Possible to work an apprenticeship and register as a bank worker?

[SassyS89]

I had an interview for an role within the NHS and was unsuccessful but was then contacted to ask if I would consider being placed in the bank pool (I think that's what it's called) as the department I interviewed for now needed someone urgently through Dec/Jan. As I was out of work I accepted and was waiting to be contacted after the general employment checks.

A week or two later, I interviewed for an apprentice role within the Civil Service which I was successful and they are currently doing the pre-employment checks.

I have now been sent through the forms to complete for the bank role but I don't want to sign them now but I feel I'll be cutting off my nose despite my face if I don't sign the forms but my CS employment checks don't go well (i don't know why they wouldn't but just got a niggling feeling).

So what I want to know is, is it possible to register onto the bank pool (but not do the work obviously) as I won't be an employee and work the apprenticeship? If I register, would this be classed as having two jobs?

TIA x

Hi, I've been in a similar situation, you will need to inform your CS employer that you are on the Bank pool for NHS. I'm sure it'll be fine but they will have a policy on 'conflicts of interests' where you have to declare any other interests (financial and non financial) can't see why it would be a problem though! Good luck with it all x

I think you are overthinking it - registering on the bank is fine, you don't then have to accept the work. If you don't ever do any work, you don't have 2 jobs. CS pre-employment checks can take a while and everything pretty much stops over Christmas so I wouldn't be surprised if you can't start until January earliest. So no harm doing some bank work in the interim...

Thank you both for replying I think I'm more worried about it counting as two jobs if I'm registered and I start the CS position as I told the NHS employer a few weeks ago that I would accept the position. Do you know if you normally have to give notice when leaving a bank position and if so, how much notice?

No you don't have to give any notice on a bank position, the point is you can take or leave the work on any given day (or nor do they have to give any notice if they don't want you any more). It would probably be polite to give the NHS people some notice just as a courtesy if you have started work, maybe a week?

I'm sure the CS people will be fine with that, they will be used to people having notice periods of 4 weeks + so if for instance they finish the pre-employment checks on 4th Jan you could say to them you will start on the 11th giving you one weeks' notice for your NHS work and that would 99% likely be absolutely fine. If for some reason the CS people kick off about that then you could just up and leave the bank work with no notice but honestly that isn't how the CS usually works - if anything I would expect them not to be ready to have you start the very day after your pre-employment checks are back, they will probably need a week at least to get ready and sort your IT etc out !

Being on an NHS bank is like registering with an agency. It makes you a worker when you work, not an employee. They aren't under any obligation to offer you shifts and you aren't under any obligation to accept shifts offered. Definitely sign up, tell the CS you might want to pick up the odd shift for spending money, where the hours fit. I'm sure they won't have a problem with it.