applicable.  The duration of the assignment and confirmation of pay rates.

 Details of location, client/service user or establishment, address and contact details.  Details of the tasks you will be expected to undertake.

 Any other information, e.g. details of Care Plan; Health & Safety information.

3.5 PAYMENT PROCESS - ACCURATELY AND ON TIME

Once you have submitted a fully completed and authorised timesheet, payment is made by Bankers Automated Clearing Services (BACS) directly into your bank. If we receive your timesheet by 12 midday on Monday, your pay slip will be sent to you and payment will be made on the following Friday.

Please refer to the Financial Section (section 9) for details regarding all aspects relating to timesheets, rates of pay, travel allowance, tax and National Insurance. The Financial Section is full of useful information to help you manage your affairs.

4.0 BEFORE YOU START WORK

4.1 GENERAL OBLIGATIONS

1) As an Agency Worker to be deployed in the provision of the Services you need to be aware that at all times whilst on the Client’s premises you:

a) are under the direction and control of the Client at all times.

b) must work as directed by the Client and follow all reasonable requests, instructions, policies, procedures and rules of the Client (including any racial discrimination and equal opportunities policies);

c) shall not neglect, nor without due and sufficient cause omit, to discharge promptly and diligently a required task within the terms of the engagement;

d) shall not make unnecessary use of authority in connection with the discharge of the provision of the Services and engagement instructions;

e) shall abide by the Working Time Regulations 1998 and where applicable, New Deal requirements; f) shall not act in a manner reasonably likely to bring discredit upon the Client;

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g) shall not unlawfully discriminate for any reason;

h) shall not falsify records, timesheets, expenses or attempt to de-fraud the Client in any way; i) shall not corruptly solicit or receive any bribe or other consideration from any person, or fail to

account for monies or property received in connection with duties performed under the provision of the Services on an engagement;

j) shall observe the highest standards of hygiene, customer care, courtesy and consideration when working in an health service environment;

k) shall keep confidential information howsoever acquired whether relating to the Client, its business or relating to patients, including but not limited to patient identity, clinical conditions and treatment;

l) shall be competent in understanding and using both written and oral English;

m) shall be able to communicate effectively with the Client’s staff, other healthcare workers, patients, carers and the general public;

n) be helpful, pleasant and courteous; o) have good telephone skills; p) shall have legible handwriting;

q) shall be confident and able to deal with Client’s staff at all levels; r) shall be able to work with minimum supervision, where appropriate; s) shall be prompt and punctual;

t) shall maintain proper standards of appearance and deportment whilst at work;

u) shall be properly and presentably dressed in such uniform and protective clothing, or otherwise, as agreed between the Parties;

v) shall display your photo ID badge on your clothing at all times during an engagement when they are on the Client’s premises.

w) shall not wear the uniform, protective clothing, photo ID badge or use the equipment on the Client’s premises unless fulfilling the terms of the agreed engagement;

x) shall not engage in any form of physical or verbal abuse, threatening behaviour, harassment/bullying or be otherwise uncivil to persons encountered in the course of work; y) shall not at any time be, or appear to be, on duty under the influence of alcohol or drugs; z) shall not at any time be, or appear to be, in possession of firearms or other offensive weapons; aa) shall report any injury or accident sustained and/or witnessed whilst on the Client’s premises; bb) shall on being charged or cautioned with any criminal offence, notify the A24 Group

immediately;

cc) shall not misuse or abuse the Client’s property;

dd) shall not use photographic equipment including camera/video facilities on mobile phones in the vicinity of patients, clients or service users. If you are asked to take a photograph or a video recording for a patient/client or service user this should be on their own equipment and with their written consent. In the case of children or vulnerable adults written consent should be obtained from the parent or guardian as appropriate. Under no circumstances should you use your own photographic equipment to photograph patients, clients or service users;

ee) shall not smoke while on the Client’s premises except in those areas where smoking is expressly permitted; and

ff) shall adhere to all other relevant obligations that the Client shall reasonably require from time to time including, but not limited to, the obligations identified within this paragraph and paragraph 3) below.

2) You must obtain from the Client, upon arrival at the Client’s premises, relevant information regarding the Client’s fire procedures, on-site security, information security, crash call procedures, “hot spot mechanisms” and “violent episode” policies and before you are involved in the provision of the Services.

3) You have an obligation to adhere to the Client’s policies and procedures including, but not limited, those relating to fire, on-site security, information security, manual handling, cross infection and notifiable diseases and health and safety. Where the Client fails to provide such policies or after the A24 Group has reasonably requested such information, it is acknowledged that the A24 Group is

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unable to ensure that you are aware of such policies and procedures. You still have an obligation to adhere to the Client’s policies and procedures.

4) You must inform the A24 Group if you are under investigation by your professional body (including, but not limited to, investigations by the NMC, GMC, GDC, HPC, etc.) or if you are suspended from your professional register. You are required to participate in the investigation of any clinical complaints either during the provision of the Services or subsequently. If you fail to participate, the A24 Group will not deploy you to any other Client until such time that the matter has been fully and satisfactorily resolved.

5) You are required to inform the A24 Group if you have been (or are) subject to any kind of investigation or prosecution by the police after the Enhanced criminal record check was undertaken by the A24 Group.

4.2 FITNESS TO PRACTICE

The Client may require you to declare before each occasion on which you are deployed in the provision of the Services that you are fit to practice at that time. Should you not be able to give this declaration truthfully, and then the A24 Group will be required to provide an alternative Agency Worker.

You should not declare yourself to be fit to practice if you are suffering from any of the following conditions: vomiting, diarrhea or a rash.

You should inform the Client, and the A24 Group, if you become injured or diagnosed with any medical condition.

You MUST also let us know if you are pregnant. If you are concerned that your assignment involves unnecessary risks to your health or fitness, or that of your unborn child, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Client may request that you undergo a medical examination before any occasion on which you are involved in the provision of the Services. The Client shall instruct you of the circumstances and reasons for the medical examination. The Client shall be entitled to refuse to allow you to be involved in the provision of the Services unless the medical examination demonstrates that it is safe for you to work. The Client shall also be entitled to refuse to allow you to be involved in the provision of the Services if you decline to be examined.

4.3 ENHANCED DISCLOSURE & BARRING SERVICES DISCLOSURE (DBS)

The nature of the work undertaken by A24 Group Agency Workers is likely to have regular and ongoing contact with young people and/or vulnerable adults. For this reason, it is necessary for us to carry out Enhanced Disclosures (DBS criminal records checks), which include checks of the Children's and Adult's Barred Lists, as part of the recruitment process.

The A24 Group processes all new DBS criminal record checks for England electronically. This ensures that your initial DBS check is processed extremely promptly, usually within a week or so for complete turnaround (assuming no issues with your application). In order to achieve these speeds payments need to be processed extremely promptly. For Scotland you are required to obtain a PVG. For Northern Ireland a Disclosure is required via Access Northern Ireland. As such we have very limited scope for the issue of any refunds once you have paid us for your DBS check so any refunds are strictly in accordance with our refund policy.

This policy is set out within our DBS application paperwork but for the avoidance of doubt reads as follows:

Due to an almost immediate transfer of funds to the DBS it is not possible for us to offer any refunds once you have paid for your DBS check. Please therefore exercise caution in completing your paperwork. Policy on refunds for DBS applications – as soon as your paperwork is forwarded by us to the DBS then any payments made by you for the DBS check are not refundable. If you decide to withdraw your application and you inform us before we have submitted your paperwork to the DBS (bearing in mind that we will do this as quickly as possible in order to secure work opportunities for you as quickly as possible) we might be

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able to make a refund of your fee (less our bank processing costs). If for any reason we do not forward your paperwork to the DBS we will refund your fee (less our bank processing fees). In addition, payments for the DBS Update Service are paid directly to the DBS by the Agency Worker and we are therefore unable to refund this fee.

Renewal of Enhanced Disclosures

Agency Workers are reminded to register for the DBS Update Service as we require criminal record checks to be updated annually. By registering for this service Agency Workers can pay a reduced annual fee to the DBS and this will allow us (as well as other employers) to perform update checks on the DBS system as and when they are required. This is the quickest mechanism for updating DBS criminal record checks and we encourage all Agency Workers to register for this Update Service.

Please note that by signing this handbook Agency Workers are opting-in and agreeing to us using the DBS Update Service and checking the DBS system for any new information. If Agency Workers do not wish us to make use of these Update Services then they will need to update their profile on A24 Connect (by clicking in the opt-out section under Preferences).

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974)

By virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, the provisions of Sections 4.2 and 4.3 of the Act do not apply to "doctors, nurses, allied health and midwives and any employment which is concerned with the provision of health services and which is of such a kind as to enable the holder to have access to persons in receipt of such services in the course of his or her normal duties ". This means no conviction or caution can be considered spent and should be declared to the A24 Group. This requirement includes convictions, cautions etc., which occur during the Agency Workers registration with the A24 Group, including between annual disclosure checks.

Due to changes in legislation as from 29 May 2013, the DBS will be removing certain specified old and minor offences from criminal record certificates issued from this date. In line with these changes the DBS have amended Question e55 on their application for a criminal record check. To ensure that the law is followed correctly, we need to remind applicants of the following when completing the form. The current question asks the applicant: "Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence or received a caution, reprimand or warning? Applicants should now ignore this question and instead treat this question as if they were being asked: "Do you have any unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings?" The filtering rules, together with the list of offences that will never be filtered, are available from www.gov.uk/dbs.

Criminal Convictions / Cautions

The A24 Group is an Equal Opportunities organisation and as such, undertakes to treat all Agency Workers fairly and not to discriminate on the basis of conviction or other information revealed. Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar any individual from working with the A24 Group. Denial or non-disclosure of any unspent conviction or caution, which is subsequently shown to exist, will lead to the immediate removal of the Agency Worker from the A24 Group Register.

Any Agency Worker with unspent convictions/cautions we be emailed and asked to prepare a Statement of Events surrounding each conviction/caution and, once prepared, this statement should be returned to us and marked as "Confidential".

The A24 Group’s Clinical Governance Forum meets as required to review Positive Disclosures. Due consideration is given to the nature of the role, together with the circumstances and background of any offence and over-riding consideration is given to the care, safety, and protection of clients. The A24 Group is bound by the Disclosure body’s Code of Practice and we guarantee that the information will be treated confidentially.

Please be aware that our clients do request to see a copy of your criminal record check from time to time. To assist us in this process please ensure that you keep your original disclosure in a safe place.

You have a responsibility to report any cases of suspected child or abuse of vulnerable adults. We have a detailed policy outlining this procedure.

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4.4 IDENTIFICATION

You may be required to produce proof of identification. in the form of your passport or UK photo card driving license, before starting any assignments. You may be requested produce proof of identification in the form of your passport or UK photo card driving licence. In addition you may be requested to produce a copy of your NMC Annual Registration and Enhanced criminal record check disclosure form.

You are also required to wear your A24 Group ID badge, which will be issued to you once you have cleared the compliance process. This ID badge will be valid for a year. You will automatically be issued a new ID badge as your current one expires. Should you not receive an updated ID badge or lose your current badge, you can request a new badge on your A24 Connect profile, or you can email [email protected] with your full name and address. Alternatively you can call our compliance team on 0871 87 333 00.

Failure to comply with any of these requirements could result in you being refused permission to work by the Client.

Badges must be returned to us on termination of your employment with the A24 Group.

4.5 PERSONAL APPEARANCE

To best meet the needs of our clients, please ensure that you follow the guidelines below. Uniform

You are required to report for work neatly and appropriately dressed. Where applicable, always start work in a clean and neat uniform.

If you are not in uniform, you must always abide by the dress code advised by the booking consultant or in any dress code regulation advised to you from time to time.

You must never dress in a way that may reflect negatively on the agencies. You should not wear flashy or excessive jewellery in such a way that it is visible while at work. You should not wear any items of clothing (such as loose jackets or high heeled shoes) that may be a potential safety hazard or that may prevent you from doing your job properly at all times.

The A24 Group will endeavour to assist you to obtain the appropriate uniforms as required and more information can be found on http://a24group.com/uniforms/. Prices are determined by the supplier and payment should be made directly to the supplier. All returns and faults are between you and the supplier and the A24 Group receives no financial benefit from recommending you to any of these approved suppliers.

Hairstyles

Please make sure that your hair is clean and tidy. Long hair must be secured neatly so as not to pose an infection or safety hazard.

Jewellery

You are advised to keep jewellery to a minimum, as overuse of jewellery can cause offence to clients and constitute a health hazard. The wearing of rings and watches increases the number of bacteria on hands and effective hand washing is difficult to achieve if watches and rings are not removed. We advise that wedding rings and small plain earrings should only be worn. Fob watches should be worn in preference to wrist watches.

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4.6 TIMEKEEPING

Please make every effort to ensure you arrive at and leave all bookings at the agreed time, confirmed in your booking letter. If, for any reason, you are unable to attend a booking you should contact us, and if possible your line manager, as soon as possible.

4.7 ENGAGEMENT/EMPLOYMENT BY A CLIENT

Our terms of business with our Clients include a requirement that the clients pay us an appropriate recruitment fee in certain circumstances, if they employ directly any A24 Group Agency Worker, who has worked for them previously through an A24 Group company. This applies equally to temporary or permanent posts, full or part-time. You are required by your Terms of Engagement for Agency Workers to notify your bookings team if you wish to take up any post with a client of the A24 Group for whom you have worked previously, even if you have terminated your registration with the A24 Group.

4.8 COMMENCEMENT OF ASSIGNMENT

At the start of each assignment in an establishment, ward or department with which you are unfamiliar you must request and receive a comprehensive orientation including the following:

 Fire policies relating to the establishment.  Security issues relating to the establishment.

 Moving & Handling policies relating to the establishment.

 Any “Hot Spots" and "Violent Episodes" to be aware of and the establishment's policies for this.  The Crash Call procedure.

 Any Health and Safety issues relating to your placement in the establishment.  Additional relevant policies, e.g. relating to Information Security/Confidentiality.

5.0 IMPORTANT GENERAL INFORMATION

5.1 SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

The welfare of the child and young person is paramount. There is a moral obligation on anyone who comes into contact with children to provide them with the highest possible standard of care.

The A24 Group is committed to practices which protects children from harm. All A24 Group staff must recognise and accept their responsibilities to develop awareness of the issues which cause children harm and how to deal with instances or allegations of abuse/harm as and when these may arise. Our policy on Safeguarding Children and Young People refers

All Agency Workers are required to have a valid annual training certificate for Safeguarding Children and Young People. As part of the A24 Group’s training programs, this training is offered at a Level 2.

5.2 CODE OF CONDUCT

Purpose of the code of conduct:-

 To inform all Agency Workers of our clients expectations about their general conduct and approach to tasks

 To emphasise the importance of a professional approach to all clients and service users.  To highlight situations that Agency Workers may have to deal with.

What you must do:

Discrimination: Agency Workers should not discriminate between people on the grounds of Creed, colour, race, political preference, sexual preference, ethnic background, Disability of whatever nature, age, marital status or gender.

Reputation: Agency Workers are ambassadors of the A24 Group and must not say or do anything that may harm our reputation.

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Own duties: Agency Workers must never attempt to perform any duties of care or otherwise that may fall outside their expertise/and or qualifications. Specifically, care staff must not attempt to perform the duties of nursing staff. Confidentiality: Agency Workers will at times become privy to information concerning a client

or service user, this information must be treated with respect and remain confidential at all times. At no time may any temporary worker discuss the confidential affairs of Ambition, a client or a service user without specific written permission to do so. The only exceptions to this requirement are cases where the law dictates otherwise or if silence may negatively affect a service user’s wellbeing.

Dignity: Agency Workers must not do or say anything that may put the dignity or health of their service users at risk.

Professionalism: Agency Workers must at all times remain professional whilst on assignment, even if regular contact with service users or other workers may engender Personal relationships. Agency Workers must take specific care to keep the professional nature of the relationships intact in the working environment. Keep updated: Agency Workers must at all times keep up to date with policies and procedures

and changes to legislation that may affect them.

Respect: Agency Workers must always respect the working practices and demands of service users unless unreasonable or if a working practice may breach health & safety.

Keep to plan: Agency Workers must always, whenever applicable, keep to the requirements of a care service plan and/or any other agreed role requirement.

Best interests: Agency Workers must always act with the best interests of the service user in mind.

Notifications: Agency Workers should always in the first instance notify the manager of the Institution where they are working, of any concerns, followed by a telephone call to the A24 Group.

Own decisions: Agency Workers must always allow the service user to make the decisions about what is best for them. This includes decisions about treatment and personal affairs.

Complaints: The A24 Group has a detailed policy on how to report complaints, in the event of a complaint that may affect your duties and obligations please refer to our policy and notify us immediately.

5.3 CONFIDENTIALITY

All Agency Workers, whilst undertaking assignments, will at some point encounter information, which is of a confidential nature. Client details are a matter of a very high level of confidentiality and must not be disclosed to any third party. As an example, even chatting to a client during your visit about whom you are going to see next is a serious breach of confidentiality.

Each Client has an absolute right to confidentiality and privacy regarding the services they are receiving in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Human Rights Act 1999 and your agreement with the A24 Group. Any concerns you may have regarding confidentiality should be discuss with an A24 Group manager.

5.4 DATA PROTECTION / ACCESS TO RECORDS

The A24 Group is a "data controller" for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. This is because the A24 Group holds and uses both “personal data" and "sensitive personal data" about its employees, clients, Agency Workers and other individuals. The A24 Group processes data, including your records and Client/patient records.

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The information contained in your Agency Worker records is taken from your application form, as well as criminal record check disclosure, references and Terms and Conditions for Agency Workers. There may be occasions when your records are disclosed to Regulators and Inspectors (e.g. CQC, CCS, and RQIA) and Clients (e.g. NHS Buying Solutions)

The A24 Group will use your personal details and information we obtain from other sources for assessing your suitability for employment with us and if your application is successful we will use your information for personal administration and management purposes including carrying out appropriate security (or financial) checks and marketing. We may need to share your information for these purposes with our associated companies, our agencies and our clients.

You consent to our processing sensitive personal data about you, for example your health information or racial or ethnic origin information, for the purposes of your placement with us and to the transfer of your information abroad where necessary.

Data Protection Compliance Officer

In order to ensure that the A24 Group complies with its obligations under the Act, it has appointed a Data Protection Compliance Officer. This individual is the A24 Group's Group Secretary. You should refer to the Compliance Officer if you are in any doubt about any of the A24 Group's obligations under the Act. Rights of Access (Subject Information)

The Act gives you the right, on application in writing (and payment of a fee as appropriate), to ask for a copy of the information we hold on you and to correct any inaccuracies. For quality control, training and security purposes, we may monitor or record your communications.

The A24 Group is not obliged to provide information to you in all circumstances. A number of exemptions apply and the A24 Group may in certain circumstances be unable to disclose information, where that information also relates to another individual who could be identifiable from the information disclosed. However, in these circumstances the A24 Group will provide you with reasons why we believe such a decision to be necessary.

All requests for disclosure received from you or those who claim to be data subjects will be submitted to Operations Directors for action and they will normally respond within two weeks.

Upon receipt of such data, you should check its accuracy and inform the Operations Director of any amendments required. It is in the interests of everyone that all information is accurate and up-to-date. Your co-operation and assistance are greatly appreciated.

It is assumed that you will only need to verify personal data on one occasion. There will be no charge made for the first application in any calendar year; however additional requests will normally attract a charge of £15 per application.

Marketing

As we will be contacting you on a regular basis, ie for compliance reasons and to offer you work, we would prefer not to take up your time with ‘junk” mail and texts, so unless we have something very special to offer you we will keep all communications with you on a strictly business basis only.

5.5 PATIENT RECORD KEEPING

Record keeping is a professional requirement of all Agency Workers. Failure to maintain a record would cause considerable difficulties in respect of any legal proceedings, e.g. allegations of negligence. Information is essential to the delivery of high quality evidence-based health care on a day-to-day basis. Records are a valuable resource because of the information they contain. This information can facilitate clinical decision making, improved patient care through clear communication of the treatment rationale and progress, and facilitate a consistent approach to team working. However, a record is only of use if it is correctly recorded in the first place, regularly up-dated, and easily accessible when it is needed. Everyone working in healthcare that records, handles, stores, or otherwise comes across information, has a personal common law duty of confidence to comply with this.

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All patient attendance, non-attendance, and refusal of treatment and advice must be noted. It is advisable to note when telephone contacts are made. It is imperative that the Agency Worker dealing with a particular patient on a specific day can be identified; this means the patient's attendance is dated and signed either in the Agency Workers records or on a register, or both.

All patient records should be kept confidential in line with the Date Protection Act 1998.

5.6 COMPUTER USE

The Client may at its discretion authorise you to gain access to certain computer systems and certain programs and data within those systems. You shall not attempt to gain access to data or programs to which authorisation has not been given.

Agency Workers deployed in the provision of the Services, must at all times when using such computer systems:

1) observe the Client's computer security instructions in respect of the proper use and protection of any password used in connection with such computer systems or any computer any floppy disk, CD ROM disk, removable hard drive or any other device for the storage and transfer of data or programs;

2) not load any program into any computer via disk, typing, electronic data transfer or any other means;

3) not access any other computer or bulletin board or information service (including, without limitation, the Internet) except with specific prior consent of the Client or as the case be from the Client's representative; and

4) not download any files or connect any piece of computer equipment to any network or other item of computer equipment except with the prior consent of the Client or the Client’s representative.

The Client shall provide copies of its written computer security policy to the A24 Group and if supplied, will be available to you on reasonable request.

5.7 SECURITY

Whilst on the Client’s premises, you must comply with all security measures of the Client. The Client shall provide copies of its written security procedures to the A24 Group and these are available to you on reasonable request.

The Client shall have the right to carry out any physical searches, or your possessions or of vehicles used by you at the Client's premises. The Client or any person, firm or organisation who is responsible to the Client for security matters shall, when carrying out such searches, comply with the Human Rights Act 1998.

5.8 PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY COVER

Whilst working within the NHS you are covered under the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST). It is important to realise that the cover offered by the CNST is by no means sufficient to cover all the situations in which you may find yourself. The A24 Group would therefore advise you to take out your own personal PI cover.

Medical Professionals working outside the NHS should have their own PI cover. Who is not covered?

NHS Indemnity does not apply to family health service practitioners working under contracts for services, e.g. GPs (including fund holders), general dental practitioners, family dentists, pharmacists or optometrists; other self-employed health care professionals e.g. independent midwives; employees of FHS practices; employees of private hospitals; local education authorities; voluntary agencies.

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Circumstances covered

NHS Indemnity covers negligent harm caused to patients or healthy volunteers in the following circumstances: whenever they are receiving an established treatment, whether or not in accordance with an agreed guideline or protocol; whenever they are receiving a novel or unusual treatment which, in the judgment of the health care professional, is appropriate for that particular patient; whenever they are subjects as patients or healthy volunteers of clinical research aimed at benefiting patients now or in the future.

For all the details please go to this link.

http://www.nhsla.com/NR/rdonlyres/1CFE5864-05C3-4770-982C-7003294B8161/0/NHSIndemnity.rtf

5.9 FRAUD AWARENESS

In 2006 the Fraud Act came into effect, which recognises Fraud as a criminal offence. A person is guilty of fraud if they are in breach of the following:

1. Fraud by false representation

2. Fraud by failing to disclose information 3. Fraud by abuse of position

Types of Fraud within the NHS:

1. Payroll Fraud - payments made to fictitious employees or fraudulent manipulation of payment; false or inflated travel, expense claims, overtime or unsocial hours claims, timesheet fraud claiming for hours that have not been worked or putting in duplicate timesheets.

2. Requisition and Ordering Fraud - accepting inducements from suppliers; ordering goods and services for personal use and collusion with suppliers to falsify deliveries or order supplies not needed.

3. Overseas Patients Fraud - People not resident in the UK who come to the NHS for treatment must pay for their treatment before they leave the UK.

What to DO?

If you suspect fraud, the following are some simple guidelines to help you in what you should do.  DO make an immediate note of your concerns

 DO report your suspicions confidentially to someone with the appropriate authority and

experience

 DO deal with the matter promptly if you feel your concerns are warranted

 DON'T do nothing

 DON'T be afraid to raise your concerns

 DON'T approach or accuse individuals directly

 DON'T try to investigate the matter yourself

 DON'T convey your suspicions to anyone other than those with the proper authority

For more information please see our policy – Anti-Fraud, Anti-Theft & Anti-Corruption Policy which is available on our group web site. www.a24group/downloads.

5.10 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The A24 Group recognises that discriminatory attitudes held by both institutions and individuals are widespread in our society, and that such attitudes hinder both equal opportunities for work and the effective provision of services to minority groups and communities.

In all aspects of work, the A24 Group operates a policy of equal opportunity and equal access to service. Information may be requested from staff, Agency Workers, applicants or Clients, enabling the A24 Group to monitor the success of this policy. The giving of such information will be voluntary and it will be used solely for monitoring purposes. Individual details will be kept confidential; however group statistics may be released to relevant authorities.

A24 Group Agency Workers

Equality of opportunity extends to all aspects of the A24 Group’s registration, including recruitment and selection, assignment of work, pay rates, assessment of performance, and action in response to

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complaints by Clients. Equality of opportunity covers all Agency Workers/potential Agency Workers and you will be treated equally regardless of your sex, age, marital status, racial, ethnic or national origin, physical or mental disability, political or religious beliefs, sexual orientation or gender reassignment status.

Agency Workers are encouraged to make known all special skills and/or knowledge, which may make you particularly suited to care for Clients from specific ethnic or cultural groups. Agency Workers have the right to accept or refuse individual assignments but any indication that an Agency worker has not acted, or will not act, in accordance with this policy will be investigated and this may result in removal from the staffing Register.

Harassment/Bullying

The A24 Group is committed to creating a working environment where every Agency worker is treated with dignity and respect and where each person's individuality and sense of self-worth within the workplace is maintained. All Agency Workers have a duty to treat those alongside whom they work with respect and dignity and to take all steps necessary to ensure that harassment does not occur. Whatever the form of harassment (whether by direct contact, written correspondence, the spoken word or by use of email/intranet) behaviour of this nature can be objectionable and will not be tolerated by the A24 Group or any of the institutions we service.

Any Agency worker, who is considered, after proper investigation, to have subjected a client, another Agency worker or anyone else alongside whom they work to any form of harassment or bullying will be dealt with in an appropriate manner under the A24 Group's complaints procedure. This includes removal from our staffing Register.

5.11 DEALING WITH ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE

Guidelines on dealing with suspicions or allegations of abuse in relation to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults

1. Definitions of Abuse

Abuse under the policy on safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults includes.  physical abuse, including hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, or inappropriate sanctions;

 sexual abuse, including encouraging relevant individuals to look at pornography, harassing them by making sexual suggestions or comments, or sexual acts where the individual has not consented, or could not consent or was pressured into consenting;

 psychological abuse, including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of

contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks;

 neglect and acts of omission, including ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to provide

access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating; and

 financial or material abuse, including theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in connection with wills,

property or inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits;

 discriminatory abuse, including racist, sexist, that based on a person’s disability, and other forms

of harassment, slurs or similar treatment.

Detecting abuse

There are a number of ways in which suspicions of abuse may be raised or actual abuse brought to your attention:

 A child/young person/vulnerable adult may confide you that they are being abused

 A colleague may report to you that a child/ young person/vulnerable adult has confided in them that they are being abused or that they have a suspicion that a child/young person/vulnerable adult is being abused

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 The behaviour of, or a change in the behaviour of a child/young person/vulnerable adult, may suggest that they are being abused

 A colleague may confide in you that they have abused a child/young person/vulnerable adult  The behaviour of, or a change in the behaviour of a colleague, may suggest that they are abusing

a child/young person/vulnerable adult 2. Dealing with a suspicion or awareness of abuse

If you have a suspicion or are aware that a child/young person/vulnerable adult is being abused you must act quickly but appropriately and professionally.

To assist in the reporting procedure please ensure that you: DO:-

 Be accessible and receptive.  Listen carefully.

 Take it seriously.

 Reassure the child/ young person/vulnerable adult that they are right to tell.  Negotiate getting help.

 Find help quickly.

 Make careful records of what was said using the child's/young person’s/vulnerable adult’s own words as soon as is practicable following the disclosure. Date, time and sign the record. This record would be used in any subsequent legal proceedings.

DO NOT:-

 Jump to conclusions.

 Directly question the child or vulnerable adult or suggest words for him/her to use.  Try to get the child/young person/vulnerable adult to disclose all the details.  Speculate or accuse anybody.

 Make promises you cannot keep.

 Give your opinion; just state the facts as reported to you.

If you suspect abuse has taken place or abuse has been brought to your attention you are obliged to take action but you must also ensure at all times that the welfare of the child/young person/vulnerable adult is paramount and the interests of the person against whom the allegation has been made are protected. Where practicable you should obtain the following information:

 Contact details for the child/young person/vulnerable adult

 Details of the allegation or suspicion including where known the name of the alleged abuser and the circumstances, which brought the alleged abuse to your attention

This information should be recorded on the form “Record of Allegation or Suspicion of Abuse” available at www.a24group.com/downloads.

3. Reporting suspicions or allegations of abuse

You should immediately report any suspicion or allegation of abuse to the A24 Group.

Do not attempt to assess yourself whether or not the allegations are true and do not attempt to deal with any suspicion or report of abuse yourself.

The A24 Group may:

 Provide appropriate support for the child/young person/vulnerable adult

 Report the suspicion or allegation to the relevant agencies who may include the Police and/or Social Services.

 Make a written record of the contact at any of these agencies to which the case is reported  Provide appropriate support for the person against whom the allegation has been made  Confirm to the person who originally reported the allegation that action has been taken 4. Follow up Procedures

The A24 Group will confirm to you the action that has been taken. If you feel that insufficient action has been taken and you still have concerns for the safety and welfare of the child/young person/vulnerable adult you should report your suspicions or allegations again explaining why you feel the action taken to date is insufficient.

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5. Data Protection

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, individuals have a right of access to personal data that relates to them. This right of access may include a right to request access to records (in whole or in part) relating to suspicions or allegations of abuse involving the person making the request. All such requests will be handled according to the Data Protection Act 1998.

5.12 GIFTS AND GRATUITIES

Agency worker services are provided in return for agreed fees. Under no circumstances should you seek any other money, gifts, favours, or rewards for services rendered, either for yourself or for any third party.

It is not uncommon for a Client, their friend or relative, to offer a voluntary gift as a mark of appreciation for care they have received. The A24 Group believes that giving and receiving such gifts is not generally appropriate to the provision of professional care. Wherever possible, any offer of a gift should be politely refused; with an explanation that acceptance would be against A24 Group policy.

If refusal is likely to cause serious offence to your Client, the gift may be accepted under the following rules:

 All offers of gifts should be disclosed to your A24 Group Manager who will discuss the matter with your Client, their personal carer, or other advocate as appropriate, to explain A24 Group policy.

 A gift of money may only be accepted with the stated intention that it will be passed in full to a charitable organisation nominated by the A24 Group.

 Gifts of consumables (e.g. flowers, chocolates), if unlikely to cause offence, should be left in the client's possession, to be shared and enjoyed by all members of the nursing and care team.  Other gifts should be refused with the suggestion of an equivalent donation to charity.  Your A24 Group Manager will acknowledge all gifts in writing.

Registered Nurses should also refer to the NMC guidelines on gifts.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in removal from the A24 Group Register.

5.13 COMPLAINTS REPORTING, HANDLING AND MANAGEMENT

From time to time it may be the case that you receive a complaint from a client, patient or other person. If you are on assignment, please report any complaints to a senior person in the department where you are working and document all the details of the complaint. You must also report the complaint to the A24 Group. If you personally are the subject of a complaint you will be asked to record details as part of an investigation and in some circumstances it may be necessary to suspend you from assignments whilst the investigation is in process. Any complaints of misconduct against you will be reported to the NMC or other relevant Registration Body.

The A24Group’s complaint procedures are in accordance with the HSC 2003/012- Maintaining high professional standards in the modern NHS. This will enable the Client to make complaints quickly and the A24 Group shall be required to investigate and resolve a complaint within the prescribe timeframes. The Client will, with due regard to the Data Protection Act 1998, provide to the A24 Group with the necessary information in order for the A24 Group to thoroughly investigate the complaint.

The complaints procedure is as follows:

1. Within five (5) working days of receipt of a complaint from the client or Agency Worker, the A24 Group will acknowledge receipt of the complaint. The complaint should be made in writing on the A24 Group’s complaints form, which is available for download at www.a24group/downloads.

2. All reasonable endeavours will be made by the A24 Group to ensure that all complaints are resolved within fifteen (15) days of the complaint being notified to the A24 Group;

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3. The A24 Group shall ensure that in the event of the complaint being against an Agency Worker that the Agency Worker is fully informed of complaints relating to him. The Agency Worker shall be entitled to receive a copy of the complaint referred to in paragraph 1. 4. The Temporary Worker will be afforded the opportunity to state his/her version of events

and will be given seven (7) days to respond to the A24 Group in writing.

5. All responses will be shared with the complainant and if appropriate, the A24 Group will take demonstrable action to ensure there is no recurrence of the act or omission complained of. 6. The client may at any time request the A24 Group to provide the client with an update as to

the progress of the resolution of the complaint.

7. The client will receive a written response from the Employment Business, detailing how the complaint has been resolved.

8. Where there is evidence of malpractice or the complaint is an event that requires notification, the A24 Group will immediately notify the Care Commission, The Police, Protection of Vulnerable Adults or Children and where applicable alert the temporary Workers professional body.

9. The A24 Group where necessary will immediately exclude the Agency Worker from its register whilst an investigation is in progress.

10. The A24 Group undertakes to work with all parties applicable to an investigation and where necessary share findings of such investigations.

11. A full written record of the nature of each complaint and details of the action taken as a result of the complaint, is kept on a database for easy access;

12. The A24 Group has a quality assurance system in place to analyse and identify any patterns in complaints and trend analysis is conducted continuously.

13. The complainant, at any time, has the right to refer this matter for review to the Care Quality Commission, The Scottish Care Commission or The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority – Northern Ireland

5.14 THE AGENCY WORKER’S REGULATIONS (AWR)

These regulations, which come into force on the 1 October 2011, are designed to ensure that agency workers receive, usually after a qualifying period, treatment no less favourable than their full-time employed equivalents.

Detailed guidance on the regulations is available online (www.bis.gov.uk) and your consultant can help but in brief your entitlements include:

a) immediate access to facilities, etc. provided by the Client to equivalent employed workers at the Client, and, ,

b) after a qualifying period of twelve weeks, equal basic working conditions. The working conditions referred to are principally pay and holiday pay.

For the purpose of entitlement to equal working conditions the definition of the twelve week "Qualifying Period" is important so when calculating whether any weeks completed with the Client count as continuous towards the Qualifying Period, where:

a) the Agency Worker has started working during an assignment and there is a break, either between assignments or during an assignment, when the Agency Worker is not working; , b) the break is:

(i) for any reason and not more than six Calendar Weeks;

(ii) wholly due to the fact that the Agency Worker is incapable of working in consequence of sickness or injury and the break is 28 Calendar Weeks or less; paragraph (iii) does not apply; and, if required to do so by the Employment Business, the Agency Worker has provided such written medical evidence as may reasonably be required;

(iii) related to pregnancy, childbirth or maternity and is at a time in a protected period, being a period beginning at the start of the pregnancy and ending at the end of the 26 weeks beginning with childbirth (being the birth of a living child or the birth of a child

Agency Worker Handbook Declaration