LSCft offers a number of Welcome Bonus and Relocation packages to new staff joining the Trust. In order to find out if you could benefit from one of these packages, you will need to read through the information provided in this section and check if you will be eligible to claim. Please read on for full details of the schemes, and for the terms and conditions around eligibility and repayment.

  • Welcome Bonus
  • Relocation Package

Welcome Bonus: FAQs and repayment terms

The Welcome Bonus is an incentive payment applicable to a number of key roles at LSCft. It is paid out in instalments over the course of two years (Enhanced Recruitment Premia paid out over three years).

There are four separate payment schemes in place for the Welcome Bonus as detailed below:

Scheme

Band

Payments

5% Salary Welcome Bonus

 

(Dates applicable: 1/7/20 to present)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consultant (medical)

 

 

 

 

 

The primary advantage of this scheme is that it is relatively straightforward to implement and administer. It is proposed that the scheme pays 5% of basic salary over two years in four instalments:

 

  • 1% of basic starting salary after 2 months (counted from start date with LSCFT)
  • 1% after 6 months
  • 1% after 12 months
  • 2% after 24 months

Enhanced Recruitment Premia for eligible posts

 

(Dates applicable:

1/7/22 to present)

Consultant (medical)

RRP will be paid for a period of three years, split into the following amounts:

 

  • Year 1 – 20% of basic salary, to be spread equally over the first 12 months of employment
  • Year 2 – 15% of basic salary, to be spread equally over the second 12 months of employment
  • Year 3 – 10% of basic salary, to be spread equally over the third 12 months of employment

 

£3k Welcome Bonus

 

(Dates applicable: 1/7/24 to 31/12/24)

Band 5

Payment Schedule below:

  • £500 Month 2
  • £500 after 6 months of employment (counted from start date with LSCft)
  • £1000 after 12 months
  • £1000 after 24 months

£7k Welcome Bonus

 

(Dates applicable: 1/7/24 to 31/12/24)

Band 6

Band 8a Psychology

Band 8b Psychology

Payment Schedule below:

  • £3,000 after 2 months of employment (counted from start date with LSCft)
  • £2,000 after 12 months
  • £2,000 after 24 months

£7k Welcome Bonus

 

(Dates applicable: 1/7/24 to 31/12/24)

Band 7 preceptorship post to Band 8a Psychology  (maximum two year development)

Payment Schedule below:

Band 7 start

  • £500 after 2 months of employment (counted from start date with LSCft)

Band 8a start

  • £2,500 after 2 months of employment as band 8a
  • £2,000 after 12 months
  • £2,000 after 24 months

£7k Welcome Bonus

 

(Dates applicable: 1/7/24 to 31/12/24)		 Band 8a preceptorship post to Band 8b Psychology  (maximum two year development)

Band 8a start

  • £500 after 2 months of employment (counted from start date with LSCft)

 

Band 8b start

  • £2,500 after 2 months of employment as band 8b
  • £2,000 after 12 months
  • £2,000 after 24 months

Payments will only be made after the individual has been in post for the full period after the next payment is due. If the individual leaves part way through they will not receive any partial payments for the period they have worked. For example, payment two after 12 months, the payment will only be made if they complete full 12 months. If they leave after nine months they will have received their payment at month two but they would not be eligible for any further payments as they have not completed the full 12 month period when the next payment is due.

The amount received for part-time staff will be calculated on a pro-rata basis i.e. someone employed for 0.50 Whole Time Equivalent (18.75 Hours per week) will receive 50% of the amount specified above.

Am I eligible for a Welcome Bonus payment?

The conditions for eligibility are:

  • The scheme is available to both existing NHS staff (not currently employed by the Trust or substantively employed by the Trust within the past 12 months) and people who are joining the NHS for the first time.
  • The Welcome Bonus is only available to candidates who are not currently employed (or who have not been employed in the last 12 months) by any NHS provider Trust in the Lancashire & South Cumbria (LSC) Integrated Care System (ICS) in a like-for-like role or core profession. For example, a Band 6 Occupational Therapist / Social Worker / Mental Health Nurse at another Trust in the LSC ICS would not be eligible for the bonus if moving to a Band 6 Occupational Therapist / Social Worker / Mental Health Nurse role at LSCft or in a role such as Mental Health Practitioner Role that requires the same profession. These Trusts are:
    • University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust
    • East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
    • Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
    • Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • New starters who are joining the Trust via the International Recruitment Project are not eligible for the scheme, as they benefit from the Overseas Relocation Bonus instead.
  • If a new starter was offered a role before the pilot period was in operation but commences that role during the period then they will still benefit from the Welcome Bonus; or if a new starter was offered a role during the period when the pilot was in operation but commences that role within three months of the end of the pilot period, they will still benefit from the Welcome Bonus.
  • The Welcome Bonus scheme is only applicable to specific roles, and it will be clearly stated within the job advert if a role offers a Welcome Bonus payment.
  • Internal LSCft candidates who apply for either a sideways move or promotion are not eligible.
  • Bank only workers would be eligible for the scheme if they have not held a substantive role in the same position in the last 12 months.
  • If an applicant has previously worked for the Trust, a gap of 12 months or longer would be required. This would also apply to those who have retired.
  • All claims must be made while the individual is in the employment of the Trust.
  • All claims must be made while the individual is in the employment of the Trust within three months of starting their post.
  • This is a non-contractual Trust Guidance document. The Trust reserves the right to amend the Guidance, and as such, the Guidance may be withdrawn with reasonable notice.

Will I have to pay back any money if I leave my job?

Individuals obtaining assistance through the Welcome Bonus pilot scheme are required to sign an agreement to return all of monies paid, if they do not start on the agreed date detailed within their unconditional offer or if they voluntarily leave the employment of the Trust within six months of commencement.

If individuals take up employment in another service or role within the Trust within the first six months of employment, all future payments will cease. In this instance, they would need to return all monies paid up to that point as per the repayment guidance.

If individuals take up a secondment post within the Trust, payments will be paused for the duration of the secondment and would resume when they return to their substantive post.

Where a practitioner in receipt of a payment leaves a substantive post within the Trust, they will be required to return all or a proportion of monies paid of the payment received from their final month’s salary, as specified below:

Repayment scheme

Repayment

5%, £3k, £7K
  • Less than 6 months employment - 100% to be paid back

Enhanced Recruitment Premia (consultant, medical)
  • Less than 12 months 100% of monies received so far
  • From 12 to 24 months 75% of monies received so far
  • From 25 to 36 months 50% of monies received so far

Any amounts not recouped by deduction from final salary will be required to be repaid immediately following employment ending (or in line with an agreed payment schedule as confirmed by the Finance Team).

It is proposed that the return of payments will not apply in cases where the Trust’s nominated director/delegated officer is satisfied that the practitioner has ceased to work in this capacity due to one of the following reasons:

  • enforced early retirement due to illness or injury
  • death
  • exceptional personal circumstances and with the approval of the Trust's nominated director/delegated officer, and; maternity (or other extended parenting leave agreed by the Trust) provided the employee gives an undertaking that they will return to practise and does so within a reasonable period, to be considered case-by-case by the Trust.

Any monies owing will be deducted from the individual’s final salary. An invoice will be raised for any additional monies owed. However, to avoid financial hardship, individuals may make the repayment over a maximum 12 month period, with the agreement of the head of operations/care group manager/head of nursing.

It is the responsibility of the employee to contact payroll to confirm what repayments are due and confirming this as part of their resignation.

The manager is also responsible for ensuring that they are aware of any repayments due when an employee is handing in their resignation, and should also seek to verify this with payroll and they ensure that they discuss and confirm any repayments due and inform payroll to deduct from the final salary or notify payroll and finance to set up invoice arrangements should the employee leave their employment within 6 months of commencement.

The payroll department will calculate the amount owing, and arrange deduction from the final salary or a request will be submitted to the Finance department to raise an invoice and cease any future payments.

If an employee already in receipt of a Welcome Bonus moves from one service area to another role which is also eligible for any Welcome Bonus scheme, they cannot carry their incentive over with them, even if both roles would normally be eligible for a Welcome Bonus to be applied. In this instance, they would no longer be able to continue receiving payments for the previous role, and would need to return all of monies paid up to that point if they move within the first six months in line with the repayment clause.

Will I pay tax on the Welcome Bonus?

A Welcome Bonus payment is treated as employee income, and so it is subject to tax, along with National Insurance contributions under the PAYE scheme your employer operates.

Can I opt out of the Welcome Bonus?

If you don’t wish to receive any payments via the Welcome Bonus scheme, you can opt-out in advance of starting in your new post – please speak to the Recruitment Team to let them know before your start date is agreed.

Relocation Package: terms and conditions

The Relocation Package is a new incentive which is available for the posts listed below at all of our inpatient units in Lancashire and South Cumbria. You could receive up to £8,000 (subject to terms and conditions).

The eligible roles are:

Staff group

Allowance

Band 5 RNMH inpatient only

Band 5 RNLD  inpatient and community

Up to £8000

Band 6 RNMH inpatient only

Band 6 RNLD  inpatient and community

Up to £8000

Band 7 and above In:

RNMH inpatient only

RNLD  inpatient and community

Up to £8000

Junior doctor

£500

Speciality doctors

Up to £8000

Director/executive/senior medical

£8000

Consultants (medics)

£8000

Fixed-term speciality doctor

Up to £4000

Fixed-term consultants (medics)

Up to £4000

In order to qualify for assistance under the relocation scheme, the following criteria apply:

  • The post holder must have been newly recruited to a “key post”.
  • The individual’s main residence (at the time of recruitment) is located more than a 30-mile radius from the new place of work (where the individual is required to work across different sites, the main work base defined in the employment contract will be used).
  • It is required that the individual will move within 15 miles of their place of work, within 12 months of appointment. Exceptions to this are allowed with the consent of the relevant locality director of operations, where it is felt that the member of staff can reasonably travel from their chosen residential area. As per the national terms and conditions - consultants (England) 2003, individuals recruited to fill consultant posts will be required to reside within a distance of 30 minutes or 10 miles by road from their principal place of work (unless expressly agreed otherwise by LSCft).
  • The home the individual moves to will become their “main residence”.
  • The individual must be a current “householder”, or will become a “householder” as a result of the move (see section 3.3 for definition).
  • The individual must be employed on a contract of no less than two years in duration (excluding junior doctors and medics recruited on fixed-term contracts).
  • New staff whose spouse or partner is already in receipt of relocation assistance (whether from LSCft or another employer) for their house move, will not be eligible for the scheme. Only one set of payments will be made in respect of the property.
  • All claims must be made while the individual is in the employment of the Trust.

You may not receive the full amount, as you are only entitled to claim for certain things that are fully detailed in section 6 of the current LSCft Relocation Assistance Guidance.

These include:

  • Disposal costs
  • Acquisition costs
  • Transportation of belongings
  • Travel and subsistence
  • Domestic goods for the new residence

The Trust will pay expenses to assist eligible employees in:

  • Buying a property
  • Searching for accommodation
  • Selling a property
  • Renting unfurnished accommodation
  • Renting furnished accommodation

Allowances available to eligible employees will be determined by whether the employee is:

  • Purchasing a new property
  • Renting furnished accommodation
  • Renting unfurnished accommodation

You will need to provide professional receipts to assist with the validation of any claim(s).

Individuals moving to unfurnished rented accommodation rather than buying a home will have their allowance capped at 75% of the maximum of their allocated assistance package (this does not apply to junior doctors). This also applies to the additional roles that are eligible for an enhanced relocation payment during the three year trial period.

This is summarised in the table below:

Appointment

Maximum

allowance

Band 5 post

£3,000

Band 6 post

£3,000

Band 7 and above

£5,000

Director/executive/senior medical-level

£8,000

Junior doctor

£500

The above are capped at £500 where the individual is moving to furnished rented accommodation

Relocation repayment terms and conditions:

Individuals obtaining assistance through the relocation scheme are required to sign an undertaking to return all or a proportion of monies paid if they voluntarily leave the employment of the Trust within two years of commencement excluding junior doctors and medics who are on fixed term contracts.

If you leave your substantive role with the Trust within 24 months of your start date, you may have to pay back all or part of any money paid to you in your relocation package. This will be taken from your final month’s salary as specified below:

  • Within the first 6 months employment - 100% to be paid back
  • Within 6 – 18 months employment - 75% to be paid back
  • Within 18 – 24 months employment - 50% to be paid back

To discuss the relocation package further and check if you are eligible, please contact the recruiting manager named on the job advert for which you are applying.