Date ratified: 1 November Date issued: 1 November November 2013 (Document is not valid after this date) Review date: 1 November 2012

Transcription

1 STUDY LEAVE Version: 3 Ratified by (name of Committee): JNCC Date ratified: 1 November 2010 Date issued: 1 November 2010 Expiry date: 1 November 2013 (Document is not valid after this date) Review date: 1 November 2012 Lead Executive/Director: Name of originator/author: Target audience: Human Resources Director Human Resources All employed Staff

2 CONTRIBUTION LIST Key individuals involved in developing the document Name Human Resources JNCC Designation Human Resources Director Staff Side Chair Circulated to the following individuals for consultation Name Human Resources JNCC Designation Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 1 of 12

3 WORCESTERSHIRE PRIMARY CARE TRUST STUDY LEAVE POLICY CONTENTS Page No 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 PURPOSE 3 3 SCOPE OF THE POLICY 3 4 DEFINITIONS AND FUNDING RELATING TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF EDUCATION/TRAINING NEEDS 4 5 FINANCIAL SUPPORT 6 6 REPAYMENT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT 8 7 STUDY LEAVE 9 8 COURSES EXTENDING OVER A FINANCIAL YEAR 10 9 COURSES OUTSIDE OF THE BRITISH ISLES PROCEDURE FOR BOOKING COURSES MAINTAINING RECORDS OF TRAINING ATTENDANCE MONITORING AND REVIEW 12 Please cross reference this policy with Education, Training and Employee Development Policy Continuing Medical and Dental Education Policy Equal Opportunities Policy Protected Time Policy Staff Appraisal and Development Review Policy Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 2 of 12

4 WORCESTERSHIRE PRIMARY CARE TRUST STUDY LEAVE POLICY 1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the Employing Organisation adopts a fair and consistent approach to offering staff access to education, training and employee development. The Employing Organisation must also be able to demonstrate that the resources invested in education and training are used to meet the needs of its service plans and are applied cost effectively. 2. PURPOSE The Employing Organisation recognises that its greatest asset is its staff, and that the development of its workforce contributes to the achievement of organisational objectives and delivery of a quality service. The Employing Organisation will endeavour to meet the expectations and needs of staff where these are consistent with the needs of the service, and are deliverable within the resources available. Learning and development activities play a major role in assisting the organisation to modernise, develop and achieve business objectives. They also ensure that staff gain the vital skills necessary for them to deliver safe and effective services, in the support of both users and carers, as well as giving individuals the opportunity to further develop their skills base and level. This policy will support the achievement of these aims through careful prioritisation of training needs, while promoting a fair and equitable application of limited resources 3 SCOPE OF THE POLICY The overarching principles of this policy apply to all directly employed staff. However, separate policies/guidelines apply to medical and dental staff, and staff seconded to full time pre-registration educational courses, or postregistration conversion courses where they are already receiving financial support to undertake training and education. It covers all clinical and nonclinical, internal and external and development activities including:- Statutory, and mandatory and essential training (see appendix one for definitions) Short and long term education programmes Vocational courses (NVQs) Conferences and Seminars Professional Development programmes Management development programmes Mentoring, shadowing and coaching Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 3 of 12

5 This may not be an exhaustive list and after due consideration between an individual and line manager other events may be suitable for consideration as study leave. 4. DEFINITIONS AND FUNDING RELATING TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF EDUCATION /TRAINING NEEDS The annual business planning cycle results in the development of business plans and service objectives for each area of the employing organisation s services. An essential element of these business plans and objectives relates to workforce development. Identifying training and development requirements to enable staff to deliver business plans is integral to the business planning process. Statutory and mandatory courses must take precedence and have been booked prior to making any other course bookings. A Staff Appraisal and Development Review (SADR) process is completed annually for each member of staff as a result of considering the needs arising from both personal objectives and deficiencies in meeting the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) outline for their post. The completion of this process enables individual learning and development needs to be prioritised and resources to be agreed. Where a number of individuals have similar training and development needs, this enables a more systematic and collective response to be made tailored to the needs of the organisation. All learning and development requirements should be identified as part of the SADR/PDR process. When considering applications for personal and career development learning activities, the following questions should be considered by the manager and discussed with the employee: Is this the right or best training to meet the need? How will this training support improved service delivery? What is the relevance to organisation need and what tangible benefits will this bring? How will it increase organisational/team capacity? What is the relevance to job role/ksf Outline and how will learning be applied? What is the availability of funding to support the activity? How will this training be transferred into the workplace How long has the individual been waiting for the training since first identified? Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 4 of 12

6 In order to meet the requirements of corporate governance, the Employing Organisation has a responsibility to ensure that the resources used to meet training/education needs are subject to financial appraisal. For training/education to be supported it must be classified as statutory, mandatory, essential, or desirable. Training/education that is classified as mandatory, statutory, or essential, will be funded at 100%. Training/education that is classified as desirable will be funded at 50%. Funding for external courses will not be granted where training/education is provided internally unless there are exceptional circumstances previously identified at SADR. Training/education identified on the Employing Organisation s annual training plan will be fully funded if approved. Examples would be National Vocational Qualifications and some management development and leadership programmes. This is because the Employing Organisation believes that providing such training/education is critical to the success of the organisation. 4.1 Statutory Statutory training/education, as the term suggests, is identified via statute. In some instances however the law is not prescriptive, and instead organisations will be expected to follow codes of practice that have no force of statute. Nevertheless, in cases of vicarious liability organisations will be assessed on whether or not they follow the codes, e.g. in cases of negligence. In these situations, the Executive Team would normally consider such training/education to be mandatory. 4.2 Mandatory For training/education to be considered mandatory it must be identified as such by either the Executive Team, or a professional body. Training /education is normally considered mandatory when there is an obligation to deliver the training/education on grounds of health and safety, or some other duty of care towards staff or service users. 4.3 Essential The employing organisation will support training/education that adds value to the service. The degree to which the employing organisation will support training/education, will depend on whether this training/education is defined as essential or desirable by the appropriate manager. For training/education to be considered essential it must have been acknowledged as such by the appropriate manager or Director in the employee s organisation on the grounds that it meets one or more of the following criteria: the training/education supports the organisations service objectives, delivery of best practice or another national strategy identified by the Department of Health. Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 5 of 12

7 the training/education supports some other organisational change, or service development that is outside of the criteria cited above, but which has been identified as part of the organisation s delivery plan, or a strategy that underpins workforce development. the training/education has been identified as essential on a person specification, relating to a particular job role or in the KSF outline and as such, it relates to the competence required for that post. the training /education has been identified as part of an individual s personal development plan and is required to enable the individual to perform to the level of competence that would be assessed as necessary for that person s job role. 4.4 Desirable Training /education that has been identified as desirable, will enable an employee to develop beyond the basic requirements of their current role, and as such will add value to the service. It is not however considered fundamental to the member of staff s basic competence to do their job. Training /education that is considered desirable will normally be identified as part of a staff development review, or through a route of Continuing Professional Development. 5 FINANCIAL SUPPORT An outline of expenditure that will be financed by the Employing Organisation is detailed below. 5.1 Course Fees In-house training/education there will be no charge to employees where training is provided by organisations where we have a service level agreement or through other internal training providers and training/education is identified as part of the employing organisations annual training plan and is delivered inhouse. Delegates who are not employed by the employing organisation will be asked to pay a course fee, unless their attendance at the training/education is the subject of a service level agreement with their employer. Where delegates fail to attend or cancel at short notice their department may be subject to an administrative fee of 50. This will also be applied to delegates not directly employed by the organisation. External training/education course fees will be funded at 100% in cases where the training/education is defined as mandatory, statutory, or essential, or where the employing organisation has otherwise agreed that training/education will be offered free of charge (e.g. National Vocational Qualifications, or other vocational/professional programmes identified as part of the employing organisations annual training plan). Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 6 of 12

8 Course fees will be funded at 50% where the training/education is defined as desirable. Failure to attend or complete the course without justifiable cause will necessitate a percentage recharge made from the individual 5.2 Examination Fees Examination fees will be funded 100% for any programmes defined as mandatory, statutory or essential, and 50% for programmes defined as desirable. In the case of courses that are identified as mandatory, statutory or essential, the employing organisation will fund one re-sit of examinations. The cost of further re-sits will be met by the individual unless there are exceptional circumstances. An example of this might be a bereavement of a close relative The employing organisation will not contribute to the cost of any re-sit for courses that are identified as desirable. 5.3 Registration/Award Fees Registration/Award fees for course or programmes of study will be funded 100% for any programmes defined as mandatory, statutory or essential, and 50% for programmes defined as desirable. 5.4 Professional Membership Fees Membership fees of professional institutes or other bodies will not be paid by the employing organisation for any individual member of staff without exception. 5.5 Additional Fees Should any fees become payable, over and above those agreed at the commencement of a programme, the candidate must seek the advice of the manager giving study leave approval before incurring payment. Failure to do so will automatically render the employee liable for the fees. 5.6 Subsistence For courses that are defined as statutory, mandatory, or essential and involve overnight stays, a subsistence allowance may be claimed in respect of accommodation and meals, where these are not included in the course fees. The allowance will be paid in accordance with current terms and conditions of employment. Managers should note that this allowance will not be centrally funded and must be funded from directorate budgets. Where training/education is identified as desirable, members of staff will not be eligible where training/education is identified for a subsistence allowance Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 7 of 12

9 5.7 Travel Expenses Travel expenses will be reimbursed for travel to and from courses that are identified as statutory, mandatory, or essential. Where training/education is identified as desirable, members of staff will not be eligible to claim travel expenses. Travel expenses will be paid in line with the employing organisations current Travel Policy. Claims should be made on an employing organisations Travel Expense Claim Form. Managers should note that travel claims will not be centrally funded. 5.8 Re-imbursement for Materials, Books and Other Resources The employing organisation will not pay for any materials, books or other resources that staff need when undertaking a training/education programme. The employing organisations will consider funding the cost of books that could be used by a number of employees, providing the books are placed within a library or resource centre. 5.9 Typing of/preparation of Course Work Expenses incurred for typing of dissertations or assignments are to be met by the member of staff. 6 REPAYMENT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT Staff who have been granted study leave and funding to attend training/education may have support withdrawn/be required to reimburse the employing organisation in certain circumstances. It is not possible to be totally prescriptive about this, since the circumstances of each individual case will vary. Before a decision is made the matter will be discussed with the individual, his/her manager, and where relevant the training/education provider and/or budget holder. During such discussion, the employee may be accompanied by a trade union representative, or a work colleague. In the case of monies being reclaimed, an appropriate sum will be deducted from the member of staff s salary on an agreed basis. Where an appropriate deduction from pay is agreed, Payroll Services must be notified as soon as possible by the employee s manager. No monies will be reclaimed whilst discussions are still in progress with the individual and until the Payroll Department has written authorisation from the individual to make the deduction. 6.1 Failure to Complete/Withdrawal from Courses Where a member of staff fails to complete a course, or withdraws from a course following commencement, the member of staff will be asked to make a repayment of the financial assistance provided by the employing organisation, Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 8 of 12

10 unless there are exceptional circumstances, or a medical certificate is provided in the case of sickness. It is the responsibility of the line manager to process the reimbursement N.B. Failure to sit exams or assignments after the normal period of instruction will count as failure to complete a course. 6.2 Unsatisfactory Progress Where a member of staff is unsuccessful in examinations or assignments at the second attempt, the employing organisation will not provide any further assistance or time out. 6.3 Unsatisfactory Level of Attendance Where attendance on a course falls below the minimum acceptable to the training/education provider/awarding body, taking into account illness, annual leave, and/or other extenuating circumstances, the employee may be asked to make a repayment of the financial assistance provided by the employing organisation. 6.4 Resignation/Dismissal The employing organisation reserves the right to seek re-imbursement in full from a member of staff who resigns from the employing organisation, or who is dismissed, (except on the grounds of redundancy), whilst they are undergoing a training/education programme. If an employee ceases to work for the employing organisation within two years of completing the programme, the employing organisation reserves the right to re-imbursement which will be prorata to the unexpired length of employing organisation service following completion of the course. This will not be applied however, if the employee remains within the NHS. Or is the subject of a TUPE Transfer out of the NHS. Finance will be required to agree a schedule of repayment with the individual. 7 STUDY LEAVE 7.1 Time Out Time out will be granted for course attendance, examinations, or other learning activities, for training /education that is identified as statutory, mandatory or essential. In the case of training /education that is identified as desirable, time out will be granted at the discretion of the manager. In all cases, the needs of the service must be considered first. 7.2 Enhancements to Basic Pay If an employee has been granted time out to attend statutory/mandatory training/education on days they would normally have worked and been paid enhancements to basic pay, such enhancements will be paid from the Directorate s budget. Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 9 of 12

11 7.3 Statutory, Mandatory or Essential Courses Scheduled Outside of Normal Working Hours Where part time staff attend training/education during hours when they would not normally be working, and where attendance has been agreed by their manager, time off in lieu or payment for the hours will be mutuallyagreed with the manager Where full time staff attend training/education outside of their normal working week, and where their manager has agreed attendance, time off in lieu or additional payment for the hours will be mutually agreed with the manager. Where shift workers attend training/education for full days, this will count as equivalent to a normal working shift and will attract the same pay or time off in lieu and will be mutually agreed.training/education lasting for less than a full day will be taken back as time in lieu for the hours actually attended. Time off in lieu must be taken within twelve weeks of the course provided the needs of the service can be met. If this is not possible then the hours must be paid. Where hours are paid, they will include any enhancements that would have been paid had the individual worked those hours. Pay is an option because training in this category is mandatory or required by the organisation and therefore has to be undertakenby the employee. If training/education is scheduled for a member of staff s rostered rest day, then the rest day should be re-allocated. 8 COURSES EXTENDING OVER A FINANCIAL YEAR Support for courses is normally approved on an annual basis. However, where a course lasts for more than one year, approval will be given for the complete course. Where unsatisfactory progress is made during an academic year, the Employing Organisation reserves the right to withdraw funding for subsequent years. Monies may also be reclaimed 9 COURSES OUTSIDE OF THE BRITISH ISLES Any event taking place outside the British Isles must have the approval of the Lead Nurse Provider Services prior to booking. 10 PROCEDURE FOR BOOKING COURSES 10.1 Authorisation of Time Out In all cases, staff must seek the approval of their immediate line manager for time out to undertake training/education activities. Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 10 of 12

12 An Electronic Study Leave Form must be completed for all training/education events that require a member of staff to be released from their duties for two hours or more. This will be submitted in line with the local arrangements for study leave applications Authorisation of Financial Support Where it has been agreed that the employing organisation will provide financial support, the Study Leave Application/Course Nomination Form must be coded with the relevant cost centre and account code, and signed by the relevant budget holder: Managers must be sure that they understand where essential training is funded from and where desirable training is costed to within their Directorate Completing a Study Leave Application Study leave forms and instructions for completion can be found on the intranet by clicking on the favourites Making a Course Booking. In-house courses the employee can provisionally reserve a place by contacting the Professional Development Team on or The employee must then confirm the place by forwarding a study leave application form, duly authorised by their line manager to professional.development@worcspct.nhs.uk External courses - the employee can provisionally reserve a place with the training/education provider, prior to approval from the budget holder. The employee must then forward a study leave application/course nomination form to his/her line manager, and subsequently the relevant budget holder (where financial support is granted) and the Study Leave Application form to professional.development@worcspct.nhs.uk. The employee should then confirm the booking with the training/education provider, once he/she is in receipt of a copy of the study leave application/course nomination form, duly authorised by their line manager and the relevant budget holder. N.B. If course bookings are confirmed by the employee, prior to approval being granted, the employee may become liable for payment. The employing organisation will not approve courses retrospectively Payment The options for payment method are covered in the instructions for completing the study leave application/course nomination form. Where the employee contributes toward the cost of a course, the Employing Organisation will pay the course in full, and deduct the employee s contribution from the member of staff s salary with the member of staff s agreement. In Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 11 of 12

13 these cases, the manager must arrange for the employee to sign a memorandum authorising Payroll Services to make the deduction. 11 MAINTAINING RECORDS OF TRAINING For all mandatory and statutory courses there is no requirement to complete a study leave form as attendance will automitaccly feed into the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). However, for all other training, an electronic study leave application form must be ed to professional.development@worcspct.nhs.uk so that the employee s training/education record can be input into the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) 12 ATTENDANCE It is essential that all staff ensure that they acquaint themselves with the starting times and duration of any training session, as well as any specific requirements of that session and ensure their punctual attendance. Any employee who is unable to attend a previously booked internally delivered or organised course is to ensure that their line manager or themselves notify the training administrator as soon as possible prior to the course starting so that that place can be offered to another member of staff. This individual will then be annotated as Apologies on any subsequent reports to managers. Where notification of nonattendance is not provided prior to commencement, by either the individual or line manager, that individual will be annotated as Did Not Attend on any subsequent management reports. Their department will then be subject to the 20 non attendance fee 13 MONITORING AND REVIEW This policy is subject to joint monitoring and will be reviewed upon request by the HR Department and by the JNCC. Study Leave Policy 18 th August 2010 Page 12 of 12