Transition update: crunch time for national policies

Sat 02 Jun 2012

News for MiP members in PCTs, SHAs and ALBs in England

After months of discussion between the DH, employers and trade unions, final decisions are due to be taken in the next two weeks about key issues in HR transition policies. Up to date guidance will be published in time for a major partnership conference on 15 June in London. MiP is sending four delegates to the conference.

Outstanding issues include the criteria for matching posts where a function is identified as  transferring from an existing sender organisation to a new receiver organisation, and the scope and detail of the transfer terms that will protect members' terms and conditions. MiP is seeking the best post-transfer protection possible.

Documents will cover national, regional and local consultation arrangements; the arrangements for evaluating new jobs; job matching processes; appeals mechanisms; determining someone's substantive employment; and the process for agreeing exceptions to transition policies.

Critically, the documents will make clear where agreement has been reached with trade unions, including MiP. There has been confusion as local employers have been using nationally-produced management guidance since February, which has not been agreed with the trade unions. Where national agreements with the trade unions differ from existing local organisational change policies, the terms of the national agreement will apply.

Other developments include:

• MiP is engaging with a number of the new receiver organisations in developing their terms and conditions, recruitment policies and partnership arrangements. Regular updates for specific recieivers (e.g. NHS Commissioning Board, Health Education England etc) are posted on this website. MiP national officers have been assigned to lead with each receiver organisation.
• Receiver and sender organisations, in consultation with trade unions, should be starting discussions to identify potential functional transfers. Progress is being hampered by the limited capacity of new national receivers to design structures and jobs. Most aim to complete this work in June.
• MiP is pressing for more clarity about when voluntary redundancy schemes may be deployed by senders.
• The timetable for VSM appointments - so-called 'tranche 3' - is slipping for most receivers. Matching and redeployment is likely to stretch into July. Apart from some priority posts in the NHS Commissioning Board, recruitment for Agenda for Change posts may not start until August. MiP is pressing for greater clarity around timetables as we enter the holiday season. People must be given enought time to plan holidays and their day jobs.
• The new VSM pay framework for ALBs, including the new national receiver organisations, has been published. MiP has continuing discussions about pay protection for staff who are appointed to new posts via redeployment.
• The DH plans to launch a transition microsite by the end of June to host policies and recruitment news.
• A new scheme (RETS) may be published in June to assist senders in holding onto staff who are critical for business continuity before and immediately after April 2013.