Newcareroots Ltd may require you to undertake additional or other duties as necessary to meet the needs of the Company on a short-term basis (e.g., holiday or sickness cover).

New contractors join Newcareroots Ltd on a three-month probationary period. During and/or at the end of your probationary period, you may be asked to attend contract reviews to discuss your overall work performance and conduct, including absence record, competency, timekeeping, attitude, and interactions with colleagues, service users, and visitors. If the Company is satisfied with your performance and conduct, including gaining the Care Certificate, your contract will be confirmed. If not, or if you fail to gain the Care Certificate, your contract may be terminated with the required notice. The Company may extend the probationary period in borderline cases.

You must notify Newcareroots Ltd of any changes to your right to work in the UK. The Company may conduct periodic checks or request documentation. Your contract is conditional upon a satisfactory DBS check, which you must cooperate in obtaining. Failure to do so will result in termination. You may pay up to £55 for the DBS check or provide details of a DBS registered with the update service. Register at www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service within 28 days of issuance for £13/year. Details are in the Employee Handbook.

Your normal place of work will be various sites as assigned by Newcareroots Ltd. You will not be required to work outside the UK.

Your rate of pay is Weekday: £10.5, Weeknight: £10.5, Weekends: £11 per hour, paid weekly every Friday. Your contract is a zero-hour contract with no minimum hours guaranteed. This agreement between Newcareroots Ltd and you allows the Company to offer work without obligation, and you may accept or decline work, paid only for hours worked. Normal hours are up to 44 hours per week, worked flexibly per the roster, with a paid 30-minute break daily. Overtime, shifts, or weekends may be required. Timesheets must be submitted by Monday for the previous week’s work, or wages may be estimated based on minimum hours, corrected later. Notify the Company immediately of payment errors for correction at the next opportunity.

As part of your duties, you must undertake staff meetings and mandatory training, which may occur outside normal hours. You will be paid or granted time off in lieu for attendance.

Work-Based Training

It is a condition of your contract to undertake work-based training to ensure compliance with regulations. You will be paid or granted time off in lieu for training outside normal hours.

Staff Meetings

Regular staff meetings are mandatory, held at convenient times. You will be paid or granted time off in lieu for attendance outside normal hours.

Newcareroots Ltd provides necessary training, covering costs, or accepts valid certificates you provide.

Self-employed contractors (sole traders, limited companies) are not entitled to annual holiday time. Umbrella company contractors, as employees of the umbrella, may access holiday benefits.

Contractors engage in business-to-business transactions and are not employees, thus not qualifying for holiday pay, except for umbrella company contractors who receive holiday pay from the umbrella company, not Newcareroots Ltd.

Self-employed subcontractors are not entitled to sickness leave, maternity pay, holiday pay, or pension contributions.

Substandard conduct or performance may lead to disciplinary action, designed as a corrective process to achieve Newcareroots Ltd’s standards. Details are in the Employee Handbook.

You may appeal disciplinary decisions or penalties within five days in writing to the Operations Director. Details are in the Employee Handbook.

Raise grievances with management, formally in writing if needed. Details are in the Employee Handbook.

As a self-employed contractor, you may set up a personal pension. Newcareroots Ltd will not contribute to your pension scheme.

There are no collective agreements affecting your contract terms.

Contractor Notice: Less than one month: none; one month to probation completion: one week; post-probation: one month. Employer Notice: Less than one month: none; one month to probation: one week; post-probation but less than five years: one month; five years or more: one week per year of service (max 12 weeks).

If you leave without working full notice, costs for covering your duties may be deducted from termination pay. The Company may require you to take outstanding holiday entitlement during your notice period, per regulation 15(5) of the Working Time Regulations.

Newcareroots Ltd may deduct from pay for financial losses after investigation, with your consent per the Contract Rights Act 1996. Examples include:

• Overpayment of pay, commission, or bonus.
• Holiday pay for excess leave taken.
• Outstanding loan or pay advance repayments.
• Over-claimed or disallowed expenses.
• Unrepaid cash floats.
• Other sums owed to the Company.
• Costs from Company Credit Card or Fuel Card misuse.
• Unauthorized personal phone calls/data usage or fuel costs.
• Replacement or repair of equipment/uniform lost, stolen, or damaged due to negligence.
• Costs for unreturned or damaged equipment (e.g., lock replacement).
• Insurance excess for damage due to negligence.
• Costs of covering duties if you fail to work full notice.
• Fines, penalties, or losses from carelessness, negligence, vandalism, dishonesty, or rule breaches.
• Monies paid to third parties due to your conduct.
• Damages or expenses payable to third parties for your actions.
• Deductions per other contract terms or separate agreements (e.g., training costs, DBS checks).

Deductions follow a procedure with written notice and a repayment plan if needed. Civil court action may recover outstanding debts. Details are in the Employee Handbook.

You may sign a ‘Training Costs Agreement’ before training, allowing deductions for training costs (pro-rata) if you fail to complete the course or leave within two years, except in redundancy cases.

Newcareroots Ltd may terminate your contract with immediate effect via payment in lieu of notice. You may be required to remain away from work during your notice period, without working for others.

Newcareroots Ltd may lay off contractors or introduce short-time working if needed, with pay reduced proportionally. Details are in the Employee Handbook.

Newcareroots Ltd maintains a strict policy on confidential information, including service user records, employee data, and company information. You must not disclose, use, or enable others to use such information without consent, during or after your contract, except as required by law. Breaches are disciplinary offenses, with serious cases leading to dismissal without notice for gross misconduct. Notify the Company of any unauthorized data issues immediately. Details are in the Employee Handbook.

For six months post-contract, you may not approach Newcareroots Ltd employees (direct care staff or those with over 12 months’ service) to encourage them to leave or employ them.

For six months post-contract, you may not conduct business with clients you dealt with in the last six months of your contract to compete with Newcareroots Ltd.

During your contract, you must devote your working time to Newcareroots Ltd’s business, disclose relationships with service users or suppliers, and not engage in competing care services.

You may not undertake private work for Newcareroots Ltd’s clients during your contract. All work queries must go through management, and you must not discuss pricing unless authorized.

Amendments to this contract will be notified in writing and take precedence. The Employee Handbook forms an integral part of this contract.