cleaner

catering assistant

support worker

care team leader

kitchen manager

NORSE GROUP

Without doubt this has been the most stressful company I have worked for. Devon Norse does have many things going for it, however operationally it leaves a lot to be desired. 
Training is minimal for management. A quick whispered question on how you feel about being a manager is all that is required. A perfunctory interview to follow and then an offer of the job. What followed was a few days of orientation in the office, the usual things, like where the toilets are, who sits where, help yourself to tea and coffee. Then an hour going over the sites you look after and and who the staff are. I hasten to add things have improved slightly, but this was my experience. 
Then onto the workload. 37 hours are promised and always given. Along with another 30 hours on top just to make sure you are working hard enough. A good week it working less than 55 hours.  6am starts and 10pm finishes are the norm however please be assured that there is absolutely no remuneration for managers for any overtime worked. An away day may be offered or a meeting at a hotel in the city but that is the maximum. 
The ability to work from home is always offered, but always say when you will be doing this. You will be told that you don’t need to let anyone know when you work from home but it is always best to tell someone to “cover your back”. 
All mod cons are provided, but the tablets take a little getting used to. If you have any problems, just email IT just to “cover your back”. 
When dealing with clients Devon Norse like you to be yourself but only if you are in the image of operational management. Sometimes a script will be provided for you and most of the time, clients will say they have heard it all before. FYI clients like a bit of individuality and are more than happy to have a banter with you and sometimes you get offered tea and biscuits but them. Believe me these are the clients you want to keep seeing. Don’t tell operational management this though as they might think you are stealing their thunder. 
Email etiquette is always important. When receiving an email from operational management, always say yes and act on it immediately. Never leave it too long or questions start being asked. These questions are never asked of you directly, but usually to the next manager down from the top and then if you are lucky operational management may interrogate your team (if applying for area manager). If you are lucky like I was, your team will have your back. When sending an email always copy others in “to cover your back”. 
If dealing with cleaners for disciplinary purposes, always make sure you have someone else there “to cover your back”. 
If your are lucky you may be invited to a pep talk about how to be excellent in the job and provide an excellent service. This tends to be delivered via a monologue. Make sure you listen and nod in the appropriate places because operational management don’t like it if you think outside of their own particular box. 
2 final points. If you are single, have no ties, no hobbies, no friends and no desire to change that, then area management at Devon Norse maybe just the right job for you. A normal working week would entail me having to give up hobbies, wife, family, children and friends. Your soul absolutely has to belong to Norse. 
You may notice I keep saying cover your back. This is verbatim advice I received from operational management every single day. What they are really saying is, if you slip up, they will not save you. They will not defend you. As soon as operational management believes you are no longer 100% loyal to them, they will be out to get you. This will be done using ways and means that you only read about in books. Everyone will be asked questions, trackers on vans will be looked at with alarming regularity, emails monitored, sites visited without your knowledge and clients asked. 
There are some good aspects though. HR are always ready to answer any questions and will always do so with a smile. They are excellent at what they do and deserve so much better. Business Admin are also excellent although they are certainly taken for granted. They will offer endless support and will treat you as a human. The MD is a genuine man who will treat you as a colleague and a person too. 
There is only one management style that is recognised there. And that is one that requires no human emotion or attachment. There will be smiles a plenty for a short period of time, but after this they will wane to nothing. Trust absolutely no one, only yourself. And if you are really lucky, when you leave, you may even receive 4 words of thanks. Thanks for your tIme.

Pros: 

Good supply of uniform (if a Norse permanent employee and not seasonal or agency staff.)

Easy to become employed there as they take on anyone including ex criminals (this is a con too though if you think about it seeming you have to work with p*dos, druggies, and thieves etc.)

Working outside in the fresh air

Enjoyable sometimes especially when the area looks tidy afterwards

Weekends off

Weekend work available often and pays ok and proper money, not a boy's wage (but only at the weekends.)

Cons:

No short sleeved shirts anymore.

No shorts allowed.

You get covered in dogs, cats and foxes waste along with other nasty stuff because people in medway especially chuck nappies, litter, dog bags everywhere and let their dogs foul everywhere not picking it up.

No showers in the yard.

Appalling pay

Unorganized management

Bad management

No respect from management

Supervisors and normal employees that stick up for Norse paying minimum wage even though they was on it once, are on it and that not everyone had a job before working for Norse so that's why they are working for minimum wage (not because they chose to or had a choice if they just needed a job quick.)

Dealing with the miserable public

Interacting with the public - (some are ok but the majority are idi*ts with no idea about your job)

Unrealistic grass cutting targets set by metre from the management.

The public moaning about you not collecting the cut grass afterwards due to not understanding that you don't have time to collect all the grass around Medway and sweep instead of blow due to grass cutting targets.

B*tchy staff and two faced staff here in the office and especially on grounds.

Dealing with rude staff/employees that are terrible at their job, careless even though that's understandable (sometimes) with being paid minimum wage, and they can also be abusive.

Some lazy staff here on grounds maintenance with them not being filtered out.

No thanks from management or other employees you've helped out. Just shows a lack of respect and manners from some people.

Management will put you with employees you don't like because it suits them not you and they do it just to wind you up.

Management don't get rid of cr*p staff and abusive staff that have been proved wrong.

Management blame everyone when someone has done something wrong.

No bonuses for doing a good job all year around for the community. Surprising seeming some parts of the job take skill and that you're doing a job for the community.

Northern employees get paid more per hour even though they live in a cheaper place to live in the UK. 

High staff turnover.

No training on more equipment unless they select you because eventually they will have to pay you more although you have to do another 4 jobs on top of your job just to get an extra 30 pathetic pence an hour. (They don't want to pay you more than minimum wage.)

No pay rises - only from the government (when they do pay the Chinese living wage.)

The yard and fitters site are the slums.

Dealing with thick people. (Other employees and sometimes the public too.)

Some management don't have a clue especially if they are new to the job and have never done the job before (which is usually the case which you can tell just by looking at the size of them.) 

They will do anything to not pay you correctly. They have been known to not pay correctly before and the union had to step in to get us our correct money.

Rude, crafty ex councillor management (which explains a lot.)

Pros: 

Good supply of uniform (if a Norse permanent employee and not seasonal or agency staff.)

Easy to become employed there as they take on anyone including ex criminals (this is a con too though if you think about it seeming you have to work with pedos, druggies, and thieves etc.)

Working outside in the fresh air

Enjoyable sometimes especially when the area looks tidy afterwards

Weekends off

Weekend work available often and pays ok and proper money, not a boy's wage (but only at the weekends.)

Cons:

No short sleeved shirts anymore.

No shorts allowed.

You get covered in dogs, cats and foxes waste along with other nasty stuff because people in medway especially chuck nappies, litter, dog bags everywhere and let their dogs foul everywhere not picking it up.

No showers in the yard.

Appalling pay

Unorganized management

Bad management

No respect from management

Supervisors and normal employees that stick up for Norse paying minimum wage even though they was on it once, are on it and that not everyone had a job before working for Norse so that's why they are working for minimum wage (not because they chose to or had a choice if they just needed a job quick.)

Dealing with the miserable public

Interacting with the public -  (some are ok but the majority are idi*ts with no idea about your job)

Unrealistic grass cutting targets set by metre from the management.

The public moaning about you not collecting the cut grass afterwards due to not understanding that you don't have time to collect all the grass around Medway and sweep instead of blow due to grass cutting targets.

B*tchy staff and two faced staff here in the office and especially on grounds.

Dealing with rude staff/employees that are terrible at their job, careless even though that's understandable (sometimes) with being paid minimum wage, and they can also be abusive.

Some lazy staff here on grounds maintenance with them not being filtered out.

No thanks from management or other employees you've helped out. Just shows a lack of respect and manners from some people.

Management will put you with employees you don't like because it suits them not you and they do it just to wind you up.

Management don't get rid of cr*p staff and abusive staff that have been proved wrong.

Management blame everyone when someone has done something wrong.

No bonuses for doing a good job all year around for the community. Surprising seeming some parts of the job take skill and that you're doing a job for the community.

Northern employees get paid more per hour even though they live in a cheaper place to live in the UK. 

High staff turnover.

No training on more equipment unless they select you because eventually they will have to pay you more although you have to do another 4 jobs on top of your job just to get an extra 30 pathetic pence an hour. (They don't want to pay you more than minimum wage.)

No pay rises - only from the government (when they do pay the Chinese living wage.)

The yard and fitters site are the slums.

Dealing with thick people. (Other employees and sometimes the public too.)

Some management don't have a clue especially if they are new to the job and have never done the job before (which is usually the case which you can tell just by looking at the size of them.) 

They will do anything to not pay you correctly. They have been known to not pay correctly before and the union had to step in to get us our correct money.

Rude, crafty ex councillor management.

What is the best part of working at the company?
In care, co-workers are the best part. These not sucking up to management are great. Other close kit groups, from similar countries, tend to stick to working together and will cause issues and not be pulled up for it. These is a lip service for the care of people, but due to the demanding nature of the role, no actual time is available to truly interact with the residents and the workload is set out that, so that this is not possible. Residents rarely are permitted outside the care home and the management are dedicated to by the families and some visiting professionals as to what staff are able to do. So e managers stay on their offices and never come to speak to staff or residents, whereas a few did.  Breaks were regularly missed by staff as allocated slots were given but the workload ensured this was no feasible.  Extra duties were given to staff, despite being already busy and these could be completed by management. For the cost of care per resident, they were definitely not receiving the best as staff levels were always below or just correct, but one or two extra staff would have helped. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Lack of management support. Constant changes to workload and operations, without consultant. Missing breaks constantly as staff levels too low to permit this. Agency staff being constantly booked with little knowledge and training of actual care work and often being foreign, communication was fraught at best. Lack of forward planning by team lead staff and these positions were really between management and staff and were never on the floor assisting staff, unless requested.  Their role was always office based. The long hours, of 12 hour shifts, despite shorter shifts being available or flexibility in shift patterns. Micromanaging by team lead and management. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Different groups of staff would stick together. Foreign staff would talk in their native language and resent working with others outside of their culture or nationality. Longer serving staff were either very welcoming and friendly and approachable, but sone were not and believed they knew everything about care and their work environment. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Busy. Busy. Busy. Rushed hand-over. Late arrivals were not pulled up for this. A coffee and a chat was first order of business for many staff, some sneaking out for a cigarette. Other staff cracking on the work and reading information about residents from night staff and for the day. Despite being paired up with another staff member, often they would leave and work with other people they preferred. Constant rushing about, no forward planning if what was needed, jobs being left until someone did it finally after asking about it. Lack of compassion towards residents from many staff and staff making fun of residents of many occasions. Being taken off the floor to fo something else, by team lead it management, even if they could have carried out this task themselves. Folk taking longer breaks or lunches, than allocated, which is unfair on the residents and fellow colleagues.

I am proud to work for Norse care, as a company they are very formidable in their successes & their culture. Their cqc & care home ratings speak for themselves.

As a whole, I feel supported, understood & have been given opportunity to undertake additional training & to undertake a diploma. I feel encouraged to progress & have been given lots of opportunities to advance my career with norse. It's a lovely place to work, it's like extended family and a second home (in a good way!) and I love going to work every day. 

The pay isn't bad for the care sector, I know many could argue it could be more but in all honesty, I'd rather the wage I get with norse as I get so much more alongside that. In my opinion, I'd rather be treated fairly & like a respected member of the team than have 50p more an hour and be treated with no respect. Management are flexible & accommodating & aren't shy of working on the floor, I have been supported in my role and in my personal life from the whole team, and we have a good laugh!

Norse really value their staff, there is an annual awards night where staff from each home are recognised for their hard work, and throughout the year you're given a sense that your hardwork and achievements are recognised and what you do well is really celebrated and appreciated. I have received certificates, good performances, letters, vouchers or even small gifts like chocolates from my managers to thank me for hard work. I have never once felt like just another number by my work place or norse care.

The residents/tenants are well looked after and their needs are always put first, norse care really do put their ethos & vision into practice when it comes to how residents/tenants are cared for! The home is always clean and tidy, but it looks like a proper homely home, it's warm and welcoming.

I have really enjoyed working with norse care for the last three years and hand on heart think I'll always work for Norse care as I truly believe they do care well, plus I like being respected and valued!!

I would advise anyone to avoid working for the Norse Group due to the shambolic way some of the functions are organised. Unfortunately the HR and payroll functions are not fit for purpose, bordering on negligent due to their inability to address issues relating to pay and overtime. Where an error is made they will not resolve it until the next month’s pay, sometimes it can take several months, they rely on the fact that very few people are able to check their online payslips.

As said in previous reviews, the management is not good, with favouritism being rife. I believe that this comes down to a complete lack of management training along with a lack of general people skills. I would go as far as to say that there is also a culture of bullying where some managers are concerned. That being said, there are also some good managers, but they are few and far between.

As a group, Norse also need to resolve the disparities in pay and benefits between those employees on a TUPE contract and new joiners, otherwise they will not be able to take on and retain good people, which shows a lack of succession planning which will inevitably lead to failure.

Overall I’m sorry to say that this is a toxic place to work with a culture that harks back to the 60s/70s. Some new fresh leadership at the top is what is required, someone from outside with more comprehensive business knowledge and experience who understands the importance of employees to the success of a business.

I was fortunate enough to be able to just leave without somewhere else to go, others are not so fortunate but the vast majority would like to.

I have been fortunate enough to work for my current employer over the past few years, and overall, it has proven to be a great company. While there are several commendable aspects of working here, some areas warrant improvement.
In terms of compensation, the company offers a reasonable level of pay. While it may not be at the top of the market, it is certainly commendable and reflective of the value we bring to the table. This demonstrates that the company understands the importance of adequately rewarding its employees for their contributions, and it's an encouraging aspect for us as staff members.

However, there is room for improvement when it comes to equality through contracts across different departments. It has become apparent that certain departments enjoy better contract terms and benefits compared to others. This disparity creates a sense of inequality and can lead to dissatisfaction among employees. Ensuring fairness and transparency in contract negotiations is crucial for fostering a more harmonious working environment, as it promotes equal opportunities for personal and professional growth.

To enhance the overall experience for employees, I would humbly suggest that the company takes a closer look at the discrepancies in contract terms between departments. Creating a standardized and fair system that promotes equality would engender greater job satisfaction and foster a sense of unity within the organization. By addressing these concerns, the company has the potential to galvanize its workforce and continue to be an industry leader.

Worked for Norse (previously n.c.c) for a number of years and it was absolutely fantastic - management were 120% supportive of their staff and the tenants/residents which made for a well run, happy and productive environment. Once Norse took over it wasn’t long before the cracks began to show - management changes were the core of what is now a complete and utter shambles - managers in both homes I worked in were beyond poor hence no stars rating - oblivious or just plain ignorance on their part in not wanting to see how stressed the carers and other staff are/we’re even when told!!! It’s like you suddenly talk in a foreign language and they don’t want to know!! It was mass exodus at my previous care home and it’s much the same at the second one I recently left and am now very very happy in care work but it’s not with Norse and I would NEVER return to Norse - none of the staff are valued and there’s no support at all from management, just not interested in knowing you’re working under duress and either short staffed and/or with agency. Norse by now should be taking steps to actively reduce their staff leaving in their droves but they, like the poor management they put in charge, are either totally oblivious, in denial, or simply do not care!

What is the best part of working at the company?
Worked for Norse security for over five years can highly recommend working at many of their sites from John Innes centre migsolv data centre city college Norwich county hall I had great managers to work under and many of my colleagues were all team players I only left as I moved to Scotland or I would still be employed with them anyone thinking of joining Norse security go for it you will get good on site training SIA license renewal uniform and all the help you will need to be successful in your role 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I never felt stressed in any of my sites but you will have to be ready for things you won’t expect but you will always have help at hand just a phone call away or a radio call and back up from mobiles if required 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Extremely good on the majority of sites you go to some places you may have to sit in a hospitality van with toilets that may not be the best depending on last guards 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Most days and night are fairly stress free although 12 hour shifts can seem long especially if you are on your own which can happen

I worked for Norse as a passenger assistant for coming up to 3 years. I found it very rewarding, working with the  children and challenging at times. The best part for me was hearing all about their day at school and seeing their excitement when getting on the bus. However Norse as a company are extremely poor to work for and I would go as far to say unsafe. I had no training yet i was expected to deal with children who had lots of needs and all very different. The online training we did have was expected to be completed in our own time and wasn’t paid. The supervisor at the time couldn’t even show me how to put a child car seat in. He had no clue. The busses are in very poor shape and borderline unsafe themselves. As a parent I wouldn’t allow my child to travel on the busses. I only met my manager on an interview as they are based in Norwich. The employees basically keep it going themselves. Norse have some very loyal employees and unfortunately for these employees they are not at all valued for all the work they do. I have always said there is an accident waiting to happen within this company. despite many people voicing their concerns nothing seems to change as there is no management 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Cleaner 1 salary reported	£12.21 per hour
Catering assistant 3 salaries reported	£23,795 per year
Support worker 11 salaries reported	£12.67 per hour
Care team leader 2 salaries reported	£14.38 per hour
Kitchen manager 5 salaries reported	£12.42 per hour

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