The Challenge of Representing Employers and Negotiating on their Behalf

Gill Bellord

Director of Pay, Pensions and Employment Relations

NHS Employers

The Employer Perspective

Overview

What is NHS Employers and what do we do?

The NHS negotiating framework and Social partnership

Negotiations – how do they work?

Engaging employers – getting a view

Questions?

What is NHS Employers?

NHS Employers represents Trusts in England on workforce issues and helps employers to ensure the NHS is a place where people want to work

We work with employers to reflect their views and acting on their behalf

Our aim is to improve the working lives of staff and, through staff, to provide better care for patients

What is NHS Employers?

The NHS Confederation’ ambition is ‘Excellence for patients, the public and staff’.

An independent driving force for transforming health and health services by:

Influencing policy implementation and public debate

Supporting leaders through networking, sharing information and learning: and

promoting excellence in employment

What are the benefits for the NHS?

We give the NHS an independent voice on issues relating to workforce and employment matters

In the past DH represented employers and Government- this was neither ideal or satisfactory

Employers and staff are best placed to decide how to improve the working lives of staff, improve care for patients and best understand how HR developments fit in with wider service initiatives

What we do - four Priority Areas

Recruitment and planning the workforce

Healthy and productive workplaces

Employment policy and practice

Pay and pensions negotiation

Recruitment and planning the workforce

Employer views on the . future of nursing:

Nursing should be a degree level qualification

All nurses should have generalist skills

framework is flexible

NHS Careers and . NHS Jobs

Healthy and Productive Workplaces

Response to ‘Working for . Health’ consultation – . support for the NHS . taking the lead

‘Healthy Workplaces’ . Handbook

18 Week Wait project

The ‘Skills pledge’ . supporting learning and . development

Employment policy and practice

Equality and Diversity

Improving Working . Lives

Professional regulation

Employment check . standards

The NHS Negotiating Framework - the NHS Staff Council

M ile ag e S u b G ro up O n - C a ll g ro up(S u m m e r 20 0 8)

S u b G rou ps

E q u a lity a n d D ive rs ityS u b G ro up

Jo b E va lu a tio n G ro up(JE G )

T e ch n ica l A dv iso ry G ro up

P e n sio n s G ove rna n ceG ro up

K n o w le d g e a n d S k illsF ra m ew o rk G ro up

P a rtne rsh ip fo r O ccu pa tio na l S a fe tya n d He a lth in H e a lth care (P O S H H )

S ta ff C o un c il E xe cu tive

N H S S ta ff C o u n c il

The NHS Negotiating framework- Recent Agreements

From 1 April 2008:

Three year pay agreement

New pensions scheme for new starters

Unsocial Hours agreement

Ill Health Retirement

New medical contracts

Social Partnership Forum – national forum to . involve partners in the development and . implementation of the workforce implications of . policy

Re-launched in February 2007, meets monthly . chaired by a health Minister

March 2007 a new partnership agreement . between the Department of Health, NHS Trade . Unions, and NHS Employers.

Current activity includes joint work on the staff . survey and hospital acquired infection

The Social Partnership Forum

Negotiations – how do they work?

Idea Mandate &Money ImplementationNegotiation Maintenance Monitoring &

Review

All DH NHS Employers & TUs All

The Negotiations – our approach

‘Real employers’ – not . me!

Training for negotiators

‘The right philosophy’

Building relationships

UK or England?

Sharing models and data

Engaging Employers

One NHS - 400 different opinions!

Surveys and questionnaires

Policy Board and NHS Confederation Networks

E-mail reference groups

Mailboxes for enquiries

Listening to feedback at meetings and events

Annual conference

Key Messages from our experience

Partnership working, nationally and locally, . makes good employment relations possible

New initiatives need time to assimilate

Good communications between staff, employers . and other stakeholders are essential

Partnership working needs continuous attention . to make it sustainable

Your Perspectives and Questions