1. Staff Governance. Staff Governance Self Assessment

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1 Scottish Ambulance Service Board Human Resources Directorate Activity Report Shirley Rogers, Director of Human Resources and Clinical Development 30 th January Staff Governance Staff Governance Self Assessment The six divisional staff governance assessments were conducted prior to Christmas and the data from those assessments was incorporated into the self assessment audit carried out by the National Partnership Forum in December The national audit will be signed off at the February Partnership Forum and an action plan created thereafter. Themes from the self assessment will be presented for information at the next Staff Governance and Remuneration Committee meeting however the Board can be assured that there was much good practice and strong partnership working within the Service. There are a number of actions which need to be taken at local level and these are being progressed with monitored local action plans. Embedding staff governance at local level Following discussion at NHS Scotland level, planning is underway regarding the development of the most appropriate tool for conducting staff surveys and encouraging a healthy response rate to them in order to gain staff feedback on staff governance and other matters. Whilst these discussions are ongoing it has been decided that each Health Board should be allocated funding specifically ring fenced and used to engage with staff about what staff governance means in practice at local level. We have received funding of 5,000 and will use this to support our local staff governance initiatives. 2. Patient Focus Public Involvement PFPI steering group The next meeting of the PFPI Steering Group has been agreed for the end of February. The third quarter report will be submitted on the 1 st of February and the Scottish Health Council has provided a list of priority actions that Helen Rothwell, the 2007 Management Trainee, is progressing. A job description and objectives are being drawn up for sign off for Helen covering her placement as the PFPI lead for the next nine months. Divisional PFPI representatives have been asked to return a template detailing local PFPI activity

2 3. Equality and Diversity (Fair for All) Disability Equality As required the Service has published its Disability Equality Scheme update as attached at Appendix 1 for information. 4. Personnel Agenda for Change Unsocial Hours System The current key issue relates to the introduction of a revised Unsocial Hours System (UHS) payment. As the Board has been advised previously, the Scottish Ambulance Service is operating under the UHS which was put in place as an interim arrangement under Agenda for Change. This system applies to A&E and PTS staff whilst other staff in the Service, in common with the rest of the NHS, operate under an appropriate Whitley system. There are recommendations that the new system should be phased in over a number of years. After analysis the proposals for change were detrimental to a number of Ambulance staff and would result in significant levels of salary protection being applied. As a result we submitted a case for retaining the current levels of remuneration within the Service. This case was submitted at a UK level along with other Ambulance Services and was well received. Discussions continue to establish whether a resolution will be found which encompasses the UK as a whole or whether a separate Scottish solution will be found. Current concerns relate to the need to give due cognizance to terms and conditions in NHS Scotland, whilst at the same time recognising the position in other Ambulance Service comparators. Employment Tribunal As the Board are aware the Service was represented at a recent Employment Tribunal regarding aspects of the Working Time Regulations. The challenge, from 16 members of on-call staff (from 4 stations in North East), was that the Service should automatically be giving staff an 11 hour rest break between rostered shifts. Clearly this was a major operational issue for us at our on-call stations. The financial impact of a ruling in support of 11 hour breaks would also have been significant

3 We are pleased to report that the Tribunal agreed with the Service s interpretation of the regulations as they apply to the 11 hour rest break. They commented favourably on a number of aspects of the Service s management of rest breaks in relation to oncall. One area which they advised we should review was how we managed compensatory rest for the times when staff did not receive the 11 hour rest break. This is currently being managed through the fatigue policy however they advised on some amendment to this and a small group of management and staff side will look at this aspect. A briefing note outlining the Tribunal s decision was distributed to the Service for information. Secondary Employment In line with the NHS Code of Practice the Service operates a system whereby staff wishing to undertake secondary employment need to seek the permission of the Service in order to do so. In December the Service issued individual letters to staff reminding them of their responsibilities in this regard and in January further individual correspondence was issued to advise that if they haven t been given permission then they will be in breach of their contract of employment and dealt with as appropriate. 5. Education and Training Paramedic Training We remain on target to achieve the Paramedic training target for 2007/08. Technician Training We are currently on target to achieve the Technician training target for 2007/08. Recruitment challenges in East Central division have lead to a dip in their numbers for the January course, however we anticipate full course take up from elsewhere Training Plan The draft training plan has been circulated to GMs for their consideration. It is hoped that an approved prospectus will be ready for publishing by end January. Driver Training (i) Road Safety Act 2006 (section 19) As previously reported the ascent into law of the above act will affect the eligibility of 295 of our staff, employed prior to 1982 to claim legal exemption from statutory speed limits in response to emergency calls

4 A number of training options have been developed to ensure that these staff are compliant with the new legislation prior to its anticipated implementation in the 2 nd quarter of Consultation, on the various options has taken place with nominated GMs (identified at Ops PIP) and preferred option is being explored. (ii) Motorcycle Paramedics The Training Department is working with Operational colleagues to produce a national job/person specification, recruitment criteria and process and approved training programme and standards for the growing numbers of motorcycle paramedics. This work will be completed by Monday 25 th February. 6. Organisational Development Clinical Mapping The Board will recall that, working in conjunction with NHS Highland, we were able to draw together a demographic health map of the Highlands which is extremely useful in determining future skills development for ambulance and other health care workers. We were disappointed late last year that funding had not been secured to conduct a similar exercise across Scotland. However, following further discussions with NHS NES and NHS Grampian, funding of 24,000 has now been secured to carry out a similar exercise to map low risk, non life threatening conditions and chronic illness initially in Grampian and thereafter across Scotland. First Responders To support the development of future First Responder schemes we have submitted bids to the British Heart Foundation for a further 5 Community Training Officer posts (following the model established in South East Division), to allow the roll out of similar Schools and Community schemes in the remaining 5 divisions and for a further 60 community defibrillators for use as part of the community defibrillation scheme. We should be notified of an outcome for our proposals in April. As an illustration of the development of First Responder schemes, the second Annual Report of the Penicuik First Responder scheme (as produced by the community) is attached for information at Appendix 2. Board members attention is drawn to the impressive commitment to and contribution of the scheme as summarised in the foreword

5 7. Workforce Planning Pre-employment Screening The Health Department has issued guidance in respect of pre-employment screening for overseas staff working in NHS Scotland. This guidance has been enacted within the Service. 8. Corporate Affairs Freedom of Information requests In 2005 the Scottish Ambulance Service received 29 requests, 47 in 2006 and 57 in total in We have four live FOI requests at the moment which cover the following areas; average response times (x2), Information Technology and numbers of disciplinary action taken against staff. So far no new requests have come in for Annual Report/Response magazine/website The winter edition of Response has gone out and is with staff. The Annual Report is now online and a letter will go out to the usual distribution list to let the wider NHS community and others know, a summary copy will also be posted out to key stakeholders with a letter from the Chairman. The external website has also recently been updated and has received positive feedback. Standing Orders for Scottish Ambulance Service Board These are currently in the process of being updated by a small committee set up by the Chairman in The final sections are being reviewed in January with a view to bringing a paper to the Audit Committee and, in due course, the Board. In particular the Clinical Governance Committee has recently produced Terms of Reference that need to be incorporated into the Board s Standing Orders. Discussions then need to take place to clarify the process for future updates of the Standing Orders

6 Complaints After discussions with the complaints team we are looking at improved reporting of Divisional trends to ensure that General Managers and Head of Service have access to useful and timely information each month. The Corporate Affairs Manager and the Complaints administrator will visit each division over the next six months to see how we can work with them to improve complaints handling. The Complaints Administrator will also be attending the Clinical Governance Committee meetings and the Patient Safety Groups in 2008 to broaden his understanding and to help close the loop and ensure actions and recommendations from complaints are followed up