Zero hour contracts - what's the minimum info I should expect in the contract?

[BuffaloTings]

Some context: I am leaving teaching and moving in to residential care work with disabled adults. The company are (understandably) reluctant to employ me on a permanent contract. They have offered me a zero hour Bank Staff position with the carrot that when a permanent role becomes available I will be in a stronger position to apply. I thought this was a convincing argument given that other, similar roles have not even given me an interview.

However, they have sent through an offer of employment, and a job acceptance to sign. All the letter states is the role title, location, contracted hours (0) and rates of pay (hourly rate and the over-night pay).

Is there anything else I should request or check out before signing? Perhaps I being overly cautious but they have sent me 5 lines of text when I'm used to 5 sides of A4 in an agreement.

Thank you in advance for any advice or experience you can offer. I am relieved and excited to be leaving teaching, but this is a brave new world for me

Have you done any due diligence on care work. The vast majority of jobs are permanently on zero hours contracts, poor terms and disposable. On a zero hours contract you have almost no rights to work or anything else. It is not a brave new world. It is an exploitative. I'd hope this wasn't the case for you. But I'd be amazed if you found one of the good employers. There aren't many. Sorry, but I'd be very cautious...

Can and would you be able work for other employer/s? (if the situation arose where you have no work)

When I tried working in domiciliary homecare 10 years ago now, the 4 days training/induction went unpaid as were the first 3 'shadowing' shifts worked.

They let me start the training then told me they didn't have any work local for me and I ended up travelling further than I'd have wished - so it's good you have location confirmed. Residential at least is much better then being mobile based.

Have they confirmed they will pay for your DBS? again my experience 10 years was I had to pay for that to - like to hope things have changed.

My DBS would have been refunded if I passed the probation period of 3 months but I'm already on the update service. There's no exclusive clause and an induction/shadowing phase is all paid hours.

I know what zero hours contract implies and I know it's shit terms, but a) that's the job situation for many industries nowadays and b) I need the money.

My hope is that I can get a few months under my belt, get it on my cv and then some of the companies that won't even interview me might let me through the door.