1. Introduction STAFF VOLUNTARY TRANSFER REQUEST PROCEDURE This purpose of this procedure is to: - Ensure that staff requests for a voluntary transfer to a post of the same or lower band/grade within the Trust are dealt with in a fair and consistent way and do not have an adverse impact on patient care/service provision. Help support staff career development. Help staff manage their work-life balance. Help retain skilled and experienced staff so that the Trust can provide high quality patient services. This procedure does not apply in the following circumstances:- Reorganisation/restructuring of services/organisational change/tupe; Redeployment recommended by Occupational Health for health reasons; When dealing with disciplinary or performance management issues; When dealing with issues arising from conflict between staff; Promotional posts; Flexible working requests; Flexible retirement requests; Requests to reduce working hours; Returning from a career break. In all cases, an employee's work record - including their performance, attendance, efforts to develop skills and related behavior, will be used as criteria for determining suitability for a post. For this reason, an employee will be required to provide documentary evidence that supports their work record (e.g. their last appraisal). In all cases, an employee s demonstrated interpersonal skills and other job-related factors will be considered before a final decision is made. Deficiencies in skills and/or job-related factors may eliminate an employee from consideration. Employees are not guaranteed a transfer. 2. Eligibility An employee who wishes to request a voluntary transfer under this procedure must satisfy ALL of the following criteria: a) Be a permanent Trust employee and; b) Have completed, at the date of request, a minimum of 1 years continuous service in their current post at the same or higher band than the post they are requesting to be transferred to and; c) Meet the essential criteria of the person specification and; d) Have an acceptable attendance, conduct and performance record and; 1
e) Have an up to date and satisfactory appraisal and; f) Have all mandatory training completed and up to date. An employee who has a disciplinary case pending will not be able to request a transfer until the outcome of the disciplinary case is known. Where an employee has been issued with a disciplinary sanction, they will not be able to request a transfer until the sanction has expired. A transfer request may be refused for reasons relating to a disciplinary matter. Staff requesting a voluntary transfer must indicate on the application form if they are, or have been, subject to a referral and/or investigation by their regulatory body within the last year. A voluntary transfer request may be refused for reasons relating to such an investigation. An employee whose performance is being managed under the Capability Policy or who is working to meet objectives relating to competency will not be able to request a transfer under this procedure. An employee whose attendance is being managed under the Attendance Management Policy will not be able to request a transfer under this procedure. Only approved voluntary transfer applications will be held by the Employee Services Department and considered for approved vacancies. 3. Criteria for Decision Makers Managers will consider and reach decisions on requests for voluntary transfer taking into account criteria including, but not limited to the following: Employee not eligible; Burden of extra costs and/or extra workload; Inability to meet patient care demands; Inability to reorganise work within existing staffing; Inability to recruit additional staff; Detrimental impact on performance/quality of patient/customer care; Insufficient work. Transfer requests may be declined where there are valid operational/service reasons (see above examples). Managers should write to the employee confirming the reason(s) why their request cannot be approved. There is no right of appeal under this procedure. 4. Conditions of Transfer Voluntary transfer requests will only be considered for posts in the same professional group. Voluntary transfer requests will be considered where a post has different start and finish times or working pattern to the one currently held, but not where this would result in an increase in contractual hours. 2
Requests will only be considered when submitted on the form at Appendix 1. This must be fully completed, signed by the employee and have all the necessary documentation attached to it. It must also be verified by the line manager and approved by the Directorate Manager (or equivalent). Requests submitted in any other format will not be considered. Requests can be made at any time during the year. Employee Services will keep a record of requests on a Voluntary Transfer Register for up to 12 months during 1 April to 31 March each year. During this time, Employee Services will identify/match staff to suitable vacancies as they arise. This will be carried out in a timely manner to minimise potential recruitment delays. Employee Services will cleanse the Register on 31 March each year and any employee who is on the Register at that time, will be informed that they must write to HR if they want to be re-registered for the following year. Each employee is responsible for ensuring this communication takes place. If written confirmation is not received by a specified date in April, it will be assumed that the individual no longer wishes to remain on the Register and their request will be removed. If at any time an employee wishes to have their request removed from the Register, they must inform their line manager and the Employee Services Manager in writing. Where a suitable post is offered to an employee who has requested a voluntary transfer, it is expected that the post will be accepted. Where 2 suitable posts are offered and declined, their request will automatically be removed from the Register. A new request under this procedure cannot be made for a period of 12 months. If more than one employee has requested a transfer to the same department/ post, competitive interviews will take place. Pay protection attached to an employee s current post, will cease if they accept and transfer to a post at the same or lower band or on less hours under this procedure. Travel and other related expenses including relocation expenses will not apply to voluntary transfers. An employee transferring under this procedure will be issued with a variation to their contract of employment, new job description (where applicable) and any other conditions relating to the transfer. When a transfer has been completed the employee will not be eligible to submit another request under this procedure until they have completed at least 2 years in the new post. An employee transferring under this procedure must agree to complete any specific training related to the post they wish to transfer into. 3
Appendix 1 STAFF VOLUNTARY TRANSFER REQUEST FORM Please note that the Employee Services Department will screen all requests based on the information provided on this form. It is therefore essential that you complete it fully and accurately. SECTION 1 PERSONAL INFORMATION Employee name: Employee number: Job title: Band: Weekly contractual hours: Date appointed to current post: Are you currently acting up or on secondment? YES/NO - If yes, please give details below including start and end date:- Ward/department and workplace address: Contact e-mail address: Contact telephone no: SECTION 2 EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING Education & Professional Qualifications Include in this section all the relevant qualifications and indicate subjects currently being studied. All qualifications disclosed will be subject to a satisfactory check. Level (e.g. Awarding Year Name of Qualification Grade/Result GCSE, NVQ 4) Body/Organisation Awarded 4
Training Courses Completed/Attended Include in this section any relevant training courses that you have completed / attended or details of courses that you are currently undertaking. Date Course Title Training Provider Duration Completed SECTION 3 TRANSFER REQUEST Would you accept a post with less contractual hours? Yes/No If yes, please give details below Do you wish to transfer to a post at a lower band? Yes/No If yes, please give details below In order of preference, please list below the directorate, ward/department, job title and band of the posts to which you are requesting a transfer Directorate Ward/department Job title Band 1. 2. 3. Reason for request: 5
Have you previously applied for voluntary transfer? If yes please give details below Have you been the subject of disciplinary action within the last year, have a current disciplinary sanction or are subject to a current disciplinary investigation? If yes please give details below Are you or have you been the subject of a referral to or investigation by a regulatory body within the last year? If yes please give details below Is your performance currently being managed under the capability policy or are you currently working to meet objectives relating to competency? If yes please give details below Please give dates of any sickness absence over the past 2 years up to the date of this request Date from Date to Number of days Is your attendance currently being managed under the attendance management policy? If yes, please give details below 6
SECTION 4 DECLARATION AND CONFIRMATION Employee Declaration I wish to apply for a voluntary transfer to any of the wards/departments listed above in accordance with this procedure. I declare that the information contained above and in the attached documents are accurate/correct. I attach copies of the following in support of my request: Copy of my last appraisal Copy of ESR record that all my mandatory training is up to date Employee Signature: Date: Line Manager Confirmation I confirm that the employee s details in relation to absence, disciplinary, capability and referral/investigation issues are as outlined in this application. Line Manager Signature: Date: SECTION 5 APPROVAL I approve this request for the following reasons (please state below): Directorate Manager Signature: Date: Please return approved form and relevant documents to: Vicky Bowmaker Employee Services Manager HR Department Trust HQ Sunderland Royal Hospital Kayll Road, Sunderland SR4 7TP 7
Staff Voluntary Transfer Procedure Employee completes form and sends to line manager together with relevant documents for verification check No Does application meet eligibility criteria? Yes Line manger informs employee that application cannot proceed and reason(s) why Employee can reapply when they meet the eligibility criteria Line manager confirms that application meets eligibility criteria and sends to DM. DM approves application and sends to Employee Services who place employee on Register and notify employee of this. Vacancy arises and Employee Services identifies suitable candidate(s) on Register Voluntary Transfer Register cleansed every 31 March. Employees to write to HR to re-register every year if they want to stay on the Register Employee Services contacts Recruiting Manager and asks them review application information against person specification and inform Employee Services of outcome Employee Services to forward contact details of candidate(s) to Recruiting Manager to allow meeting/interviews to be arranged Note competitive interviews need to be arranged where more than one suitable candidate is identified Employee declines 2 offers and is removed from the Register and advised accordingly. Recruiting Manager confirms employee suitability to Employee Services and informs candidate of meeting/interview outcome. Employment checks carried out (if required) Recruiting Manager informed by Employee Services that the employee is ready to transfer to new job/department and arranges start date in line with required notice period/mutual transfer date agreed between managers. Recruiting Manager to inform Employee Services of confirmed start date in order for variation of contract to be issued and update in ESR 8