Policy News - 15 January 2021

The following policies have recently been ratified by the Trust’s Policy Committee.   Please take the time to review those which may be relevant to your role.  

Staff Appraisal Policy (Medical and Dental)

The Staff Appraisal Policy (Medical and Dental) provides a clear working framework for all career grade doctors (with a prescribed connection to the Trust who wish to maintain a license to practice) and hospital dentists, working in the Trust in excess of 6 months, to undertake meaningful staff appraisals and to demonstrate that they continue to meet the principles and values set out by the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council respectively. 

It aims to ensure an unbiased, consistent and supportive approach to appraisal which will allow the person being appraised a formal, structured opportunity to chart their continuing progress and to reflect on where their effectiveness might be improved.

The significant, material changes to the existing Staff Appraisal Policy (Medical and Dental) include:

• Attempting to minimise any bias by: restricting the appraiser/appraisee relationship to a 3 year cycle, introducing a break of 3 years before the appraiser/appraise relationship can be resumed, preventing any two doctors acting as appraiser to each other within the same cycle and centralising the allocation of appraisers (to the Medical Revalidation Team). 
• Reinforcing the quality of appraisal by: introducing a minimum level of engagement with refresher training (bi-annually), a minimum level of engagement required by the appraiser (4 appraisals over a 2 year period), a suggested period of notice of 12 months for those relinquishing the appraiser role and ensuring those returning from a break in employment engage with the appraisal process within 3 months of their return.
• Strengthening the quality of appraisal by: suggesting a surrogate survey for those appraisees who are exempt from undertaking the patient feedback survery and introducing a maximum timeframe for going without an appraisal. 
• Streamlining the collation of information by: ensuring all documentation is completed using the Trust’s chosen electronic appraisal toolkit (Clarity) and ensuring that access to appraisal information is now aligned with GDPR requirements. 

View policy

Appraisal Policy (Excluding Medical & Dental Staff)

The Appraisal Policy outlines the key principles to ensure that the Trust has a clear, consistent and fair approach to a values based appraisal system to which all employees will have access.  It supports the commitment to develop all employees to attain their full potential and to ensure everyone’s work is linked to the Trust’s overall objectives and standards of behaviour.

The policy details:

• Roles and responsibilities of the Appraising Manager and the Appraisee
• Timescales and deferral of appraisal
• Right of appeal
• Recording of appraisal information

View policy

Induction & Mandatory Training Policy

The purpose of this new policy is to ensure that the Trust has a clear, consistent and robust approach to induction and mandatory training.  It applies to all Trust staff as well as students, bank and agency workers and complements other Trust policies on induction and mandatory training for other groups such as Junior Doctors and Volunteers. 

Staff are responsible for:

• Completing the Trust’s corporate induction programme.
• Undertaking all elements of their local induction and completing the Local Induction Checklist with their line manager.
• Ensuring they are compliant with their mandatory training to requesting Study Leave.
• Raising any concerns with their line manager if they are unable to or impeded from being able to complete their mandatory training. 

Line Managers are responsible for:

• Ensuring compliance with the policy within their area, including the completion and submission to the Training Team of a Local Induction Checklist for any new starters. 
• Ensuring that any new employee, bank / agency worker or student, completes corporate induction and receives a local induction and welcome to the team that fits with the Trust Values and gives the individual a positive introductory experience.
• Monitoring staff mandatory training to ensure it is up to date, before approving requests for Study Leave as well as supporting staff to access a computer or book onto face to face training if they encounter any problems.      

View policy

Removal & Relocation Expenses Policy

This policy sets out the terms under which the costs incurred by newly appointed staff may be reimbursed, in relocating to the Sunderland and South Tyneside area to take up a post with the Trust.

Removal expenses shall only be offered where all of the following criteria are satisfied:

• the post is identified by the Trust as a difficult to recruit to post, and/or is a national shortage profession prior to the appointment;
• the Divisional Director (or equivalent and the Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development, have given their approval to pay removal and relocation expenses to the successful applicant(s) for a particular post and a recommendation is made to the Chief Executive;
• A person is moving to the Sunderland or South Tyneside area solely as a result of taking up paid employment with the Trust and is not claiming funds from any other employer to cover removal and relocation costs, or receiving assistance from another source;
• the person moves to within a reasonable travelling distance/time of their South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS FT base; the person moves a distance of at least 20 miles from their previous residence to their new one (distances to be measured by the shortest road route);
• the appointment is for more than 2 years; and
• the individual signs a contract of employment and the Removal and Relocation Expenses Declaration Form before commencement of employment.

View policy