Corporate and local service induction policy – Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH)

1 Introduction

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) are committed to employee development and places value on the importance of having a process which support new colleagues in adapting quickly and effectively to their new roles.

This policy sets out the framework we follow for welcoming and integrating our new colleagues into the organisation.

Our approach to corporate induction is unique in that its purpose spans beyond information sharing and networking. It has been designed and structured to run over 5 consecutive days and aims to ensure that all new colleagues are orientated into the trust and understand its strategic objectives and values when carrying out their role.

In our induction we have built in adequate time for colleagues to establish relationships with trust wide colleagues, including our executive and care group directors, socialisation into their local workplace and time for them to gain compliance with their mandatory and statutory training requirements.

Ultimately, our approach to induction sets the foundations for how we work together to achieve our strategic objectives and so we recognise that it is important for us to give appropriate time and focus to all of our new colleagues so that they recognise how much we value them.

2 Purpose

The purpose of the policy is to:

provide clear guidance on the induction process and what our colleagues can expect.
ensure new colleagues receive essential information around their role, responsibilities and working environment.
support a smooth transition into the organisation, helping staff feel valued and included from the start of their journey with us.
promote compliance with statutory, regulatory and organisational requirements

This policy refers to both corporate and local service induction and sets a clear time frame and standards for both the corporate and local service induction.

The purpose of this policy is to

provide information that supports and assures the appropriate and effective induction of all new colleagues employed within the trust
identify the topics that are covered within corporate induction
provide a standard template for the local service induction of new colleagues that ensures that key local information is shared with new colleagues (appendix B)
set out the roles and responsibilities in respect of corporate and local induction procedures
set out the arrangements for ensuring relevant new colleagues attend and complete the corporate induction

3 Scope

This policy applies to all new colleagues and is.

Mandated for:

all colleagues who are newly appointed on a substantive or fixed term contract greater than 12 weeks
a local service induction is mandatory for all employees who work for the trust regardless of terms of employment

Relevant to:

all colleagues returning to the trust after a career break or absence of 12 months, or more are required to complete corporate induction within 8 weeks of their return
non-executive directors or governors, although technically not employees of the trust, should attend the corporate induction wherever possible

Not relevant to:

colleagues changing their role within the trust are not required to complete corporate induction
fixed term of less than 12 weeks, bank, agency, work experience, resident doctors, volunteers, locum or temporary colleagues, attendance at corporate induction is not mandatory for these colleagues
Colleagues on fixed term contracts of less than 12 weeks, bank, agency, work experience, junior doctors, locum or temporary colleagues, however, they must be afforded a local induction organised by their line manager and complete the local service induction checklist (appendix B)
volunteers’ attendance at corporate induction is not mandatory, however, they must be afforded a local induction organised by their line manager and complete the relevant sections of the local service induction checklist (appendix B)

4 Responsibilities, accountabilities and duties

4.1 Trust responsibilities

The board of directors delegates to the chief executive responsibility for the effective implementation of this policy.

4.2 Director of people and organisational development

Has delegated responsibilities for the effective implementation of this policy.

4.3 Head of learning and development

Responsible for:

co-ordination and facilitation of the corporate induction
ensuring that a corporate induction programme is in place and applicable to all new colleagues irrespective of background or grade and that reasonable adjustments are made to support colleagues
quality assurance of the induction process, undertaking such checks as may be necessary to satisfy the board of directors that the complementary system of corporate and local service induction is comprehensive and operating effectively in achieving this policy’s aims
keeping the induction process under review and updating it as the need arises
identifying a method through which the opinion of those separately participating and delivering the induction process is gathered to inform an ongoing review of the impact and effectiveness of the programme
ensuring attendance records are maintained via the electronic staff record (ESR)
reporting attendance and compliance rates of corporate induction

4.4 Executive directors and care group directors

Responsible for the attendance and engagement at all corporate induction sessions.

4.5 Line managers

Responsible for:

wherever possible, making themselves a point of contact for new colleagues prior to first day of employment or delegating this duty to another named person
ensuring new colleagues are made aware of where they need to be on their first day of employment and provide them with a named person who will meet and greet them
wherever possible, making themselves available to meet and greet new colleagues on their first day of employment or delegating this duty to another named person
supporting new colleague to contribute effectively to the delivery of trust services as soon as possible
ensuring that the relevant aspects of the corporate and local service induction are achieved and be completed within 8 weeks of the new colleague’s start date
inducting new colleagues into the organisation using the local service induction checklist (appendix B) and ensuring that the document is filed electronically or on paper in the new colleague’s personal file and made available for audit as required

4.6 New colleagues

Responsible for:

engaging in the induction process
contributing to the planning and progress of their own local service induction programme and local service induction checklist (appendix A) by taking the initiative and communicating clearly to their line manager any training or information needs which become apparent throughout their induction period

5 Procedure

There are several key phases involved in the trust’s induction process, each are of great significance and value:

5.1 Pre-employment

It is important that, from the first moment a person contacts the trust, they begin to form a positive impression and feel welcomed and valued. Creating such an impression is a responsibility shared by all trust colleagues. It is the responsibility of the Recruitment team to enrol all new colleagues employed on a substantive or fixed contract of greater than 12 weeks onto corporate induction. It is the responsibility of the line manager to plan the local service induction, including information that both parties require before the start of the new job.

A local service induction checklist has been produced (appendix B) to support the line managers with this process.

5.2 First day in post

The local service induction and checklist (appendix B) should start on the individuals first day in the workplace and the individual should be welcomed by their new line manager, provided the colleague does not start on the day of the corporate induction.

It is important to meet new colleagues and to have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the immediate environment. The local induction programme will be agreed in the new starter’s area of work and will depend upon the individuals job role.

5.3 Corporate induction

Pre-reading material will be sent to new colleagues via an electronic staff record (ESR) invitation prior to the commencement of corporate induction. It is recommended that colleagues take the opportunity to read this prior to attending the corporate induction programme.

The corporate induction is held over 5 days and made up as follows:

Day 1: attendance at an identified community venue within the trust’s geographical area
Day 2: attendance at an identified community venue within the trust’s geographical area
Day 3: local care group or backbone induction arranged by the care group or backbone directorate
Day 4: e-learning relevant to individual matrix
Day 5: attendance at an identified community venue within the trust’s geographical area

5.4 Monitoring completion of corporate induction

The Learning and Development Administration team will monitor attendance and maintain records via electronic staff record (ESR).

5.5 Non-attendance

All new substantive employees will be booked onto the mandatory and statutory training (MAST) by the HR Recruitment team. For all other groups see under special arrangements.

Attendance is mandatory. Line managers will ensure the process for authorisation and support is implemented for colleagues to attend.

5.6 Monitoring completion of corporate induction

There is a mandatory requirement for new colleagues (as outlined within the scope of this policy) to participate in corporate and local induction therefore in the event of non-attendance the following escalation process will be instigated by the Learning and Development team:

first non-attendance will be escalated to the colleague’s line manager and responsible service manager or equivalent to understand the rationale for non-attendance and any additional support required to enable attendance
second non-attendance to responsible director to consider whether non-attendance is a conduct matter

6 Training implications

6.1 All new colleagues substantive or fixed term

How often should this be undertaken: once on appointment or an absence from the organisation of a period exceeding 12 months.
Length of training: 5 days.
Delivery method: attendance at corporate induction attendance at local service induction, e-learning,
Training delivered by whom: hosted by learning and development, hosted by care group or backbone services, electronic staff record (ESR).
Where are the records of attendance held: electronic staff record (ESR), personal file.

6.2 All new colleagues regardless of terms of employment

How often should this be undertaken: once on appointment or an absence from the organisation of a period exceeding 12 months.
Length of training: 1 days.
Delivery method: attendance at local service induction, e-learning.
Training delivered by whom: hosted by care group or backbone services, electronic staff record (ESR).
Where are the records of attendance held: personal file.

7 Monitoring arrangements

7.1 Corporate induction

How: electronic staff record (ESR), first non-attendance, second non-attendance.
Who by: learning and development.
Reported to: workforce systems, line manager and service manager, care group or backbone service director.
Frequency: monthly.

7.2 Local induction compliance

How: completion of all required induction checklist elements.
Who by: line manager.
Reported to: responsible director.
Frequency: monthly.

7.3 Impact of induction

How: evaluation via Survey Monkey.
Who by: head of learning and development.
Reported to: responsible director.
Frequency: monthly.

7.4 Overall scope, quality assurance and efficiency of the Induction process

How: annual report to trust board of directors
Who by: head of learning and development
Reported to: trust board of directors.
Frequency: annually.

8 Equality impact assessment screening

To access the equality impact assessment for this policy, please email rdash.equalityanddiversity@nhs.net to request the document.

8.1 Privacy, dignity and respect

The NHS Constitution states that all patients should feel that their privacy and dignity are respected while they are in hospital. High Quality Care for All (2008), Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS, identifies the need to organise care around the individual, “not just clinically but in terms of dignity and respect”.

As a consequence, the trust is required to articulate its intent to deliver care with privacy and dignity that treats all service users with respect. Therefore, all procedural documents will be considered, if relevant, to reflect the requirement to treat everyone with privacy, dignity and respect, (when appropriate this should also include how same sex accommodation is provided).

8.1.1 How this will be met

No issues have been identified in relation to this policy.

8.2 Mental Capacity Act (2005)

Central to any aspect of care delivered to adults and young people aged 16 years or over will be the consideration of the individual’s capacity to participate in the decision-making process. Consequently, no intervention should be carried out without either the individual’s informed consent, or the powers included in a legal framework, or by order of the court.

Therefore, the trust is required to make sure that all colleagues working with individuals who use our service are familiar with the provisions within the Mental Capacity Act (2005). For this reason, all procedural documents will be considered, if relevant to reflect the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) to ensure that the rights of individual are protected and they are supported to make their own decisions where possible and that any decisions made on their behalf when they lack capacity are made in their best interests and least restrictive of their rights and freedoms.

8.2.1 How this will be met

All individuals involved in the implementation of this policy should do so in accordance with the guiding principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (section 1).

9 Links to any other associated documents

This is not an exclusive list of related procedural documents. Please use the link below to view the trust policy page.

10 References

NHS England, (2022). Learning and Development.

11 Appendices

11.1 Appendix A definition or explanations of terms used

Definitions
Term	Definition
Agency colleagues	Someone supplied by a business, or other organisation, providing a specific service, for example, an employment agency, private companies which supply nursing colleagues to trusts.
Locum	A person who stands in temporarily for someone else of the same profession, for example, a doctor.
Bank colleagues	A pool of colleagues within the trust who wish to work additional hours or are trust employees who work solely through the bank. A colleague who is contracted via NHS Professionals to undertake a shift at the trust.
Volunteers	Volunteers are people who come of their own volition, in their own time to undertake work within the trust and who do not receive any financial benefit.
Work experience placements	All types of students who are performing work within the trust as part of their programme of study or in preparation for the transition from education to the workplace.

11.2 Appendix B local service induction checklist

Refer to appendix B: local service induction checklist (staff access only).

Document control

Version: 7.
Unique reference number: 306.
Approved by: Education and Learning Clinical Leadership Executive Group.
Date approved: 13 October 2025.
Name of originator or author: lead placement and learning facilitator.
Name of responsible individual: director of people and organisational development.
Date issued: 8 January 2026.
Review date: 31 December 2028.
Target audience: all colleagues with responsibilities associated with local service and corporate induction of permanent and temporary colleagues.

Page last reviewed: January 08, 2026
Next review due: January 08, 2027

Problem with this page?

Please tell us about any problems you have found with this web page.