The New NHS Pay System - Agenda For Change

Implications For Occupational Therapy Staff

Bulletin Number 1 Feb 2003 - Job Evaluation and Pay Progression

Detailed documentation has now been released which allows us to begin to make assessments of how the new pay system would affect OT staff. UNISON did not rush to produce materials whilst the main negotiations continued as we felt the final details were key to the package. UNISON has also set the longest consultation period of any union allowing us time to distribute detailed information on the pay system so that you are well informed before you get to vote. The proposals represent a fundamental change to current grading, pay levels and terms and conditions and so we will not be rushing into a decision. Further information is still coming out from the central negotiations, which will allow further clarification.

In March UNISON's Health Group Executive will meet to decide on a recommendation to go to the Health Group Conference. Conference will make a final recommendation to be followed by a ballot of all members affected, which will decide on whether unison agrees the package. UNISON branches and BAOT Regions and Groups are organising local meetings to discuss ‘ Agenda for Change' and information is being rolled out to branches and put on UNISON's website www.unison.org.uk/healthcare.a4c

Why do we need a new pay system?

The current "Whitley" system no longer works. For example there is a significant overlap between Basic Grade OTs and Senior IIs, no structure for ‘Clinical Specialist' posts, (leaving a grey area below the new consultant grade) and defunct grading definitions for OT assistants and TIs. Student Training Allowance (STA) is often only partially paid or not at all and only few OTs receive allowances automatically paid to nurses. In addition discriminatory payments such as Cost of Living Supplements, unequal annual leave and varied working hours distort the pay system and add to the inequalities.

What would the new NHS system mean for OT staff?

A new Job Evaluation (JE) scheme has been devised which compares and contrasts jobs across the NHS with a view to providing equal pay for jobs of equal value. The JE scheme measures jobs against 16 factors such as knowledge and skills, responsibilities, effort and working conditions. A full copy of the JE handbook can be found on UNISON's website (note it is a long document which may take time to download), hard copies have been sent to UNISON branch Secretaries.

Around 500 jobs were used as "benchmarks" to construct the new system. If the package is agreed then staff will "assimilate" across to the 8 new pay bands (see below).

Job Profiles

To aid assimilation a number of national ‘job profiles' have been drawn up which will help the movement of staff across from the old grades to the new bands. Job profiles are not meant to be rigorous job descriptions; they are guides. They are also designed to be generic and therefore it could be possible to find a profile for another profession that could be used to aid assimilation for OT staff.

Details of the first set of Job Profiles are in the handbook. So far only two OT specific profiles have been included: Clinical Support Worker (OT) Mental Health, and Specialist OT (Team Leader). Others will follow over the next few weeks. However whilst it is intended that the national profiles will be used to assimilate the vast majority of staff; where individuals jobs' vary significantly from the profiles their post will need to be evaluated locally. The process for doing this is described in the JE handbook.

Assimilation

Individuals will move across onto the new scale at the point just above their current pay (calculated including most allowances, such as STA). If this point is within the appropriate pay band (see examples below) then they will continue to move up the scale until the top as now, subject to ‘Gateways' (see below). If the point is above the top of the relevant pay band then they will be subject to pay protection. If the point is below the pay band then they will fast track up into the new band using the ‘off scale points'.

Under the new system the following may be a rough guide. Note these are indicative only and should not be taken as definitive. (Pay bands are shown in table below)

A standard OT helpers/assistant job probably corresponds to the clinical support worker profile, which would be placed on band 2. More advanced OT helpers/assistants and some TIs may well go into band 3. Higher grade TIs whose jobs vary significantly from the profiles would need to be evaluated locally and should go into higher bands. Newly qualified OTs would go into Band 5. Senior IIs would probably split into either band 5 or 6 and Senior Is would go into either Band 6 or 7 (note Specialist OT profile for band 6). Clinical specialists and many Head posts could go into Band 7, whilst remaining Heads, plus Districts, Professional Advisors and Consultants are likely to go into the various ranges of Band 8.

It is possible that in a small minority of cases after assimilation some OT staff's total earnings would be above the maximum point of the new pay band to which their post has been assigned. In such cases staff will be subject to pay protection (see next bulletin).

Three year pay offer

The Government has attached a three year pay offer of 10% (3.225% per year) to the

Package, which includes this years proposed increase. This would mean that nobody is ever paid the amounts shown in the table below as they would be increased by 3.225% from April 2003, 2004 and 2005.

London Weighting and High Cost Area Payments

London Weighting payments would be as follows: Inner London 20 % of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £3,000 and a maximum payment of £5,000. Outer London: 15 % of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £2,500 and a maximum payment of £3,500. Fringe: 5 % of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £750 and a maximum payment of £1,300.

Cost of Living Supplements would be rolled up into these payments. Staff outside of the London Weighting areas will retain their Cost of Living Supplements however they will be renamed Recruitment and Retention Premia (RRP). There will be an opportunity for unions locally to extend these RRPs for those staff who do not currently get them.

There will also be provision for unions and employers to negotiate "High Cost Area Payments" which address the same cost issues faced by staff living in London, for staff in other areas. More detail on recruitment and retention premia, unsocial hours and on-call payments, will be covered in the next bulletin.

The Pay Review Body, Gateways and Pay Progression

The current Pay Review Body that covers OT staff, other Allied Health Professionals and Nurses would be fully merged and expanded to include other professions such as Speech and Language Therapists. The PRB would continue to set annual pay increases.

The package reinforces the need for staff to have annual development reviews, which would lead to a personal development plan, primarily focussed on helping staff carry out their job. Training and development needs would be identified and employers would ensure sufficient financial support.

Staff assimilated across to below the top of a pay band would normally move up an increment annually, subject to two gateways. These are checkpoints intended to ensure that staff have the appropriate knowledge and skills necessary to progress to the top of the band, subject to a national ‘Knowledge and skills framework' to ensure consistency. UNISON insisted on a number of safeguards to ensure that the Gateway system would not be used as a pay barrier. These include the expectation that staff would normally progress through the gateways, that staff are clearly aware of the requirements to pass through the gateways, and that managers decisions are recorded and checked. Decisions on pay progression and the gateway system will be monitored locally and nationally by employers and unions.

There is also provision for newly qualified OTs to fast track through the first two increments in six monthly steps. This would be known as Preceptorship.

NEXT BULLETIN

The next bulletin will cover terms and conditions, such as the phased in harmonisation to a 37.5 hour week, increases in annual leave, and protection arrangements.

Members are advised not to make a decision based on this briefing alone as the second briefing note will cover other important aspects of the package, as will other more general UNISON advice. Members are also advised to attend local UNISON/BAOT meetings and try to obtain as much information as possible.

Finally, do you know if your membership records are up to date? If not you may miss out on the ballot. To check your membership details phone UNISONdirect on 08345 355 0845 or if you know your UNISON number check UNISON's website on www.unison.org.uk where you can also check the latest Agenda for Change information.