Workshops (April 2015) - Frequently Asked Questions
General
When is the 1:1 process taking place?
The invitations will be sent to your HR Representative on 30th April or 1st May 2015. We will be holding the 1:1 over two weeks 11th May – 22nd May 2015. The invitation will give you a specific 20 minute time slot for you to attend.
If you anyone is not available to attend the 1:1 within these two weeks, we are more than happy to be flexible and can arrange this to be held at a different date before 1st July 2015.
How will the CRI people get paid as they are currently paid on 15th of the month and the new payday will mean they will have to wait six weeks before they get paid again. Will an interim payment be made to help them cover their bills?
Answered at intro sessions and response available on current FAQ
What happens to people whose TUPE time ran out during this contract but who still have their old contracts with another organisation that isn’t CRI or Solent?
TUPE does not expire, the T’s and C’s under which you are currently employed will transfer with you on the 1st July 2015. The Employee Liability Information provided by your current employer will confirm the T’s and C’s therefore if you have any queries regarding your current T’s and C’s please direct these to your employer.
Will there be more staff overall in the new service structure?
Yes – There are more posts within the new structure than on the TUPE lists originally supplied. We will be shortly sending out exact numbers and will be starting recruitment to vacant posts within the next few weeks.
Will the vacancies be filled before the contract starts? If not will the CRI sessional workers be able to continue working to cover the shortfall?
It is our intention to start recruitment shortly with the aim of filling all vacancies before the start of the contract. If this is not possible then we would want to explore the possibility of using sessional workers to cover any shortfall.
Will HCC Adult Services still provide community and residential rehab?
Yes and we are currently in discussions with them regarding referral routes and how this will link into the new service.
How do Inclusion plan to inform the other agencies in the country of the changes – GPs, CMHTs, Wellbeing Centres
There is a serious of meetings planned and representatives from the Inclusion Implementation team are due to visit a range of stakeholders over the next six weeks. This will be supported by written information which will be sent directly and be available on the website.
What is the system for paying expenses? At the moment CRI do it on paper and Solent have an online system.
We are in the process of moving all of our services onto an online system.
Will we be using the NHS eLearning system?
For some mandatory training we do use the NHS eLearning system
When will you start recruiting to the vacant posts?
Recruitment should be starting within the next two weeks.
Personal
What is my pension contribution?
2014/2015 Contribution rates before tax relief (gross)
The contribution rate by employers is 14%
For pension queries, please contact the NHS Pensions Agency on: 0300 3301 346 or
Do I need to take my accrued annual leave before 1st July?
We will be reviewing the annual leave and will release these details as soon as possible. Please take these questions with you to your 1:1 where they can be answered in more depth.
Role Related
I’m worried that I won’t fit in to a specific job role with you because I am a “jack-of-all-trades” like most Recovery Workers
On the contrary, we think that is fantastic and we will always ensure you are in a job that suits you best
Am I allowed to go forward for a more senior role and is so, how do I do this
When we have received the full list of who is working, where and what roles we still have left to fill, we will then publish the vacancy list on the NHS website and you would apply for it as you normally would. Or if you are looking for a specific role, please mention it in your 1:1. Similarly, if you are looking to move internally to another base, the same process will apply
What is your procedure for the job matching process
We envisage your job role being very similar, although we might call your job role something different. We will match your personal profile against the job description.
Is it true that you will be trying to get everyone on NHS’ Terms & Conditions within one year?
No. SSSFT will offer all staff that transfer the opportunity to assimilate to NHS Terms and Conditions of employment, however, this is optional and not compulsory. The opportunity to assimilate will be made within the first year.
When it comes to issues with the service specification, some staff have a stronger voice and are always heard but most of us aren’t.
We value your opinion and if you find the specification isn’t working then we want you to tell us because specifications may need to be amended.
To ensure everyone is heard, we have consultations and have anonymous online feedback and participation so we can get a broader idea of everyone’s thoughts and feelings.
Will you be offering the Non Medical Prescribing Course for nurses?
Yes. As part of their appraisal and CPD and in agreement with the management team
Will the NMP role be part of the contract? If so, do you offer on-going training and staff forums?
We welcome and value NMPs as part of the service and their input is vital to the delivery of recovery focused interventions such as wellbeing clinics and detoxification. We have a clear NMP training and development pathway. The Trust offer monthly NMP forums, however, due to our location, Inclusion offer NMPs places on SMMGP conferences and Inclusion run peer NMP supervision forums.
Will unqualified staff i.e. Recovery Workers have to have their electronic care records countersigned by a nurse?
No
Will there be training for people providing Family Psychosocial Programmes?
We are planning to recruit specific workers to lead this piece of work. We will be looking for existing staff within each hub to support this and additional training will be available.
Will all staff be employed by the NHS?
Yes – Inclusion is part of South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust and all current staff will transfer into the NHS.
Will counsellors be expected to see SUs at home?
We would expect counsellors to work in line with BACP guidelines when delivering counselling interventions. We do believe that home visits can add context and greater understanding about the client’s life and situation but before any home visit took place a risk assessment would be required.
What specific counselling training is available to update knowledge and skills as there have been none for the last two years in this contract?
Specific training courses will be dependent on the needs of the individual workers. Training to support counsellors to deliver this aspect of the service will be available.
When will counsellors be offered a new supervisor?
As part of the one to one interviews we will be discussing with staff the current supervision arrangements. We recognise that counsellors (and other professionals across the service) have specific supervision needs and will look to ensure that this are met.
What are your plans for the sessional staff currently backfilling vacancies across HOMER?
We will want to meet with the current sessional staff and explore with them what options they maybe for them within the new service.
Treatment
Who do we refer Service Users to now that we don’t have Baytrees?
Baytrees is still an option so please do continue to refer Service Users there. However, it has been brought to our attention that Baytress isn’t easily accessible to everyone.
The service that we provide needs to be the best option for the Service User and their family. With this in mind, we need to consider other locations using residential community rehabs. So although Baytrees can still be used, it won’t be your only option so you can ensure that your Service Users are getting the best possible service which will ultimately assist in their recovery
Is Peer Mentor Training accredited to Inclusion?
Not currently but we are working towards accreditation.
We will meet with all the Peer Mentors at the Peer Mentor meeting or we will happily meet up with them on an individual basis if they are unable to attend the meeting. We find Peer Mentors vital and want to train and develop them. We want a full on approach and will ask Brad Barker from Cambridgeshire to come down to share his expertise. We also get Peer Mentors to train other Peer Mentors.
On the Inclusion website, your goals and values are based on recovery rather than maintenance and your Service Users are not in for more than 15 months. Can you explain your prescribing process in more detail?
We offer an integrated approach which is recovery focused and follow a four stage prescribing flowchart.
- Come into treatment and hopefully be able to have a quick detox, after which we will move them into Peer Support
- Structured community detoxification stage
- This level is for Service Users who have been in treatment 2 – 6 years on high level medication. We will use psychosocial work. We would ideally want Recovery Workers present at all times where possible so that prescribing is not carried out in isolation. If a Service User is polydrug using, we will supervise consumption and say that the time they would spend going to and from the pharmacy, they could use by going to Jobseekers etc. We would ask for proof of positive steps they have taken before prescribing again.
- This will only be 10% – 15% of our case load. This is where people with physical or mental problems will sit. There is no quick solution for them and we can only reduce their medication very gradually. Consultants will need to assess if the treatment they are receiving is causing more harm or distress than using. We have a very structures protocol that needs to be followed. Service Users need to go through clinical reviews. One person cannot make a prescribing / treatment decision on their own.
We will be able to let Prescribers and Clinical Recovery Workers have our clinical protocols before 1st July 2015 so they can familiarise themselves.
Within the first few months we will be carrying out an audit to see numbers and to try evaluate what the “blockage” is for long term Service Users on scripts.
Prior to 1st July 2015, can we see or get an understanding of your delivery expectations for Groupworkprogrammes so that we can start preparing.
Ours will very likely be similar to what you are currently doing. However, Our IRP Trainers will be deployed to provide training and CRI have confirmed they will be happy for staff to attend this prior to 1st July. We will be seeking approval from Solent to see if they will be happy for this to happen.
What training is available through Inclusion?
This is a range of training opportunities available through Inclusion. As well as the mandatory training there a number of training courses available that are specific to staff working in a recovery service in whatever type of post.
You have been asked to fill in a skills questionnaire and this will help us determine what additional training is required. We also plan to have a training calendar each year identifying a range of course that staff from Hampshire will be access.
We value our staff and this is reinforced by ensuring that everybody has access to training that can help them develop further within their role.
Where do Inclusion stand on Harm Reduction?
We see Harm Reduction as a vital part of any service. We believe that people can change and as workers we have a duty to encourage, motivate and challenge service users. Harm reduction ensures that clients who are struggling to change are kept safe and the use of needle exchange, information on safer injecting and access to regular health checks are important parts of the service.
In a wider sense of harm reduction can be seen as finding ways of working with clients that reduces their risk of using substances in a dangerous or life threatening ways. This can include maintenance prescribing and a range of interventions that help clients stabilise and stay safe.
We do not see harm reduction and recovery as being in conflict. We do believe that the ultimate harm reduction technique is abstinence. We recognise that not everybody can achieve this or get to this place at the same pace. However harm reduction and recovery are on the same treatment continuum and are interventions are designed to reduce harm with them aim of building motivation and external support structures so that the client can move into recovery, however they choose to define this.
What kind of Peer Mentor and Volunteer programmes will Inclusion be setting up?
This was partially answered in a previous question. Inclusion does have a fully developed peer mentor and volunteer programme and we will discuss this with the current peer mentors and volunteers when we meet with them. We recognise that a number of peer mentors and volunteers have been through training and we do not intend to replicate training that has already taken place.
The new contract states that prescribing will be time limited, what happens if a patient doesn’t complete treatment within the time set by the DAAT and the prescribers feel it isn’t reasonable to time limit them?
We prescribe within established clinical guidelines and best practice. We believe that recovery is possible and that it is the responsibility of the service to engage and motivate clients that have been in treatment for long periods to make changes. However we also recognise that for a small number of clients this will not be possible. If there is agreement between the key worker, prescriber and client that they are not able to move towards recovery then we would not force anybody to complete treatment within set timescales if it is not safe.
Is there any idea of maximum caseload numbers as the new contract calls for keyworkers for all clients AND their carers to have them to which could potentially double the numbers of caseloads?
There is no maximum caseload as such. Depending on the intensity of the interventions being delivered caseloads could vary from worker to worker. We believe that a staff team of over 100 staff would have capacity to see all clients and the carers that require a service.
Hub Related
The new contract says we will be open on all Bank Holidays and every weekend. Who is planned to staff these days? When we moved over to HOMER, Solent staff got extra pay when they worked extra hours but CRI were only offered time off in lieu. Moving over to Inclusion, will everyone be paid for the extra hours?
Fair and equitable rota’s will be in place that support service user needs. Remuneration will be in accordance with your existing Terms and Conditions, however, if you decide to sign our (NHS) Terms and Conditions, you will get paid the extra.
Christmas Day falls on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday – will we be open both those days and if we are, will we be paid more for it?
We are still in discussions with the commissioners about their expectations regarding Christmas cover. We would hope this would also be guided by service users telling us what they require.
Remuneration will be in accordance with your terms and conditions of employment.
When will the extra evenings and Sunday opening be expected to start?
This is still being discussed with the commissioners but there is a clear expectation that this will take place within the new service.
How and when will you start with data migration?
We have already asked Service Users for permission to transfer their files across so should get this back soon.
We will be using the Illy system which is a great support product. When we used Illy in Sandwell it was fantastic and transferred all risk assessments and patient notes. It should also bring over any scanned documents (e.g. letters to doctors etc). It is worth noting that due to the Data Protection Act, we are only able to transfer open cases
We would like to train some key role holders to use this system at the end of June. CrI have agreed to release these people. Solenthave agreed to share the names and contract details of who they will release to attend this training.
Within the first two weeks, Illy trainers will come to you to provide very comprehensive training to ensure the implementation is as smooth as possible.
We have a meeting with Illy in mid-May to finalise plans and see exactly what information they will be able to move across.