{{org_field_logo}}

{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Staff Support and Wellbeing Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline the commitment of {{org_field_name}} to promote and safeguard the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of all staff, including registered nurses, healthcare assistants, and other temporary workers who are engaged on a zero-hours or other flexible contract basis. Staff wellbeing is directly linked to high-quality, safe, and effective care for service users, and as such is fundamental to the agency’s success. {{org_field_name}} recognises that working within the health and social care sector can be both rewarding and demanding. This policy provides guidance on how the organisation will support its workforce, both reactively and proactively, to ensure a healthy, resilient, motivated, and valued workforce.

This policy is designed to support compliance with legislation and guidance relevant to employment businesses and temporary staffing agencies in England, including the Employment Agencies Act 1973, the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Working Time Regulations 1998, the National Minimum Wage Act 1998, the National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015, the Equality Act 2010, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, and the Modern Slavery Act 2015 where applicable.

{{org_field_name}} is an employment business supplying temporary workers to client organisations. It does not provide regulated care services directly and does not require registration with the Care Quality Commission unless its business model changes and it begins to carry on regulated activities.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all temporary agency workers, including registered nurses, healthcare assistants, support workers and other work-seekers supplied by {{org_field_name}} to care homes, healthcare providers, supported living providers and other client settings. It also applies to directors, office-based staff, consultants, contractors and anyone involved in the operation of {{org_field_name}}, so far as relevant to their role and contractual status.

For the purposes of this policy, “client”, “hirer” or “end user” means the organisation to which {{org_field_name}} supplies temporary workers. “Agency worker” means an individual supplied by {{org_field_name}} to work temporarily under the supervision and direction of a hirer. Nothing in this policy changes the individual’s contractual status, but {{org_field_name}} will apply statutory rights and protections according to the individual’s actual legal status and the nature of the assignment.

3. Related Policies

• Health and Safety Policy
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy
• Safeguarding Adults Policy
• Disciplinary Policy
• Training and Development Policy

4. Legal and Regulatory Framework

{{org_field_name}} will operate this policy in line with the legal and regulatory duties that apply to temporary staffing agencies and employment businesses in England. These include, where applicable:

• the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, including requirements relating to terms of engagement, assignment information, suitability checks, records, fees, and information provided to work-seekers and hirers;
• the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, including day-one rights and equal treatment rights after the qualifying period;
• the Employment Rights Act 1996, including protections relating to unlawful deductions from wages, itemised pay statements, written particulars where applicable, whistleblowing and other statutory employment protections;
• the Working Time Regulations 1998, including limits on working time, rest breaks, rest periods, night work and paid annual leave;
• the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015;
• the Equality Act 2010, including protection from discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled workers where applicable;
• the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 and related Equality Act 2010 duties requiring employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work;
• the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated health and safety regulations;
• the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 and Home Office right-to-work requirements;
• the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, Police Act 1997 and Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, where DBS checks or barred-list checks are legally permitted or required;
• UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 in relation to staff, candidate, health, safeguarding, DBS and employment records; and
• the Modern Slavery Act 2015, including transparency requirements where the organisation meets the statutory threshold or where clients require contractual assurances.

{{org_field_name}} will monitor legal developments, including provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025 as they come into force, and will update this policy and related procedures where necessary.

5. Commitment to Staff Wellbeing

{{org_field_name}} is committed to:

• Promoting the physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing of all staff.
• Creating and maintaining a culture of openness, trust, and fairness.
• Recognising and supporting the unique pressures faced by agency nurses and healthcare assistants, especially when working in unfamiliar or demanding care settings.
• Offering accessible avenues for staff to raise concerns about their wellbeing or working conditions.
• Ensuring staff receive appropriate induction, ongoing support, and access to advice and assistance when needed.
• Taking preventative and remedial action to reduce work-related stress and promote resilience.
• Ensuring that wellbeing is considered alongside legal compliance, including safe working hours, fair treatment, accurate pay, access to rest breaks, protection from discrimination and harassment, and the right to raise concerns without victimisation.
• Recognising that agency workers may face additional wellbeing risks because they work across different client sites, teams and systems, and may be exposed to unfamiliar environments, inconsistent induction arrangements, lone working, challenging behaviour, or pressure to accept shifts.

6. Directors’ and Compliance Lead Responsibilities

The directors and any nominated compliance lead will be responsible for:

• Leading by example in promoting staff wellbeing, including maintaining a healthy work environment.
• Ensuring the implementation of this policy through robust procedures and regular communication.
• Providing appropriate resources and systems to support staff wellbeing.
• Responding promptly and sensitively to concerns raised by staff.
• Ensuring fair treatment and avoiding discrimination in line with the Equality Act 2010.
• Monitoring staff feedback, complaints, and incidents to identify trends that may indicate wellbeing concerns.
• Reviewing this policy annually or sooner if there are legislative or operational changes.
• Ensuring that agency workers receive required information before assignments, including key assignment details, pay information, working time expectations, known health and safety risks, reporting arrangements and client contact details.
• Ensuring that risks relating to fatigue, excessive working hours, stress, lone working, violence or aggression, discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment are considered and acted upon.
• Ensuring that any concerns raised by staff about unsafe working conditions, unlawful treatment, safeguarding, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, pay, working time or client conduct are recorded, reviewed and escalated where appropriate.
• Ensuring that the agency cooperates with hirers/end users in relation to health and safety, induction, supervision, safeguarding, reasonable adjustments and the wellbeing of temporary workers.
• Ensuring that this policy is reviewed when relevant legislation, statutory guidance or enforcement arrangements change, including changes relating to the Fair Work Agency, employment rights, working time, holiday pay or equality law.

7. Responsibilities of All Staff

All staff engaged by {{org_field_name}} are responsible for:

• Taking reasonable care of their own health and wellbeing.
• Identifying and raising concerns about working conditions, workloads, or wellbeing to the agency in a timely manner.
• Cooperating with measures put in place to protect their own health, safety, and wellbeing and that of their colleagues and service users.
• Attending mandatory training and participating actively in supervision and appraisal processes.
• Supporting colleagues and promoting a positive working culture.

8. Creating a Supportive Working Environment

{{org_field_name}} will ensure:

• Staff will be matched only to placements that are suitable, so far as reasonably practicable, for their skills, qualifications, training, experience, availability, health, declared restrictions, right-to-work status and any reasonable adjustments that have been agreed.
• All agency workers will receive an agency induction before being supplied to work and must also receive any necessary site-specific induction, instruction, supervision and health and safety information from the hirer/end user before or at the start of the assignment.
• Placement information is provided before each assignment to minimise anxiety, including shift patterns, key contacts, and relevant policies.
• Staff are informed of appropriate escalation procedures within both the agency and the placement.
• Staff are encouraged to discuss any factors affecting their wellbeing, including workload, workplace challenges, or personal difficulties that may impact their role.

Before an assignment begins, {{org_field_name}} will seek and provide relevant assignment information, including the nature of the role, location, start and finish times, expected duties, rate of pay, any known health and safety risks, PPE requirements, reporting lines, emergency contacts, dress code, cancellation arrangements and any specific training, checks or experience required.

Where a worker reports that the client site has not provided adequate induction, safe systems of work, equipment, supervision, rest breaks, reasonable adjustments or support, {{org_field_name}} will review the concern promptly and liaise with the client where appropriate. If the concern presents a serious or immediate risk to health, safety, safeguarding or wellbeing, the agency may remove the worker from the assignment or decline further supply until the concern is resolved.

9. Agency Worker Rights and Equal Treatment

{{org_field_name}} will support compliance with the Agency Workers Regulations 2010. Agency workers are entitled from the first day of an assignment to access the hirer’s relevant collective facilities and amenities, such as canteens, rest areas, transport facilities, childcare facilities and similar workplace facilities, unless the hirer can objectively justify different treatment. Agency workers must also be informed by the hirer of relevant internal vacancies.

After completing the qualifying period in the same role with the same hirer, agency workers are entitled to equal treatment in relation to basic working and employment conditions, including pay, duration of working time, night work, rest periods, rest breaks and annual leave, as if they had been recruited directly by the hirer to do the same job.

{{org_field_name}} will take reasonable steps to obtain accurate information from hirers about comparable terms and conditions and will review assignments where an agency worker may have reached, or be approaching, the qualifying period.

Agency workers should notify {{org_field_name}} promptly if they believe they are not receiving appropriate access to facilities, vacancy information, rest breaks, annual leave, pay, or other rights connected with an assignment.

10. Working Time, Rest and Fatigue Management

{{org_field_name}} will comply with the Working Time Regulations 1998 and will take reasonable steps to avoid unsafe working patterns, excessive hours and fatigue. Staff have the right, subject to the detailed rules and exceptions in the Regulations, to:

• a limit of an average 48 hours’ working time per week, normally averaged over the applicable reference period, unless a valid opt-out has been agreed;
• adequate rest breaks during shifts, including a rest break where the working day is more than six hours;
• daily rest between working days;
• weekly rest;
• paid statutory annual leave; and
• additional protections where they are night workers.

Staff must provide accurate information about their availability, hours worked and any work undertaken for other employers or agencies where this may affect fatigue, working time limits, safe practice or fitness to work.

{{org_field_name}} will monitor working patterns where reasonably practicable and may refuse, cancel or pause assignments where there is a concern that the worker is fatigued, working excessive hours, unfit to work safely, or at risk of breaching working time rules.

Agency workers must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and must not accept shifts where they are too tired, unwell or otherwise unable to work safely.

Where a worker has opted out of the 48-hour weekly working time limit, this does not remove the agency’s or hirer’s responsibility to consider health, safety, fatigue and safe staffing risks.

11. Holiday Entitlement and Holiday Pay

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that eligible workers receive statutory paid annual leave in accordance with the Working Time Regulations 1998. Holiday entitlement and holiday pay will be calculated according to the worker’s contractual status, working pattern and applicable legal rules.

For workers who are irregular-hours workers or part-year workers, {{org_field_name}} will apply the statutory rules that apply to leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024, including the statutory accrual method where applicable.

Where legally permitted and properly operated, {{org_field_name}} may use rolled-up holiday pay for irregular-hours workers or part-year workers. Where rolled-up holiday pay is used, it will be calculated and shown clearly and separately on the worker’s payslip, and the worker will remain entitled to take annual leave.

Workers are encouraged to take annual leave for rest and wellbeing. Holiday pay must not be treated as a substitute for actually taking rest from work.

12. Stress and Mental Health

{{org_field_name}} acknowledges that stress is a major contributor to poor mental health and may arise from work-related or personal factors. The agency will:

• Encourage open communication and early identification of stressors.
• Provide access to confidential advice and support services where necessary.
• Where appropriate, signpost staff to relevant mental health resources or support organisations.
• Make reasonable adjustments to placement arrangements or working patterns to alleviate work-related stress.
• Ensure that staff know how to report concerns relating to bullying, harassment, or discrimination and provide appropriate support where such concerns arise.
• Treat work-related stress as a potential health and safety issue and, where appropriate, consider whether a stress risk assessment or individual wellbeing plan is required.
• Consider whether stress, anxiety, fatigue, trauma, bereavement, pregnancy, disability, menopause, long-term health conditions or other personal circumstances may require adjustments, signposting or temporary changes to availability or assignments.

Where concerns arise from a client environment, {{org_field_name}} will, where appropriate, liaise with the hirer/end user to address the issue. This may include concerns about unsafe staffing levels, poor induction, bullying, harassment, discrimination, violence or aggression, lack of breaks, or unreasonable pressure on agency workers.

13. Support Structures

Staff will have access to:

• Telephone support from the agency during office hours and an on-call service for urgent matters outside office hours.
• A dedicated point of contact within {{org_field_name}} who can provide advice, support, and signposting to additional resources. Regular contact from {{org_field_name}} representatives, particularly during challenging placements.
• Supervision and feedback opportunities to reflect on work and address concerns.
• Encouragement to access counselling, occupational health, or external wellbeing services where appropriate.
• Clear escalation routes for urgent concerns arising during assignments, including concerns about immediate health and safety risks, safeguarding, violence or aggression, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, fitness to practise, unsafe staffing or client conduct.
• Support following distressing incidents, including deaths, safeguarding incidents, violence or aggression, allegations, complaints, clinical incidents, or situations where the worker feels unsafe or unsupported at a client site.

Where appropriate, {{org_field_name}} may liaise with the client organisation to obtain information, request remedial action, support the worker, or decide whether further supply to the placement is appropriate.

14. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

{{org_field_name}} is committed to promoting equality and diversity. Staff, workers, applicants and work-seekers will not be discriminated against, harassed or victimised because of any protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, namely age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. All staff have the right to a safe working environment free from bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Staff who experience or witness discrimination are encouraged to report it immediately to the agency in line with the Whistleblowing or Grievance Policy.

{{org_field_name}} will consider reasonable adjustments for disabled workers and applicants where required. Workers should inform the agency as early as possible of any adjustment, health condition, disability, pregnancy-related need, religious requirement or other matter that may affect placement suitability, working arrangements or wellbeing.

{{org_field_name}} will not subject a worker to a detriment because they raise a concern, make a complaint, request a reasonable adjustment, report discrimination or harassment, or support another person in doing so.

15. Prevention of Sexual Harassment

{{org_field_name}} has a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of its workers in the course of their work. This duty applies proactively and includes considering risks that may arise from colleagues, agency staff, client staff, service users, visitors, contractors or other third parties encountered during assignments.

{{org_field_name}} will take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment by:

• maintaining clear standards of expected behaviour;
• providing information and training appropriate to roles and risks;
• assessing the risk of sexual harassment in agency and client settings;
• providing clear reporting routes;
• responding promptly and sensitively to concerns;
• liaising with hirers/end users where concerns arise on assignment; and
• taking appropriate action where sexual harassment is alleged, witnessed or identified.

Sexual harassment includes unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Workers must report sexual harassment or risks of sexual harassment as soon as possible. Reports will be handled confidentially so far as reasonably practicable, but information may need to be shared where necessary to protect workers, investigate concerns, comply with legal duties, or prevent further harm.

{{org_field_name}} will not victimise any worker for raising a sexual harassment concern, supporting another person’s complaint, or participating in an investigation.

16. Supervision, Appraisal, and Development

{{org_field_name}} will provide:

• Access to supervision and appraisal sessions for agency staff.
• Opportunities for staff to reflect on wellbeing, workload, placement suitability, and training needs.
• Constructive feedback and recognition of staff contributions.
• Access to additional training or support where needed to improve competence and confidence, which contributes positively to wellbeing.

For temporary workers, supervision and feedback may be proportionate to the nature, frequency and duration of assignments. {{org_field_name}} will use check-ins, placement reviews, incident reviews, complaints, client feedback and worker feedback to identify wellbeing concerns, training needs, support needs or placement suitability issues.

Where a worker is registered with a professional body, such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council, {{org_field_name}} will expect the worker to maintain their professional registration, revalidation requirements, competence and fitness to practise. The agency will support workers by providing relevant assignment information and feedback where appropriate.

17. Whistleblowing and Raising Concerns

Staff are encouraged to raise concerns at the earliest opportunity if they believe their wellbeing, or the wellbeing of colleagues or service users, is at risk. Staff can raise concerns without fear of victimisation, harassment, or reprisal.

Concerns may include, but are not limited to, unsafe staffing, poor care observed at a client site, safeguarding risks, abuse or neglect, health and safety risks, unlawful discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, modern slavery or labour exploitation, fraud, unlawful deductions from wages, working time breaches, or pressure to work when unfit or unsafe.

Where a concern relates to a client organisation, {{org_field_name}} will consider whether the matter should be escalated to the client, a safeguarding authority, professional regulator, local authority, the police, the Fair Work Agency, the Health and Safety Executive, or another appropriate body.

Staff may raise concerns via:

• Informal discussion with the agency’s designated contact.
• Formal use of the agency’s Whistleblowing Policy.
• Anonymously, if preferred, using channels identified within the Whistleblowing Policy.

The directors will take concerns seriously and investigate in line with agency procedures.

18. Safeguarding, DBS and Suitability for Assignments

{{org_field_name}} will carry out suitability checks that are appropriate to the role, client requirements and legal requirements before supplying workers to health or social care settings. These may include identity checks, right-to-work checks, employment history, references, qualification checks, professional registration checks, training records, health declarations, DBS checks and barred-list checks where legally eligible or required.

DBS and criminal record information will be handled in accordance with data protection law, the DBS Code of Practice where applicable, and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and Exceptions Order 1975. Information will only be requested, used, shared and retained where lawful, necessary and proportionate.

Workers must immediately inform {{org_field_name}} of any matter that may affect their suitability for work, including restrictions on practice, suspension, investigation, criminal charges or convictions, safeguarding allegations, health issues affecting fitness to work, or changes to right-to-work status.

{{org_field_name}} may suspend supply, restrict assignments, request further information or notify relevant parties where it has concerns about a worker’s suitability, safety, safeguarding risk, professional status or legal right to work.

19. Right to Work

{{org_field_name}} will carry out right-to-work checks before a worker is supplied or employed, and will repeat checks where required for workers with time-limited permission to work in the UK. Checks will be conducted in accordance with current Home Office guidance and the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

Workers must cooperate with right-to-work checks and must immediately notify {{org_field_name}} of any change to their immigration status, work restrictions, visa conditions or right to work.

{{org_field_name}} will not supply a worker where it knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that the worker does not have the right to undertake the work in question.

20. Pay, National Minimum Wage and Deductions

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that workers are paid in accordance with their agreed terms, statutory minimum wage requirements, working time rules, holiday pay rules and any applicable Agency Workers Regulations 2010 equal treatment rights.

Workers will receive clear information about pay, deductions, holiday pay arrangements and payment intervals. Where required, agency workers will receive a Key Information Document before agreeing terms with the agency.

{{org_field_name}} will not make unlawful deductions from wages. Any deductions must be lawful, clearly explained and authorised where required.

Workers must submit timesheets or electronic time records accurately and within the required deadlines. Where pay queries arise, {{org_field_name}} will review them promptly and correct any confirmed underpayment as soon as reasonably practicable.

21. Data Protection and Confidentiality

{{org_field_name}} will process staff, applicant and worker information in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This may include personal data, employment records, training records, payroll information, right-to-work evidence, health information, safeguarding information, DBS information, professional registration information and assignment records.

Special category data, including health information, will only be processed where there is a lawful basis and a valid condition for processing under data protection law. Access will be restricted to those who need the information for legitimate business, legal, safeguarding, health and safety, payroll or compliance purposes.

Workers must maintain confidentiality regarding service users, clients, colleagues, agency records and any personal or sensitive information accessed during assignments. Breaches of confidentiality or data protection requirements may lead to removal from assignment, disciplinary action, termination of engagement, notification to the client or regulator, or other appropriate action.

22. Modern Slavery and Labour Exploitation

{{org_field_name}} is committed to preventing modern slavery, human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage and labour exploitation in its business and supply chains.

The agency will take reasonable steps to ensure that workers are recruited and supplied ethically, are not charged unlawful work-finding fees, are paid lawfully, are free to leave work subject to lawful contractual notice provisions, and are not subject to coercion, threats, document retention, intimidation or exploitation.

Staff must report any concern that a worker, applicant or colleague may be subject to exploitation, coercion, trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, control by another person, or suspicious payment or accommodation arrangements.

Where {{org_field_name}} meets the statutory threshold under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, it will publish an annual modern slavery statement. Where the threshold is not met, the agency may still maintain anti-slavery procedures and provide client assurances where contractually required.

23. Training

All staff will receive training on:

• The principles of this Staff Support and Wellbeing Policy.
• Recognising signs of stress, fatigue, or burnout in themselves or colleagues.
• Reporting procedures for wellbeing concerns. Equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Supervision and reflective practice.
• Prevention of sexual harassment, including the agency’s reporting routes and the risks that may arise when working at client sites.
• Working time, fatigue, rest breaks and safe acceptance of shifts.
• Agency worker rights, including day-one rights and equal treatment after the qualifying period.
• Health and safety responsibilities for agency workers, including reporting unsafe conditions at client sites.
• Safeguarding, whistleblowing and escalation of concerns.
• Data protection, confidentiality and appropriate handling of client and service-user information.
• Modern slavery and labour exploitation awareness, where appropriate to the role.

24. Monitoring and Evaluation

Directors will:

• Review incident reports, complaints, and placement feedback to monitor potential wellbeing issues.
• Conduct staff surveys or feedback sessions to assess how staff perceive their wellbeing and agency support.
• Audit working hours and patterns to ensure compliance with the Working Time Regulations and best practice.
• Monitor holiday entitlement and holiday pay arrangements, including arrangements for irregular-hours and part-year workers.
• Monitor complaints, incidents and concerns involving discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, client conduct, fatigue, missed breaks, unsafe staffing, violence or aggression.
• Monitor whether agency workers are receiving appropriate assignment information, induction, supervision, access to facilities, rest breaks and support from client organisations.
• Review any pattern of concerns linked to a particular client, service, location, shift type or role and take appropriate action, which may include additional worker support, client escalation, suspension of supply, contractual review, or refusal to supply further workers.
• Use monitoring data to make continuous improvements to staff support arrangements.

25. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or earlier if:

• Legislative changes occur.
• Staff feedback, audit findings, or incidents indicate improvements are needed.
• Relevant statutory guidance, regulator guidance, enforcement arrangements or client requirements change, including guidance from GOV.UK, the Fair Work Agency, Acas, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Health and Safety Executive, the Home Office, DBS or safeguarding authorities.

The directors of {{org_field_name}} will take full responsibility for the policy’s implementation, monitoring, and review.

Because {{org_field_name}} does not provide regulated care directly, references to CQC requirements will only apply where relevant to client expectations, contractual requirements, or best practice for workers supplied into CQC-regulated environments. If {{org_field_name}} begins to provide regulated activities directly, it must review whether CQC registration is required before commencing those activities.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.