Inclusion Recovery Service Hampshire – Updated 13thMay 2015
Q and A
Q. We cannot continue to deliver a service in the Eastleigh building for another year. We have run out of rooms a number of times and the building is falling to pieces.
A. We are currently seeking alternative premises, which at the minimum we anticipate will take 9 months to expedite.
Q. How long is the new contract for?
A. 3 + 1 + 1 years
Q. What I.T. system does Inclusion use?
A. We currently use a range of database systems across our services. For Hampshire, we have selected Illy as our preferred provider.
Q. Are peer mentors included in the transfer?
A. While peer mentors and volunteers do not formally transfer under TUPE they will play an active and extended role in the new service. We greatly value the contribution that volunteers and peer mentors make and are currently planning sessions and welcome events for them
Q. Some staff will have previously TUPE’d in to Solent and will still be on their old terms and conditions. Will they carry these over to Inclusion?
A. All staff will transfer on their existing terms and conditions. Inclusion will receive details of all employees terms and conditions in the Employee Liability Information provided no later than 28 days prior to transfer.
Sometime within the first year of transfer we are pleased to be able to offer the opportunity to offer the opportunity for non NHS employees to assimilate to NHS Terms and Conditions of employment. This will be optional to all staff and by no means compulsory.
Q. Will my pay protection remain in place?
A. SSSFT expects to be notified of those staff on protected pay via the Employee Liability Information in order that any existing pay protection entitlement will transfer.
Q. What if we wish to book annual leave after the end of June?
A. Please let us know as soon as possible of any holidays that you have already booked during your 1:1’s in order for us to confirm if they will be honoured.
Q. What happens to the additional annual leave I have purchased?
A. We will need to have more information on this NHS Solent s annual leave purchase scheme and to understand the implications more fully in order to provide an answer to this question.
Q. What hours will we be required to work? Will we be given notice if you are changing our hours from the 1st July?
A. You will transfer to Inclusion on the hours you are currently contracted to work.
Our priority upon transfer will be the continuity of service and planning forthcoming changes. Throughout this time, arrangements will be made in conjunction with local service managers to ensure we meet service user need locally, in line with the service specification. Adequate notice and where necessary consultation will take place in relation to any changes. We recognise the importance of this for staff.
Q. What will the model look like?
A. The model will reflect the service specification and we will be presenting on this at the introduction workshops on the 28th & 29th April.
Q. Will my job change?
A. We are not currently aware of what the existing job roles consist of – this will be confirmed via the Employee Liability Information provided to us by your current employer.
The introduction of a new contract will bring changes to the way that you are currently working. Our intention is to fully integrate the teams in each location at the same time as making the most of individual staff skills and lead areas. You will be formally consulted about any significant changes that are proposed to your working practice or the organisational structure in which you work should they be deemed necessary.
Q. Will job descriptions change?
A. See above and below
Q. Will my job title change?
A. Once we have received complete Employee Liability Information we will better placed to answer this question.
Q. Will there be additional training required to fulfil the service specification?
A. We are keen to find out the current skills and abilities of staff and will be conducting a training needs audit to look at what skills are in place and what might be needed.
Q. What changes are anticipated to be in place on the first day following transfer and in the coming weeks post transfer?
A. A new database will be in place, other than that service continuity will be our first priority.
Q. How often will I have to work weekends?
A. This will depend on the local arrangements within your team. We will be scoping out service user need in each locality and consulting with staff to produce rota’s in each service.
Q. Will there be rotas in advance?
A. Yes, as above adequate consultation will be undertaken and notice given.
Q. What is the management structure going to look like?
A. We will present our first indicative structure at the staff presentations.
Q. Will the Counsellors structure change?
A. We need to understand more about current roles and the structure you currently work within prior to answering this question.
Q. Will there be roles for us all?
We believe there are enough roles for staff eligible to TUPE to Inclusion Recovery Hampshire
Q. Are we going to be doing more work with parents and families?
A. There is increased emphasis on this in the service specification. However we are not aware of what you are currently doing, we anticipate understanding more of what you do when we are in receipt of the Employee Liability Information and following the 1-2-1’s.
Q. Will the current team at Fareham be split to support the new Gosport hub?
A. The Gosport hub will be coming on-line March 2016. We will ensure that there are adequate and reasonably equitable resources across all the hubs, matched to service user need and in full consultation with staff.
Q. Can I continue with my current NMP training?
A. Please discuss your individual queries in your one to one. As a general principle we would aim to support and continue all staff training.
Q. Can I transfer my lease car?
A. We await confirmation from your current employer via the Employee Liability Information (ELI) of who currently has a lease car and who that is provided by. Once we know this, we will be able to speak with NHS Solent to establish who the current provider is and whether the lease can be transferred to Inclusion or not and will inform you accordingly.
Q. Will there be a central base for training and service meetings etc.?
A. These facilities will be arranged when required on an ad-hoc basis.
Q. Will there be on- line training?
A. Yes. We have a range of on-line training.
Q. Will there be negotiation for a detox facility?
A. In accordance with NICE guidance there will be an emphasis on community-based detox and a range of in-patient options appropriate to complexity and need. As such, detoxification will be arranged on an individual personalised basis.
Q. Where will staff be based?
A. Post transfer you will be based in your existing hub, unless otherwise agreed in your one to one.
Q. What are the actual dates and venues for the Inclusion presentations, estimated to be week commencing 20th and 27th April?
A. The operational workshops will take place on the 28th and 29th April at the following venues and times:
28th April 2015
Totton Sports Club10:30 – 12:00
Southern Gardens, Totton, Southampton, SO40 8RW
Holiday Inn Fareham 14:30 – 16:00
Cartwright Drive, Titchfield, Fareham , PO15 5RJ
29th April 2015
MercureWessex Hotel 10:30 – 12:00
Paternoster Row, Winchester , SO23 9LQ
Hilton Basingstoke Hotel 14:30 – 16:00
Old Common Road, Black Dam, Basingstoke, RG21 3PR
Q. Is there a period when PGD’s & prescriptions will be valid?
A. NHS Solent will provide prescriptions for the first two weeks post transfer.
Q. Will they have a shared drive we can migrate all of the files to?
A. Yes. Thank you for raising this, we will make facilities available.
Q. What will happen with paper records?
A. Arrangements are currently being agreed between Inclusion and Solent.
Q. Some staff are concerned the change of pay date to the 28th of the month would cause them considerable difficulties. Would you be able to put arrangements in place to support this transition?
A. It is not possible to run a separate pay date than the 28th of the month, however we are in discussion with our payroll department regarding what arrangements if any may be possible. We would ask if you believe you would experience financial hardship that you share this on an individual basis during your 1-2-1.
Q. Working out of hours may create difficulties in terms of caring arrangements, religious observances or second jobs.
A. Reasonable consideration will be given to such items into account in the production of rota’s. Please take note of the attached Flexible Working Policy (link below) for the Trust should you wish to make an application to amend working arrangements.
Please disclose any second/third jobs during your 1-2-1
Q. Staff have expressed concern in small teams that providing cover at weekends could mean that they are left short of staff at other times in the week, or that it would impact attendance at training or team meetings etc.
A. We share these concerns and will work with local teams to ensure that service provision properly reflects service user need.
Q. Would staff that are not entitled to pay enhancements for unsocial hours bear the burden of carrying out those shifts?
A. We would require a fair and equitable rota for all concerned.
Q. Staff are not convinced that service users necessarily needed cover all weekend.
A. The weekend arrangements will be based on the service specification combined with service user need. We intend to provide the most sensible and efficient arrangements possible.
Q. What’s the plan around how we work with volunteers and peer mentors? Will this change or stay the same?
A. We intend to expand the role of volunteers and peer mentors. This will supplement the role of paid staff as opposed to replacing and undertake roles that they are best placed to help with, that recognise their individual experience, expertise and potential.
Q. It is understood that Inclusion DBS check staff annually and that staff are obliged to pay for this themselves. Could you confirm the situation around this?
A. We will undertake a new DBS Checks for those working in a regulated activity as they are not portable between employers. The Trust will pay for the initial DBS Check and for registration to the DBS Update Service, which requires an annual subscription of £13 currently. When the subscription needs renewing (in 12 months’ time) employees will be required to pay the cost of the £13.00 renewal subscription and claim it back through their expenses the following month. Registration with the DBS Up-date Service means your Check is portable and if in the future you leave the Trust then as long as you maintain your registration on an annual basis then there is no further cost of a DBS Check.
Q. Could our current sessional workers join your bank staff?
A.We currently have an in—house Nurse Bank. Only Nurses are able to register at this time and the joining instructions are below.
Part 1 of the attached form must be completed and returned to SSSFT Trust Headquarters at the address noted. Once this form is received it takes 2-3 working days for the payroll team to process the form and create a bank posting in ESR. Individuals can then access the bank via their E-Rostering account and view shifts and book themselves. Alternatively, managers can book them directly onto bank shifts from their rosters.
There are various guides for managers to send shifts to bank from the system and guides for staff to view and book bank shifts. Face to face training if this is required.
To download the registration formclick here
Q. Some staff are currently permitted to carry across up to 5 days annual leave in to their new leave year (with manager’s permission). Could you confirm whether under your measure of bringing staff on to your policies you would be proposing to change this arrangement?
It would be appropriate that some leave would be taken prior to the point of transfer. However to be clear, Inclusion Recovery Services would allow for a maximum of 5 days annual leave to be carried over into a new leave year.
Inclusion recognises the importance of having regular breaks throughout the year to support your health and well-being and would expect that all leave is taken in its current year.
Q. What are you plans and what are the timescales for finding a new base in Andover?
A. We are currently putting contingency arrangements in place while we source permanent premises.