Staff benefits

The Trust offers many benefits to employees, including health and wellbeing initiatives, developmental opportunities, and various schemes such as cycle to work, lease cars, and technological schemes (such as home computers, laptops, iPads, phones and TVs). A summary is provided below, and full details can be found on our new staff support and benefits platform, Viv Up. 

 As well as containing a lot of useful information around good health and wellbeing, the service enables staff to access benefits such as discounts at high street stores, and to pay for a selection of items including home electronics and appliances through salary sacrifice. Vivup is free to use and is accessible on both work and home computers. 

Health and wellbeing

Having a healthy workforce is very important to The Walton Centre. We offer a number of services and initiatives to support staff health and wellbeing: 

• Shiny Minds – Mindfulness App
• Occupational Health Support
• Physiotherapy via Occupational Health (available for self-referrals)
• Free confidential Counselling and Staff Support Services through NOSS
• Lifestyle Assessments
• Smoking Cessation Support
• Mindfulness & Resilience Sessions
• Health and Wellbeing Events
• Mental Health Awareness Training
• Financial advice and support via Neyber
• MHFA support

Financial offers

The NHS Pension Scheme continues to be one of the most comprehensive schemes available in the UK and offers a pension that pays out continuously for as long as you live following your retirement, as well as many additional benefits including life assurance, pensions for dependant partners and children, and ill health retirement benefits. 

VivUp includes a huge range of financial offers and support for employee’s including: 

•  Huge range of discounts across major retailers, supermarkets, family essentials, dining out, leisure activities, and much more. 
• Cycle to work scheme and bike shop allowing you to purchase tax free bikes and accessories through your salary* 
• Home Electronics scheme to spread the costs of purchases through your salary* 
• Lease Car scheme for all permanent employees, enabling employees to pay for a car (inc. maintenance and insurance) directly from their salary 
• Free financial advice, as well as the ability to take out affordable loans deducted from your salary, via Neyber. 

* Salary Sacrifice schemes mean that you pay for the benefit through deductions from your monthly salary with potential savings on NI and Pension Contributions. N.B. Salary Sacrifice may impact on your Pension Benefits so you should consider this careful. 

 You can also access the staff lottery – for a £1 deduction you can join the monthly staff lottery for a chance of winning 1 of 3 prizes (£50, £30 or £20). To join simply contact the Finance Department. 

Leave and family friendly benefits

• Additional Annual Leave Purchase Scheme – staff can apply to purchase up to 2 weeks additional leave per year.
• Flexible Working Options – all employees can apply to work flexibly regardless of their length of service. The Trust promotes a range of different flexible working options designed to support each employees work life balance. 
• Special Leave Provisions (paid and unpaid) – the Trust understands that staff may have occasions where they need time away from work due to urgent, unforeseen domestic situations and/or parental or carer responsibilities, as well as public service need.
• Maternity / Adoption Leave & Pay – occupational maternity and adoption leave includes up to 12 months off with 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay (plus SMP/SAP), 13 weeks SMP/SAP and 13 weeks unpaid. Criteria apply. 
• Paternity Leave & Pay – occupational paternity leave package provides 2 weeks leave with full pay. Criteria apply. 
• Shared Parental Leave & Pay – this allows new parents to be more flexible about how they split caring for a new child. Parents can choose to split the 12 months leave entitlement for maternity / adoption between partners in a number of ways. 
• Parental Leave – this allows parents to take up to 4 weeks unpaid leave per year, per child, up to a total of 18 weeks for each child before their 18th birthday. 
• Occupational Sick Pay – the NHS offers an enhanced level of sick pay to support staff when they are too unwell to attend work. 

Support and recognition

• Employee Awards & Vouchers – nominate a colleague for a job well done, for consistently demonstrating the Trust values, or their dedication to service by nominating them for one of the monthly awards. 
• Long Service Awards – celebrating the loyalty of our staff is important to us. We recognise long service with a gift for those who have worked for the Trust for 10+ years. 
• Coaching Provision – coaching is a useful way of developing people's skills and abilities, and of boosting performance. It can also help deal with issues and challenges before they become major problems – it is recognised that dealing with issues in our personal lives can affect how we perform at work and therefore coaching will address both work related and personal issues. The Trust has a number of qualified coaches available for staff to access should they feel they could benefit from a coaching relationship. 
• Training Opportunities – helping you develop in your role and as an individual is important to us. We offer a broad range of training and development opportunities throughout your career. 
•  Mediation – mediation is conflict resolution and involves parties choosing to resolve a dispute or issue as an alternative to resorting to formal HR policies and procedures. Mediation allows the parties involved to resolve their differences and retain control of the outcome of the conflict. The Trust has several trained mediators. 

Page last updated: 03 July 2023