All Wales Employment Policy, Procedures and Protocols

Employment policies etc. in the NHS in Wales.
How to feedback to improve policies etc.
How to refer issues from Local Partnership Forum (LPFs)
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All Wales Employment Policy, Procedures and Protocols

There are 3 levels of Workforce and OD policies in the NHS in Wales as outlined below:

  1. Essential All Wales policies, e.g. disciplinary, sickness absence, capability.
  2. Other All Wales policies, e.g. secondment, special leave.
  3. Local policies, i.e. those policies for which it is more beneficial to maintain a local focus due to the makeup/nature of the organisation, e.g. inclement weather. 

All Wales policies (levels 1 and 2) are developed in partnership in line with the All Wales Policy Development Protocol

Equality impact assessments are also undertaken at national level against the protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010; age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation.

They are then signed off by the Welsh Partnership Forum and Medical and Dental Business Group for Policies covering Medical and Dental Staff Specifically, before being issued to the Service.

All Wales Policy Development Protocol

 

Policy Review Feedback

Policy review is no longer purely time based (i.e. no longer "review date" driven) but reviews will be prompted by changes in legislation, learning from best practice or by feedback provided from people using the policies (i.e. employers, representatives or employees).

If you have feedback on an All Wales Policy please provide your Name, organisation, contact details and the feedback you want to give to this email Welsh.Partnershiphub@wales.nhs.uk

You will then be contacted by a member of the NHS Wales Employers Team. 

Policy Interpretation - Dispute Referral

  • If a situation arises where there is a disagreement over the interpretation of an agreed policy within an NHS organisation the following process will be observed:
  • The parties within an NHS Wales organisation must seek to resolve the issue locally;
  • Should the matter remain unresolved, following partnership discussions in the organisation, it must be referred to the LPF outlining why it has not been possible to resolve the matter locally; 
  • Should the LPF agree that the matter cannot be resolved locally, a joint employer/TU submission should be made by the LPF to Welsh.Partnershiphub@wales.nhs.uk outlining the area requiring clarification/resolution.
  • This will then be considered by the joint (employer/TU) chairs of the WPF and a response provided through NHS Wales Employers.

 

All Wales Approved Policies - All Staff Groups

All Wales Approved Policies - Agenda for Change Staff

All Wales Approved Policies, Procedures and Protocols - Medical and Dental Staff