WORKFORCE APPROVAL PROCESS GUIDANCE
North Central London CCGs (Barnet, Haringey, Enfield, Camden, Islington)
The purpose of the workforce approval process is to operate a robust and comprehensive review and approval process for each CCG’s workforce requirements. This process will support workforce planning and financial processes, reflecting the staffing levels, skill mix and capabilities to ensure these are linked to the overall business planning cycle within the individual CCGs and across the NCL footprint. In addition the workforce approval process will ensure:-
  • fairness and equity for all staff
  • that opportunities identified for staff development
  • Strategic alignment and understanding of capacity and capability gaps affecting service delivery across NCL
  • effective analysis of duplication across CCGs
  • financial sustainability is supported
This form is to be completed if you have a requirement to:
  • Recruit to an established vacancy (existing vacancy at the existing band)
  • Create and recruit to a new position that has an authorised budget
  • Temporary Staffing requirements (Agency)
  • Consultancy due to capacity gaps that has financial support
  • Make any changes to existing staff which results in a financial impact such as increase in hours, re-grade, acting up arrangements etc.
Guidelines/Process for Recruiting Managers
Where the request to recruit is for a new role or one where the role has significantly changed, please only complete this form after the Job Description and Person Specification has been through the national Job Evaluation process and formally banded in accordance with the Agenda for Change pay banding. For further guidance please contact your HR Business Partner.
Where previous approval to recruit on a fixed term, agency or consultancy basis has been granted and there is a requirement to extend the role, a new authority to recruit form must be completed and re-submitted for further approval.
To avoid any unnecessary delays in the recruitment process, the Recruiting Manager is responsible for ensuring that the authority to recruit form is fully completed and authorised in accordance with all sections detailed on the form prior to submitting to the Workforce Approval Panel. Unfortunately incomplete forms will not be authorised and will be returned to the recruitment manager.
Completed forms must be submitted to Michelle Chadwick, Interim Director of HR / OD by Friday 12:00 noon each week. All forms received with appropriate authorisation by Finance, will be submitted on Tuesday the following week to the Workforce Approval Panel for consideration/approval. The Workforce Approval Panel will consist of the NCL Chief Finance Officer, the Director of HR/OD and the Chief Operating Officer/Local Executive Director for the CCG wishing to recruit.
If the request to recruit is approved, a unique reference number will be assigned and documentation forwarded to the relevant HR Business Partner and Recruitment Team.
AUTHORITY TO RECRUIT FORM
Completion of this form is mandatory for the recruitment to a post that is on a Substantive, Fixed Term, Agency, or Consultancy basis. Please note that no recruitment processes can be started without approval being granted from the Workforce Approval Panel. All completed forms must be submitted to by Friday 12:00 noon each week. Forms will then be considered by the Workforce Approval Panel on Tuesdays. Please make sure you have got all the necessarysignatures before you submit the form. Any incomplete forms will be returned to the Recruiting Manager as Not Approved.
SECTION A – ESTABLISHMENT
Does this post appear in the current establishment / Please state either Yes……………… No…………………..
Employment Type: please state if this is for a Substantive, Fixed Term, Agency or Consultancy role / …………………………………………………………………………….
Is the post for: Business as usual, Project work, Cover for sickness absence or a change to an existing staff member’s role (e.g. increased hours, re-grade etc). / …………………………………………………………………………….
Is the request an extension of existing arrangements that have previously been approved. If yes please state reference number. / No……………….. Yes Ref No……………………………..
If the request is for fixed term, agency or consultancy basis, please state contract duration, proposed start date and end date. Please also state the daily rate that will be charged
Please note that any extensions to these dates will require the submission of new application. / Contract Duration………………………………………………….
Proposed startdate……………………………….
End date…………………………………………………...
Daily Rate………………………………………………………………..
Any post/change in post must be discussed with the HR Business Partner. Have you discussed this with the HR Business Partner?
What will be your approach to filling the vacancy/acting up/re-grading/increasing hours?
SECTION B – BUSINESS CASE
Please state the impact that:
  • not recruiting to this post will have on the service(s) e.g. impact on quality, business as usual, and risks
  • not making the requested changes to the existing role

Please state what strategic or operational objectives this request supports
Please state what considerations have been given to duplication of role within other NCL CCGs and whether new ways of working have been explored, including utilisation of other existing roles within the CCG(s).
If the request is for fixed term, agency or consultancy, what plans are in place to recruit substantively if the interim placement is approved?
SECTION C – POST DETAILS
Job Title
Band and Pay Framework
WTE and Number of Posts requested
Has the post been through the AFC Job Evaluation
If like for like replacement please state name and band of previous employee.
If request is for temporary support is this post within IR35
Is the request within current funded establishment
Have discussions taken place with your Chief Operating Officer or Local Executive Director with regard to the post / Yes………………………………………. NO ……………………………………….
SECTION D – TO BE COMPLETED BY CCG FINANCE
Is there sufficient budget available to support this application and what is the source of funding:
Is the funding:
Recurrent
Non-Recurrent / Yes
Yes / No
No
Please provide any other relevant financial details for the post:
Finance Job Title: ………………………………….. / Print Name ………………………………………….. Signature ……………………………..
SECTION E – TO BE COMPLETED BY BUDGET HOLDER/HEAD OF SERVICE
Supporting comments/information to support the business case:
Budget Holder Authorisation
Name and Signature / Print Name ………………………………………….. Signature ……………………………..
Head of Service Authorisation
Name and Signature / Print Name ………………………………………….. Signature ……………………………..
SECTION F – TO BE COMPLETED BY THE WORFORCE APPROVAL PANEL
DECISION OF THE PANEL:
APPROVED …………………. DEFERED/HELD BACK ………………………………… REJECTED ………………………………..
Comments / Actions (any conditions to the approval to be detailed here, e.g. restriction in and, length of booking etc)
If the post has been agreed for a temporary period of time, please complete and return the Authority to Recruit Form to the panel to establish termination of role. / Date to be submitted back to panel
……………………………………………………………………………
UNIQUE REFERENCE NUMBER – THIS NUMBER MUST BE USED IN ORDER TO RECONCILE BACK TO ORGINAL APPROVAL PROCESS WHEN WISHING TO EXTEND, REPLACE OR RECRUIT.
e.g. Reference number WAP-B-001 = (Workforce Approval Barnet CCG 001)
Unique Reference Number / ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Job Title:
………………………………………………………
Signature:
…………………………………………………….. / Print Name:
………………………………………….. / Date Authorised:
………………………………….

North Central London CCGs: Barnet CCG, Camden CCG, Enfield CCG, Haringey CCG and Islington CCG.