University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust employs a diverse workforce of over 14,000 across different departments, specialisms and pay bands. The need to provide meaningful employee benefits which support staff wellbeing is therefore crucial, not just for employees themselves but for improved patient care. Patients ultimately benefit from healthier and happier clinical teams.

At the same time, employee benefits need to appeal to as many different demographics and lifestyles as possible, which is why the trust implemented a flexible salary sacrifice car benefit scheme – CPC Drive in partnership with Tusker’s Car Scheme* - which not only supports financial wellbeing but also aligns with the trust’s wider sustainability goals.

“Not every benefit suits everyone, but the important thing is choice,” says Sophie Limb, HR Project Manager. “We believe in offering a wide array of options that can improve staff wellbeing in some meaningful way – whether that’s physical, emotional, financial or environmental. CPC Drive and Tusker fits into that perfectly.”

Initially launched in October 2015, the CPC Drive and Tusker Car Scheme is now available to 8,397 employees. Two hundred and fifty employees currently have cars on the scheme, with 78% being either an EV or hybrid. This means also means the organisation has offset over 2,500 tonnes of carbon to help meet their sustainability objectives.

In fact, the CPC Driver and Tusker Car Scheme was a key part of the trust’s winning submission at the Employee Benefits Awards 2024.

The scheme’s flexible term options of 2, 3 or 4-year arrangements along with with a variety of cars on offer means that staff can choose a vehicle tailored to their needs and lifestyle.

Financial savings from tax and NIC savings are significant, too. And because employers also benefit from NIC savings, they are in a position to reinvest these back into NHS resources.

The scheme also forms part of the trust’s holistic approach to employee wellbeing. Providing financial savings, it also offers flexibility and supports employees when they need it most. For example, helping an employee replace their car following an accident or the team assisting a junior doctor on a temporary contract who was unsure of their eligibility.

Indeed, the level of customer service provided by the Tusker team is one of the main reasons behind high satisfaction levels, with scheme members citing quick and efficient responses.

As Limb explains, word of mouth is a ‘big driver’, so when employees have a good experience, they tell their colleagues, which raises awareness.

At its heart, the scheme aims to make green travel affordable and accessible, ensuring it is tailored to individual needs and lifestyles.

Its lifestyle protections policy for example, provides additional added insurance to cover both employer and employee in the event of redundancy or lifestyle changes.

This is a reassurance for all. Under personal lease arrangements, individuals are typically ‘locked in’, so if circumstances change, the responsibility to meet monthly financial obligations remains with the individual. And if there’s a need to terminate the contract mid-term, there will often be a significant penalty.

However, Tusker’s built-in protections recognise that circumstances can and do change, so in the event of early cancellation there is no penalty fee for either employee or employer.

At the same time, new Tusker initiatives have extended the scope of employee eligibility across more pay bands, making it more inclusive for larger numbers of people.

Ultimately, the salary sacrifice car scheme provided by CPC Drive and Tusker has helped to bring about positive changes for the NHS trust, unlocking financial savings for employee and employer and tailoring choice to individual needs and circumstances.

“We view the scheme as a way to support our employees in times of need, but it’s also a part of the wider support we offer through our benefits programme,” says Limb. “It’s there when employees need it, and that’s what makes it such a valuable part of our rewards strategy.”

 

*CPC Drive is the car benefit framework that the NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC) have established for the public sector to benefit from the CPC Drive framework. CPC Drive partners with Tusker to deliver the car scheme as a benefit.

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