Established in 2011, we are a leading provider of community and mental health services, with a top performing and award winning Academy of Research and Improvement. The 6,296 talented people at the Heart of Solent share an ambitious vision to make a difference, so everyone has easy access to safe and effective care, enabling more people to remain well and independent throughout their lives.
At Solent we share a fundamental belief that the way we work, our behaviours and priorities should be guided by our values – Honesty, Everyone Counts, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork (HEART). We believe in honest, respectful conversations and working together with service users, carers, our staff and people in the communities we work in.
One of our missions is to make Solent a great place to work: 'Our people will feel connected, involved and supported to do their very best work together. Every person working in Solent NHS Trust will feel able to bring their authentic selves to work each day. We will support our people to learn and develop, look after their health and wellbeing and develop a workforce which is sustainable for the future.'
The national NHS People Plan sets out an ambitious vision for the NHS, with more staff, working differently, in a compassionate and inclusive culture. We are committed to delivery of the People Plan and we will be a Great Place to Work by focusing on four key pillars:
- Looking after our people – we will look after the health and wellbeing of our people and prioritise work-life balance.
- Belonging in the NHS – we will create an inclusive, compassionate culture which addresses inequalities.
- New ways of working – we are committed to embedding new ways of working and delivering care.
- Growing for the future – we will develop a workforce which is sustainable for the future.
You can find out more about our strategy here.
Join us and start making a real difference to the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Great care starts with great people. Be your best, and in return we will do our very best for you.
The HEART Awards
Colleagues who have made a real difference can be nominated for a HEART Award, by clicking here. Awards are available in the following categories:
- Colleague of the month
- Team of the month
- Leader of the month
An independent panel will meet every month to choose the winners. The panel will change monthly to ensure judging is fair. Winners will be notified in the following month e.g. February winners will be notified mid-March.
Apprenticeship Awards
Every year we host an awards ceremony to celebrate our Apprentices during the National Apprenticeship Week. Nominations are made in the following categories:
- Demonstrating HEART values
- Apprenticeship ambassador
- Clinical apprentice of the year
- Non-Clinical apprentice of the year
Long Service Awards
Long Service Awards are awarded to people in the celebration year when they reach the milestones of 25 and 40 years NHS service. People receive a small gift, certificate, a letter from our Chief Executive and one extra days annual leave during their celebration year.
Nursery fees direct
This is a scheme whereby people, who use our in-house nursery at Trust Taplins in Southampton, are able to pay via a salary sacrifice scheme.
Occupational maternity, paternity, adoption and partner leave
We offer generous maternity and paternity packages, as well as adoption leave.
Flexible working
We encourage a flexible working culture.
Yoga, Pilates and Mindfulness classes
We offer free yoga and pilates classes to all employees. As well as Mindfulness online sessions to help boost people's wellbeing.
Workplace Options
The Employee Assistance Programme provides employees with a free and confidential helpline, as well as information relating to everyday life and counselling support.
Flu fighters
The Occupational Health Team offer free flu vaccinations to all employees.
The Solent Recovery College
The Recovery College helps to support employees with their mental wellbeing by offering courses on mental health.
Support with mental wellbeing
We offer a range of self-help resources and support services.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) bones, joints, muscles
Our Occupational Health Team has amazing recourses and support services to help prevent MSK related injuries from happening, and to support employees if a problem occurs.
OWLES
The Optimising the Wellbeing and Lived Experience of Staff (OWLES) program helps create a culture where we all feel comfortable and inspired to talk about general wellbeing and mental health, and to encourage everyone to support one another.
Wellbeing and healthy lifestyle checks
You can access a wellbeing check at St James’ Hospital or at the Royal South Hants (RSH) Hospital. The session can help to assess your health and wellbeing and develop a plan to help you make healthier life style choices.
Staff shopping discounts
We work with Health Service Discounts www.healthservicediscounts.com and Red Guava www.redguava.co.uk to bring employees a range of discounts.
Periodically, local businesses offer employees of the Trust discounts. We share these through all employee communications.
E-learning
Staff can access online training on ESR to learn and develop skills. You can also access your payslips on ESR.
Apprenticeships
We offer apprenticeships so staff can develop skills and gain knowledge. Staff will also receive a qualification at the end.
Performance Excellence Model
Staff get regular 1:1s with their managers and an appraisal each year to reflect and set targets.
Annual leave
All annual leave will be calculated in hours. Employees will have their annual leave calculated inclusive of bank holidays and will be pro rated for part time workers.
NHS Pension Scheme
The NHS Pension Scheme is the largest centrally administered public service pension scheme in Europe. As an employer, we pay 20.6% towards the NHS Pension.
Retirement
Solent NHS Trust will make a contribution towards a celebration when an employee retires after 25 years working at NHS, of which five years were spent at Solent.
Online payslips
Employees can access their payslips online on any mobile or tablet device, as well as on a computer. They can also access their p60, their total reward statement and many other things online.
Flexible working
We encourage a flexible working culture.
We are proud to offer Schwartz Rounds to employees, events which are well attended.
The events are held monthly, at different times and in different locations, across Hampshire, and all clinical and non-clinical colleagues are welcomed. Some Rounds are also held virtually. Schwartz Rounds offer everyone a safe, confidential space to share and reflect on personal experiences; the joys, and challenges, of working in the NHS.