Ocean Healthcare are a bunch of super friendly people who are committed to doing things right in the health and social care sector in the Southwest of the UK. There's about 50 of us working out of offices in Paignton, Exeter, Newton Abbot, Barnstaple, Plymouth and Taunton.

We are also about 400 great healthcare workers doing marvellous things in our Complex Care service or in our Agency Staffing Support business. We have been going since October 2013 and have become a top-rated Agency and one of the most well respected care providers in the areas in which we operate.

Complex Care is a care service for individuals with complex needs. The care we provide is delivered mainly in the homes of our service users who may have learning disabilities and/or complex health challenges. Our shifts are rarely shorter than 4 hours and can be up to 12 hours. The people we care for can be new born infants through to very elderly. Our care service is led by nurses who oversee quality, safety and training of our care teams. Our carers are highly trained. Our most experienced and highly skilled carers are true healthcare professionals who often have skill competence greater than nurses or other healthcare professionals. Complex Care is a career choice for people who love care, want to develop themselves and make a big difference to the people they care for.

Good question! We think so! We do our best to make sure that everyone who works with Ocean Healthcare is Happier as a result. Happiness is a major thing for us at Ocean Healthcare. We believe healthy things grow naturally and that relationships are at the heart of everything we do. Of course, we are just ordinary people so occasionally we mess up. However, we are a team of highly committed and friendly people who are trying hard to put a bit of goodness back into our part of the world.

To understand whether we're any good though you should probably ask people other than us. Check out our reviews on Google and Facebook and wherever good people leave reviews. Last time we checked they were looking pretty good!

Now that is an excellent question! We'd be really pleased to explore whether Ocean Healthcare is the right place for you or not. We truly believe that healthy things grow naturally and we want to help everyone grow as a person. For many Ocean Healthcare is exactly the right place for that and for others we might recommend a different path. Some of the things we think are highlights include:

• We are a cool bunch of friendly people who know what we're doing.

• You'll earn among the best rates of pay available in the care sector.

• Our training team are superb! You'll have lots of opportunities to develop if you want to.

• Your Happiness and that of everyone who works with us is a big priority.

Our philosophy is Live Happy Care Well.

We believe that great care is only consistently delivered by people who are in a good place themselves and cared for by the people they work with and the organisation they work for. Great care is important because the vulnerable people at the receiving end of that care deserve it. So we owe it to them to make sure we're in a good place as people ourselves. Let's focus on our Happiness and that of the people around us. Let's do that together. It's kind of really important :)

It is usually the case that people wanting to join our Complex Care service as a Care Assistant need to have experience in care. We provide robust training in our Training Centre to ensure you are equipped to work with people with complex needs. We do occasionally take on people with little or no experience in care. However, there are few opportunities to do this as it takes quite a lot of training and shadowing before you would be competent to work. The people we care for (service users) range in how complex their care needs are. The most complex require people with very advanced care skills. We are very interested to hear from people who have these skills and experience already (in both clinical/health or learning disabilities). We also provide ongoing development training, supported by our nurse teams, for people to progress and become competent and confident in supporting people with the most complex needs.

While both require superb carers, there's a lot of difference between working in our Agency and working in Complex Care....although some do both! The type of care, how and where it is delivered and the key reasons for choosing either option are quite different. If you are an experienced carer, you may be able to choose either option. Our expert recruiters can help you determine which path is best for you. Get in touch if you'd like to talk things through.

Complex Care is a nurse-led CQC-registered care service for people of all ages, mainly in their homes. Shifts can be anything between 4-12 hours. You would normally work consistently with one or more of our service users on a fixed rota. Although you would be part of a care team, you would often be working on your own or with one other person. You would be supported by a Care Team Manager and our Nurse Team. Complex Care has opportunities for Carers and Support Workers in working with different types of service user.

Our Agency (also known as Nursing Agency) suits experienced healthcare workers ( HCAs, Support Workers and Nurses) who want to be able to work flexibly. Working to a fixed rota can be constraining and often doesn't work with family and social life very well. Also, if you want to increase or decrease the amount you work/earn, it is very easy to do that on an instant basis with Agency which permanent jobs (including our own Complex Care service) do not allow. As an Agency worker, you will be sent to work for our clients who are establishment-based care providers. You will be working under their direction and supervision and working in their establishments. These establishments might be care homes, supported living locations, hospices and private hospitals. Most members of our Agency end up with a small portfolio of client locations that they work in regularly and a wider group they work in less often. As well as amazing flexibility, another fab benefit of Agency is that you enjoy working in a variety of locations. If you get bored or want a change you can simply do that by talking with our team. You won't get stuck in a particular location if you don't want to. Along with great pay, you really can construct your ideal lifestyle working in Agency.

Yes. You will be able to claim at a rate per mile for locations we send you to. Normally you have to cover the first few miles yourself and Ocean Healthcare will pay you for every mile after that. Mileage rates can change, but we tend to be pretty generous. Mileage is claimed with your weekly timesheet.

If you complete the Register Your Interest form we will be in touch with everything you need to apply to work with Ocean Healthcare. The button for this form can be found at the top of this web page. By law we are required to check your Right to Work in the UK and confirm your identity. These documents include: Passport, Resident Permit, Full Birth Certificate (also need your National Insurance number), Biometric Immigration Document, Certificate of Registration or Naturalisation. We will also need a valid DBS on the Update Service OR a new DBS will be needed as part of your application.

At Ocean, we believe that excellent training is at the heart of excellent care. For this reason, we offer a comprehensive training programme to support your development. When you first join us, you will have a two-week training plan covering core skills such as medication administration, as well as the advanced skills you need for working with our complex service users. Our training is interactive and we consider your individual learning experiences and needs. We are very happy to help you develop new skills as well as to update skills you already have. After completing your classroom training, you will start a period of ‘shadowing’ where you will work with an experienced member of staff to learn skills and routines. When you are feeling comfortable, we will assess your competency in preparation for working independently. Our commitment to providing excellent training means you will also be offered continuing opportunities for training and development throughout the time you work with us.

In our Complex Care business there may be some options in certain locations that work around school hours, but not many. The only difference is nights which we will have more options for. We're happy to explore whether the hours you have available to work fit with what we have available. Just get in touch.

The more flexible you are in terms of where and when you are prepared to work and the type of work you are prepared to do will enable us to give you more of what you are looking for. In Complex Care you will mainly know your shifts well in advance and be working with the same service users in the same locations. It's great if you are willing to respond at short notice and can be flexible to support other packages of care. Of course everyone's circumstances are different. To get a better idea of how working with Ocean Healthcare might pan out for you, we recommend having a chat with one of our expert Recruiters. They will absolutely help you to make the choice that is right for you.

How you receive your shifts and when is important. We know that this can be a source of chaos and frustration if not handled well. In Complex Care we have a scheduling App which you can have on your smart phone. You will be able to see which shifts have been allocated to you along with information about the start/finish times and location. Before you start working with us we will have discussed what your preferences are. We will do our very best to work within those parameters. Scheduling (or care coordination) is a very complicated and often fast-paced process. If we do ask you to do something you're unhappy with all you need to do is pick up the phone and speak with your Care Team Manager or one of our amazing Care Coordinators. They've all been where you are and understand the importance of getting this right. Most shifts are scheduled a month in advance. However, things can and do change. We will communicate with you regarding these changes in addition to making changes on the scheduling App.

If you're unhappy with any element of working with Ocean Healthcare just let us know. It is our aim that you are happy in your work. Some things are easy to fix and others are more challenging. However, it's ok to ask and you will not encounter anyone being unfriendly in response. It is important that you and the service user you are working with are comfortable. If that is not the case, please simply call us and discuss your concerns (probably with your Care Team Manager) and we will work with you to achieve the best outcome.

Ocean Healthcare are known for paying well. You will receive among the best pay rates in the sector when you work with us. The pay rates can vary based on a number of things. You will find details of some of the pay rates within the specific opportunities we have available here on this website. Visit the 'Opportunities' page for specific information. We will also be happy to share pay rates if you contact us.

In Complex Care, the hours are usually guaranteed if you have a permanent contract with us. There are some opportunities to work on the bank in Complex Care which is more flexible, but does not come with guaranteed hours.

We have the best Accounts Teams in the world! There are very few mistakes in our team and you'll find them easy to contact and resolve things if something does go wrong. All frontline care workers in both Agency and Complex Care will receive payments into their accounts weekly by the Friday of the following week. Any shifts completed during a full Monday-Sunday week are paid the next Friday. The only exceptions are connected to Bank Holidays (particularly Christmas) when we will notify you of changes to payment dates.

From the moment you start the recruitment process you will feel like you're dealing with friendly, honest and helpful people. Our aim is that everyone is Happier with Ocean Healthcare. Normally we will speak to you initially on the phone to make sure that an interview will be a good investment of time for you and for us. During the interview we will ask you a number of questions to make sure we understand what you're looking for and that Ocean Healthcare is going to be a good fit for you and vice versa. We will also ask you some questions to ensure your experience is a match for what we need. You should also ask questions to make sure you're comfortable with how everything will work. Following the interview there will probably be some online and classroom training for you to do. You will then be invited to attend Registration where you will be given a contract to sign and receive an induction on how everything works. The next stage would be to arrange an interview in one of our branches. For further details on our recruitment process and to see one of our team explain the process visit our web page here.

Excellent question! …but it depends. In Agency, the process typically takes 7-10 days from the time we speak to you initially on the phone. It will take longer if you are unable to do your side of things (mainly training) quickly enough. Normally, you will need to allocate about 4 hours for online training (which you can do from home). You can literally be working for us immediately after you have registered if you are available to do so. In Complex Care, we can get you through the process in couple of weeks. However, it depends on a number of factors and this is something you can discuss with one of our Recruiters. We will agree with you when your contract will start and you will be paid from that point. There are so many different possibilities for how this could work that it's difficult to say what you should expect. Typically, someone who applies to work in Complex Care (who is available immediately) will be signed up and working within 2-4 weeks. Circumstances very a lot however, so please discuss this with one of our Recruiters.

When you have been invited to attend an interview in one of our offices you will be sent an email with details of everything you need to know, including what to bring, for your interview. This will include 2 forms of 'Proof of Address' (e.g. Bank Statement or Utility Bill), your ID (Driving Licence, Passport, Birth Certificate) and any other Right to Work information that might be required. It would also be helpful if you brought any valid (less than 12 months old) training certificates you have and any qualifications (e.g. NVQ/QCF) you have achieved.

The best way to start the recruitment process with Ocean Healthcare is to complete a Register Your Interest form on this website. Here's a link to that form. After completing the form we will very quickly be in touch with you (next working day) to schedule an initial telephone interview. You can schedule that initial telephone interview yourself here if you'd like to. There are lots of other ways you can apply to work with us too:

• Telephone: 0808 275 9951

• Email: applications@oceanhealthcare.co.uk

• Visit: just call into one of our offices

• Message us: 07908685696

Please let us know where you are located, what kind of experience you have and what you're looking for when you contact us. Thanks!

In Complex Care it can vary significantly. You may be engaged in a package of care within walking distance of your home. You may also be involved in one or more packages of care that require extensive travel. This will not be imposed on you however and there will be no pressure for you to travel further than you are comfortable with. This will all be agreed with you at interview. To be clear on how travel would apply in your situation it would be best for you to discuss what you're after and what you're happy to do with one of our helpful Recruiters. They will be able to explain what is realistic for you to expect.

You will be supplied with an Ocean Healthcare polo shirt as your Complex Care uniform. Details of what is appropriate to wear as trousers and shoes will be discussed with you during the interview process. However, if you have any questions before then please feel free to ask.

The care we provide in Complex Care can include shifts which vary between 4 hours and 12 hours. Other than that it can vary considerably. You will not enjoy the same flexibility to change your shifts on a weekly basis as happens in Agency. However, there are lots of different start and finish times and there is likely to be something that works for you although it will be fixed once you have committed to it. In all instances, circumstances vary and we recommend you discuss what you're looking for with one of our friendly recruiters who can help you decide what is right for you.

We are VERY keen to speak to anyone who has sufficient experience to work as a Senior Care Assistant. There are LOTS of opportunities in Complex Care for Seniors and enhanced rates of pay too. Those people working in the most complex care packages receive the highest rates of pay.