West Lancashire Adults Community Services: Questions & Answers

Yes, iTrent will ensure that the four bank holidays before transfer are accounted for. If you work bank holidays, then they will be added to your overall spendable allowance. Any remaining allowance at the point of transfer will carry over to the new providers’

Where colleagues usually work a Bank Holiday, they are given the hours worked on the bank holiday as Annual Leave to spend at another time. This is treated in the same way as annual leave under TUPE and any remaining entitlement, including converted bank holidays will transfer to the new providers

There will be an agreed folder in the S: Drive where operationally critical documents can be saved. Your line manager will collate any documents and ensure that they are up to date and named appropriately before saving in the folder.

Unfortunately not. Colleagues are not able to purchase holidays through this scheme as they usually would – this is because the new provider is unable to support bought leave in their system post transfer, and the shorter repayment period could cause financial detriment for some.

Both providers have confirmed that they will continuing to use EMIS post 1st July. So, you should see no change, other than the pathways on which the system is built.

Both providers’ policies do not state a specific notice period for booking annual leave. However, it would be expected that you give ‘reasonable’ notice in line with service needs. It would be encouraged that you raise this with your line manager on transfer to understand the local arrangement for this.

Assure Expenses will be available until 30th June, and claims can be made until that date. If your claim was approved before 14th June, it will be paid in the June Payroll, any expenses after that date approved will be paid in July. If you have no Assure Claims remaining for the 14th June onwards, please use the Manual Expenses form found in the Consultation Paper.

In some cases, yes. For colleagues transferring to MWL, pay date will change to the 28th of each month, and for colleagues transferring to Mersey Care, pay date will remain the 26th.

Unfortunately not, as part of transfers we are only able to transfer service critical information. For personal information stored on your laptop, we would suggest that you forward this to your new email at the organisation you will be transferring to.

Where expenses have been claimed and approved after payroll cut off in June, they will be paid on 24th July.

Unfortunately not, the OOH District Nursing Team will be relocated to Clayton House post-transfer.

Yes, meetings have already taken place with colleagues from MWL. For colleagues who are transferring to Mersey Care, peer meetings will be arranged shortly.

Yes. Colleagues transferring to MWL will take part in their ‘Warm Walcome’ ODGH and dates of this will be shared shortly. For colleagues transferring to Mersey Care, there will be a Corporate induction followed by a West Lancashire specific induction package.

Training teams from HCRG Care Group, MWL and Mersey Care are working collaboratively to ensure all alligned training transfers. Each provider uses the NHS Core Skills Training Framework so any modules completed which align to this will be transferrable. There is likely to be locally mandated subjects which requrie completion post transfer and details of this will be shared once the alignment piece has been completed in the system (expected within first month).

Current preceptorships will transfer with you, and will continue to be offered post-transfer.

Yes, GPs will be notified of the transfer.

A joint communication plan is currently being developed by MWL and Mersey Care. Both providers aim to inform GPs before the transfer takes place.

Recruitment activity is currently being prioritised based on service need with some recruitment already ongoing to fill critical roles. Each vacancy is reviewed on a case by case basis and goes through an internal vacancy control panel process to obtain appropriate authorisaton. Each new provider will work with teams post-transfer to agree safe staffing levels.

Your current HCRG Care Group non-branded uniform will transfer with you. Both providers intend to collect measuresments and sizes from colleagues post-transfer to place an order for uniform when it becomes available nationally.

Yes, MWL have confirmed that they will offer SPQ training post-transfer.

Yes, colleagues will be provided with new equipment. This will be rolled out by both providers on week commencing 22nd June – colleagues will receive contact directly from the provider which they are transferring to, in order to arrange collection.

Each provider has confirmed that there are no planned ESR Training sessions pre-transfer. However, post-transfer, colleagues from each organisation will be available to support you in logging in using your smartcard. Following this, training materials are available on each trust’s intranet.

Yes, for colleagues transferring to MWL, dates of training will be shared shortly. For colleagues transferring to Mersey Care, training will form part of induction.

MWL are currently recuriting to bank posts to support the service from the cohort of bank workers who currently support the service. Substantive colleagues who have an additional bank post with HCRG Care Group will have the same dual posting upon transfer. The MWL roster team are currently bulding the roster system, where bank shifts will be visible. Shifts will be paid through an automatic upload to ESR. In the event there is any delay with rosters being published and available, booked shits will be paid via spreadhseet and details of this will be shared. For colleagues transferring to Mersey Care, there is no current bank shifts booked post-transfer.

For colleagues transferring to MWL, car parking arrangements will remain as-is and remain subject to review. For colleagues transferring to Mersey Care, car parking can be reclaimed via expenses.

Both providers have confirmed that current working relationships will remain post-transfer.

MWL have confirmed that there will be no change to the way that the Phlebotomy service will operate post-transfer.

Unfortunately not, MWL are currently exploring alternative spaces.

Yes, MWL have Nurse Advocate roles within the Trust.

Yes, the generic mailboxes are currently in the process of being replicated by both providers.

Yes, Consultant Support will be available as usual.

Upon transfer, both providers will use the same instance of EMIS. Shortly after, AHP Services will move to the Mersey Care instance of EMIS and records will be able to be seen by both organisations via a Data Sharing Agreement.

Yes, LPRES will continue to be available post-transfer.

Yes, both providers offer NHS Pension, and colleagues will be auto-enrolled into this scheme and may choose to opt-out post-transfer.

Unfortunately not, MWL have an alternative provision in place which will be shared shortly for this.

Yes, both providers have a need for non-medical prescribing.

Yes, the group will continue. However, MWL are confirming where the group will take place moving forward, and have confirmed that they will share this with relevant colleagues shortly.

You may be able to transfer non-NHS Pension Benefits into the NHS Pension Scheme. Please seek advice from NHS Pensions regarding this, if you are considering it as an option.