NHS career breaks

[mrsshears]

Does anyone have first hand experience of these?
I'm crurrently on maternity leave due to return in june 13,I recently heard about NHS career breaks and am wondering about the likelyhood of me geting one,we have worked out with what we would recieve in taxcredits we would be better off with me not working until dc3 starts school.
Is it down to management discretion rather than a right? and are they hard to come by?
tia

This is the career break policy of the organisation that nominally employs me (they do our payroll and stuff). But I'm guessing if you're on mat leave and not due back for a year, your baby is only just born? So you really would be wanting the maximum 5 year break; I'm not sure how easy that would be to arrange in an NHS where basically everyone's jobs could be up the creek within 5 years.

It reads from the policy I linked that it's down to management discretion.

Not sure about this but remember
Your entitlement to maternity pay is dependet on you retuening for 3 month - not sure how a career break would impact
youre entitled to parental leave - something to look into?

I think that it is dependent on individual trust policies - if you google you may be able to find he policy for your trust, or HR will be able to supply it.
You may need to return to work for a period before taking the career break.

Are we not all a4c any more?

I had the impression that the detail may be different in different places. But its possible that all the policies are exactly the same except the trust name, I have not checked.

Thanks everyone
How does parental leave work stealthpolarbear ?

I looked out Leeds PCT's policy as an example - it looks very similar to the BSA's. But fireice is right you should look for your own organisation's one, mrsshears. It should be available online.

Stealth - I think we all are still on Agenda for Change. Not sure it covers all aspects of terms and conditions, though?

Also, you need to take into account your professional bodies policies-I am an OT-unfortunately HPC guidelines are that if you don't practice for 2 years then you must retrain for a year before going back for example.

This may effect your decision...it did mine, I didn't go back :)

I thought there was a giant a4c terms and conditions handbook. But I'm going back 5y so may be wrong