CSS News

Here is a collection of flexible working examples, provided by our CSS Allied Health Professionals.

Ruth Morgan, Children’s AHP Directorate Manager, Professional Lead for Children’s Occupational Therapy said:

“Previously I worked full time, core hours, Monday to Friday

I requested a 9-day fortnight when my mum unexpectedly moved to a dementia care home in Ireland

Working compressed hours enables me to spend more time with my mum and keep on top of my own appointments and other life admin!”

Amanda Hollows, Paediatric Occupational Therapist said:

“I have flexible working arranged on Monday (long day) and Tuesday (shorter day). This is mainly to fit clinical needs for my service (as we have early meeting, and late clinic on a Monday).

It has been helpful to be able to do this to meet the service demands, and to have a short day on Tuesday when I can get other jobs done (such as having appointments or doing home management jobs).

This helps with the service demands, as we are able to meet what patients want in terms of later appointments which helps with engagement and progression.”

Louise Salsbury, Paediatric Dietitian said:

“As a Paediatric Dietitian I have been fortunate to reduce my working hours to 3 days per week ( from 4) I requested this so I could support my elderly parents and other family commitments.

This has benefited me enormously as it has allowed me to have more time to help with my commitments at home and still have time to keep myself fit and active.

This has enhanced my enjoyment of work also as I feel more energised  on the my working days and seem to be able to achieve more. Overall, this has been very positive”

Nicola Williams, Team Lead Paediatric Dietitian said:

“I work full time but do different length days to fit clinical and personal need:

Monday 8.30-5.30 – busy inpatient day after weekend – lots of reviews and need to catch up with my team

Tuesday 8.30 – 4.30 – my 8b day for Moira – a normal length day to suit my secondment hours

Wednesday 8.30-5.30 – long day as busy clinic am, dept meetings pm and always other jobs to do around these

Thursday 8.30-2pm (no lunch) – I used to work 4 days and so my little girl never went to wrap round care on this day – I didn’t want her to have to do an extra day at afterschool club just because I was increasing my hours – this means I can finish early and collect her from school

Friday – 8.30-4.30 – normal length day (too tired to work a long day on a Friday!) and no need from a clinical point of view as better cover on this day/smaller clinic.”

Niamh Gilligan said:

“I recently had a flexible working request approved via paediatric dietetics. I work full time (Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri) 8-5am and remotely on a Wednesday 3-6.30pm. this has meant I have been able to reduce my sons nursery days helping income in the current cost of living crisis. On a Wednesday my husband works from home 7am-3pm and I work 3-6.30pm. It also means I have been able to spend more time with my son enhancing my work life balance. I found before my new work pattern I was working late most days, it has helped me have better time management and again better work life balance.

I find I am more productive in work and other members of my MDT work longer days. Being on site until 5pm means I have been able to offer some of the children and their families appointments outside of school hours and they are very happy with this.”

Helen Collins, Paediatric Occupational Therapist said:

“I have changed my working pattern on 3 occasions:

The first time I dropped from 5 days to 3 days.  This really helped me to cope and manage to life as a new mum with a chronic health condition and other life stresses being able to return to work (if I didn’t do this I don’t think I would have continued working).

The next time I moved my hours 15 minutes earlier from 8:30-4:30 to 8:15-4:15.  This massively reduce my stress levels to the end of the day to be able to pick my children up from after school club on time as they only run until 5:30 and some days I would only just make it on time and this would impact my stress and concentration levels at the end of the day- worrying about leaving on time and being stuck in traffic.  This feeling would then carry on into the evening and effect the mood in the house.

Last year I changed my days from Wed-Fri to Mon-Wed.  This was so I was able to attend our multidisciplinary clinic and attend MDT.  This has given me more contact with my patients and build a better rapport with them so I can provide more holistic care.”

Francesca Townsend, Paediatric Dietitian said:

“Prior to flexible working: I was previously full time and then over the years had reduced my hours due to my health to 30 per week (standard days except any clinical commitments, Monday to thursday).

I have a fairly long medical history- I can give the details if you would like, I don’t mind. It affects my heart and lungs and I can get a lot of chest infections/ asthma flares especially during winter. I can suffer from fatigue as a result of this.

I was advised to shield during COVID and was able to carry out video and telephone clinics from home during that period. On return to RMCH, I met with Occupational health who advised that on going home working would benefit me.

My role has been changed following this and includes one day working from home per week ( I work 30 hours). I carry out a telephone clinic from home on this day. This really helps me to manage my energy levels.

In addition, I wanted to be able to provide a service to the allergy clinic on a Friday but I am unable to work a full Friday due to family commitments. (My son is a talented rugby player and has training on a Friday evening which I need to be able to get him to).

I met with Moira and she reviewed my working days and hours with me so that I can work a shorter day on a Friday. This has enabled me to provide allergy cover to the clinic and this helps to improve my knowledge and experience and enjoyment in my role as well as improve the dietetic provision to the allergy clinic.”

Current:

8-5 Tues and wed (wed WFH)

8-4 Thursday

8-13:30 Friday

Amy Barker, Clinical Team Lead Dietitian said:

“I am part-time but also have flexible hours

I work 0.8 (with a trial of 0.9 currently)

Mon and Tues Tues 7.30-3.30pm

Alternate Wednesdays 7.30-3.30pm

Thurs 7.30-2.30pm

And Friday 7.30-4.45pm WFH

The pattern helps to facilitate with school pick up. I collect my daughter from school at 4.15pm Mon-Wed, 3.15pm on a Thurs and it means I can take her to and from school on a Wednesday. Working from home on a Friday has really helped in terms of keeping on top of project work. My husband picks up the children from school and takes them swimming, so they are not home until after I finish, I feel like it’s a very productive end to the week! Without the change in the hours, I would never be able to do school pick up and drop off and we have saved money from after school clubs. I am trying an increase to 0.9 to manage my workload during secondment as team lead. I decided to try alternate Wednesdays rather than alter the times of the day for work life balance (as described) and I also really value my RDO mainly for life admin.”

Beth Meadows, Rotational Dietitian said:

 9 day fortnight

“Flexi start between 07:30-08:30 – 16:20-17:20 with alternate Wednesdays as a rostered day off.

Initially found the thought of changing work pattern overwhelming, worried about longer days and if it would be filled. Once started trialed a Tuesday but this didn’t fit in either clinically or work-life balance and so after 1 month, changed to a Wednesday which was much better. Longer days are always able to be filled with clinical and non-clinical. The quieter office at the end of the day helps to complete outstanding tasks e.g. clinical paperwork or student documentation. From a work-life balance perspective, the break in the week every fortnight feels like a “treat” allowing me to do activities I enjoy such as training for doing a long run when training for a half marathon or hiking which is generally quieter.”