Sheffield Care Trust NHS (UK)

Mental Health and Wellbeing

SLEEP-IN POLICY


PROPOSED CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR STAFF WHO WORK
‘SLEEP-IN’ DUTY
1 Definition of Sleep-in Duty
A sleep –in duty is defined as, a span of duty on site commencing at 23.00
and ending at 07.00 the following day; where the employee although not
working remains on site in a facility provided by the Trust and is regarded as
being available for work, and there is an expectation that they will commence
duties should the need arise.
2 Standard of facility provided for staff on sleep-in duty
- room with a minimum size of 6’ X 6’ and reasonable headroom
available for exclusive use of the employee during the span of duty
- a bed of adequate size and bedding of adequate quality
- reasonable access to washing facilities
- the room not to be used as a kitchen facility at other times
- no domestic or other Trust equipment to be stored in the room
- all sleep-in rooms will be no-smoking areas
3 Definition of Waking hours
The employee working the sleep-in span will be considered on duty where
another staff member or a tenant living in their respective place of residence
requests their assistance.
A client/tenant awake and moving around the site will be considered as
requiring assistance.
4 Conditions applying when staff on sleep-in duty are due to be on normal
duty at end of sleep-in period
Where staff are scheduled to be on normal duty immediately following a
sleep-in and have been awake either intermittently, (15 minutes or more in
each hour), or continuously for a period of 5 hours or more; then the team
leader (or designated person) and employee together, must carry out a risk
assessment (using the agreed form). The assessment will result in either
allowing the employee to take a break of 30 min and then commence their
normal duty or to go home at the end of the sleep-in duty with no loss of pay.
This decision to be recorded in an official record.
Where a staff member is to go home, replacement staff to cover their normal
duty shift must be arranged as a priority. Where this can not be arranged until
TRUST POLICY Sleep-in Policy
09.00 the employee completing the sleep-in will work from 07.00 to 09.00, being paid at plain time
This arrangement to be recorded on the formal record.
5 Frequency of sleep-in duty.
Normal practice is that staff should only work one sleep-in duty in 7 days.

Where an employee has worked 2 sleep-in duties in a 7 day period then they
should not be scheduled for another sleep-in for a minimum of 2 days.
Sleep-ins should be rostered at the end of the working week