Registered Care Homes Supporting Service Users on Holiday Policy References Other CLC policies relating to this policy Service User Planning and Recording Rota Management Policy Finance Policy Transport Policy Absence & Leave Policy Legislation relating to this policy Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 Date of Last Review May 2014 Date of next Review May 2015 Responsible for Policy Review Supporting Staff Sub Group Addendum: Where this Policy and its Appendices/Formats states Contract Manager it also relates to the Service Manager. And where the title of Service Co-ordinator and Housing Support Co-ordinator appears - this relates to Support Manager.
Contents Introduction.3 Planning the Holiday.3 Payments to Staff..3 Subsistence 4 Additional Staff Costs 4 Staff meals..4 Entrance fees and local travel.4 Mileage 4 Staffing Levels 5 Annual leave...5 Holiday Feedback..5 Service User feedback..5 Staff feedback.6 Page 2 of 6
Introduction People with learning disabilities have the same rights as everyone else in society. An increasing number of people have supported living arrangements which are more individual, and give them more say about how they live. This includes the right to short breaks and holidays. The opportunity and choice to go on holiday must be available to all people with learning disabilities, including those with high support needs. People must be able to choose who to go with, when to go and where to go and how these costs are to be met. If the person has asked the Consortium to support them to help live their life and requires support whilst on a short break or holiday, it is essential that the holiday is thoroughly planned and costed. Particular attention must be given to the arrangements and costs likely to be incurred by support staff whilst attending and providing support on holiday with people. Planning the Holiday It is essential that the holiday is planned thoroughly; taking into account the Service User s wishes and needs. In planning a holiday the following people should be consulted: Service User (Consider the issue of Mental Capacity) Relatives (if agreed within involvement agreements) Contract Manager Registered manager Care Manager Deputy / Appointee (if applicable) An essential part of planning is to carefully consider the costs associated with the holiday and how these costs will be met. The Consortium provides a Holiday Costing format which must be completed and agreed by the individuals above. Payments to Staff Below are the payment details for staff who accompany Service Users on holiday: 12hrs per day to be paid for every 24hr period away on holiday. Page 3 of 6
On the days travelling to and from holiday the total amount of hours actually worked will be paid, these however will be capped at 12hrs per day as the maximum paid. Sleep in and wakeful hours will be paid to identified staff and not shared out with all staff. This will enable the remaining staff to have a period where they are clearly off duty. However if through the planning of the holiday it is agreed that more than one sleep in or wakeful is required, the relevant number of staff will be paid. By identifying the off duty period we are also demonstrating that as a company we expect our staff to take a break, when accompanying Service Users on holiday. This system will be managed by the Registered Manager or identified responsible member of staff if the Registered Manager is not present on the holiday and will need to be planned and incorporated as part of the holiday preparations. (The hours that staff work whilst accompanying a service user on holiday are recorded separately and different arrangements are made with regards to pay) Subsistence Firstly the term subsistence is misleading, it implies that the payment is to cover food costs, it is not. The correct term should be Personal Incidental Expenses. It is only to cover personal items such as a newspaper, toiletries, telephone calls home etc. Staff will receive a 5.00 payment per each night they are away for work related visits in the UK and 10.00 for work related visits outside the UK. The limits are determined by the Inland Revenue rules, Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. If the Consortium were to increase the payment above these amounts the full amount paid would be liable for tax with staff probably being worse off financially. The arrangements for subsistence must be conveyed to staff before commencing the holiday. Payment of incidental expenses can be made in advance of the holiday at present payments are usually made in cash prior to the start of the holiday. Additional Staff Costs When the holiday is planned, all associated costs while being away should be taken into account including entertainment, entry fees, local travel etc. Staff Meals If staff accompany Service Users on holiday then this is clearly Consortium business and the overriding principle should be that staff must not be out of pocket. Staff meals should therefore be covered by other available funds such as housekeeping or staff activity costs. Where it is likely that a Service User will expect to eat out each evening then they must consider having to pay for the staff. Page 4 of 6
Entrance fees and Local Travel etc. Which funds will be used to cover the additional staff costs must form part of the planning process and agreed by all parties. Mileage Staff mileage should ideally paid at 45p per mile when using their own vehicles. Before staff cars are used, a costing must be submitted comparing the expected cost of staff using their cars with using public transport or for example car hire. These costs should be considered and included during the planning of the holiday. If it becomes clear that the Service User might not be able to afford the holiday then it is reasonable to postpone any holiday until the Service User has saved additional money and can afford it. Staffing Levels It needs to be recognised and acknowledged that Service Users on holiday often need additional support not less. If staffing levels are to be reduced then the appropriate risk assessments must be completed, likewise if levels are to be increased then the Care Manager must be in agreement and authorise the additional costs. It is vital that adequate staff cover is provided, to allow each staff rota d time off. It is not acceptable for Consortium staff to accompany Service Users on holiday and not to be able to take adequate breaks. Staff work patterns must be similar to those worked at the Registered Care Homes. Hours worked by staff whilst on holiday will be included on the timesheets for the house in the usual way. Annual Leave Staff who do not go on holiday with Service Users do not have to take their Annual Leave. These staff can be given the opportunity to have their contracts honoured in other Registered Care Homes by the Consortium invoking the flexibility clause in the contract of employment. If staff do not wish to take advantage of this then they will have to use their annual leave for the resulting absence. Page 5 of 6
Holiday Feedback Service User Feedback A holiday has many different aspects to it all of which contribute to the holiday being successful or not. Many of us have holidays which are generally either good or didn t live up to our expectations. The Consortium provides a Service User feedback questionnaire to be completed (with staff support if necessary) to learn about peoples experience and share with others if it is agreed we can do so. This will help others to plan their own holidays paying attention to those holidays which were very good or those holidays which should be avoided. The questionnaire should be completed within two weeks of the holiday ending and returned to the Contract Manager for that service. Copies might also be sent to the other people involved in the planning of the holiday. Staff Feedback The Consortium provides a feedback questionnaire which focuses on the planning arrangements for the staff who accompany Service Users on holiday. The Consortium expects that as part of the planning process adequate staffing levels are provided and other necessary arrangements were made. The questionnaire seeks to find out if these plans were adequate and went to plan. The questionnaire should be completed within two weeks of the holiday ending and returned to the Registered manager for that service. Copies will also be sent to the Contract Manager. Page 6 of 6