Community Lives Consortium

Staff Forum Meeting 4th September 2008

Previous Minutes and Matters arising

Occupational Health

At the last Forum, Rhian Morgan, a physiotherapist from Prince Phillip Hospital in Llanelli, told us about the physiotherapy service that is available free to all Consortium staff.

A number of staff are currently using the service and the feedback has been very positive.

Union Learning Representatives (ULR)

The comments about the confusion over the title of the ULR’s have been passed to UNISON.

Pay Award

There is no update on this years pay award. Discussions are on going between the Local authorities and the Unions.

Staff can look at the UNISON website for more up to date information.

Mileage Allowance

Staff were informed that a proposition will be put to the Management Board asking if we can increase the mileage allowance paid to staff. Any increase has to be agreed by the Board because of the cost implications.

From 1st October the mileage rate will increase to 40 pence per mile for up to 10,000 miles in the tax year and then25 pence per mile for any additional miles.

Please see memo from the Personnel Manager who emailed to all staff on 29th September 2008.

Infocare Pilot

Staff were told that the Infocare pilot in Network 6 has ended and all the card readers have been removed from schemes. The system did not fulfil the needs of the Consortium effectively.

S.P.E.C. Volunteer. (Sick Pay Entitlement Committee)

Janice Emery volunteered to sit on the next S.P.E.C. meeting. Wendy explained the purpose of the meeting and what was involved. Anyone who is interested in being a staff representative at future meetings can give the Community Services Officer Wendy Evans a ring at the Office.

Targeted Support

There was a discussion about targeted support and the following points were raised:-

Q. Some staff accepted lower contracts as Support Co’s on the promise of extra hours for training etc however this is not happening as training is included in the weekly contracted hours. The cut in contracted hours and subsequent drop in salary is causing financial worries for some.

• A. We are reviewing a number of things around contracts as in some cases targeted support has not improved working conditions for staff as intended.

Q. Support Co’s in one Network are concerned that the majority of overtime is given to support workers as there are very few support co shifts to cover. It is not fair that support workers can work up to 45 hours before support co’s are offered the shifts. (When there are shifts to be covered, support co’s are asked to ring around the support workers first)

Is it true that UNISON are producing a policy on a protocol for overtime?

• A. There are no plans for a policy at the moment. Overtime should be shared out and each Network should have a protocol for offering and allocating overtime based on the needs of individual schemes.  Staff said that a similar thing happened in Network 2 when targeted support was first introduced but the situation quickly resolved itself.

Rota Software

Rota Software continues to cause problems. Examples were discussed. The current format is taking up too much time - staff are still being rota’d for long shifts. All Networks reported similar problems.

Support Co/Support Worker Roles

There is still some confusion between the two roles. There is an element of ‘them and us’ in some schemes.

Staff were told that we are looking at the two roles to pinpoint the main differences. There is still some work to do. Hopefully everyone should respect each others place.

Questions

Q. Excessive Hours - Staff are continually told they cannot work more than 50hours a week yet some are still being asked to work excessive additional hours to cover shifts at short notice when it suits the Consortium.

• A. Staff working excessive hours continues to be a big problem. We need to keep in line with the European Working Time Directive. The CSSIW have made it clear that we allow staff to work too many hours which increases the risk of accidents etc when staff are tired. Work life balance is also important but we also have a ‘duty of care’ to provide a safe service with adequate staff cover for service Users so we need to find a happy medium. The Excessive Hours Working Group, consisting of a cross section of staff, has been looking at possible solutions including employing response workers to cover planned absences and hopefully we will be ready to pilot these ideas in at least one Network soon.

Q. Accrued Holiday Pay - What does the item ‘Accrued Holidays’ on payslips mean?

• A. Part time staff who work extra shifts up to 37hours, are paid an additional amount equivalent to time off accrued during the leave year. The additional payment is determined by the average weekly additional hours worked as a proportion of full time hours and is paid quarterly. For further information please see the section on Leave Entitlement paragraph B 4 in the Staff Handbook.

Q. Contracted Hours - A Support Co who is contracted to more than one scheme was recently four hours short on the rota and was told to ‘ring around’ for a shift to cover the shortfall herself. Is this acceptable?

• A. It is not the responsibility of individual staff to sort any short fall in contracted hours on the rota. Also staff cannot be made to take annual leave to cover any shortfall.

Q. Annual Leave - Staff at one scheme have been told that the rules state that we are not allowed to carry over more than one week’s annual leave after Christmas. Is this right? Also, can leave be carried over from one leave year to the next?

• A. It is good practise for staff to take regular breaks throughout the year and not leave it all until after Christmas. Staff could end up losing their leave if they are not able to fit it in before the end of March. Annual leave should be discussed during supervision and staff can plan and negotiate with their manager when they want leave. The Rota Management policy (page 12, Annual Leave) states that:- All employees are required to use their full annual leave entitlement and that it should be staggered throughout the year…… If any employee does not want to take their leave entitlement The Consortium will not make any payment for leave not taken…..Leave will not be carried over, unless there are specific circumstances as to why an employee could not take their leave. This will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, and at the discretion of the Contract Manager and personnel department.See Staff Handbook for further information.

Q. Long Service Award - What are staff entitled to and when do they get it?

• A. Staff receive £150 after 5 years service and £ 350 after 10 years service. The payments are included in the salary of the month of start. Annual leave entitlement increases by four days (pro rata) after five years service. Staff receive a proportion of the extra leave based on their start date until the next full annual leave year.

Q. Carbon Footprint – wasting paper - The Consortium wastes a lot of paper eg changing service user files etc. Is this necessary?

• A. The recent changes to paperwork were necessary to satisfy the CSSIW regulations. We are working towards introducing more electronic systems and need to decide if we put everything on computer in the future. Some staff confirmed that computer training for their teams has started.

Q .Death of a Service User- When a Service User passes away, why are staff redeployed so quickly?

• A. Unfortunately, when someone dies, we can try to negotiate but Social Services expect us to cut hours as soon as possible when the funding stops. A discussion followed. Some staff shared their experiences, and it was agreed that we need a better policy for helping staff to deal with the death of a service user either a sudden death or following a terminal illness.

Q. Investigation Protocol - Staff who are moved from a scheme pending an investigation, are told they must not have any contact with anyone involved in the investigation including colleagues at the scheme. What should staff do if they accidentally meet e.g. in the street or at the office?

• A. It is acceptable to say hello and pass the time of day but on no account should staff discuss the case. It may be a good idea to mention the meeting to your Manager.

Next Meeting

• Tuesday 16th December 2008 - 10 – 12 noon. Venue - Training Room

Staff Forum Meeting - 17th June 2008

The Acting Director welcomed everyone to the meeting and told us that there were two guest speakers attending the Forum, Rhian Morgan from Hywel Dda NHS Trust and Ann Gay, UNISON Learning Representative.

Occupational Health

Rhian Morgan, a Physiotherapist from Prince Phillip Hospital in Llanelli talked to us about the Physiotherapy Pilot Project funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and available free to all Consortium staff.

The project provides a fast track physiotherapy service for any musculoskeletal and joint complaints. Staff can ring the telephone advice line 01554 783203 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 1.30 - 3.30pm for an assessment and advice on the best way of helping to manage the problem. If staff need to visit the physiotherapist department at Prince Phillip Hospital, appointments will usually be provided within 72 hours of your phone call or you may be advised to visit your GP. A follow up call usually takes place four weeks later.

Rhian went on to tell us about the types of injuries which are covered whether they are past or present, whether they were work related or from some other cause. Adaptations to the workplace may even be considered.

Rhian then left the meeting.

Union Learning Representatives (ULR)

Ann Gay, Housing Support Coordinator, talked to us about her role as a Union Learning Representative; what they are and what it means. There had been some confusion as most people thought that the title meant that they were ‘learning’ to be Unison Representatives!

The role of ULR was created in partnership with the Consortium, Unison and the Welsh Assembly Government to provide support and a sign post to lifelong learning for everyone who wants to better their education and widen their knowledge. This could include basic key skills, I.T. skills, access courses, GCSE and A Levels. Ann wanted to promote the idea and welcomed any calls from staff who wished to further their skills.

At the moment there are three Learning Representatives. The others are Mark Lewis and Michael Puppa and Unison is keen to recruit more. A copy of Ann’s presentation will be emailed to all schemes with these minutes.

Ann would like to come back to us later in the year to let us know how it’s going.

Ann then left the meeting.

Previous meeting and minutes

Questions

The group went through the previous meeting minutes and they were agreed.

Q. What is happening with Targeting Support in Network 1?

• A. Network 1 is on hold at the moment. Network staff will be informed when the timetable is set.

Q. Long Service Award – the question was raised concerning a staff member who had taken a large amount of sick leave. Is the staff member still entitled to receive their 5 year long service award?

• A. On checking with Payroll, the amount of time taken off whilst still employed is classed as ‘continuous employment’ so does not affect the entitlement to the long service award.

Q. Rotas – Staff said that in one Network, Support Coordinators are not always getting their full contracted hours and are having to work, or be seconded to work in another scheme in order to make up their hours.

• A. The Contract Manager will be asked to look into this situation and will contact the staff member about their concerns.

Q. Policy Reviews – who reviews the policies particularly the policy relating to sleep-in and wakeful hours and disturbed nights?

• A. All policies are reviewed annually by various sub-groups of the Management Committee which include a cross section of staff, senior managers and union representatives. All new or reviewed policies have to be approved by the Management Committee and ratified by Unison. The guidance on disturbed sleep-ins referred to in the question has been added to the staff handbook under the section on contracts and is waiting to be ratified by Unison at the next JCC Meeting in July.

Q. Support Coordinator – a query was raised concerning the way in which a support worker can apply for a support coordinator post, and why did they have to complete an application form and not a transfer form?

• A. The role of temporary support co-ordinator has a different job description and pay structure to the support worker role so applicants for these posts should apply ‘in person’ as you would for any other post. Applicants are logged for monitoring purposes and future reference.
• Staff can only request a transfer if the posts are of an equal grade. They also need to discuss the reasons for transfer with their Team co-ordinator and Service co-ordinator.
• Wendy also uses the forms to produce a report showing the number of staff transfers in a quarter and the reasons for transfer.

Q. Telephone numbers – what protocol should be used when giving out personal or work telephone numbers to other staff members?

• A. The following memo ref: CLC803 from Peter Thomas was circulated to ALL staff in December 2006.  ‘This is to clarify that Telephone numbers of staff can be given to the On Call team who usually need the telephone numbers to get staff cover at short notice.  The personal telephone numbers of staff should not be given to other staff but it is acceptable to give such details to Managers in order to help resolve operational difficulties. If you need to telephone the Central Office for telephone numbers please be aware of the above and not ask the receptionist for staff member’s personal numbers. The receptionist cannot identify all callers as they may be staff they are not familiar with and could be external people/agencies seeking staff’s personal numbers etc, and under the Data Protection Act we cannot give out private numbers.Your consideration and co-operation would be much appreciated.’ Thanks Peter. 
• N.B. Alice reminded everyone that they should always carry with them any mobile phones supplied by The Consortium when supporting Service Users in the community.

Q. Cost of living pay award – when will we have this year’s pay award?

• A. We are governed by Local Authority and as yet we have not heard anything about the cost of living pay award for 2008. When we know what it is a memo will be sent out by Personnel. The Unison representative has not heard anything either.

Q. Protocol for male/female support – Neath/Port Talbot council have a policy to not let males support female service users but despite this there have been occasions when this has happened, what is the Consortium’s view on this?

• A. There have been instances of a male support coordinator contracted to work in a scheme in NPT with all female service users but no lone working was permitted and no personal care. There is always room for some negotiation in the future. This issue was raised at the Staff Forum meeting 5th September 2007. Please see reply from Chris Brian given then:-
• ‘Generally, male staff do not work these shifts. This is in line with Neath & Port Talbot’s Personal Care policy and although there is no formal agreement with Swansea, it is generally considered good practice that male staff do not work alone with female service users. A discussion followed and It was felt that the issues around Personal Care were the main reasons however Care managers can be asked to risk assess individual cases.’

Q. Targeting Support in Network 5 – Rotas are still an issue, eg Staff are still being rota’d to work in schemes that are some distance to where they live and are ‘crossing’ with other staff who may live nearer. The cost of fuel is also an issue and the rotas are not reflecting the geographical availability of staff. Some staff are finishing at one scheme and immediately starting at another scheme some miles away and passing staff also travelling some distances to get to their place of work. Staff also feel that this affects the service users.

• A. This issue is of concern. The Consortium has a commitment to work towards staff working within the same geographical area as they live.
• One house in Network 5 is about to relocate from Swansea to Neath soon bringing it in line with other schemes in the Network.
• The rota software company have been approached for more advice on using the system more efficiently and a meeting has been arranged.

Q. Lone Working – If Clinical have advised staff not to be on a 1:1 basis in the scheme why is this scenario still ongoing. Staff feel it puts them in a vulnerable position when due to circumstances beyond their control they are forced to work alone particularly where the guidelines state 2:1.

• A. It was stated that the guidelines need to be followed at all costs and this issue will be looked at.

Q. Staff numbers – Along the same lines, staff have not been replaced at some schemes and it is difficult to maintain the hours and lone working is inevitable, especially when investigations and suspensions are taking place and very often the schemes are working short handed despite the belief that Targeting Support will always ensure enough staff. Long service loyal staff are finding it difficult to change any of their shifts yet new staff seem to get the shifts they want. Also it’s difficult to fit 35 hours or more into a five day rota so staff have to work their contracted hours over six days.

• A discussion was held around these issues as staff feel put upon to work more hours than their contract, feel pressured to work at weekends, feel there is no flexibility and sometimes discrimination. Wendy stressed that everyone has a right to apply for a flexible working contract however it can be difficult to find the right balance between the needs of the service user and staff member.

Discussion - Targeting Support

A staff member wanted to stress that some new staff are expected to work in up to five schemes which due to their being new is confusing and difficult. The Support Coordinators are expected to train new staff by encouraging them to shadow them but this does not seem to be happening which puts the staff member and service user at risk. The Roster software is upsetting people; they feel that there is no consideration given to where they live and some staff are leaving due to this. Staff are finding that the rota’s are showing ‘unallocated’ shifts for some reason and the Service Coordinator is forced to take on that shift which increases their contracted hours. Also staff feel more vulnerable when ‘lone working’ as the risk of allegations against staff is increased.

Q. Fuel Increase and Mileage allowance – staff asked if the mileage allowance will be increased due to the rise in fuel costs.

• A. The Inland Revenue have not put up the allowance but this and transport issues in general will be reviewed by the Consortium in the next few months and feedback will be provided at the next meeting.
• N.B. Contingency plans are in place if any fuel strikes arise and staff will work closer to their homes and other ways of getting to work will be looked at.

Q. Infocare – This is being piloted in some schemes, and the staff member who raised the issue explained to everyone how it is supposed to work. Staff involved with the Infocare system felt that it was not efficiently recording information, it feels like it is a ‘clocking in’ system and it is time consuming at the end of a shift.

• A. The aim of the Infocare pilot in domiciliary care is to eventually replace paper Timesheets and to keep a record of the service delivered to individual service users for invoicing purposes. The information produced can be used to secure funding from the local authorities so the pilot needs to be given some time for it to work. Teething problems are expected and flaws need to show up in order for the system to be perfected.
• This may not be the right system for us and understands that staff may be suspicious but stressed that this is not a ‘clocking in’ device. The pilot is due to run for six months.

Q. Sleep in limits – a staff member asked if there was a limit to how many ‘sleep ins’ a staff member is expected to do and could they decline?

• A. Sleep-in duties form part of the Contract of Employment and there is nothing written down in policy as to how many staff are expected to do. The needs of the scheme should come first and staff usually do around one or two a week where it is required, depending on the size of the staff team. Targeting Support could change the system as a staff member can be allocated from a larger pool of staff. There is always room to negotiate with your line manager.

Q. On-Call – It was requested that the ‘On Call’ managers introduce themselves by name when ringing staff or answering a call.

• A. This comment will be passed on to the ‘On call’ team.

Q. Network 4 Support Coordinators – a staff member asked how long these positions would be considered temporary.

• A. The Support Coordinators would be considered temporary until the pilot in Swansea is complete which could take up to 18 months.
• It’s nearly two years since Targeted Support was implemented in Neath & Port Talbot and the study will be completed in September at which time the Consortium will need to negotiate with the local authority about the temporary posts as the situation needs to be resolved.

Q. Support Coordinator Job – could a Support Coordinator who was not happy in their new role go back to being a support worker and is there a probationary period for Support Co-ordinators?

• A. Staff can revert to support worker although they might be in a different network depending on where there are vacancies at the time.
• The probation period will be in line with the job description. Meanwhile we are working on how to make the existing temporary posts permanent as we don’t want to make the process difficult for staff. Any decisions the Consortium makes on how best to do this will need to be ratified by Unison.

Q. Investigations – a staff member asked about a colleague who was under investigation and had not heard anything for three months and it was only when she complained about the lack of information that anything progressed, is this usual?

• A. There are many reasons why an investigation cannot progress quickly. In general the time taken to deal with investigations has improved since the appointment of an Investigation and Complaints Co-ordinator (Gerald Samuel) and in future delays like the one mentioned should be rare.
• A general discussion about the investigation procedures followed.

Discussion - Unison

Taryn Kristel, a Unison Steward, wanted to stress that any views or concerns Union members wanted the Union to take up had to be put forward to Unison via a steward. Unison will act if they are spoken to. A list of Unison stewards is available through Chris Rowlands, Senior Steward or from the notice board at the office.

The Director reminded everyone that we have partnership arrangements with Unison and they are involved in ratifying all Consortium policies etc. The Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) consisting of Senior Managers of the Consortium and Unison representatives, meets once a quarter to discuss policy changes and other staffing issues.

Next Meeting

• Thursday 4th September, 2008 10 – 12 noon. Venue Training Room

• Other Forum dates for 2008 are:- Tuesday 16th December

ACTIONS AGREED AT STAFF FORUM MINUTES FROM 2008

Staff Forum Meeting 18th March 2008

The group went through the previous meeting minutes and they were agreed.

Updates

FTA and Unison Representatives/Learning Representatives

At the time of the Forum, the newly recruited Fair Treatment Advisors were still waiting for the mobile phones. Leaflets with all FTA numbers will be sent out soon.

At the December Forum, we discussed the Recruitment of new Unison representatives and asked for more clarification of their role. A handout for staff outlining the role of the Union Reps and the Unison Learning Representatives has been distributed. Union reps can give advice and support to Union members

A Housing Support Co-ordinator will come to the next Forum to talk about her role as a UNISON Learning Representative.

N.B. There will be two UNISON Open days, one in Swansea on 15th May and one in Briton Ferry on 3rd June.

VDU Risk Assessments

The Operations Manager said that although the VDU Assessment questionnaire was completed by the Scheme Service Co-ordinators all staff should be considered in the assessment. The assessment takes place annually. 

Computer Training for Staff

As more and more work is being completed on the computer, some staff do not feel very confident or feel anxious about using one at all! 

It was agreed that more training in using the computer needs to be given to support staff. Staff said that this issue has been ongoing but reassurance was provided that all staff would eventually be given training in computers. The training has started. Staff in Network 6 Targeted Support schemes, have completed a 6 week course with a local IT training company.

Service Coordinators should also be helping support staff whilst on shift by showing them some basic tasks such as how to open an e-mail for example. Staff need to raise their concerns during supervision. Alice agreed to speak to the Contract Managers regarding this issue and an update will be provided at the next meeting.

Targeting Support Update

Body Targeting Support was implemented in Network 2 from 1st March 2008. The rota software is up and running with only a few small problems at the moment. It was generally felt that we now have more knowledge and understanding of how the software is working especially with our two ‘expert users’ to help. text here. Aenean sed nisl eget ante tempus pretium. Aliquam in erat ac odio bibendum dictum.

A general discussion on rota’s and the rota software followed:-

Printed rota sheets are sent to staff and the scheme, but it would appear that sometimes these rotas are conflicting with paper rotas at the scheme causing confusion and problems between staff who are unaware of the changes to their shifts.

Staff might finish at 2pm in one scheme and not start at another until 4pm and travelling expenses are not paid when there is a gap.

It is unlikely that the budget can stretch to pay all travel costs as everything has to be agreed by Social Services. It was acknowledged that staff in other Networks do not get paid mileage when they work ‘split shifts’ at schemes.

It was also felt that there still was not enough staff within the ‘pool’ available which was resulting in staff doing ‘over hours’ and this was also affecting the service users.

Staff sickness and annual leave has been a problem this month.

Some support co-ordinators are concerned about ‘lone working’ under targeted support There have been instances where one member of staff has worked alone with three service users for up to three hours when previously there would have been at least two staff on shift.

Risk assessments are in place but there will always be instances where behaviours can change unexpectedly. If this does occur policy states that staff are to ring On-Call. Any incidents or changes to support needs should be recorded so that the support provided can be reviewed. Risk assessments should also be reviewed regularly.

Operations Manager said that the local Authority has limited funds and will not pay for ‘what if’ situations so we cannot put extra staff in place ‘just in case’.

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Staff who have not experienced Targeted Support asked whether or not Targeting Support was working but reassurance was provided by some staff present at the meeting that the total amount of people moving between schemes was quite small and the service users were very happy and settled, and were enjoying the change of staff as it was offering variety. The only concerns that staff raised was the possibility of service users making allegations when staff were on their own, this is another risk to consider. Conditions for staff development have improved and the support provided to service users is more effective and offers them more independence.

Questions

Fairness of rotas and rest days.

Some staff feel that rotas are not always fair within the team, examples were given especially around rest days and requested days off. Also, some staff have been told they can only book annual leave during supervision. Staff feel that their demands are not met.

• A. It is difficult to keep everyone happy with their rota. The nature of the work we do means that some staff may only have one weekend off in six but not all schemes are the same. We have to remember that we are a support agency which offers support 365 days a year 24/7. Some staff may have Flexible Working Agreements in place which gives them a regular shift pattern. A system should be in place to book annual leave although this should also be discussed in supervision. If staff are not happy with their rota then they must speak up as this is the only way problems can be sorted. Staff should speak to the person who compiles the rota at their scheme. Under Targeted Support, the Support Coordinators rota is done by the Service Coordinator and the Team Co-ordinators produce rotas for all the support staff in the Network. 

Q. Probation

• A. How long do have you to be employed by the Consortium before you can apply for a Service Coordinator post? Also how long does your probation have to be if you have broken it due to sick leave. The probation period is 6 months continuous employment. This maybe extended under certain circumstances which could include periods of sickness.Staff with the necessary experience can apply for posts advertised internally usually only after they have fulfilled their probationary period and are confirmed in post. Any staff who meet the job criteria can apply for post advertised externally.NVQ attained elsewhere will be considered. Staff who are unsure if they are eligible should speak to their Contract Manager. Posts are not always filled at the time of advert so the opportunity could arise again for the position.

Q. When does Targeting Support cease to be a ‘Pilot’? 

• A. This is difficult to predict but probably when the research is completed which will be in approximately six months. Then we should be able to say how successful it has been. Interim reports suggest that we are unlikely to say that it has been unsuccessful.

Q. On-Call - A charter is already in place for support staff and their team towards service users and it was suggested that a similar sort of charter should be inplace for the On-Call as it was felt that there is no respect towards staff when calls are made.

• A. If staff are not happy with how they are spoken to, individual incidents can and should be reported to the Operations Manager and vice versa! Instances of how the staff have been dealt with unfairly was discussed. It was agreed that ‘attitude’ is a two way thing. There needs to be mutual respect to staff and managers alike.

Q. Pay Award - When will we have a pay rise for 2008?

• A. We do not know if and when there will be a pay award this year. Negotiations will be between UNISON and the Local Authorities. Staff will be informed as soon as there is any news.

Q. Epilepsy Training - There is some confusion over the length of time the certificate for Epilepsy Training covers. Some staff are concerned around insurance cover provided by the Consortium in the event of a death caused by epilepsy especially when staff need to administer rectal diazepam. Do staff need a refresher course?

• A. Epilepsy certificates do not have an expiry date. Staff were advised to speak to their Team Coordinator if they felt that they need more training. Staff are covered by the Consortium’s indemnity insurance when administering prescribed medication.

Any Other Business

Unfortunately there wasn’t time to fully discuss a few issues from one staff member and it was agreed that we would look at the issues separately after the Tenants’ presentation and would report back in the minutes.

It was acknowledged that issues raised about disturbed nights have been addressed at previous Forums and a second issue relating to a situation in a particular scheme should be dealt with by the Contract Manager.

Tenants Lives Group 

Members of the Tenants Lives Group joined the meeting to give a presentation on a project which they had been working on called ‘Unkind People and what to do about them’.

Each member of the Tenants Lives Group read out a piece and a slide show was also shown. The staff were then asked if they had any questions regarding the service users’ experiences with bullying and unkind people. The Tenants Lives Group told everyone present about their experiences of bullying that they had had to deal with in their day to day lives and how they felt about it.

The presentation was excellent and everyone enjoyed it immensely.

Next Meeting - Tuesday 17th June 2008 - 10 – 12 noon. 

Dates of other Forums for 2008 are: 

• Thursday 4th September and Tuesday 16th December

Staff Forum Meeting held on 5th December 2007

Updates

Pay award

The Local Government Services Pay claim for 2007 has now been settled at 2.475% with effect from 1st April 2007

A memo has been circulated to all staff advising them that the increased rates of pay plus pay arrears from April would be implemented in the November salary. Staff confirmed that the increase has been paid.

N.B. Because additional hours are paid one month in arrears, any additional hours worked in March 2007 were paid at the original rate even though they were included in April’s pay.

Recruitment of Fair Treatment Advisors (FTA’s)

The recruitment drive for Fair Treatment Advisors was very successful with four new advisors joining the list in January 2008. All FTA’s recently took part in a four day training course provided by Healthy Minds @ Work.

A information leaflet about the FTA service plus the names and numbers of the new and existing advisors will be sent to everyone in the New Year.

Recruitment of UNISON Representatives

Five new Union Stewards have also been recruited.

Two UNISON Learning Representatives have also been recruited. Training has been provided by Unison and they will also supply their mobile phones. It was suggested that we invite some UNISON representatives to our next Forum to explain the role of the Stewards and what staff can expect from the Union.

Information and Technology Assessments

A questionnaire was sent out to all schemes and Office based staff regarding their computer workstation, VDU, the chairs and desks and their suitability for spending long periods of time working at a monitor.

The staff present at the meeting were not aware of the memo and the questionnaire. It was suggested that the scheme Service Coordinator had probably completed them and returned them as requested.

Computer Training for Staff

Following on from the previous topic, it was agreed that not everyone is confident about using computers and many support staff have still not received any computer training.

It was suggested that the Staff Development Manager could provide an update on the plans for staff training at the next meeting and to discuss confidence issues.

Many staff felt that they did not need to use a computer except to look up information from the Consortium Policy disk.

European Week for Safety and Health at Work - 22nd to 27th October

The European Week for Safety and Health at Work was very successful and all Reflexology and Head Massage sessions were booked well in advance. It was hoped that this would raise awareness of the type of Well-being sessions that the Consortium offers.

Targeting Support Update

• Network 2 - had been put on hold while the budget was reviewed. The budget issues have now been resolved and targeted support is planned to start in February/March 2008. 

• Networks 1& 3 – the consultation process is now complete and both Networks are preparing to implement targeted support in July 2008.
• Networks 7 and 4 are working towards implementation later in 2008.
• Action plans are in place for all networks and the programme is constantly being updated.
• Further consultation and recruitment as well as an overview of hours is expected to be completed by the end of January 2009.
• Networks 5 & 6 - it was felt that things are generally beginning to settle down and most questions have been answered although there are still some issues around the role of the Support Coordinators.
• Some staff in Network 5 felt that they were being sent to work in schemes some distance from their home often crossing with staff going in the opposite direction, whilst other staff were always sent to schemes nearest their home.
• There may be reasons why certain staff are better suited for some shifts based on the needs of the Service Users.
• Staff should raise the issue at staff meetings or supervision to ensure that Team Coordinators are aware of where a staff member lives so they can incorporate this information when compiling rotas.
• Elsewhere, there is still some concern around the responsibilities of the role of Support Coordinator. Following the last Forum, job descriptions for Support Co-ordinators and Support Workers were circulated by Email to all schemes but staff still have queries around pay and responsibilities.
• It was agreed that this is a difficult time for everyone. Staff can raise any questions with their Team Coordinator. Also, there is information on the Consortium website, including a section on the most frequently asked questions.

Policy Disc

A new Consortium Policy disk is to be distributed to the schemes in December. All policies are reviewed on a regular basis, usually annually, unless there is a change in legislation or CSSIW regulations before the planned review date.

Important Changes to the Transport Policy

New legislation is coming into force from April 2008 regarding liability around people who use their own vehicles at work.

Under the new legislation, Business Insurance will be compulsory for all staff who use their cars whilst at work even if they do not have Service Users or other staff in the vehicle or do not claim for their mileage.

Staff were concerned about the cost of this type of insurance but in general it was expected that the insurance companies would not add much to a Fully Comprehensive policy; although anyone having Third Party insurance might find the cost more extreme.

Additional checks via an Action Plan on how the Consortium ensures that cars are safe and insured correctly will need to be put in place including M.O.T checks.

There will be more information on the new policy and any further implications of the Act in the New Year.

Rota Policy

Some changes have been made to this policy regarding how far in advance the rotas are drawn up. Six weeks advanced rotas has been reduced to four weeks which was felt to be more practical.

Holidays were then discussed and how much notice needed to be given to line managers.

For full details, please see minutes of Staff Forum, 5th September 2007and Rota Management Policy.

It was agreed that holidays should be discussed and planned in supervisions.

Some staff felt that Service Coordinators were producing the rotas without consulting any staff and not including their holiday requests. Staff also felt that they were not able to see the rota in advance either. A discussion followed and other issues regarding rotas were raised. Staff grievances were not always being taken into consideration. Staff also felt that with Targeting Support finding cover for holidays or unexpected absences was going to be difficult.

Staff I.D. Cards

Identification Cards and the introduction of Braille was raised at a previous Forum .

This suggestion will be raised at the Tenants Lives Group for discussion and review. An update will be provided at the next meeting.