What is the Collaborative Recruitment Hub?

The Collaborative Recruitment Hub is a shared service that brings together recruitment functions across the following organisations:

• Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust
• Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB 
• Isle of Wight NHS Trust 
• University Hospitals Southampton NHS Trust 
• Portsmouth Hospital University NHS Trust 
• Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare (joining 1 September 2026)  

The hub will be hosted by University Hospitals Southampton NHS Trust (UHS) and aims to streamline recruitment processes, reduce costs and improve recruitment outcomes.

Why is the hub being created? 

The hub is being created to address challenges such as high recruitment costs, varying time-to-hire, fragmented processes and mixed experiences of candidates and hiring managers. By coming together, we will standardise recruitment processes and improve efficiency. 

Where will the hub be based? 

We are considering Minerva House on the University Hospital Southampton site as part of current planning.

When will the hub launch? 

The hub will launch in early 2026. 

How will the hub operate - what is a hub and spoke model?

There will be a (hub) in Minerva House, Southampton, with satellite locations (spokes) across Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

Who owns the hub?

The hub is a collaborative model developed equally by all partners. All stakeholders are committed to its success and shared governance will be in place. The hub will be hosted by UHS, meaning that staff will be employed by UHS and will be on the UHS payroll. 

Will I need to move from my current base? 

The Head of the Recruitment Hub, when appointed, will finalise the staffing structure and ways of working. Some staff will be able to work at satellite locations for part of their time and there will be a requirement to work on a regular basis in Southampton. 

How often will staff be required to be on site at the central hub location? 

At this point our expectation is that staff will be required to work at Minerva House on a weekly basis. Specific working arrangements will be developed by a new Head of the hub, when appointed, and this will include arrangements for working from Southampton, working in current organisations and working remotely. 

How will travel costs be managed?

Excess travel allowances and mileage reimbursement will apply in line with current employment policies, available on intranets. 

What if it takes longer to travel to Southampton?

The impact of travel times will be discussed and addressed on an individual basis. This will be considered in one to one meetings offered to all staff before and during the consultation period. 

What is it like to work at Minerva House? 

Minerva House has modern offices with air conditioning, a lift, and showers. There is a bike park outside the building and easy access to a M&S Café, M&S Shop, Costa Coffee, WH Smiths, among many others. There is also free membership to on site gym

There is also a park and ride option for getting to the site. The park and ride costs £2.50 per month and includes parking in our modern, safe parking facility at Adnac Park close to the M27. Buses run from Adnac Park to the hospital every 10-15 minutes between 06:15 and 09:35. Return buses run between 09:27 and 21:43.

Transport to the hub is an issue, how would this work in practice?

The expectation remains that from 1 April, when the new staffing structure is appointed to, staff will be expected to be on site at Minerva house on a weekly basis.  Staff will be able to claim excess travel costs in line with the local excess travel policy – staff can claim expenses via payroll a month in arears. All claims need to be approved by the second working day of each month, in order for the claims to be paid in that month.

Where will the satelite sites be?

We anticipate current locations will be used as satelitte sites to the hub.

What happens to my current role – will I be doing the same job when I transfer to the hub? 

Initially all roles in scope will transfer to the hub with minimal change – staff will continue to do their current role working for their current line manager.  However, as the structure for the new hub develops, roles will be subject to change, and this will be managed as an organisational change process with consultation on any new structure in early 2026. So practically changes around base and any need to travel to Minerva House will take effect from 1 April 2026.  In the interim there may be ad hoc opportunities to bring the team together for development and teambuilding but practically, staff will be required to work at the hub base a minimum of one day per week from April 2026.  

How will this change affect my workload?

The hub aims to improve efficiency and reduce duplication, and this should positively impact on workloads. Working as part of a larger team should enable smoother cover arrangements. Specific changes to workloads will be discussed in one to one meetings. 

Will I continue to work exclusively on my current organisation's jobs, or will staff be expected to support a number of organisations in the hub?

Initially, roles will transition with minimal change. However, over time, to support a resilient service, staff development and to create interesting roles, staff may be required to work across organisations. Full support and training will be provided if this is the case.

15. What career opportunities will be available in the new hub? 

The hub will have a large staffing structure and will offer opportunities for career development, specialised roles and training and development. This will become clearer as the new staffing structure is agreed and one to one meetings with line managers are established. 

Will flexible working arrangements be available?

Yes, hybrid and remote working options will be supported with the expectation of a weekly on-site presence at Minerva House. 

What if I have commitments such as childcare?

Working hours will be managed to accommodate personal commitments, recognising the need to deliver the overall service. This will be discussed on an individual basis in one to one meetings offered prior to and during the consultation process. 

How will the weekly presence at the hub work in practice? Can the site accommodate everyone?

We understand that some staff have concerns about traveling to a new base at Minerva House. ​ Whilst we recognise and appreciate the challenges this may present, we believe it is important for the everyone to come together in a shared space to build relationships and form a strong cohesive new hub team. This will be essential as we work to deliver high-quality recruitment services, operating with new processes and a new single ATS.  Our aim is to create an environment that balances the needs of the wider team with individual preferences while creating the best outcomes for the hub.

Can you share more information on equipment arrangements for remote working?

We have established an IT group, made up of leads from all organisations involved in the hub, to deliver a plan to ensure staff have the right technology to operate in the new hub either at Minerva house, at satellite sites or at home.  This involves testing arrangements so staff can simply access different systems wherever they are operating from. We will update staff on this work as it develops. 

How will the hub improve recruitment?

By coming together, the hub will standardise recruitment processes with a view to reducing duplication, improving services across all organisations and improving candidate and hiring manager experience. 

For staff being recruited, how is it proposed they have their documents verified?

Arrangements for verification will be developed and we will update more on this soon.

For clinical staff being recruited, will teams and service areas have involvement in the process?

We are currently drafting a new hub recruitment policy in line with the recently published NHS England recruitment framework. The draft policy will be agreed through established channels in each organisation to ensure the involvement of managers and staff side colleagues.

19. How will staff be kept informed about changes?

Staff will be updated in one to one meetings with their line manager. Regular written briefings will also be circulated and this FAQ document will be updated on a regular basis. 

20. What is planned for staff engagement?

We will provide regular updates to staff during the change process, including 1:1 meetings.

21. What is the process by which the transfer to UHS will take place? 

Staff will transfer to UHS under TUPE. TUPE stands for Transfer of undertakings (protection of employment), a piece of employment legislation that protects employees when their job moves to a new employer. In summary, TUPE protects an employee’s job, their rights and their continuity of service when employment transfers.

Key points of TUPE to highlight are:

• The job moves with the employee – they don’t have to reapply, and their role transfers to the new employer, in this case UHS.
• Terms and conditions stay the same for example pay, annual leave entitlement and working hours.
• Length of service is protected and this matters for issues such as pensions and redundancy.
• Staff must be informed and consulted – staff (or their representatives) must be told what is happening and given an opportunity to comment on the proposed transfer.
• Staff cannot be worse off because of the transfer – changes to contracts are not allowed if the only reason is the transfer.

22. Will there be a restructure after the transfer? 

Yes, when a new staffing structure for the hub is developed, there will be a process of reorganisation, commencing in early 2026. This will be carried out in line with employment legislation, change management policies and HR best practice.
 

What does consultation with staff mean? 

Consultation is when an employer engages with staff (or their representatives) about planned changes that may impact on jobs, working conditions or the way NHS services are delivered. Consultation is about listening to staff views, explaining what the change is and providing an opportunity for staff to give a view and influence the change, including asking questions before decisions are made. 

How will staff be consulted? 

Initially a TUPE consultation process will be conducted, allowing staff to provide feedback on the proposal to move staff to the employment of UHS.

Will staff on maternity leave, long term sickness or seconded elsewhere take part in the consultation process?

Yes, this group of staff will receive the same information and should be fully engaged via employers throughout the process.

How will leadership arrangements for the hub work while we await the appointment a Head of Recruitment?

We have put interim support arrangements in palce to ensure we can progress with the development of the hub in a timely way.

What is the plan for recruiting a Head of Recruitment?

This is a critical role to ensure the successful development of the hub. Chief People Officers are considering when the best time will be to advertise the this post in light of organisational change happening across the system.

Will interviews for new candidates be generic or at individual sites?

Arrangements for interviews will be developed and we will update on this as soon as possible.

26. What will happen to employee records and payroll information?

Records will be updated to reflect UHS as the new employer and tax/pension information will transfer automatically. 

27. What happens to annual leave entitlement?

Annual leave entitlements will remain unchanged as a result of the transfer. 

28. What support is available for staff? 

Support is available for all staff going through a period of organisational change. This includes health and wellbeing resources, HR advice, trade union support and access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Details are available on intranet sites. Staff should also speak with their line manager to access support during the process. 

29.  Can we access the recordings of the staff roadshow? 

Copies of the staff roadshows will be shared with staff directly.

30.  Who is involved in the devleopment of the Hub from each organisation?

The devleopment of the hub is led by Chief People Officers and the following senior managers are leading working groups with representatives from across all organisations.