NHS job - confused about role, management...

[crinklecut55]

Hi
Been offered a role, panel were really enthusiastic, seems interesting, they are very interested in me. But I'm having a few worries and can't tell if I'm overworrying or these are valid alarm bells. I don't want to be too explicit about the role but it's not clinical.

1. Job descrip originally f-t. I made it clear from the start that I could only do p-t. They have offered p-t (brilliant) and verbally said they would 'take x and y out' (it wouldn't be a jobshare, so no one else picking up the slack) and give the rest to others in team

1. The role would be a slight paycut for me. Obv I knew this at the start! And discussed it with them in a pre-interview phone call. They agreed it 'should be at a higher band, but we couldn't get that agreed'. It's my decision whether I go for the lower pay but I thought it wasn't perhaps a good sign that they said this.

1. The person who I thought would be managing me is being called back to her real job (she was on secondment) and they won't be replacing her, so I would be managed by someone higher up the chain. In theory this is fine but I wonder if it means day-to-day that I would be left to my own devices without much support

1. I would be managing someone. I haven't line managed before. (This was my fault - I focused on researching the job and misunderstood this aspect of the role). They've said I would get training but it might be hard to manage a member of staff on 2.5 days

1. I was the only person they interviewed. I have a feeling this isn't a good sign (they admitted they were asking a lot for a Band 5 role, so maybe they didn't get many applicants)

1. They admitted in their offer conversation that 'there's lots of restructuring, there will be lots of changes'. There just seems to be lots of uncertainty about the role.

I've asked if I can go and meet the person who would actually be managing me (she was at the interview but we didn't have much time to speak).
The person who offered me the job also suggested I make a case that the role be rebanded. It's not arrogance on my part - regardless of whether they had offered me the job, I think what they are asking for should be rebanded. But the fact she has suggested this to me worries me too.

It all seems a bit 'fluid' and possibly a stress-fest. I've had a few knocks to my confidence recently so I'm not sure if I am overworrying or these are valid concerns. I was thinking as a minimum I could ask for a written job descript. But I'm also wary of being too princessy and annoying them before I've even got there.

I'm one of those people who is great at researching and presentations but quaking inside, would appreciate sane advice. Please don't slam me about not reading about the line management, that was utterly silly of me.

Many thanks in advance

I'd be quite cautious if I were you, particularly as they've admitted this is a lot for a band 5 and are still restructuring. I can well imagine x and y not being reallocated, but in fact z added on top too. We've just lost a lot of staff following restructuring as their job descriptions were unacceptably changed.

The line managing might actually be a good string to add to your bow. Would you be able to find another position if this went tits up?

Tbh speaking from experience I do find that job roles can be bent so far that they are Un recognisable! I think you need to be careful what they are getting out of you as it sounds like you should be on a higher band for that level of responsibility! Not meaning to be negative in any way shape or form but it's best to be clear what you're getting into!

Have you worked in the NHS before?

That all sounds totally par for the course in the NHS. If you will find that stuff difficult to deal with I would think twice (at least!) before taking the role. Its unlikely to get any better.

You have to be so careful in the NHS these days as some trusts are down-banding a lot of jobs, I am top of band 6 now but unhappy where I am (I started here a few years ago). I can't go back to my old workplace as they can only take me back as a band 5 even though the job is very clearly a band 6 post! The trust is in severe financial difficulties. I refuse to return on a lower pay grade after almost 20 years service (but that's me).
Can you not appeal to the Agenda For Change panel yourself before accepting the post?
Like the pp said, you may well end up with a high workload for part time hours if they don't reallocate the spare hours.
I think it is disgusting that the NHS is getting away with this (changing job descriptions slightly just so they can down-band someone).

Thanks very much, everyone. Hmm. This was kind of my thinking.

I'm also really wary about the fact that they only interviewed one candidate, i.e. me. They are trying to sell this to me as proof of how amazing I am ('none of the other applicants could offer what we needed'). Whereas I'm thinking that maybe they had very few other applicants because most people wouldn't approach this job on this band.

Actually after the interview I asked how many other applicants they have (if that's a cheeky question, apologies - I always ask this as I think it's interesting and not a breach of confidentiality in itself) and they said 'Oh, we can't tell you'. Which may have been simply going by the book or may have been because they didn't have any others.

Any tips for 'killer' questions when I go for my next interview next week (the one where I interview them:-)

In their defence they did seem very nice/engaged and aware of these issues themselves...