Please read the information below before voting.

Your vote will only be counted if your MyRCN record shows that you are employed by CareTech at one of the following Coveberry sites:

• Oldbury Hospital, Langley, Oldbury.
• Coveberry Redbourne, Gainsborough.
• Coveberry Sherwood, Nottingham.
• Coveberry Oakwood, Stoke-on-Trent.

All other votes will be discounted.

What we're asking you to vote on

Coveberry (CareTech) has made a pay offer in response to the 2026 pay claim.

1. A 3% increase in basic pay, backdated to April 2026.
2. In response to the RCN’s demand that all hours of work should be paid, including overtime, on-call and missed breaks, CareTech has said:

“All staff are paid overtime. If staff are unable to take a break then we do pay. That position is across all Coveberry services. On-call is not frequent but we will pay £45 per week for Senior Nurses on-call at Oldbury, Sherwood and Redbourne.”

3. In response to the RCN’s demand for support/reimbursement for NMC registration fees, CareTech has said:

“It appears that we have some inconsistency around this. We’ve identified at least one service where we’re not reimbursing NMC registration fees. We will pay these fees across each of the Coveberry services going forwards.”

It’s important that you read the full detail of the agreement before you vote. You can also read our FAQs below.

Need more information?

Get answers to common questions below.

This offer relates to all staff employed at the following Coveberry sites:

• Oldbury Hospital, Langley, Oldbury
• Coveberry Redbourne, Gainsborough
• Coveberry Sherwood, Nottingham
• Coveberry Oakwood, Stoke-on-Trent 

We’ve been campaigning for fair pay and believe it’s our members who should decide on any pay offer.

You can vote from midday on 10 July 2026 until midday on 24 July 2026.

Firstly, make sure your contact details are up to date on MyRCN.

You can also contact Deborah Shepherd, Head of Employment Relations, on Deborah.Shepherd@rcn.org.uk.

To be eligible to vote, your membership details must show that you work at the Coveberry sites listed above. If you're eligible, you can vote on our website.

If you need to update your details, head to MyRCN, or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100.

We’re not making any recommendation on this pay offer. 

We believe that all nurses and nursing support workers, wherever they work, deserve to receive fair pay, terms and conditions. 

It’s for our members employed by CareTech at the Coveberry sites impacted, to have the final say on this offer.

If members vote to accept the offer, we’ll notify CareTech that our eligible members accept the pay offer. 

If members vote to reject the pay offer, we’ll aim to return to negotiations.

You’re only voting on the pay offer in this ballot and not on industrial action.

If you vote to reject the pay offer, we’ll try to negotiate an improved offer on your behalf.

We want all our members to be recognised for their skills and paid fairly for the care they give.

Registered nurses and nursing support workers employed by independent employers should be paid at least the same level as their counterparts in the NHS.

As the largest employer in the health and care sector in the UK, improvements in NHS pay should positively affect pay in all health and care employers.

The effect on an individual's benefit depends on individual circumstances and the type of benefit they receive. Members who are on means-tested benefits, such as universal credit, should consider the implications of CareTech's pay offer before voting to reject or accept it.

To check your benefits situation, call the Citizens Advice Helpline on 0800 144 8848 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Calls are free. 

The offer is a gross figure (before tax), and you need to take deductions into account when considering the pay offer.

Pay is subject to tax and national insurance contributions. Members should check the current income tax and national insurance rates to assess how the pay offer will affect their take-home pay at the UK government income tax calculator.

Rises in pensionable pay are also subject to increases in pension contributions. Use this workplace pension contribution calculator to find out more about your pension contributions.

Members of pension schemes pay a proportion of their wages into their pension, as does their employer. The pension these members receive is determined by how much is paid into this pension and how it is invested by the pension provider. For most members in any pension schemes, receiving a higher wage may lead to higher pension contributions, but exactly what the impact of this pay offer will be will depend on individual members' circumstances. 

We can’t give you individual advice on the impact of this pay offer on your pension. Members who wish to know more about their pension should consult their pension provider and then take up financial advice if necessary.

The consultative ballot will be open from midday on Friday 10 July 2026.

You can vote above. Only members employed by CareTech in the Coveberry sites listed above are eligible to take part in the consultative ballot on this pay offer.

If you've told us that you're employed by CareTech in the Coveberry sites listed above, you should have received an email with instructions on how to vote. You'll be able to read more about the pay offer too.

The consultative ballot will close midday on Friday 24 July 2026. You will not be able to vote after this time.

To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. Please include your membership number in your email. If you call, you'll also be asked for it.

If you have issues voting, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk.

Please include your membership number in your email. If you call, you'll also be asked for it.

You don’t need an email to be able to vote.

If you think you’re eligible, you can vote above.

Your employer won’t know if or how you chose to vote on this offer. Your vote is confidential, and the consultative ballot is conducted by the RCN.

We’ll inform CareTech of the outcome of this vote, including the percentage of members voting for and against the employer's offer.

Yes, you're eligible to take part if you're a member and employed on a CareTech contract at one of the Coveberry sites listed above. For your vote to be counted, your membership details must be updated to reflect where you currently work.

To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. You must include your membership number in your email. If you call, you'll also be asked for it.

If you're a student member who is directly employed by CareTech in the Coveberry sites listed above, you're eligible to take part in this consultative ballot.

Only staff directly employed are eligible to take part in the ballot.

To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email membership@rcn.org.uk. Please include your membership number in your email. If you call, you'll also be asked for it.

All staff currently employed by CareTech in the Coveberry sites outlined above are eligible to participate in the consultative ballot. If you're no longer employed by CareTech, then you won't be included in the ballot, as you won't be affected by the employer's offer.

If you've received an email encouraging you to vote in this consultative ballot, it might be that your membership details need updating. To update your details, log in to MyRCN or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 (select option one), or email rcn.org.uk">membership@rcn.org.uk. Please include your membership number in your email. If you call, you'll also be asked for it.