Working in the NHS?

ilovechocolate

Hi everyone,

I'm a newly qualified speech and language therapist looking to work within the NHS in the Greater London area. Does anyone have any tips/suggestions? Advice on the NHS recruitment process in particular would be great!

Thanks

ancapailldorcha

NHS posts are advertised on www.jobs.nhs.uk. I don't think they deal with recruitment agencies but I'm not sure.

ilovechocolate

Thanks, I've signed up to the NHS jobs website and I've been applying to things there. I've heard mixed things about recruitment agencies in the UK, a few people have told me that you can end up in very dodgy jobs if you go through them, do you know of any good ones?

ancapailldorcha

I don't work in the NHS, I just know a few people that do. I'd keep an eye on NHS jobs. The only recruitment agencies I've dealt with were ones specialising in scientific recruitment. Anyone advising caution when dealing with agencies is talking sense. I've dealt with plenty that couldn't care less what happened to me. Would you be willing to work for a private company? That, at least would give you experience until an NHS post opened up.

ilovechocolate

I think I will steer clear of recruitment companies unless I hear good things about a specific one. I'm not too sure about private companies because they are often very money driven, which is not a way I think I would enjoy working. Thanks for the advice!

Santa Cruz

ilovechocolate wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I'm a newly qualified speech and language therapist looking to work within the NHS in the Greater London area. Does anyone have any tips/suggestions? Advice on the NHS recruitment process in particular would be great!

Thanks

Stick with the NHS site. I would advise that you apply very quickly for any vacancies because they are taken down quickly. Also unless you really want a London position don't rule out positions outside the London area. Kent, Norfolk The West Country are all great locations. You would probably be better off locating to the UK now and pick up some part time job to keep you going. Once you start applying for NHS position you will be getting interviews and you would be better off to be already based there.

ballsymchugh

look into getting a criminal record background check also. thanks to harold shipman, everyone applying for a job where they will be dealing with the public needs one BEFORE they can start.

these can take about 3 months to do, and are very picky about how your name is spelt (could be an issue if the name on your passport is in irish and you use the english version at work or vice versa etc).

check first, if you can wait the 3 months or so, then the NHS will pay for the CRB.

Santa Cruz

ballsymchugh wrote: »

look into getting a criminal record background check also. thanks to harold shipman, everyone applying for a job where they will be dealing with the public needs one BEFORE they can start.

these can take about 3 months to do, and are very picky about how your name is spelt (could be an issue if the name on your passport is in irish and you use the english version at work or vice versa etc).

check first, if you can wait the 3 months or so, then the NHS will pay for the CRB.

Getting the clearance can be a pain. I actually called down in person to the Garda Vetting in Thurles to try and get through the logjam for my daughter who had been given an NHS position but could not work because she had no clearance.
It's bad enough that our children have to emigrate without having to put up with these delays

NoCrackHaving

Santa Cruz wrote: »

Stick with the NHS site. I would advise that you apply very quickly for any vacancies because they are taken down quickly. Also unless you really want a London position don't rule out positions outside the London area. Kent, Norfolk The West Country are all great locations. You would probably be better off locating to the UK now and pick up some part time job to keep you going. Once you start applying for NHS position you will be getting interviews and you would be better off to be already based there.

Hmmm, not sure about Norfolk, all those jokes about East Anglia have a fair bit of truth in there I found.

ilovechocolate

Sorry I haven't replied in a while, I've been really busy and have managed to land myself a job in Berkshire! They are organising the police check for me and say that hopefully I should be starting late January/early February! Terrified and excited at the same time thanks everyone for all the advice!