NHS trying to force me to do a different job for less money

[formerchild]

This post is obviously very outing so I am using an anonymous account but I am a MN regular.

I have worked for the NHS for several years as a health care assistant/support worker for a different trust to the one I am currently in. Last year I applied to this trust for a position as a trainee nurse associate (this is a new role, band 3 pay while studying and then band 4 when qualified, is a foundation degree which can be topped up to a fully qualified nursing degree).

I was successful and began the induction process at the end of February which included two weeks working on my base placement ward. I am also expected to attend university as part of this course and attended a full week (via online learning) last week.

Since then, the trust have decided to cancel the course ("frustrated" contract due to Covid 19). We had all been hearing rumours that it was going to be deferred from Tuesday of last week but were not told anything officially until Monday this week (yesterday). We were sent a letter from the lead nurse with our options which are as follows:

1. those from within the trust could go back to wherever they worked prior to commencing the course on the band 2 wage that they were on previously and have a guaranteed place on the course when it restarts

2. those from outside of the trust (which is many of us in this cohort) could stay on as a support worker on the bottom of Band 2 and be allocated a ward on a greatest need basis and have a guaranteed place on the course when it restarts

3. we could leave the trust and would have a priority place on the course when it restarts but that a place is not guaranteed.

We have four days to reply.

Many of us in my cohort left jobs where we were earning equal to, and in some cases more, than we were employed at as band 3's. Now the trust has told us that unless we agree to take a pay cut of almost £2000 (from £19737 down to £18005) we are not guaranteed a place on a course that we have already applied for and been accepted onto.

Most of the others have little choice but to accept the new roles, though they are understandably upset and disappointed with the situation. I have been lucky enough to secure another job which is significantly better paid than the one I currently have, never mind the one I am being "offered" but the trust is saying that unless I take their badly paid job I am no longer guaranteed a place on the course. I feel like this is deeply unfair. Is it even legal? Is there anything I can do? I have emailed all kinds of people to be given the stock response that these are unprecedented times and that they can't help me.

I feel as though the trust is trying to force us to do a job that we didn't sign up to do on the promise that we will get back onto our training programme but they haven't been able to confirmed that they are going to restart the course. They have said that they don't know what the future holds, that the course could be restarting in October or it could be a longer time.

Due to the corona virus my childcare situation has changed massively and I would be working for around £20 per 12 hour day if I was to accept this option by the time I had paid out for childcare, travel costs and parking. Am I really expected to accept a job that I don't want and earn nearly nothing for an indeterminate amount of time?

The other issue is that other local trusts are continuing their tNA training (it's all done under the same university but different trusts in the local area) from the same cohort. So why has ours been cancelled but theirs has not? It doesn't make sense.

Has anybody been in the same situation? Does anybody have any advice?

As far as I know, all nhs can be moved at the moment.
A friend of mine is a nurse in a gp office, and once the hubs are fully operational, she knows she might be asked to work there instead, or back on the hospital wards.

I understand that it is very frustrating not being able to get a straight answer, or even able to get to talk to anyone. But as you must realise yourself, seeing what is going on in work at the moment, that there is a lot of confusion. Things are getting changed daily, never mind all the existing issues that are well known to the public.

Contracts at the moment must still be causing them some issues, considering the numbers that are currently getting employed by the nhs.

It is difficult for the NHS yes. Tremendously difficult. There is confusion everywhere. But some Trusts are handling this by supporting their staff, understanding that they are the greatest asset at this time. My own Trust (which I won’t name) has so far been surprisingly amazing. As a result morale is not too bad under the circumstances. Others are handling it by destroying their staff, risking burn out and tired staff struggling to function safely. I think you have had a glimpse into how this Trust treats its staff when things are bad. Can you view it as a lucky escape?

In a nutshell though it seems to depend on how desperately you want to keep a place on the course, baring in mind that, as you say, starting in 12 weeks sounds extremely optimistic anyway.

Trusts and even individual hospitals can be a nightmare at the best of times, absolutely. Same with all public services, well everywhere come to think of it!!

I completely agree with others. Put the course aside for the moment. From your experience overall so far, is this a trust you want to work for?
If it is, then, unfortunately, you might just have to suck this up and draw experience from. And if you haven't already, please, please, please join a Union. They really helped me when my place wanted to make some changes to a contract.