Are you regulated by Care Quality Commission, CQC?

A24 Group t/a British Nursing Association is regulated by The Care Quality Commission to provide the following regulated activities: Diagnostic and screening procedures; Personal Care; Treatment of disease, disorder or injury. In Northern Ireland regulation is by the Regulatory & Improvement Authority, where we are registered as both a domiciliary agency and nursing agency - and in Scotland by the Scottish Care Commission, for domiciliary care and nursing agency activities.

Why do I need to attend a face-to-face interview with a nursing consultant?

All candidates are required to attend a face-to-face meeting with an A24 Group Nursing Consultant, this enables us to meet you and verify your experience, training and work status.

How do I register with you - as I cannot find details of any of your branches?

BNA operates branch locations in some regions. When you telephone us, please ask for the consultants’ team who deal with your geographical region – so if you are in Birmingham, please ask for the Birmingham team. In other areas we have nursing consultants who are ‘mobile’ and have the flexibility to meet with you in your local area or workplace. All of these Roving Consultants are equipped with document scanners and other equipment to enable them to fully assist you to register. To start your registration with us just click here to register your contact details initially.

Why is the registration process so onerous, I never had to do this even for my current employer?

We recognize that registration with the BNA can be a time-consuming process: as a responsible healthcare recruiter we are bound by the statutory recruitment and care standards as well as the regulations and requirements of our clients. To help you to achieve full compliance we have partnered with a number of organisations and have dedicated teams of clearance and research staff to assist you. Please remember it will all be worthwhile as once you are cleared to work with us we have a number of different agencies in the group, affiliated to BNA, for which you will automatically become eligible to work.

My full time job is within the NHS and I have never had to undertake all the training and compliance that you are asking me for and I work there every day: why do I need this in order to do the odd agency shift back in the NHS?

The NHS are very clear on these requirements; and as an agency worker you are effectively viewed as a new starter within the NHS meaning that you have to undertake all the training and occupational health requirements.

How does BNA deal with my Occupational Health information?

We recognise that this information is personal and highly confidential to you as an individual; and that’s how we treat it. We have contracted with a partner, Healthier Business, who carry out all occupational health checks and provide advice on our behalf. They undertake all verifications and make recommendations where necessary. Healthier Business will issue us with a “Fitness for work “certificate on your behalf once they are satisfied you meet the requirements laid down by the Department of Health. You can purchase this certificate for your own portfolio at a cost of £5.29.
Please see our Quick Guide.

There seems to be a high level of training required, where can I go for this and get these courses done?

BNA has partnered with Osmosis Training services www.osmosistraining.co.uk. Osmosis provides all the necessary courses that you will require to become compliant. Many of the courses are available online so therefore can be undertaken at your leisure. We’ve partnered with national training providers who deliver manual handling and CPR training on our behalf. You will receive certificates for your portfolio for any course that you attend that is affiliated with us.

Why do I need a Criminal Records check, when I have one that has been done recently with my current employer?

It is a legal requirement that all candidates who work in positions that are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act undergo an enhanced disclosure for each and every agency or employer that they work for. The check must be in place prior to you undertaking any assignment.

The A24 Group keeps asking me for my copy of the CRB check, surely you don’t need this as the CRB has sent the A24 Group their own copy?

When the Criminal Records Bureau issue a disclosure certificate, they issue one copy to the registered body (A24) and the other copy is the applicant's copy which is for your own records. Registered bodies are prevented from disclosing any details to a third party concerning your CRB. We therefore request a copy of your application as many of our clients will insist on sight of this prior to accepting you for an assignment.

I completed a CRB with you over 12 months ago and have been working without issue ever since and now you are asking me to complete a new disclosure, is this really necessary?

It is an NHS requirement and indeed a requirement of the majority of our clients that a new CRB is instigated every 12 months. Our new online CRB systems make the process very easy.

How often do I need to update my training and occupational health details?

All information must be updated annually and required additional training undertaken by you to remain compliant. This means that every 12 months we will require new certificates of training from you - and Healthier Business will need to reassess your Occupational Health details and issue a new "Fitness for work" certificate.

It seems a lot to remember and as a busy working healthcare professional, I am concerned that a document will lapse and I unwittingly will become non-compliant. How can you help me with this?

We recognise that many of the compliance documents that you provide us with will lapse at different times in the year: we have therefore introduced our candidate portal A24 Connect to assist you with this. Once you are registered with BNA you can access A24 Connect and look at your compliance status, ask questions, and update availability - therefore being more in control of your records and compliance. Our systems are intelligent and in addition to the A24 Connect portal, e-mail reminders will be sent to you on a regular basis providing you with time to comply with any requirements.

This all seems a lot of work that I have to do to get agency shifts, how can I be sure this is worth my while?

BNA cannot guarantee you work: this is dependent on the demand for temporary staffing from our clients throughout England and Wales. We do however book in excess of 40,000 of temporary hours every week and our consultants are extremely pro-active, therefore affording you the best work opportunities in the market.

Is BNA affiliated to any other agencies?

BNA operates as an independent agency in the A24 Group. Other agencies include Ambition 24Hours and The Nursing Services of the UK, Grosvenor Nursing and Mayfair Specialist nurses. BNA is predominately a supplier for longer term contract work in the NHS, offering good continuity of local work.

Can I make myself available to all of your agencies, therefore maximising my work opportunities?

Yes, by registering with A24 Group once you will immediately become compliant to work for all of the agencies in the group.

Who do I speak to if I am unhappy about anything?

In the first instance, please contact one of our consultants. If after that the issue is unresolved, please email complaints@a24group.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will ensure that the correct person addresses any concern you may have.