The Challenge of Representing Employers and Negotiating on their Behalf Gill Bellord Director of Pay, Pensions and Employment Relations NHS Employers

The Employer Perspective

Overview  What is NHS Employers and what do we do?  The NHS negotiating framework and Social partnership  Negotiations – how do they work?  Engaging employers – getting a view  Questions?

What is NHS Employers?  NHS Employers represents Trusts in England on workforce issues and helps employers to ensure the NHS is a place where people want to work  We work with employers to reflect their views and acting on their behalf  Our aim is to improve the working lives of staff and, through staff, to provide better care for patients

What is NHS Employers? The NHS Confederation’ ambition is ‘Excellence for patients, the public and staff’. An independent driving force for transforming health and health services by:  Influencing policy implementation and public debate  Supporting leaders through networking, sharing information and learning: and  promoting excellence in employment

What are the benefits for the NHS?  We give the NHS an independent voice on issues relating to workforce and employment matters  In the past DH represented employers and Government- this was neither ideal or satisfactory  Employers and staff are best placed to decide how to improve the working lives of staff, improve care for patients and best understand how HR developments fit in with wider service initiatives

What we do - four Priority Areas  Recruitment and planning the workforce  Healthy and productive workplaces  Employment policy and practice  Pay and pensions negotiation

Recruitment and planning the workforce  Employer views on the. future of nursing:  Nursing should be a degree level qualification  All nurses should have generalist skills  framework is flexible  NHS Careers and. NHS Jobs

Healthy and Productive Workplaces  Response to ‘Working for. Health’ consultation –. support for the NHS. taking the lead  ‘Healthy Workplaces’. Handbook  18 Week Wait project  The ‘Skills pledge’. supporting learning and. development

Employment policy and practice  Equality and Diversity  Improving Working. Lives  Professional regulation  Employment check. standards

The NHS Negotiating Framework - the NHS Staff Council

The NHS Negotiating framework - Recent Agreements From 1 April 2008:  Three year pay agreement  New pensions scheme for new starters  Unsocial Hours agreement  Ill Health Retirement  New medical contracts

 Social Partnership Forum – national forum to. involve partners in the development and. implementation of the workforce implications of. policy  Re-launched in February 2007, meets monthly. chaired by a health Minister  March 2007 a new partnership agreement. between the Department of Health, NHS Trade. Unions, and NHS Employers.  Current activity includes joint work on the staff. survey and hospital acquired infection The Social Partnership Forum

Negotiations – how do they work? Idea Mandate & Money Implementation Negotiation Maintenance Monitoring & Review AllDH NHS Employers & TUsAll

The Negotiations – our approach  ‘Real employers’ – not. me!  Training for negotiators  ‘The right philosophy’  Building relationships  UK or England?  Sharing models and data

Engaging Employers One NHS different opinions!  Surveys and questionnaires  Policy Board and NHS Confederation Networks  reference groups  Mailboxes for enquiries  Listening to feedback at meetings and events  Annual conference

Key Messages from our experience  Partnership working, nationally and locally,. makes good employment relations possible  New initiatives need time to assimilate  Good communications between staff, employers. and other stakeholders are essential  Partnership working needs continuous attention. to make it sustainable

Your Perspectives and Questions