NHS GRAMPIAN
Minute of the Grampian Area Partnership Forum (GAPF)
held on Wednesday 18 September 2013 at 2.00pm
in the Conference Room, Summerfield House
Present:
Richard Carey, Chief Executive (Chairperson)
Sharon Duncan, Staff Side Chair/Employee Director
Gary Butler, UCATT (deputy for Mike Adams)
Jim Clark, GMB
Christina Cameron, Business Manager
Alistair Grant, RCN
Alan Gray, Director of Finance
Laura Gray, Communications Director
Jenny Greener, Non-Executive Director
Alison Hardy, Clinical Nurse Manager
Liz Laing, BAOT (deputy for Sandra-Dee Masson)
Steven Lindsay, Unite
Deirdre McIntyre, SOCAP
Martin McKay, UNISON
George McLean, Interim Business Manager (deputy for Adam Coldwells)
Judith McLenan, Business Manager, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
Mike Ogg, General Manager, Aberdenshire (VC)
George Reid, Catering Manager (deputy for Gary Mortimer)
Anne Ross, Head of Performance and Quality
Clare Ruxton, Deputy Director of Workforce
Philip Shipman, HR Manager (deputising for Adam Coldwells)
Clare Smith, Assistant Divisional Manager
Joan Anderson, Partnership Support Officer
In Attendance
Linda McKerron, Learning and Development Manager - for item 2
Diane Annand, HR Team Leader and Lorraine Hunter, Deputy Head of HR Service – for item 5g
Laura McDonald, Staff Side Health and Safety Chairperson – for item 6a
Fiona Browning, Control Nurse, Public Health - for Item 9 AOCB
Item / Subject / Action /1 / Apologies
Apologies were received from Kirsten Sawers, RCM (no deputy available),
Eileen Grant, GHP (no deputy), Lewis Ritchie (no deputy), Elinor Smith, Director of Nursing and Midwifery (no deputy), Gemma Barclay, SOR (no deputy), Leanne Gardner, BDA (no deputy), Fergus McKiddie, HPA (no deputy), Keith Thomson, Head of Health and Safety (no deputy),
Sandra-Dee Masson, BAOT (Liz Laing deputised), Mike Adams, UCATT (Gary Butler deputised), Ian Francis, CSP (no deputy available), Mike Scott, Staff Governance Committee , Terry Mackie, Staff Governance Committee,
Jonathan Lofthouse, General Manager Acute (Clare Smith deputised),
Gary Mortimer, General Manager, Facilities (no deputy), Annie Ingram, Director of Workforce, Adam Coldwells, General Manager, Aberdeenshire and Moray (George McLean deputising for Moray and Philip Shipman deputising for Aberdeenshire), Pauline Strachan, Chief Operating Officer (no deputy)
2
* / Induction Update
Linda McKerron and Steven Lindsay updated the group on the work of the NHS Grampian Induction Steering Group (slides attached).
The proposals for updating NHS Grampian Induction had been approved by the Operational Management Team (OMT).
Induction would include blended learning. eLearning package was being developed which was patient centred and would roll out to all staff in October.
The staff handbook was in the process of being updated to ensure it was fit for purpose and easy to use.
All Boards were working towards using electronic recruitment processes and it was hoped that the Recruitment Department would be able to book staff onto courses when they accepted a post. Resource would need to be identified for this.
A group of staff including junior doctors and year 5 students have all been inducted and received mandatory training within 48 hours of coming on site.
The GAPF Learning and Development/Workforce and the Induction Steering Group were undertaking an audit on Health Care Support Workers completion of workbooks.
There were issues regarding access to computers for some staff and this was being considered.
There was a discussion regarding training for managers on policies etc. Being a Manager was one tool which should be used. The Learning and Development/Workforce Sub-Group would discuss this further.
A request was made to ensure there was information in Induction on Staff Governance Standards, Partnership Working and how to be involved.
GAPF Endowment Funds were available for staff to apply for and group applications were favoured so a request to assist funding for a group of staff to be trained or training facilities would be considered.
Linda McKerron and Steven Lindsay were thanked for coming along and asked to come back to a future meeting to update on progress.
3 / Minute of Last Meeting held on 21 August 2013
The minute of meeting held on 21 August 2013 was approved.
4 / Matters Arising
Catering Review
Sharon Duncan explained that any changes to Staff Canteen Facilities, including opening hours, provisions, etc, must be agreed at Sector Partnership Forum first.
5 / Developing and Empowering our Staff
a. Coaching and Mentoring
This item was withdrawn from the agenda meantime.
b. Talent Management Framework
This item was withdrawn from the agenda meantime.
c. Integration Update – Sector Reports
Aberdeen City
Christina Cameron explained that Aberdeen City were working with all other agencies on integration. They had a good relationship with VSA. A project working in Partnership to connect with unpaid carers to assist carers to communicate with agencies relevant to them was ongoing.
Joint equipment Group in operation with Aberdeen City Council was working as one team.
There was a programme of integration workshops with NHS Grampian, Aberdeen City Council and other agencies. The next workshop would be held on 8 October over lunchtime at Curl Aberdeen. Everyone invited to attend.
Aberdeen City was slightly behind in some of the structural issues with integration.
Laura Gray explained that a report was being prepared for the Board with an update on integration progress of Aberdeen City, Aberdeen Shire and Moray.
Moray
George McLean reported that an integrated planning meeting had taken place. There were a number of areas highlighted that could be worked on together, and some on own.
Transitional Leadership Group met on 12 September. Five sub-groups had been formed. Work continued jointly. A monthly evening meeting was planned for all the organisations to get together and the next one would focus on Pharmacy.
There had been shadowing between Moray Council meetings and NHS Grampian Partnership meetings and while the trade union/professional organisation reps way of working was very different, there were also a lot of similarities and the meetings had been beneficial.
Aberdeenshire
Clare Ruxton reported that Aberdeenshire was a little further on with integration than Moray. Five groups had been set up and would meet over the next couple of weeks. The Chief Officers Job Description would be going to the Job Evaluation Group at the end of October. It was hoped that the three Chief Officers posts would be very similar.
Richard Carey explained that integration was still on course to be up and running in shadow form in April 2014 for a year until April 2015. A lot of work still to be done but lots going on locally in the meantime.
d. Feedback from GAPF Away Day 18 June
Sharon Duncan reported back on the Away Day. The evaluation paper had been circulated. She explained that the Away Day was sector based so that sectors could continue the work started from the events. The Sectors would be asked to feedback their work for the Staff Governance Action Plan. GAPF would continue to hold central events and the next big event would be May next year.
e. Dignified Workplace Update
Clare Ruxton thanked all those who attended a successful Dignified Workplace event on 4 September. The Dignity at Work Policy was being further updated following the comments made at the event and during the consultation period.
Clare and Linda Oldroyd were doing some patient centred work around the staff and patient experience. This should be ready for consultation by the next meeting.
Richard Carey stated that it was very important to embed the right behaviours in the organisation.
Jim Clark suggested that the Staff Governance Standard leaflet should be distributed more widely to staff as these standards were law in Scotland.
f. Policies for approval:
i. Registration Policy
This policy was not quite ready for approval and would come back to the next meeting.
ii. Retirement Policy
This policy review began with a change in legislation on retiral age. The opportunity was taken to tidy up the policy and clarify the Fellowship roles. The group approved the policy.
g. Terms and Conditions Sub-Group papers
Diane Annand and Lorraine Hunter attended the meeting to ask for approval for four papers which had already been approved by the GAPF Terms and Conditions Sub-Group, as follows:
i. Payment Arrangements during Special Leave
The Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC) had issued guidance which had been incorporated into the paper. This paper was approved. The final draft of the Special Leave Policy would be submitted to the next Policies and Procedures Sub-Group meeting.
ii. Changes to the way staff are paid on public holiday leave
The Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC) had issued guidance which had been incorporated into the paper. The guidance on annual leave had been reviewed and now included guidance on public holiday leave payments. Discussion on how the payments raised challenges for public holiday rostering, however it would not change current arrangements on how this was organised. This paper had also been reviewed to make it clearer that staff were to be paid as if they were at work. There were still instances of staff not being paid enhancements even when their rota was very clear. This paper was approved.
iii. Planned Annual Leave guidance
The previous 2005 guidance had been updated. This paper was approved.
iv. Starting Salary guidance
This guidance was reviewed in line with Whitley Council Terms and Conditions and updated to eliminate the amount of time Managers had to spend working out starting salaries. The length of break in service that could be taken into account had been extended to up to a year.
Payroll Staff could make this decision without involving a manager ensuring that the employee receives their correct salary more quickly. This paper was approved.
There was a question about reviewing the Parental Leave Policy. This had just been done in light of changes nationally on the length of unpaid leave now offered which had been increased.
There was a question about reviewing the Parental Leave Policy. This had just been done in light of changes nationally on the length of unpaid leave now offered which had been increased.
6 / Improving Health, Wellbeing & Reducing Inequalities
a. European Health and Safety Week Update
Laura McDonald came along to the meeting to report on the work that was being done both in the NHS Grampian group and Sector Groups to plan a varied schedule of events across NHS Grampian during European Health and Safety Week 7 to 11 October. Posters would be available soon to advertise. There would also be leaflets, table talkers, global emails, banner on the intranet and an article in Up Front. It is the second year of a two year theme on Working Together for Risk Prevention and this year includes a variety of topics locally.
Everyone was encouraged to attend and to allow staff time off to attend wherever possible. GAPF Reps were all asked to attend at least one event.
b. Update on Health and Safety in NHS Grampian
No update received.
7 / Delivering High Quality Care in the Right Place
a. Finance Report
The Budget Steering Group had received reports from all budget holders. There was still a gap to be found but there was a degree of confidence that this gap would be recoverable and more information on how to do this would be discussed at the next meeting.
Further representations were being made to the Scottish Government regarding NHS Grampians National Resource Allocation (NRAC) GAPF Reps were welcome to raise this concern with the Health Minister at the Annual Review meeting.
b. Partnership Reports from Sectors
Acute Sector
Clare Smith explained Dr Gray’s Hospital had met recently. There had been discussion around having the main Acute Sector Partnership Forum meetings quarterly. Alistair Grant stated that Staff Side had discussed this and felt that meetings should be monthly as there were so many changes going on for staff that this would assist to keep them up to date and involved. This view was supported by the joint chairs.
Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
Judith McLenan reported that 25 newly qualified nurses were started that week. They would work as unregistered staff until their registrations came through. Car Parking was being discussed as there were many issues of safety for car users and pedestrians. Staff would be kept up to date with discussions.
A Mental Health/Learning Disabilities Unscheduled Care Group has been looking at Out of Hours Service.
Sharon Duncan asked about a paper that had been presented to the Staff Side meeting regarding AHP being asked to offer support to inpatient wards. Staff Side had concerns about Partnership input into this decision. This would be investigated.
Moray
George McLean reported about the work ongoing at Spynie Hospital and discussions on where to move to. The Health and Safety Committee and Datix Committee would be having their first combined meeting soon. The first annual inspections beginning soon. Events were planned for European Health and Safety Week on 8, 9 and 10 October.
Workforce planning was being taken forward in Partnership, working through the six steps. Face to Face meeting dates had been set up for community hospitals, starting in November and management and staff side would be in attendance. These sessions would begin before the outcome of the Staff Survey was known but all the feedback received would be collated. Health and Social Care Integration was ongoing.
Aberdeen City
Christina Cameron explained that the Health Village was a large workstream. 8 October was the date for posts to be approved. Car parking was being discussed for the Health Village. A workshop was planned for 30 October for staff to come along and ask questions about the Health Village.
Partnership meetings were being rescheduled to ensure all Reps were able to attend.
Health and Safety – discussions ongoing about behaviours targeted at staff. Christina asked GAPF if there could be a Zero Tolerance type campaign. It was noted that the Management of Violence and Aggression Policy was currently being reviewed so comments made at the meeting would be passed on to the review group. This had also been raised at the NHSG Occupational Health and Safety Committee and would be taken forward there as well.
Aberdeenshire
Philip Shipman updated on planned care, pathfinder and patient safety.
Electronic recruitment system was being discussed and linking this to workforce planning tool. A workforce planning workshop was being held in October to decide what the Sector needed to do.