TUPE CONSULTATION PAPER -Adopt South West Regional Adoption Agency. Transfer of Adoption Services and Organisation to Devon County Council

Transcription

1 TUPE CONSULTATION PAPER -Adopt South West Regional Adoption Agency Transfer of Adoption Services and Organisation to Devon County Council Date: 14 May

2 Contents 1. Introduction and Purpose Background Next Steps Employment arrangements with Devon County Council Planned TUPE Transfer of Services General Principles and Approach Proposal for the RAA operating model Timetable and Next Steps Appendix A - STAFF QUESTION/COMMENT FORM Appendix B Proposed Office Locations Appendix C AS IS Office Locations of staff Appendix D Proposed To Be Office Locations of Staff

3 1. Introduction and Purpose The aim of this document is to outline proposals for the TUPE transfer of Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, and Torbay Council staff to Devon County Council for the purpose of establishing a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) named Adopt South West. This paper is intended to inform and consult trade union representatives, affected staff and other interested parties of the proposals. This document does not cover Joint Panel (independent) members and chairs who are being consulted independently. Each Local Authority has been involved in the development of these proposals to ensure that the overall needs of the RAA are jointly reflected. This consultation process is a genuine attempt to involve staff and trade unions. It is intended to involve all those identified in this document in the development and implementation of these proposals, which will include presentation of information, discussions with the relevant trade unions and meetings with those individuals affected. These proposals are in accordance with the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 as amended by the Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations Also known as the TUPE Regulations. Regulation 13 of the TUPE Regulations requires Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council and Torbay Council to consult the Transferring Staff on any measures which Devon County Council envisages it will take in relation to those staff. Such consultation will be done jointly with all partners of Adopt South West and these proposals are further outlined in this document. This document is also intended to support full and meaningful pre-transfer consultation on any changes that Adopt South West wish to put in place post transfer. 2. Background In June 2015, the Department for Education (DfE) published Regionalising Adoption and asked all adoption agencies in England to consider how to work much more closely together on a regional basis. This was enacted by the Education and Adoption Act 2016 which advised authorities and voluntary agencies to join together to form Regional Adoption Agencies (RAA). The Act also gives the Secretary of State a new power to direct one or more named local authorities to make arrangements for any or all of their adoption functions to be carried out on their behalf by one of the local authorities named, or by another agency. 3

4 The Governments view is that the structural change will improve the process for children and adopters leading to improved numbers of children being adopted, an improved experience for adopters and improved timeliness overall. The DfE expects that the RAA programme will deliver consistency good and innovative adoption practice that ensures improved life chances for children. The two specific aims of regionalisation as set out by the DfE are: Improving the experience for Adopters. Improving efficiency across the system. This regional grouping includes Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, Torbay Council and Devon County Council as one of 19 groupings of local authorities working on the regionalisation agenda nationally. As one of the 19 such groups funded to achieve an RAA, one of the key decisions was which operating model should be adopted. The DfE prescribed four possible options for a delivery model for a RAA. Nationally, all agencies used a scoring system as a tool to aid discussions, the purpose of which was to examine the desirability, feasibility and viability of each option. Following consideration of each possible model by the Regional RAA Governance Group, consisting of the Local Authority Heads of Service, the preferred option was identified as a Local Authority (LA) single hosted model. A single host LA model means that adoption service functions for the partner authorities of Somerset County Council, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council will be delegated to Devon County Council. The single hosted LA solution sees the integration of the four LA s adoption services into one best practice model with one management structure, maintaining the current partnership with the Voluntary Adoption Agencies (VAA) which had been established in the delivery of Adopt South West. The structure has the required governance to focus both on the immediate operation and performance of the single service, whilst acknowledging the need to determine the most appropriate strategies for future development and improvement of adoption service. Based on the following, it was proposed that Devon County Council host the RAA, as Devon: Operates an adoption service rated Good; Has successfully innovated in many areas (e.g. foster to adopt, young people s engagement); Has the capacity to deliver given the size of the agency and the Local Authority; Has the experience of developing other services that Devon hosts for the region; Is centrally placed geographically. 4

5 Accordingly, to support the delivery of the adoption service it is proposed that the RAA operates with those staff employed in Devon County Council, with staff transferring from Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, and Torbay Council to Devon County Council under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 as amended by the Collective Redundancies and transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 also known as the TUPE Regulations. TUPE has been identified as the preferred option as this will afford protection to the staff regarding their terms and conditions of employment. Stability and assurance of outcomes is critical to the success of the RAA and the greatest asset of any service is its staff. The option of secondments of staff from other authorities was considered. However, this is normally used for short term or project assignments and key learning from other such situations is that whilst this approach can work, it brings complexity and crucially does not encourage the feeling of being part of a new dedicated service. Nor does it best prepare staff for changes that will be required of them, for example practice alignment. These are better addressed by providing a feeling of unity created by a single employer model. The arrangement to transfer staff from the partners to Devon County Council in accordance with the TUPE Regulations will ensure a consistent way of operating processes, policies and practice to optimise performance. This will also support the interfaces of the RAA with Children s social workers, Voluntary Agencies, health and education. This arrangement also responds to feedback from Adopters about a variation of processes and the availability of support and seeks to align the adoption services processes, paperwork, adoption panels and support across the region. The business case for the RAA was put forward to Somerset County Council, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council and Devon County Council between February and April 2018 and all cabinets approved the proposals. 2.1 Vision The key outcomes set for Adopt South West reflect the DfE intentions for the Regional Adoption Agencies national performance standards, as well as what a successful adoption service looks like as told by partners, children and adopters: Improving life chances for children Developing services with Adopters to achieve better outcomes for Children Reducing delays for children and adopters throughout the Adoption journey Taking what we do best and making it consistent across the region Taking opportunities for innovative practice across the spectrum A cost-effective service for all Local Authorities Improving practice and support, regardless of the permanence option Improving support for Adopters, Birth Parents and their families Placing children with families more effectively and with minimal disruption 5

6 The achievement of these outcomes for children and adults affected by adoption will see benefits for each Local Authority. There will be benefits reflected in LAC performance and budgets and there will be a clear link to the Early Permanence agenda and strategies. 3. Next Steps 3.1 A process of due diligence work (a legal and quality process by which both sides work to agree and assure the detail of the services that are being transferred) has commenced to properly prepare Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council and Torbay Council for safe transfer. 3.2 The intention is to transfer the Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, and Torbay Council staff to Devon County Council on 1 st October This is known as the assigned organised grouping which will consist of those staff which have been identified by their current employer as being employed to mainly or wholly carry out their role with Adoption or to support that service. 4. Employment arrangements with Devon County Council. 4.1 All eligible employees from Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, and Torbay Council will transfer under the TUPE Regulations to Devon County Council. 4.2 Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council are in the same Local Government Pension Fund as Devon County Council staff administered by Peninsula Pensions. Somerset County Council pensions are also administered by Peninsula Pensions however are not part of the Devon Pension Scheme. All staff transferred to RAA will be added to the Devon LGPS Fund from the transfer date (1st October 2018) but will be given the opportunity to confirm if they wish to transfer their previous Local Government Pension rights from Plymouth, Torbay or Somerset to the Devon Scheme or keep them separate. Members have 12 months from date they receive the letter from Peninsula Pensions to make this option, if no response is received the benefits will be automatically joined together. 5. Planned TUPE Transfer of Services 5.1 Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, and Torbay Council staff will transfer to Devon County Council with effect from 1st October The transfer of staff will be in accordance with the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 as amended by the Collective 6

7 Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations In practice that means that the existing terms and conditions of employment of transferring staff are protected and will transfer with them with no break in continuity of service. 5.3 Adoption service staff employed by Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council and Torbay Council at the point of transfer will be entitled to have their employment transferred to Devon County Council (as outlined at ). 5.4 We will seek to identify and consult with members of staff from Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council and Torbay Council who, whilst not directly affected, may be indirectly affected by the transfer of this service. 6. General Principles and Approach 6.1 We aim to implement the transfer with the support and cooperation of affected staff and their respective trade unions. It is fully recognised that individuals will need support and advice during the process of change and eventual service transfer to Devon County Council. 6.2 The period of consultation and response to Measures is proposed to end on 2 nd July 2018, which will allow sufficient time for feedback on the Measures and any proposals that may affect staff post transfer, and goes beyond the statutory period of consultation. Where further consultation is required the period of consultation will be considered and may be extended. 6.3 Staff can choose to object to the proposed transfer and not join the new provider, however they will not be compensated for choosing not to join the new provider and it will be as if they have resigned. 6.4 It is anticipated that there may be some staff who, for whatever reason, have individual queries about the TUPE transfer. In such situations staff will be able to discuss their concerns at an individual meeting with their manager and a HR representative from their relevant Local Authority e.g. Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, Torbay Council or Devon County Council. Staff will be entitled to Trade Union representation or support from a work based colleague (not acting in a legal capacity) at the meeting if they wish. Where a response is required by Devon County Council as the new employer on behalf of Adopt South West further views and responses may need to be sought. 6.5 Communications to affected staff will be clear and transparent. A shared mailbox has been made available (childsc.adoptsouthwestconsultationmailbox@devon.gov.uk) where staff can raise any questions, and where it is 7

8 agreed that these can be shared or form part of an FAQ these will be posted on the Adopt South West (internal) web site This document and Job Descriptions will also be posted to this website. 6.6 Business continuity of Adoption services are paramount, and are at the forefront of the transition plans. 6.7 Adopt South West needs to be financially viable and sustainable. 7. Proposal for the RAA operating model 7.1 Locations of offices It is proposed to reduce the current 9 office locations to the 6 office locations listed in appendix B. There will be 3 main office locations and 3 satellite offices (mainly for hot desking). The respective LA Estates teams have made provision for RAA staff at these locations on a 7:10 ratio (desk to Full Time Equivalent (FTE)). The Adoption Services of Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, Devon County Council and Torbay Council currently operate out of multiple offices, some specifically to maintain links with Children s Social Care teams, others to Fostering teams and some simply because they were made available to the teams by their Authority Estates plans. The As Is geographical locations of staff are listed in Appendix C. There is a need to rationalise locations across the region to ensure that teams that need to work together can do so, whilst ensuring that the office locations best serve the region in terms of being well placed to serve the demand. The To Be geographical location of staff is listed in Appendix D. The Torbay office is not well placed to offer coverage of demand due to its geographical location and it not cost effective to continue to operate Adoption Services in Torbay when there are alternative local offices (of note Exeter, Totnes, or Plymouth). Therefore, it is proposed that staff currently based in Torbay will move to a main office on the 1 st October Adopt South West staff who typically travel as part of their job will be provided with a main office base but can hot desk at any desk of the 6 offices throughout the region, in consultation with their line Manager. It is envisaged that there will be a fairly equal split of resources across the 3 groups of sites. 8

9 7.2 Organisation and staffing Structure The new staffing structure and allocation of staff across the Adopt South West region reflects the location of demand rather than the historic arrangements. The corporate support functions of Finance, ICT, HR and Commissioning will be provided by Devon County Council as host, and operate out of Exeter offices where they are currently located. The key principles of the structure reflect best practice and support innovation, and include: Listening to Adopters and Children s wish to have consistent end to end support throughout their adoption journey Applying the right skills for the right work Maintaining key interfaces with Child Care Social Workers Flexible and proportionate response to demand Supporting consistency and embedding quality in practice Providing staff development opportunities and a career progression pathway FTE- As is and To be Role AS IS FTE (at 31 st Jan. 2018) TO BE FTE (rounded up/down) ( Rounded up) Service Manager 1 3 Operations Manager 2 Team Manager 8 5 Advanced Practitioner 2 4 Social worker Family Practitioner Panel Advisor 1 2 Panel Administrator 6 3 Senior Bus support 0 2 Business support Estimated FTE

10 *Please note that the Actual FTE will change during the course of the year. There is an agreement in place not to recruit into vacant positions, so the Actual FTE will not increase. As a region we are already carrying a number of staff vacancies that will contribute to the FTE reduction required. On the 1 st October 2018 all staff undertaking substantive roles within the respective LA s Adoption Services will transfer under the TUPE Regulations to Devon County Council with their substantive Adoption Service hours. Staff will have the right to decide not to transfer, and this decision will need to be confirmed in writing and will be treated as a resignation. If a reduction is proposed then competitive interviewing will take place following transfer. The successful applicant will be appointed to the role on Devon County Council s terms and conditions. Any new posts proposed within the RAA will be ring fenced appropriately within the partnership and competitive interviewing will take place for eligible staff. Following the TUPE of staff on the 1 st October 2018 any vacancies will be advertised and appointed to on Devon County Council terms and conditions. 10

11 7.3 Organisation - Governance / Senior Management Team The Adopt South West team will be led by a Service Manager, and will report to an Adopt South West, RAA Operational Board led by Senior Managers from the 4 Local Authorities which will oversee service performance and have responsibility for the annual plan and budget. There is also a Strategic Partnership Group, which has a broader more strategic role bringing together partners and key stakeholders, including Council Members, to forge the strategic direction for improvement of the Adopt South West RAA, reflecting national policy as well as local considerations. Service Manager Role The Service Manager Role is the creation of a new 1FTE position. The operational structure clearly defines the Adopt South West RAA Service Manager role with a focus on future development, improvement and involves a closer working with partners, for example in health and education. This role is supported by Operations 11

12 Managers focussed on day to day management and operational performance of the hosted service. As this is considered a new post for the Adopt South West RAA, this position will be appointed to on Devon County Council terms and conditions through a competitive interview process. This has been job evaluated under HAY job evaluation scheme by Devon County Council and has been identified as a Leadership Grade L6 which equates to a spot salary of 65,231. This is a key role, and due to the criticality and known difficulty to recruit into, recruitment has already started and it is anticipated that the appointee will be in post before 1 st October The location base for the Service Manager Role will be one of the three main office bases and will be determined by appointment. HR Principles The post will be advertised internally and ringfenced to senior managers within the Adoption Service from each Local Authority and a competitive interview process will take place. If a candidate is not identified, an Executive search agency will be used due to the priority to have an appointment to this post at the earliest opportunity and the current competitive market place for this role due to other Regional Adoption Agencies being created nationally. 12

13 Organisation Operations Team Operations Manager Role It is proposed that there will be 2FTE Operation Managers posts within the structure of the Adopt South West RAA. The Operations Managers will share responsibility based on geography across the region or function of the service. The Operations Managers are proposed to be based in one of the main offices. The operational structure clearly defines the Operations Managers role as being focussed on day to day management and operational performance of the RAA. The Operations Manager will report directly to the Service Manager. They will provide leadership and vision for the continuous development of Adopt South West RAA for the combined adoption services for Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay. They will lead the strategic planning, development and management to ensure compliance with legislative, government, Ofsted and council requirements. They will ensure the delivery of high quality and effective Adoption Services consistent with agreed service objectives. 13

14 HR Principles It is considered that there are no significant differences in the job description to the current Operations Manager post. However, a new job description has been drafted to ensure that it is aligned with the new requirements of the RAA. This has been HAY evaluated at Leadership Grade L8 which equates to a spot salary of 53,152. Staff currently undertaking substantive Operation Manager Roles will be eligible to transfer into the role from 1 st October 2018 on their current terms and conditions of employment. However, it is proposed that post holders will work to the revised job description. Team Manager Role It is proposed that 5FTE Team Manager post will be within the structure to support the Adopt South West RAA. Currently this level of post is operating in Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, Torbay Council and Devon County Council at a combined total of 8FTE. As of April 2018, there are 2 Team Manager Vacancies. There is no significant change to the job description of the Team Manager role, however a new job description has been drafted to ensure that it is aligned with the requirements of the RAA under GLPC by Devon County Council and has been identified as a Grade H scp which equates to 36,153-39,961 (effective 1/4/18). The Team Manager will support the Operations Manager and supervise Social Workers to meet the desired outcomes for the Adopt South West RAA. HR Principles Where it is considered there are not enough posts for people, a preference exercise will take place to identify preferred work base location, and a competitive recruitment and selection process will be undertaken. It is proposed that this will be within the first two weeks of October 2018 and new DCC terms and conditions will be issued to the successful candidates. Where there are enough posts, staff will be slotted into the Team Manager roles based on their current terms and conditions where the location remains within the same geographical area (excluding Torbay). As there is a geographical change for Torbay Council staff it is proposed that the current work base will no longer exist, and it has been confirmed that part of Torbay Council s contract of employment is to work out of the Torbay area this will be considered a redundancy. Therefore, the role of Team Manager will be offered at another location on Devon County Council terms and conditions. All attempts will be made to try and seek a suitable alternative position for potentially displaced staff. Where staff are unsuccessful in being appointed to a post they will potentially be at risk of redundancy. They will be placed on the redeployment register for the period 14

15 of their contractual notice. However, the Panel Advisor role may be considered a suitable alternative post as it is at the same grade as the Team Manager post and can be based in any of the proposed 3 locations. Therefore, the unsuccessful employee could slot-in to this post on Devon County Council terms and conditions where it is deemed a suitable alternative position. The Team Manager roles will be located in the main offices. The recommended FTE is based on a ratio of 1:8 (Team Manager to Social Worker). Advanced Practitioner Role It is proposed that 4 FTE Advanced Practitioner posts will be created within the structure to support the Adopt South West RAA. The Advanced Practitioner posts have been created to enable greater career progression and to nurture the existing workforce. The Advanced Practitioner post will split their time 50/50 between case management (complex cases), supporting the Team Managers and providing supervision to Family Practitioners based on a ratio of 1:4 (Advanced Practitioner to Family Practitioner). Currently this level of post is operating in Plymouth City Council adoption services. Plymouth currently do not have permanent employees in these posts. The new posts will be located in the main offices, ensuring that there is an even geographical spread of the role across the region to meet the needs of the service. HR Principles As this is considered a new post for Adopt South West, this post will be appointed to on Devon County Council terms and conditions. This post will be ring fenced to Social Workers across the RAA as a promotional opportunity and will be appointed through a competitive recruitment and selection process. As this post does not displace any staff and is not considered a suitable alternative position for potentially displaced staff affected at a higher level it is proposed that following the consultation if proposals have not changed, the post will be advertised in August This has been Job Evaluated under GLPC by Devon County Council and has been identified as a Grade H scp which equates to 36,153-39,961 (effective 1/4/18). Social Worker Role It is proposed that there will be a reduction from 43FTE to 33FTE Social Worker posts. The recommended reduced FTE reflects the work which will be redirected to the Advanced Practitioners, Family Practitioners, and Business Support. However, due to the management of vacancies across each authority in the RAA it has been possible to minimise the proposed reductions of posts at this level by not appointing to vacant positions. As of April 2018, there are currently 9 Social Worker 15

16 role vacancies. Therefore, this has meant that there is a proposed reduction of 1 FTE Social Worker post. The overall rationale of the FTE is to ensure that qualified social workers are performing qualified social workers tasks, not work that can be completed by Business Support or unqualified workers. (The target FTE has been checked against formulae, developed by the Operations Group, of resources required per number of cases to ensure adequate resources). There is no significant change to the job description of the Social Worker role. The Social workers will case manage within all areas of the adoption service; assessment and training, family finding and matching and adoption support. This has been Job Evaluated under GLPC by Devon County Council and has been identified as a Grade G scp which equates to 31,401-35,229 (effective 1/4/18). HR Principles It is anticipated that there are Social Workers who have the skills and expertise to apply for promotion to Advanced Practitioner posts which would result in no proposed redundancies at this level. Any vacancies which will be created as a result of successful appointments at Advanced Practitioner level will be advertised by Devon County Council. As there is a geographical change for Torbay Council staff and it is proposed that the current work base will no longer exist, and it has been confirmed that part of Torbay Council s contract of employment is to work out of the Torbay area this will be considered a redundancy due to the location change. Therefore, the role of Social Worker will be offered at another location on Devon County Council terms and conditions. All attempts will be made to try and seek a suitable alternative position for potentially displaced staff. Family Practitioner It is proposed that there will be an increase in Family Practitioner posts from 10 FTE to 16 FTE within the structure to support the Adopt South West RAA. The recommended increased FTE is as a result of listening to adoptive family s feedback to have consistency and support throughout their journey. The recommended increased FTE reflects the redirected work from Social Workers. This has been Job Evaluated under GLPC by Devon County Council and has been identified as a Grade E scp which equates to 21,693-25,

17 HR Principles Family Practitioners from the LA s will remain on the same terms and conditions where the location remains within the same geographical area (excluding Torbay). As there is a geographical change for Torbay Council staff and it is proposed that the current work base will no longer exist, and it has been confirmed that part of Torbay Council s contract of employment is to work out of the Torbay area this will be considered a redundancy due to the location change. Therefore, the role of Family Practitioner will be offered at another location on Devon County Council terms and conditions. All attempts will be made to try and seek a suitable alternative position for potentially displaced staff. As this post does not displace any staff and is not considered a suitable alternative position for potentially displaced staff affected at a higher level it is proposed that following the consultation if proposals have not changed, the post will be advertised in August Staff will be appointed to on Devon County Council terms and conditions. Permission to advertise new roles will be sought through Devon County Council s recruitment approval process. Once approved, new posts will be advertised and appointed to using Devon County Council s recruitment standards and advertised both internally across the RAA and externally. The South West Adopt webpages will also be utilised to promote and advertise these posts. Panel Advisor There are currently 4 post holders (1 in each LA) who are currently performing up to 1FTE combined. It is proposed that there will be an increase in the Panel Advisor posts from 1FTE to 2FTE within the structure to support the Adopt South West, RAA. The Panel Advisor will report to the Operations Manager. The Panel Advisors will share responsibility based on geographical operational split across the region, and be based in the main offices. However, it is expected that the role will include mobile working to meet the service needs of Adoption Panels and to ensure collaborative working and training needs are delivered to the wider children and family teams in the Local Authorities and to Adopt South West staff. There are no significant differences in the job description to the current substantive Panel Advisors post, however a new job description has been drafted to ensure that it is aligned with the requirements of the RAA. 17

18 HR Principles Staff currently undertaking the substantive Panel Advisor role will be eligible to remain on their current terms and conditions and will transfer under the TUPE Regulations. As there is a geographical change for Torbay Council staff and it is proposed that the current work base will no longer exist following transfer, and it has been confirmed that part of Torbay Council s contract of employment is to work out of the Torbay area this will be considered a redundancy due to the location change. Therefore, the role of Panel Advisor will be offered at another location on Devon County Council terms and conditions. All attempts will be made to try and seek a suitable alternative position for potentially displaced staff. The additional position will be initially ring fenced for Team Managers with competitive interviewing taking place within the first three weeks of October Any appointments will be on Devon County Council terms and conditions. This has been job evaluated under GLPC by Devon County Council and has been identified as a Grade H scp which equates to 36,153-39,961 (effective 1/4/18). 18

19 Panel Administrator It is proposed that there will be a reduction of 6FTE to 3FTE Panel Administrator posts within the structure to support the Adopt South West, RAA. The recommended FTE reflects the efficiencies of joint panels, and reduced overall number of panel days across the region. As of April 2018, there are 1 FTE vacancies, hence the actual reduction is from 5FTE to 3FTE. The Panel Administrators main responsibility will be to undertake administrative tasks associated with the Adoption Panels and to provide general business support to the Panel Advisor. The Panel Administrators will report directly to the Panel Advisors. The Panel Administrators will share responsibility based on geographical split across the region and will be based in one of the three main offices. However, it is expected that the role will include an element of mobile working to meet the service needs of Adoption Panels and wider Adoption Services. The proposed Adoption Panel locations are Taunton, Totnes, Exeter and Plymouth. Torbay panel will cease to operate from 1 st October The Job Evaluation is pending. HR Principles Staff currently undertaking substantive Panel Administrator Roles will transfer under their current terms and conditions of employment under the TUPE Regulations. However, it is proposed that a recruitment and selection process will take place to select for redundancy within the first two weeks of October This will include a preference exercise for location. It is proposed that the selection process will at least include an application form and an interview process All successful candidates will be appointed in the new role on Devon County Council terms and conditions. Staff who are unsuccessful in securing a position will be placed on the redeployment register to seek suitable alternative employment. 19

20 Organisation Business support Senior Business Support Although each LA has a portion of Senior Business Support, none is deemed to be wholly or mainly carrying work for adoption. It is proposed that there is an increase of 0 FTE to 2 FTE Senior Business support posts created within the structure to support the RAA. The Senior Business support will line manage business support and maintain a link with the Local Authority. The recommended FTE increase reflects the need for strong leadership and an innovative approach to continually developing the business support functions throughout the Adopt South West RAA. A new job description has been drafted to ensure that it is aligned with the requirements of the RAA. The Job Evaluation is pending. HR Principles As there no posts in the organised grouping to transfer, there are 2 new posts which will be advertised in August Staff will be appointed to on Devon County Council terms and conditions. Business Support There are no changes to the number of Business Support roles. As of April 2018, there are currently 1 FTE vacancies. The Job Evaluation is pending. HR Principles 20

21 There is no significant change to the job description of the Business support role. Business Support from the Local Authorities will remain on the same terms and conditions where the location remains within the same geographical area (excluding Torbay) and be located in the 3 main office locations. There is a need to ensure an even geographical spread of the role across the region to meet the needs of the service. As there is a geographical change for Torbay Council staff and it is proposed that the current work base will no longer exist, and it has been confirmed that part of Torbay Council s contract of employment is to work out of the Torbay area this will be considered a redundancy. Therefore, the role of Business Support will be offered at another location on Devon County Council terms and conditions. All attempts will be made to try and seek a suitable alternative position for potentially displaced staff. 8. Timetable and Next Steps The proposed time table has been developed to ensure that staff and their representatives have the maximum opportunity to comment on the proposed transfer and to seek clarity on matters connected to the proposed transfer. The provision of TUPE information and consultation will take a number of forms; group events, FAQ s and individual meetings where necessary. Action Commence formal consultation following meetings with staff side representatives Process of due diligence work (a legal and quality process by which both sides work to agree and assure the detail of the services that are being transferred) in order to properly prepare Adoption services for safe transfer Consultation on-going. Via team meetings Via the staff Question/Comment Form (enclosed in this document) Via your Trade Union Representatives Via the dedicated mailbox set up at childsc.adoptsouthwestconsultation-mailbox@devon.gov.uk 21 Date 14 th May 2018 Ongoing 15 th May 2 nd July 2018 End of formal consultation period 2 nd July 2018 Review outcomes of formal consultation and issue response incorporating any intended measures 3 rd - 30 th July 2018 Transfer of staff to Devon County Council 1 st October 2018 Service Manager Appointment April June 2018 INTERVIEWS: Advanced Practitioner August 2018 Family Practitioner August 2018 Senior Business Support August 2018

22 Operations Manager Panel Administrators Week 1 Oct Team Manager Panel Advisor Social Worker Week 2 Oct Week 3 Oct Week 4 Oct

23 Consultation Feedback The consultation process will commence with staff and trade unions on 14 th May 2018 and will run from 14 th May 2018 to 2nd July 2018 There are a number of ways in which you can have your say: Via team meetings Via the staff Question/Comment Form (enclosed in this document) Via your Trade Union Representatives Via the dedicated mailbox set up at childsc.adoptsouthwestconsultation-mailbox@devon.gov.uk During the consultation process information will be gathered from you and this will be considered before final decisions are made. The Adoption service mailbox can be used for any Consultation Feedback staff wish to submit. The address for this is childsc.adoptsouthwestconsultationmailbox@devon.gov.uk Support and Advice If you have any concerns or queries you can either discuss these with your line manager or if you prefer, raise them through Human Resources or your trade union representative(s). Contact details are as follows: DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL - HR Direct hrdirect@devon.gov.uk Unison branchsec@devoncountyunison.org.uk GMB Darren Herd Darren.herd@devon.gov.uk Unite - Mark Richards mark.richards@unitetheunion.org or Plymouth CC - HR Kim.jones@plymouth.gov.uk Unison Kevin.treweeks@plymouth.gov.uk GMB - Patricia.small@plymouth.gov.uk Unite diana.beal@unitetheunion.org NA Somerset - HR Unison GMB - Unite - Rachel Overd rmoverd@somerset.gov.uk Kris Black, kblackunison@somerset.gov.uk Tim Northover, tim.northover@gmb.org.uk Nigel Behan, NBehan@somerset.gov.uk 23

24 Torbay - HR Unison GMB - Unite - Alex Davey alex.davey@torbay.gov.uk l.french@unison.co.uk Unison marie.sokell@torbay.gov.uk Unison Heather.Farkins@torbay.gov.uk GMB raybould_p@yahoo.com matthew.roberts@gmb.org.uk GMB Terry.Keefe@unitetheunion.org Unite 24

25 Appendix A - STAFF QUESTION/COMMENT FORM Consultation on the Transfer of Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council, and Torbay Council staff to Devon County Council Date STAFF QUESTION/COMMENT FORM Name: Role: Question/Comment: Your feedback will be considered as part of the consultation process. If not covered in the information already available are you happy for your question/comment and the answer to be shared across the service? Yes / No Please return this form to: (Name) Or by to: childsc.adoptsouthwestconsultation-mailbox@devon.gov.uk 25

26 9. Appendix B Proposed Office Locations Main Office Satellite Office (mainly for hot desking) 26

27 10. Appendix C AS IS Office Locations of staff. FTE AS IS (rounded up / down) East East South West East East East South West TOTAL Taunton Bridgwater Exeter Plymouth Torbay Yeovil Shepton Mallet Home Barnstaple Totnes Service Manager Operations Manager Team Managers Social Workers, Advanced Practioners & Family Practictioners Panel Advisor Panel Administrator Senior Business Support Business Support TOTAL

28 11. Appendix D Proposed To Be Office Locations of Staff FTE TO BE (rounded up / down) East South West East South West TOTAL Taunton Exeter Plymouth Yeovil Barnstaple Totnes Service Manager 1 1 Operations Manager 2 2 Team Managers 5 5 Social Workers, Advanced Practitioners & Family Practitioners Panel Advisor 2 2 Panel Administrator 3 3 Senior Business Support 2 2 Business Support TOTAL