IMPLEMENTING A BAND 6 FOR PARAMEDICS IN WALES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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1 IMPLEMENTING A BAND 6 FOR PARAMEDICS IN WALES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Following the announcement that agreement in principle has been reached on the implementation of a Band 6 for Paramedics in Wales, many of you have been in touch with your questions and concerns. The Negotiation and Project Team has developed this frequently asked questions (FAQs) document to help answer some of the most common questions so far. 1. I am a paramedic will I automatically be put into Band 6? Yes. If you were employed as a registered paramedic within WAST before 1 st August 2017, you will automatically assimilate to Band 6 on 1 st October However, you will then have 28 days from 1 st October to make a decision as to whether you wish to continue in the Band 6 role. You will then have six months (between 1 st October 2017 and 31 st March 2018) to selfassess against the required competencies and gather your portfolio. We describe this process and how this happens at question 5. Paramedics who register after 1 st August 2017 will be considered to be Newly Qualified Paramedics (NQPs) and therefore included in the UK NQP programme. 2. I am already a registered paramedic. Why do I have to obtain additional competencies and undertake training to operate as a Band 6? Being a Band 6 paramedic requires all paramedics across the UK to meet the UK national profile expectations, which are set at an increased scope of practice. Here in Wales we are ahead of the game in some ways and, in discussion with the trade unions, we have developed a revised scope of practice and set of competencies we believe will ensure our staff can meet this requirement. We recognise, however, that not everyone will be ready and able to work at this higher level from day one and should be supported with appropriate training to develop the requisite competencies over a period of time. 3. This was not the case in England, why is this the case in Wales? As part of the English implementation agreement, all parties committed to work on a Band 6 job description and scope of practice that is fit for purpose and fit to deliver on future service requirements, and a programme of work is underway in England to deliver this. As stated in question 2, we are a little ahead in our developments and have worked together in partnership to set out the scope of practice and competencies for a Band 6 paramedic. This has enabled us to develop a fit for purpose training plan that will ensure our paramedics receive appropriate development to perform at this enhanced level to reduce exposure to the associated risks to patients and themselves. 4. When will I receive more information about the Band 6 Paramedic role? Subject to final agreement with Welsh Government, our aim is to provide Paramedics with an information pack on 1 st September Prior to this we intend to hold a

2 number of workshops (on a regional basis) during early July, and in addition, colleagues are able to any queries to Wastb6queries@wales.nhs.uk or speak to your Trade Union representative. 5. What will I have to do to become a Band 6 Paramedic? You will automatically assimilate to Band 6 on 1 st October If you decide to remain in the Band 6 post, you will then have 6 months (1 st October 2017 to 31 st March 2018) to self-assess yourself against the required competencies, and gather your portfolio. This will be realised during this period. This is not a pass or fail exercise, and is intended to help you to prepare yourself for the achievement of the Band 6 competencies. From 1 st April 2018 you will have three years to undertake and complete a portfolio of evidence to ensure you have achieved all of the 34 required competencies. On or near to 1 st September 2017 you will receive an assimilation pack; then from 1 st October you will have 28 days to make an informed decision as to whether you wish to continue in the Band 6 role. Those Paramedics who take the decision not to continue in the new Band 6 role will step across to the newly created Band 5 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT3) role. 6. What will my scope of practice be as a Band 6 Paramedic? We started by looking at the top 10 clinical conditions in Wales as a guide to inform the competency framework, in order to support the transition from Band 5 to 6. The additional competencies associated with the Band 6 role will provide staff with the added educational aspect to your role which will enable you to practice a broader range of advanced skills. For example, COPD patients are normally conveyed to ED. Under the new scope of practice, these additional competencies will enable staff to refer and treat patients more appropriately and holistically, thereby positively impacting on patient care and conveyance rates. 7. Who has agreed the competencies and on what basis? The competencies have been developed and agreed by the Trust s Work-Based Learning Group, and are based on the Skills for Health Framework and the UK National Profile. The Work Based Learning Group consists of Andrew Jenkins (Deputy Director of Medical and Clinical Services), Andrew Challenger (Interim Head of Education and Training), Roger John (Advance Paramedic Practitioner / Trade Union Representative), Andy Jones (Advanced Paramedic Practitioner), Sarah Davies (Learning and Development Business Partner), David Thomson, Unison Branch Secretary. These competencies have also been reviewed and signed off by the Assistant Director of Paramedicine, Andy Swinburn and Medical Director, Dr Brendan Lloyd. 8. What will completion of the portfolio of evidence involve? All health care registered professionals are required to develop and maintain portfolios of evidence so you should be familiar with this process. The portfolio will be a document that includes the competencies and framework, with a timeline detailing

3 when these competencies need to be attained. As part of the self-assessment process, you will have identified which of these competencies you already meet; for those remaining, the competency framework will enable you to understand the requirements. 9. Where will the training for the Band 6 Paramedic role be delivered? Will I have to go to University? We are still working through the detail of this, but envisage that training will be a mixture of self-directed learning, elearning, practice and certification of skills in a medical setting and classroom based learning. The emphasis will be on supporting Paramedics to achieve the required competencies. We will be working with colleagues from Welsh Government, WEDS and other partners to develop a costed training plan which will help us to deliver the required level of training and support necessary, while minimising impact to service from abstractions. 10. I am worried about whether or not I will achieve these competencies. What happens if I do not? We understand this concern, however, the whole emphasis of this process is supporting you to achieve these competencies, working with individuals to check progress. This will include coaching, mentoring, regular feedback and support and the entire process will be framed around getting you across the line. If you have an episode of long term sickness / maternity leave, this will be taken into consideration. Ultimately however, if an individual fails to achieve this criteria after exhausting all avenues, each case will be dealt with on an individual basis in line with existing Trust policies. 11. What happens if I do not want to undertake the Band 6 competencies and operate at this level? In Wales, we have identified the need for a new Emergency Medical Technician Three (EMT3) role and are in the process of working out the detail of this. This additional role would give an opportunity to qualified paramedics not wishing to continue at the Band 6 level to step-across into a different role, and would also provide a further opportunity for career progression for our Band 4 EMTs. You will be able to see from the competency document contained within your information pack which competencies are associated with this role. You will be asked to make a decision on this within 28 days of assimilation. 12. How will the assimilation to Band 6 work? To which point on the band 6 pay scale will I assimilate? Under this agreement all paramedics (except NQPs), will move across to a Band 6 on 1 st October From this point forward, individuals incremental dates will depend on their previous incremental date, and where they were on the Band 5 pay scale, as follows:- Paramedics on pay spine points in pay Band 5 that overlap with corresponding pay spine points in Band 6 will, on assimilation, move across to the same pay spine point in Band 6. Thereafter they will progress up the incremental points in Band 6 in line with their personal incremental date (which for the majority of staff will be 1 st October, which was the original Agenda for Change implementation date in 2004);

4 Paramedics in pay Band 5 on pay points below the first overlapping pay spine point will move to the lowest pay point in pay Band 6 and their incremental date will be the date of assimilation (which is agreed, in principle and subject to approval, as 31 st December 2016). 13. What about back pay? Our trade union colleagues have made it clear they expect pay to be backdated to 31 December This has been agreed in principle as part of the negotiations, but will be part of the discussion with Welsh Government. Date notwithstanding, any back pay due will be paid in April 2018 upon completion of the self-assessment. While we are asking you to make a decision on whether you wish to continue to step across to the Band 5 EMT3 role within 28 days of 1 st October 2017, we will allow people to step across up until 31 st March While we will not recover any overpayment of salary which occurs during the initial 28 day decision period, any further overpayment will be recovered in the same period over which it was overpaid (e.g. if you decide to step across from 1 st January 2018, you will have been overpaid for two months in November and December. This overpayment will therefore be recovered over two months). 14. I am a Clinical Team Leader (CTL). What does this mean for me? Because the CTL scope of practice is aligned to the Band 6 profile, CTLs will need to achieve the Band 6 Paramedic competencies. The CTL job description has also been independently job evaluated against a Band 6 profile, and it does not automatically follow that there will be a change in banding of this role as a consequence. However, we recognise there is a need to take another look at the role of the CTL within our service, and we expect this work to start after the Band 6 implementation has gone live. 15. I am a senior manager and being a Paramedic is an essential requirement of my role. What does this mean to me? The Trust is currently undertaking analysis of senior management roles which require post holders to be a registered Paramedic, and will take forward discussions with those individuals as soon as possible to clarify the position. 16. I am currently a Paramedic in WAST, registered with the HCPC. What happens if I decide to step across to the EMT3 role, can I remain on the HCPC register? Yes you can, as this is your personal registration. However, within your role in WAST, you will very clearly be working within the EMT3 scope of practice only. You do not need to maintain your HCPC registration for the EMT3 role if you do not wish to do so. 17. I am an Advanced EMT (AEMT). What does this mean to me? We see our existing AEMT staff stepping into the EMT 3 role. This will be discussed with those affected who will be provided with any additional training that may be required to operate to the new EMT 3 grade. There is still more work to do on this.

5 18. Will there always be a Paramedic on an emergency ambulance going forwards? Not in the future. The Trust will always try and crew an emergency ambulance with a Paramedic and an EMT. Where this is not possible a dual EMT crew will be provided. EMT3 staff would be expected to take the clinical lead in such circumstances.