Please see detailed guidance on working from home on the employee information page.
Colleagues need to ensure they are able to work from home if this is required – please check that your smart card is working, that you have Remote Access Service (RAS) access or Swivel access if on Windows 10, and that you are taking laptops home with you. Consider the following:
- Do you have RAS access or Swivel, which means that you can access Trust drives and the intranet from home? If not, please contact the IT service desk: call 0300 123 1020 or email agcsu.itservicedesk@nhs.net
- Is your work mobile phone configured to receive emails from your nhs.net account?
- Do you have access to a Trust laptop and are you taking it home with you each night? (Please discuss with your manager if you do not currently have a laptop but, given your role, would need to be prioritised as this will need to be discussed with IM&T). To request a laptop, use the IT equipment request form (this form only opens when you are on the Trust network or the remote access service).
Do you know how to tether your phone to your laptop, in the event that you can’t get Wi-Fi?
For your Sony smartphone:
- Go to ‘Settings’ on your phone and then ‘more’
- Click ‘tethering and portable hotspot’; you can switch on portable hotspot there
- To see your WiFi username and password, click ‘Tethering and portable hotspot settings’ and ‘show password’ (this is what you use to connect your laptop).
If you have a Huawei Smart 2019 phone:
- Go to settings and choose Wireless & networks
- Choose Tethering & portable hotspot
- Press Hotspot name. Key in the required WiFi hotspot name and press save.
If you have a Vodaphone Smart v10 phone:
- Go to Settings and press Network & internet
- Press Hotspot & tethering
- Press WiFi hotspot.
If you have an iPhone:
- Go to your iPhone's on-screen Settings
- Look for Personal Hotspot; or General, followed by Network, and finally Personal Hotspot
- Tap on Personal Hotspot and then slide the switch to On
- Then connect the iPhone to your laptop or tablet using a USB cable or Bluetooth.
Common problems encountered when working from home, with an easy fix:
- No adjustable chair – use cushions or pillows to raise you to the right height, and also pillow or rolled-up towel to support your lower back
- Screen too low as using a laptop or a low surface – raise screen nearer to eye level using a laptop riser (or e.g. plastic box, pile of books with tray on top or similar). A separate keyboard and mouse are required
- No separate mouse or keyboard – request one using the IT equipment request form (you can only use this form on the Trust network or the remote access service); in the meantime, use your own or borrow one if possible
- Poor foot support – use a large book, ream of paper, sturdy box or tin
- Lack of movement – the worse the working position, the more frequently you should move or have micro-breaks to keep yourself healthy and productive. If you can’t improvise a suitable set, make sure that you get up and move about every 15 minutes. Get up and move to make or receive phone calls; using devices in your hand or on your lap can force a head-hanging posture, as well as uncomfortable arms positions
- No desk or chair – raise your screen, place laptop on a large book and cushions on your lap
General tips and advice:
- View your screen for no longer than 15 minutes without a break
- Move your head, hands, shoulders and arms regularly
- Try not to let your head and shoulders slump forwards
Please see an infographic on the Posturite website all about home working. Or view the 'home working' section of the employee information page.
The following advice is relevant to colleagues who cannot be at work and are working from home, following the government’s advice around social distancing. If colleagues are incurring extra costs, it might be possible to claim through the HMRC. Please see below the links from the gov.uk website, for more information:
Yes, this is possible, as we are likely to need colleagues to support the work of our frontline services and incident management team.
