NHS Calderdale and NHS Kirklees

Procedure for Grading Posts Covered by Agenda for Change

1. INTRODUCTION

This procedure has been produced to set out the way in which any request for the grading of posts should be handled following the principles already established during the implementation of agenda for change. This procedure follows the guidance contained in paragraphs 3.5 to 3.7 in the NHS Job Evaluation Handbook, Second Edition, October 2004. The guidance on writing job descriptions and person specifications should be read in conjunction with this procedure. This procedure must be followed when a manager is introducing a new post, proposing to increase the responsibilities of a post, or where an increase in responsibilities has taken place with the approval of the manager/budget holder (note: managers should be aware that increasing the responsibilities of a postholder where there are others in similar posts must be dealt with in accordance with the policy and procedure on organisational change). It should also be used where an individual postholder or group of postholders consider that their duties have changed significantly since the original band of the post was determined. Only significant changes will affect original grading decisions. Where there is a difference of opinion between the postholder and their line manager or where the changes would have implications for other posts in the organisation, the Human Resources team should be consulted at an early stage.

2. PROCEDURE New Posts

a) When a new post is created, the manager should prepare the new job description, person specification, KSF outline and sign off form (see appendix A). The post must be graded and allocated a band prior to being advertised and an open recruitment process followed. The HR department will manage the grading process and will inform the manager of the outcome.

b) The grading process will be completed as a “desktop” exercise by a

panel of job matchers/evaluators consisting of management and staff side representatives. This involves evaluating the role based upon the documentary information available.

Significant Changes to the duties and responsibilities of the post agreed by the line manager and postholder

a) a job description, person specification and KSF outline should be

reviewed by the manager detailing the revised duties and responsibilities of the post. These documents will need to be

signed off by the line manager/budget holder and current postholder using the form at appendix A.

b) The documents should be forwarded to the HR Department for

matching/evaluation.

c) The grading of the post will be assessed by a panel of job matchers/evaluators consisting of management and staff side representatives. If the panel is unable to match the revised post to a national profile, the postholder will be required to complete a job analysis questionnaire which will be fully evaluated. The job analysis questionnaire must be completed within 3 weeks of being forwarded to the postholder/manager.

d) The postholder/manager will have the right to ask for a review of the

outcome. If such a request is made, a matching/evaluation panel consisting of a majority of different members to the original panel will consider the review. There is no further right of review following the second panel’s decision.

Banding of posts where the postholder(s) considers that there has

been a significant permanent change to their duties and responsibilities.

a) The postholder(s) will be required to prepare a revised job

description, person specification and KSF outline and submit these to their line manager for approval. It should be noted that the completion of further development or training does not necessarily mean that the band of a role should be re-considered as the particular development activity may not be an essential requirement of the role.

b) Once agreement has been reached the procedure will be the same

as 2.2 above.

c) The postholder/manager will have the right to ask for a review of the outcome. If such a request is made, a matching/evaluation panel consisting of a majority of different members to the original panel will consider the review. There is no further right of review following the second panel’s decision.

d) If agreement cannot be reached regarding the job content, a

facilitated discussion will take place between the postholder, their line manager, a Human Resources representative and a Staff Side representative as appropriate. If this does not result in agreement then the organisation’s grievance procedure will be followed.

APPENDIX A

GRADING REQUEST/JOB DESCRIPTION SIGN OFF FORM

DETAILS OF POST Post Title: Directorate: Present Band (if applicable): Name of Postholder(s) if applicable: Please attach a copy of the up to date job description and person specification. ……………………………………………………………………………… REASON FOR REQUEST (please circle as appropriate) New Post* Re - evaluation of Existing Post** *please sign overleaf and forward the documents to Human Resources. **please provide additional information, sign overleaf and forward to Human Resources

PLEASE USE THIS SPACE TO HIGHLIGHT THE CHANGES MADE TO THE PREVIOUS ROLE IF APPLICABLE AND PROVIDE ANY OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION. CONFIRMATION OF ACCURACY This form must be signed by the line manager and postholder (if appropriate) to confirm the accuracy of the documents. Signed……………………………………..Dated……………… (Manager) Signed……………………………………..Dated……………… (Postholder)

NHS CALDERDALE AND NHS KIRKLEES

Guidance for Writing Job Descriptions and Person Specifications

March 2009

Job Descriptions/Person Specifications

This document is designed to provide guidance, advice and templates to aid managers and staff in the writing of job descriptions and person specifications for new and existing posts. When writing a job description and person specification it is important to remember the following key principles in order to ensure the documents reflect the requirements of the post and the service needs as fairly and equitably as possible:

• The job description describes the key duties and responsibilities of a post required to fulfil the identified service needs and not the unrelated skills and knowledge of the individual in post.

• The person specification details the skills, knowledge and competencies necessary to fulfil the role.

• It is important not to undersell the role or exclude any key aspects of the work. It is equally important not to exaggerate responsibilities.

Writing a Job Description/Person Specification Job Description

• Keep it brief but informative. The main duties described in most job descriptions should be no more than 3 or 4 pages long.

• Include a structure chart.

• Use simple language that can be understood by a wide range of people who may not have specialist knowledge of the area. Don’t be tempted to use over complicated sentences or follow the language of the job evaluation scheme and try to avoid jargon or abbreviations if possible.

• Use words that clearly describe the requirements of the role e.g. “Extracting the surplus mucus of the inner aural orifices using the mucus withdrawal equipment” could simply be stated as “Syringing ears”.

• Don’t be repetitive.

• Make it a meaningful description of the post. This will help with setting objectives under the Personal Development Review (PDR) and the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF), as well as being comprehensive and useful for job matching/evaluation purposes.

• Don’t use the descriptions of particular levels in the job evaluation handbook to describe any of the duties of the post.

• Make sure the information contained in the job description is consistent throughout the document and is also consistent with information supplied in the person specification.

• Use the standard template attached at appendix A1 (Calderdale) or A2 (Kirklees)

Person Specification

• Person Specifications are broken down into a number of areas e.g. experience, qualifications, specialist knowledge etc.

• Make it clear and concise, describing the skills, qualifications etc required for the post.

• Decide what are essential and desirable requirements.

• Use the standard template attached at appendix……. Key Areas to Consider when Writing Job Descriptions and Person Specifications Agenda for change job matching panels often have to contact the postholder and manager for further information and on some occasions may send the documents back for re-drafting. In order to minimise this, the following should be considered:

• Management/leadership/supervisory skills required: remember to state whether the postholder will be required to be involved in Grievance/Discipline/Recruitment etc. and what their role in this will be.

• Clinical/professional leadership requirements: include details regarding whether the postholder will manager/supervise/delegate caseloads.

• Analytical skills: consider numerical analysis, critical reasoning, interpretation of information and complexity of decision making.

• What are the responsibilities for patient care and contact with patients’ carers?

• Research and development: Few posts are involved in formal research/audits/clinical trials however, it there is a requirement, specify how often, how long and who initiates this?

• Planning and organisation: e.g. project work, organising own/others workload, developing strategies – consider the complexity of the requirements.

• Involvement in and/or responsibility for clinical governance.

• Responsibility for any physical or financial resources: could range from maintaining stock to being an authorised signatory to being corporately responsible for a number of budgets.

• Responsibility for information resources: e.g. inputting information or being responsible for the management of information systems.

• Level of independence with decision making.

• Policy and service development: e.g. strategic or operation development and the nature of the involvement. Does the postholder influence, implement or write policy? Are they doing this for the department or the whole organisation?

Agreeing Job Descriptions and Person Specifications For existing posts job descriptions must be signed off by the manager and postholder(s) before being submitted for matching/evaluating. New posts must be signed off by an appropriate manager. The process of writing and agreeing job descriptions and person specifications must be carried out in the spirit of partnership and every effort should be made by all parties to resolve any disagreements. Once the job description and person specification has been agreed, these should be forwarded to the Human Resources Department for banding.

APPENDIX A1

(All recruiting managers please use this template as a guide, not all sections will be applicable to the role please delete areas as appropriate,

JOB DESCRIPTION

POST TITLE: DEPARTMENT: DIRECTORATE: BAND:

HOURS:

REPORTS TO: ACCOUNTABLE TO:

Please draw an organisation chart showing the two levels above and below the post where appropriate

JOB PURPOSE Statement of Job Purpose Job Summary 1.0 PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES – describe the key duties 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2.0 CLINICAL RESPONSIBLITIES – describe any clinical duties/patient contact. 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

3.0 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION – take into account the level of communication, any difficulties encountered and the type of information being communicated. 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 4.0 MANAGING PEOPLE / SELF – include any supervisory, line management, training responsibilities. 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 5.0 DEMONSTRATING TEAM WORKING SKILLS 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

6.0 MANAGING INFORMATION – include specific responsibilities around information systems, databases, software, data entry etc. 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 7.0 CLINICAL GOVERNANCE - 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 8.0 FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES – is the postholder a budget holder, do they manage a delegated budget, are they an authorised signatory etc.

8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5

9.0 SERVICE IMPROVEMENT – include any involvement in service development, policy development etc. 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 In addition to these functions, employees are required to carry out these mandatory requirements:

a) Carry out such duties as may reasonably be required across the PCT

b) Display behaviours that demonstrate the PCT Vision and Values.

c) Participate, through the individual development review / appraisal process, in matching organisational aims with personal objectives

d) Take responsibility for their own and others’ health and safety in the

working environment

e) Actively contribute to the PCT’s objectives relating to clinical governance by leading or supporting PCT activities relating to the seven pillars of clinical governance (clinical audit, risk management, clinical effectiveness, use of information, training and education, patient and public involvement, and staff and staff management) in line with the relevant strategies and/or plans.

f) Take responsibility for identifying risks, and taking action to control

them as appropriate to the post.

g) At all times, follow policies and guidelines of the Trust (and be mindful of those of other health care providers if on their premises) to negate the spread of infection to patients, staff and visitors.

h) All employees have a duty for safeguarding and promoting the welfare

of children and vulnerable adults. Staff must be aware of the PCT procedure for raising concerns about the welfare of anyone with whom they have contact.

To assess whether the post matches a national profile the panel will require the following additional information that is not usually covered in job descriptions / person specifications. PHYSICAL EFFORT

1. What physical skills needed in the role require, speed, accuracy, dexterity and or manipulation (includes both clinical and non clinical posts) please provide specific examples.

2. Is the post holder required to lift

equipment? If yes, please specify type of equipment, weight (approx kilos) and frequency of the requirement

MENTAL EFFORT

1. Describe the amount of concentration required within the day to day job. Please give examples of how often and for how long this occurs. I.E frequent, prolonged, infrequent, occasionally etc. Please provide specific examples of when mental effort is required.

2. Is the post holder required to

drive a vehicle? If so please specify duration and frequency.

EMOTIONAL EFFORT

1. Does any part of the job cause emotional concerns and why?

2. How often does this happen?

E.g. exposure to child protection issues – provide specific examples

WORKING CONDITIONS

1. Is the post holder exposed to any adverse conditions/hazards?

2. What is the nature of the

condition and how often are they exposed?

Key Working Relationships (e.g directors, Benefits agency, Other PCT’s)

APPENDIX A2

(All recruiting managers please use this template as a guide, not all sections will be applicable to the role please delete areas as

appropriate)

JOB DESCRIPTION POST TITLE: DEPARTMENT: DIRECTORATE: BAND:

HOURS:

REPORTS TO: ACCOUNTABLE TO:

Please draw an organisation chart showing the two levels above and below the post where appropriate

JOB PURPOSE Statement of Job Purpose Job Summary 1.0 PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES – describe the key duties 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2.0 CLINICAL RESPONSIBLITIES – describe any clinical duties/patient contact.

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

3.0 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION – take into account the level of communication, any difficulties encountered and the type of information being communicated. 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 4.0 MANAGING PEOPLE / SELF – include any supervisory, line management, training responsibilities.

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 5.0 DEMONSTRATING TEAM WORKING SKILLS 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 6.0 MANAGING INFORMATION – include specific responsibilities around information systems, databases, software, data entry etc. 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 7.0 CLINICAL GOVERNANCE - 7.1

7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 8.0 FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES – is the postholder a budget holder, do they manage a delegated budget, are they an authorised signatory etc. 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 9.0 SERVICE IMPROVEMENT – include any involvement in service development, policy development etc. 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 In addition to these functions, employees are required to carry out these mandatory requirements:

• Carry out such duties as may reasonably be required across the PCT

• Display behaviours that demonstrate the PCT Vision and Values.

• Participate, through the individual development review / appraisal process, in matching organisational aims with personal objectives

• Take responsibility for their own and others’ health and safety in the working environment

• Actively contribute to the PCTs objectives relating to quality and clinical governance by supporting evidence based quality improvement activities that improve patient experience and are in line with relevant national and local policies and strategies. To provide assurances of achievement with local and national standards and quality indicators

including those within the new performance framework of the Care Quality Commission

• Take responsibility for identifying risks, and taking action to control them as appropriate to the post.

• All employees are responsible for the prevention and control of infection in accordance with the Health Act 2006 (Hygiene code). This includes compliance with all Infection prevention and control policies and procedures

• All employees have a duty for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Staff must be aware of the PCT procedure for raising concerns about the welfare of anyone with whom they have contact

Key Working Relationships (e.g directors, Benefits agency, Other PCT’s)

To assess whether the post matches a national profile the panel will require the following additional information that is not usually covered in job descriptions / person specifications. PHYSICAL EFFORT

3. What physical skills needed in the role require, speed, accuracy, dexterity and or manipulation (includes both clinical and non clinical posts) please provide specific examples.

4. Is the post holder required to lift

equipment? If yes, please specify type of equipment, weight (approx kilos) and frequency of the requirement

MENTAL EFFORT

3. Describe the amount of concentration required within the day to day job. Please give examples of how often and for how long this occurs. I.E frequent, prolonged, infrequent, occasionally etc. Please provide specific examples of when mental effort is required.

4. Is the post holder required to

drive a vehicle? If so please specify duration and frequency.

EMOTIONAL EFFORT

3. Does any part of the job cause emotional concerns and why?

4. How often does this happen?

E.g. exposure to child protection issues – provide specific examples

WORKING CONDITIONS

3. Is the post holder exposed to any adverse conditions/hazards?

4. What is the nature of the

condition and how often are they exposed?

APPENDIX B

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Post Title: Post Ref:

Directorate: Date:

The PCT values the strength a diverse workforce brings and actively promotes flexible working practices, such as job share and term time working.

We are committed to appointing people whose experience, knowledge, qualifications and skills are most appropriate for the job.

Disability Discrimination: If you have any disability and identify any barriers in the job description or person specification, please tell us on section A of the application form. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to the job wherever possible.

ATTRIBUTES CRITERIA HOW WILL THIS BE MEASURED? RANK

Relevant Experience

- -

Education and Training Attainments

- -

General & Specialist Knowledge

- -

Skills & Abilities

- -

Any Additional Factors - -

Note to Applicants: Please ensure that you demonstrate your ability to meet the requirements of the job by giving clear, concise examples of how you meet each criterion on your application form. You will only be shortlisted if you meet all the criteria ranked as A. If a large number of applications are received, only those who also meet the criteria ranked B will be shortlisted. Please ensure, therefore, that the information you include on your application form demonstrates how you meet these criteria. Questions, scenario settings and assessments as part of the selection process will be based on these criteria. A = Essential - It is not possible to do the job unless you meet these criteria B = Desirable - It would help you to do the job better if you can meet these criteria