NHSCT MISSION STATEMENT

Transcription

1 NEW START PROCEDURE Reference Number: NHSCT/09/173 Responsible Directorate: Human Resources Replaces (if appropriate): N/A Policy Author/Team: Diane Burgess, Senior HR Manager, Workforce Governance/ Jaclyn Crowe and Claire Smyth, Senior HR Managers, Resourcing Approved by: Northern Trust Senior Management Team Type of document: Corporate Procedure Date Policy disseminated by Equality Unit: 4 August 2009 Date Approved: 3 February 2009 NHSCT MISSION STATEMENT To provide for all the quality of services we would expect for our families and ourselves

2 Northern Health and Social Care Trust New Start Procedure Please note this procedure applies to all new appointments, internal or external to the Trust. The Trust s new start procedures have been revised to take account of the new HR structures and the separation of the Recruitment and Pay and Conditions functions. They are now further amended to reduce concerns identified by Human Resources staff and the Chief Internal Auditor in relation to non-compliance. This procedure outlines how new appointment documentation (New Employee Notifications for new starts and Notifications of Change for transfers/promotions) are processed to the Workforce Governance teams, whose responsibility it is to effect to payroll department instructions about the payment to employees of salaries or wages. 1. HR Resourcing teams, as part of their recruitment responsibilities, will validate all required documentation (eg qualifications/registration/date of birth/residency/access NI check) prior to the new appointee taking up the post and the Resourcing team will advise the manager formally by when all documentation and employment checks have been cleared. No new appointee can take up post until all checks, including pre-employment health assessments, have been cleared by the Resourcing team and the manager has received the formal clearance from the Resourcing team. 2. The manager will then contact the new appointee to agree a start date and will immediately advise the Workforce Governance team of this date as soon as it is confirmed. It is important that managers do not wait until the actual date arrives to notify Workforce Governance earlier notification enables follow up of preparatory documentation. 3. On the day the new appointee takes up post, the Manager will complete the new employee notification/notification of change form as appropriate and forward immediately to Workforce Governance team along with the following: P45/P46 or if a student P38(S); BACS form; superannuation forms SS10 or SD502; and SPP (L) form issued by previous employer if person has been sick in last 8 weeks before ceasing employment. 4. Workforce Governance teams will further complete and process the documentation to payroll department.

3 New Start Procedure-Explanatory Note Addendum January 2009 Background Non-adherence to New Start procedure by Managers has resulted in appointees being processed to Payroll before all documentation has been received in Workforce Governance Team. Internal Auditors have expressed increased concern about the risk to the organisation through their annual audit of HR records. Concerns arising Governance Issues managers commencing staff prior to all appropriate documentation being received risks noted in Audit report : o Risk of incorrect payment to employees o No audit trail exists to evidence that proper recruitment procedures have been followed o Risk of appointing unsuitable staff, putting clients/patients at risk o Risk of appointing staff with health conditions that make them unsuitable for appointment Resourcing Team sending through incomplete documentation due to necessity to pay employee who has started work creates risk of failure to follow-up outstanding documentation once majority of documentation has left the Resourcing team. Additional checks introduced to Trust s initial New Start Procedure 2 memos from Elizabeth Brownlees to Managers, dated 20 th February and 8 th May 2008 outlining the New Start procedure and attempting to ensure full distribution and compliance with procedure. Managers are now informed at interview stage noted on panel papers that they must not commence new appointees prior to written notification from the Resourcing Team Resourcing Team inform managers formally by that appointee is cleared to commence employment as soon as all documentation is received and at the same point Resourcing forward all documentation to Workforce Governance Monitoring Action Plan If there are breaches of this procedure the following steps will be taken: Following Payroll closedown, Workforce Governance produce a list of new appointees commenced on payroll without documentation received from Resourcing and date payroll documentation received in Workforce Governance. This is sent to the Resourcing Senior Managers.

4 Resourcing review each new appointment to check in relation to dates manager notified of clearance to commence employment to identify where new start procedure has not been complied with. Manager asked to provide an explanation and follow up any outstanding documentation with staff member (standard letter attached as Appendix 1). Any inconsistencies noted i.e. date manager notified, date New Start / Notification of Change received by Workforce Governance. Report to SMT on monthly basis of non-adherence to the process. Directors to take appropriate action to ensure future compliance. January 2009

5 Memo Format Appendix1 To From Assistant Director Resourcing Date Subject: New Start INSERT STAFF NAME It has been brought to my attention that you have commenced the above employee without written confirmation from the Recruitment Team that all necessary employment checks were complete. The recruitment process is clear that no employee should commence appointment without verification of certain documentation and confirmation that checks have been completed. The non-adherence to this process has repercussions from both a governance and an audit perspective. The HR Resourcing Teams have been asked to prepare monthly reports for Senior Management on these gaps in the recruitment process. I would therefore request that you provide a written explanation for commencing this staff member before confirmation from the HR Team. Please send this to INSERT NAME, HR Manager, INSERT ADDRESS within 7 WORKING DAYS. Yours sincerely Mrs Kathleen McCann Assistant Director Resourcing

6 New Start Procedure For internal appointments recruiter issues Proforma, to validate documentation on Personnel File to Governance* Team to be returned within 3 days. Recruiter issues offer letter to successful applicant(s) New appointee to provide documentation to HR recruitment office within 10 days of receiving offer letter. Once all documentation and employment checks received, recruiter confirms appointment. Recruiter issues confirmation letter with copy to manager and at same time processes all documentation to relevant Governance Team as per attached checklist. The documents should be held together with treasury tag and sent to Governance team in specially identified coloured envelope. Line Manager liaises with new appointee and s Governance Team with agreed start date. Manager forwards Payroll Documentation to Governance Team. Governance Team process to payroll. Contract prepared and issued ASAP and no later than 8 weeks after start date. New appointee returns signed contract. * Governance Team means the pay and conditions team in Workforce Governance in HR. May 2008