Agenda for Change
Update on Agenda for Change early implementers sites
(26/11/03) This is the fourth issue of the Agenda for Change Newsletter,
providing feedback to UNISON members on the latest information emerging from the
12 'early implementer' sites.
UNISON has held its fifth meeting of early implementer lead activists and
officers and a summary of current developments is set out below.
Recruitment
A number of EI Sites are participating in a recruitment strategy, involving
activists in all departments and carrying out face-to-face recruiting.
This approach has provided an opportunity to communicate with members and to
recruit more activists to meet the increased workload of Agenda for Change.
Special Agenda for Change recruitment packs are being circulated to these sites.
Guys/St Thomas and South West London/St George’s branches recently spent a week
visiting all of their trusts’ sites giving every member of staff a pack, and
engaging with members, potential members and activists. West Kent Branch will be
visiting sites in their trust in December. Early feedback is positive and we
will keep branches informed of progress.
The packs will soon be available for all health branches to support their local
recruitment strategies.
What can non-early implementer branches do?
Whilst the EI process continues, there is important work that non-EI branches
can do now. This would be of value to branches whatever the outcome of the
second ballot.
It would be time well spent and would in no way pre-empt the important decision
that UNISON members are to take in next year’s ballot.
Important tasks to be undertaken include:
- Updating Job descriptions.
- Developing a clear and practical recruitment strategy.
- Identifying members/activists willing to be involved in the work that
Agenda for Change would generate if implemented.
- Build a profile of your employer by looking at current employment
arrangements, job titles, how staff are graded, their terms and conditions,
etc.
- Prepare for the Knowledge & Skills Framework (KSF) by undertaking a review
of your appraisal and personal development plan (PDP) system and thinking
about which groups of staff you may wish to pilot for KSF.
Branches should contact their Regional Head of Health to discuss their plans
and to obtain supplies of the recruitment packs (see circulars HC/113/03 and
HC/116/03 for details.
UNISON training
UNISON job evaluation training: the materials for the one-day activists’
training course are currently being finalised.
The course is designed to provide a basic knowledge of the principles of job
evaluation and an understanding of the job matching process. Course materials
and practical activities will be available for use by regional educational
officers, regional officers and branch officials in the near future.
It is hoped that the course will give activists a clearer idea of what being
involved in job evaluation at local level would entail, and encourage members to
put themselves and branch colleagues forward to be part of the process.
In addition, UNISON training courses are being developed on:
- Advocacy skills
- Job matching skills
- Conditions of service/local negotiations
Job evaluation
The materials for the official NHS job evaluation working party training for job
analysts, matchers and evaluators have been reviewed and revised.
Trainers (appointed via the Strategic Health Authorities) will be receiving
intensive training and accreditation between January and March 2004.
This will cover all aspects of the scheme and the roles of matcher, evaluator
and analyst. The training will then be rolled out to the rest of the service
from a Strategic Health Authority level.
It has been confirmed that all training will be accredited via a higher
education establishment. Those delivering the training will be accredited at
tutor level.
There are ongoing discussions about retrospective accreditation for those
currently delivering training and undertaking JE roles in the EI sites.
Matching & profiling
EI sites continue to make progress in the job matching process. More national
job profiles have been agreed and an up to date list will be published shortly.
It is expected that some of the locally evaluated posts within the EI sites will
be used to produce further national profiles.
UNISON has identified the following occupational areas which still require
national profiles:
- Information technology
- Human resources
- Pharmacy
- Finance
- Medical technicians
- Health care assistant
- Ambulance technicians
- Occupational therapy
A complete list of all published job profiles can be found at
www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/jobprofiles.htm
Knowledge & Skills Framework (KSF)
All sites have identified pilot groups and efforts are being made to raise
awareness of KSF. A series of road shows have taken place at West Kent involving
approximately 500 staff, while Aintree has run four training sessions for around
80 staff and has employed a KSF Implementation Researcher to assess the quality
of the training.
Herefordshire PCT is running 22 road shows across nine sites in the Trust. Avon
& Wiltshire have set up a KSF outline development group, and at Papworth,
workshops are being run to produce KSF outlines.
The James Paget Trust ran a series of road shows throughout November and has
secured funding for a computerised Personal Development Plan (PDP) system. It is
incorporating KSF into the PDP system. KSF Leads have all been trained and are
currently working on KSF outlines.
East Anglian Ambulance, North East Ambulance and Papworth have all put in bids
to their local Workforce Development Confederations/Strategic Health Authorities
to assist in the funding of KSF.
Terms and conditions
Appeals procedures
Guys & St Thomas, Aintree, South West London & St. George’s, West Kent and
Herefordshire have all agreed appeals procedures. Both South West London & St
George’s and Guys have agreed to add a further, informal appeal stage to the
matching process which aims to reduce the potential number of grievances that
could be lodged.
Recruitment & Retention Premia (RRP)
Herefordshire Primary Care Trust has reached agreement on a protocol for the use
of national and local RRP. Under this protocol the level of premium payable will
be set locally on assimilation for the nationally agreed groups (Appendix I of
the Proposed Agreement).
The value of the RRP will be based on the difference between the maximum of the
new pay band and the highest point being paid on the old scale.
There are discussions throughout all the sites around when to use long and short
term national RRP, and on the levels payable.
Unsocial hours
West Kent, Central Cheshire and North East Ambulance have all agreed that staff
working up to 5 unsocial hours per week, will receive a 5% supplement.
Herfordshire PCT have agreed that staff working more than _ but less than 2
unsocial hours will receive 2% enhancement, while those working between 2 and 5
unsocial hours per-week will receive 5% supplement.
Also under the agreement at Herefordshire PCT, it is accepted there will be a
“norm” for a post. However it is accepted that individuals work flexibly and
have their own pattern of working. Therefore for those employees that fall
outside of the “norm” for their team, the manager will determine the reason and
then:
- Accept that it is legitimate to have such a difference (ie the person is
the only member of the team to work permanent nights) or
- Accept there were reasons why the outcome was skewed (ie significant
absence such as maternity leave) and agree with the individual to adjust the
percentage, or commence another review period.
On-call payments
Both North East Ambulance and Herefordshire PCT have agreed that employees who
are called into work during a period of on-call will receive payment for a
minimum of two hours (including travelling time.)
Annual leave
North East Ambulance has agreed that employees can carry over up to 10 days
annual leave for this year. Herefordshire PCT has agreed that for the purposes
of calculating annual leave entitlement, NHS service may include time spent in a
relevant role in organisations other than the NHS, i.e. GP practices, social
services, and nursing homes.
The early implementer sites
James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust
Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Trust
City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust
Papworth Hospital NHS Trust
Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust
Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
S West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust
West Kent NHS & Social Care Trust
Herefordshire NHS Primary Care Trust
Central Cheshire Primary Care Trust
North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust
East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust
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