Why work for us
We continually strive to cultivate a positive, exciting work environment where all staff can enjoy a rewarding career.
Find out more about how we will help you settle into your new role, gain a greater understanding of what we do and the rewarding benefits we offer.
Benefits we offer
In addition to the opportunity to be part of a dynamic, growing organisation, staff will benefit from a competitive salary plus:
- 27 days annual leave plus 9 bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff)
- Annual leave rises to 28 days after two years’ service, 29 days after three years’ service and 30 days after 5 years’ service (pro-rata for part-time staff)
- A generous sick-leave allowance that provides full salary for 13 weeks followed by a further 39 weeks at 75% of salary
- Free one-to-one financial advice through our Independent Financial Advisor
- Three paid days in any calendar year in the event that you need to take emergency leave for Carers responsibilities.
- Option to apply for Bike Loan, Travel Card Loan and Ride to Work scheme
- NHS and SPPA pension holders can apply for continuation of their current pension and death in service scheme
- For all other staff we operate a pension scheme through Aegon and a death in service scheme of four times salary is available for Aegon pension members
- A unique, experiential induction based in one of our centres
- A buddy assigned to all new staff for extra support during your first 12 weeks in post
- A structured, year-round performance review process focused on developing you in your current role and exploring opportunities for the future
Equality and inclusion
We believe in equal opportunities for all staff.
We make sure that no member of staff or job applicant is treated less favourable because of their sex, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or philosophical belief, disability, gender identity/reassignment, marital status, family circumstance or age; or be disadvantaged by conditions or requirements that are not justified.
We value the diversity of our workforce and aim to give all staff the same opportunities. When decisions are made about staff (including selection, grading, training, promotion and setting terms and conditions of employment) we will make sure they are not discriminated against for any reason.
It is important to us that our staff, volunteers and people who use our programme of support and those who financially support Maggie’s are treated with dignity and respect at all times while involved with Maggie’s.
Your induction
Before you begin your new role at Maggie's, you'll spend time in one of our centres across the UK – it's a very important part of joining our organisation.
You'll spend time observing, participating in classes, hearing from staff and chatting at the kitchen table with the people who come to us for cancer support.
When you start your new role, you'll have an orientation week where your line manager and colleagues support you as you get settled in to your new role.
News from Maggie's...
Relieving the financial stress that cancer brings – Q&A with Geraldine Johnson
Why did you join Maggie’s?
I joined because I like helping people.
Cancer causes significant financial hardship. I wanted to be able to put things in place so that people with cancer can focus on their treatment and recovery.
I see my role as helping to take the strain off them.
Where were you working before?
I was a Healthy Homes Officer for a housing association in Oldham.
I was visiting people who were in the process of getting their pensions.
My role was to provide financial, emotional and practical support to enable individuals to live independently in their own home, to lead a better quality of life and avoid hospitalisations.
How did that experience help you with what you’re doing now?
It gave me really good insight into working with people in difficult circumstances, and helping them towards a better quality of life.
What do you enjoy about your role at Maggie’s?
It’s wonderful to help put a smile on people’s faces and to see positive outcomes.
I supported a man recently who had been in treatment and had been homeless for two years.
I worked with one of his nurses at the hospital to write a letter on his behalf. We put in an application and got him a bungalow, with a home starter kit worth over £200.
We secured Personal Independence Payments for him, all the benefits he was entitled to, and a grant. He went from his first visit to us, to a new home, in just six weeks.
It’s so rewarding to work in a job that allows you to support people in that way.
What do people notice when they come into the centre?
Everyone loves the space, but many people are amazed by the beautiful tree in the centre of the building – the tree of life, we call it.
It’s a lovely atmosphere with its colours, and it is very therapeutic and relaxing.
What makes Maggie’s different?
It’s the fact there are cancer support specialists, psychologists, and benefits advisors all under the same roof.
People feel safe, comforted and supported here. We’re able to help them at every stage for as long as they need us.
We’re a tight-knit team; we’ve all got different areas of expertise but we’re all in one place to offer whatever help is needed, whenever it is needed.
You also don’t have to talk if you don’t feel like it: it’s just a nice space to sit and collect your thoughts.
And what’s your favourite space in the centre?
I like the view out of the big window. You can see all the houses in front of you, and the hills in the distance, with their wind turbines and trees.
It’s just really peaceful.
We can help with money worries
Your gift could help pay for a benefits advisor like Geraldine to ease money worries and help people with cancer access benefits and financial support.
Maggie's Cambridge Centre Head writes about induced or surgical menopause for app Stella
Managing induced or surgical menopause can be a huge shock, especially when you were expecting menopause to happen during your 50s.
Lisa shares how support and knowledge can really help women deal with the triple impact of a cancer diagnosis, treatment and induced or surgical menopause.
We support women with cancer and their treatment-induced menopause through workshops that have a formal structure but informal atmosphere. We focus on legitimising their experiences and helping them understand what is happening as a result of their menopause. The impact of their treatment can be far-reaching and the opportunity to talk to others in a similar position can be incredibly helpful.
When speaking to Stella, Lisa was asked: When is the right time for induced or surgical menopause support?
Our workshops have really evolved over the last three years to meet the needs of those women experiencing menopause alongside cancer. We noticed initially that women were just overwhelmed when they attended and too much information was not helpful.
Now it is much more about sharing experiences, particularly around the impact on relationships and mood but also thinking about how we can optimise bone health through nutrition and exercise. As our groups bond, the more they want to continue the connection. Now, when anyone’s completed the menopause workshop, they can come into our monthly support group.
I often get asked when is the best time to get support for menopause.
There is no right time, it’s when it feels right.
At Maggie’s, we can support women at a time that feels right for them. The longer-term recovery from cancer treatment can take more time than expected and therefore we need to offer information and support when needed.
It is important there is a discussion early on in diagnosis about the impact of their treatments on menopause and long-term health. Women need to understand the importance of bone health and cholesterol levels. It’s not just about managing menopause symptoms but managing the physiological changes to your body.
In Lisa's blog, you can read more about:
- Supporting women with medically induced menopause
- What induced menopause and surgical menopause means
- Identifying and managing the symptoms of induced menopause and surgical menopause
- The psychological impact of induced menopause
- What induced menopause means for your fertility.
Read the full article on how to deal with induced menopause or surgical menopause.
How to get support
We are here for you in our centres, by phone, email, and online. Find your nearest centre for more information about what courses and workshops are available.
Read more about Menopause and cancer.
25 years of excellence – Q&A with Andy Anderson
Why did you join Maggie’s?
I was an oncology nurse at the Western General Hospital. Funnily enough, it was the same job our Chief Executive Laura did when she met Maggie.
She asked me if I would come to work in the centre. It was a tough decision because I loved my job in the NHS, but I've never regretted it 21 years on.
What did you learn early on?
At Maggie’s, every visitor had time to think about the questions around their cancer and understand what they felt was changing.
What people wanted from me was very different from what I was used to offering in the hospital. I really had to think about paying attention to their agenda instead of focussing on the clinical aspects. So it was a real stretch, but a brilliant stretch.
It was a gift to have the time to listen and just focus on what was important to people.
What do you feel is the impact of Maggie’s architecture and design on visitors?
When people come in, they're blown away by the space. They soon understand that within these walls their conversation is important, that they're going to be listened to.
A chap came into the centre for the first time yesterday. He said he had looked across at Maggie’s from his hospital bed for the last three months. He thought it was beautiful from the outside, but he had absolutely no idea that he would feel the way he did when he came in — calm and at ease.
How has Maggie’s evolved since it began 25 years ago?
When I joined, there was only one Maggie’s, now there are 24.
What's wonderful for me to see is that every Maggie’s has the same feeling, the same philosophy, the same quality of staff. Whichever one you visit, there are incredibly dedicated, brilliant experts. And they aren’t just replicating what happened in the first centres, but also growing, innovating, and developing new programmes. We’re all inspiring each other to do incredible work.
How do you see Maggie’s changing in the next 25 years?
The nature of treatment for cancer is changing. We need to look at cancer as a chronic issue. When I first qualified, for somebody with a myeloma diagnosis, it was not uncommon that they might only live for six to nine months. But now most of our haematology group are living much longer with myeloma thanks to improved treatments.
People with cancer will continue to live longer with complicated side effects and symptoms. But they're living and they can live well - it’s even more reason for Maggie's to be an integral part of how they live their lives.
What's the first thing you do when you start the day?
Feed the fish.
What's your favourite biscuit?
Oh, bourbon.
And what’s your favourite part of the day?
When you know you've given someone the ability to think differently about a situation they found challenging. You might see something change in their body language, or hear it in their thinking. Those moments are priceless.
Support Maggie's
Will you help us support people to live life with more hope? Make a donation to Maggie's.
This story was originally published in Making Maggie's May 2021 edition.