Human Resources. Services to Schools and Academies 2013/2014. Service Level Agreement

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1 Human Resources Services to Schools and Academies 2013/2014 Service Level Agreement

2 Welcome I am pleased to be able to offer schools and academies the opportunity to purchase a full range of HR services to support them in the process of effectively managing their staff. The new Ofsted framework places an increasing focus on the effective management of HR matters in schools and academies, in particular in relation to the management of performance, safeguarding and the deployment of resources. In this context there is an ever increasing need for high quality HR interventions. The two main HR SLAs Consultancy and Administration, along with the stand alone HR services (offered at discounted rates to schools purchasing an SLA), are designed to ensure that schools and academies receive HR support of the highest standard. Human Resources can be a complex area with regular changes to employment and education law which impact on staff matters. The specialist schools HR team at Croydon Council understand the context in which schools operate and use their professional expertise to provide schools-focused solutions for the full range of HR matters from payroll and administration to complex reorganisations and individual casework. The team has established relationships with the Council s Children, Families and Learning Department and all advice that it gives is grounded within the local education context. The team respects the differences in school status and can work flexibility with all types of schools including academies. A key feature of our HR Consultancy SLA is that every school has an assigned HR Consultant. Through termly meetings at the school, strong relationships develop and the Consultant comes to understand the school and its priorities well. The meetings provide a forum to strategically review HR issues at the school, including the need for early intervention in difficult situations, and to discuss developments in employment and education law and the impact they have on staffing matters. In addition the HR Consultants support schools when they have specific concerns and at such times will visit the school whenever needed and provide additional advisers for governor panels as required. This year we are changing the way in which schools sign up to the SLA, and are asking every school wishing to purchase an SLA to return a signed agreement (page 20) to Workforce and Community Relations. I value the strong relationships we have built with schools over the year, appreciate the feedback you have given us, and look forward to working with you in 2013/14. Pam Parkes Director Workforce and Community Relations 2

3 SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES 1. Service provider 4 2. Services details HR & OD Employee Relations 2.2 Occupational Health 2.3 HR Administration 2.4 Recruitment Consultancy 2.5 Teachers Pensions 2.6 Organisational Development 3. Service delivery Assigned contacts 3.2 General quality standards 3.3 General performance standards 3.4 Teachers Pensions 4. Performance monitoring Charges SLA charges 5.2 Variation of costs and services 5.3 Costs and services not included in the SLA 5.4 Co-operating schools 6. Termination of SLA Duration and notice 6.2 Complaints procedure 6.3 Poor performance deductions Appendix 1and 1b Costs and Charges 20 Appendix 2 Formal Agreement 23 3

4 1. Service Provider Croydon Council Chief Executive s Office Workforce and Community Relations CFL HR & OD 8 th Floor, Taberner House Park Lane Croydon, CR9 3JS 2. Services Details HR Consultancy (includes Employee Relations and Occupational Health). This service includes a termly HR review visit from the school s attached HR Consultant. 2.1 Employee Relations Service detail Employee relations Disciplinary Unlimited HR support in individual cases, including advice on suspension of employees, investigations, hearings, appeals and the provision of model letters Grievance Unlimited HR support in individual and collective cases, including advice on methods of resolution, meetings and the provision of model letters Bullying and harassment Unlimited HR support in individual cases, including advice on methods of resolution, meetings and the provision of model letters Unsatisfactory performance (Capability) Unlimited HR support in individual cases, including advice on meetings and the provision of model letters Sickness absence management Unlimited HR advice, including support in individual cases to manage sickness absence Performance standard Initial telephone advice within 1 day or advice within 1 day if using the Advice Line (HR.Advice@croydon.gov.uk); follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) and in accordance with the school s policy Initial telephone advice within 1 day or advice within 1 day if using the Advice Line; follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) and in accordance with the school s policy Initial telephone advice within 1 day or advice within 1 day if using the Advice Line; follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) and in accordance with the school s policy Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days; follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) and with the school s policy Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days; follow-ups in line with the 4

5 under the school's sickness procedure, including hearings, appeals and the provision of model letters Change management Unlimited HR advice and support to assist in the process of managing change, including TUPE and conversion to Academies, preparing for and implementing proposals for new staffing structures, including advice on consultation requirements, redeployment, early retirement and redundancy arrangements, notification and involvement of staff and unions Provision of Equalities Impact Assessment advice Benefit estimates Calculating redundancy and premature retirement estimates together with costs to the school Job Evaluations Job Evaluations undertaken in accordance with the Greater London Provincial Council job evaluation scheme Child Protection Unlimited advice on HR relevant matters relating to child protection issues Employment Tribunals Unlimited HR support in responding to complaints by staff against the school (this will only apply where the school has sought and acted upon advice from the HR Consultancy). Solicitor s fees for ET preparation and solicitor s and barrister s fees to represent the school are not included. Terms and Conditions Pay scales Advice on the appropriate pay scale for all posts Contracts Keeping contract templates up-to-date with employment legislation, local and national agreements (upon request, Academies, VA and Foundation schools templates will also be maintained) Advising on the types of contract applicable to staff general performance standards (s.3.3) and with the school s policy Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days; follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) and with the school s policy In individual cases within 2 weeks from request; in collective cases, within 4 weeks from request. Retirement estimates are dependent on receipt of information from Teachers Pensions and LGPS. In individual cases within 15 days of receipt of all documentation and in collective cases within 4 weeks from request Initial telephone advice within 1 day or advice within 1 day if using the Advice Line Where appropriate, attendance at strategy meetings As agreed for individual cases and in line with employment tribunal rules and processes Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days Ongoing review of contractual clauses to keep in line with legal requirements, collective agreements and best practice Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days 5

6 Policies and Procedures Legislation Unlimited advice on the interpretation and implementation of relevant employment legislation and of DfE regulations HR Handbook Unlimited advice on the use of the procedures provided in the on-line HR Handbook or alternative procedures where used. Full revision and up-date service On provision of their policies, unlimited advice for schools not using the procedures in the Croydon HR Handbook Policy changes Advice on formulation of and amendments to staffing policies Maternity/ family leave schemes Advice on all maternity and family leave schemes, including provision of information packs and confirmation letters to employees and the Headteacher Pre-employment clearances Advice on all requirements, i.e. references, medicals, DBS (formerly CRB), Asylum and Immigration Act. Sickness and ill-health issues Ill-health cases Unlimited advice on handling cases of ill-health, making referral to the Council s Occupational Health advisor and follow-ups Medical referrals Support medical referral process to the Council's Occupational Health Service (OHS) Phased / Rehabilitation returns Unlimited advice on return to work arrangements for all staff groups, including the special legal requirements applicable for teachers following mental health problems Pro-active advice via newsletters or bulletins, the schools HR website and alerts Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days, follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) and with the school s policy Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days; follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) and with the school s policy As per an established annual programme and as required by regulatory changes Reviews in line with best practice intervals and legal requirements and support implementation as appropriate Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request and/or letter to staff and copy to Headteacher within 15 days Initial telephone advice within 1 day or within 3 days Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days; follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) and the pension scheme/school s policy Initial advice on process in 1 day and advice on complex referrals given in 5 days Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days; follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) 6

7 Equalities Act Unlimited advice on issues relating to disability and duties of reasonable adjustments Initial telephone advice within 3 days of request or within 5 days; follow-ups in line with the general performance standards (s.3.3) 2.2 Occupational Health Service Service details Performance standards Undertake pre-employment medical screening/ health clearance by use of a questionnaire prior to starting work. In approximately 10% of cases an appointment with the OHA (nurse) or OHP (doctor) may be necessary. Within 5 days of request, unless further medical information required e.g. GP report, or consultation Investigation of those prospective employees with contra-indications and provision of recommendations about prospective employees' medical suitability to take up employment, including Hepatitis B status Within 5 days of request, unless further medical information required e.g. GP report Medical assessment of the capability of individual members of staff referred to the OHS, following ill-health, accident or otherwise, indicating the result of the examination, the prognosis, and stating in particular that the employee is: Whether there is an underlying medical condition that needs to be taken into account o What the date is from which any medical reasons for absence do not bar their return to work o fit to return to full duties of their present post; o fit to return to duties of the present post subject to the benefit of a rehabilitation programme; o unfit for duties of the present post, but fit for suitable alternative work advising as to the possible nature of such alternative work; Whether the reason for absence is likely to be covered by the disability legislation Whether there are any adjustments that the manager needs to make Ill Health retirement advice if appropriate Appointment issued within 5 days of receipt of referral and, where appropriate, all medical information (e.g. GP, consultant report)reports issued within 3 days of consultations 7

8 Monitoring and assessment of referred employees suffering from long-term ill-health, advice as appropriate on suitable alternative work, on adapting the employee s existing working environment and/or the employee's permanent unfitness for any duties Initial advice within 3 days of request, or Reports within 3 days of consultation Assist in advising on whether an employee or prospective employee is disabled under the Equality Act and advice on reasonable adjustments Initial advice within 3 days of request Arranging for medical testing required by law Arrangement and administering of routine vaccination programmes for staff, maintaining records and advising schools when periodic follow-up is required (a charge will be made for the vaccine and blood test only) Pre-employment TB status checks Appointment issued within 5 days of receipt of referral and all medical information (e.g. GP, consultant report) Appointment issued within 5 days of receipt of referral and all medical information (e.g. GP, consultant report) Appointment issued within 5 days of receipt of request DSE eye tests Appointment issued within 5 days of receipt of request Hepatitis B vaccinations for staff in special schools Appointment issued within 5 days of receipt of request Access to on line occupational health referral system Web based system access 8

9 HR Administration (includes Payroll, HR Administration and Teachers Pensions) 2.3 HR Administration Service detail Contracts of Employment Issue contracts and associated documentation to cover the various terms and conditions which apply to the different categories of staff Amendments to contracts Provision of template amendment to contract letter Informing staff on prolonged sick leave of their full and half-pay changes, as advised by the Council s contracted payroll provider Leavers Processing of leavers documentation Payroll Provision of payroll and processing of payroll instructions through the Council s contracted payroll provider Payroll Information To send monthly payroll reports to schools Personal files Setting up and maintaining individual files of personal data, both electronically and manually as appropriate Performance standard Within 4 weeks of receipt of documentation Available on the website Not later than 2 weeks before expiry, copy to head teacher To ensure processing in the next pay run as per advertised deadlines or as advised otherwise To ensure processing of instructions via CHRIS self service and on the agreed payroll forms in the next pay run as per advertised deadlines First report sent prior to payroll run to allow schools to make amendments and payroll report sent after final pay run showing costings Personal files up-to-date to within 4 weeks Data changes entered within 4 weeks (or where required for payroll purposes, in time for the next pay run) Annual data audits undertaken Leavers information to be stored securely and, as a minimum, for as long as the legal requirements 9

10 2.4 Recruitment Consultancy Service detail Recruitment and selection advice On all aspects, in particular legislation and policies in respect of equal opportunities and safer working Job descriptions/person specifications Advice on design and format Advertisements Advice on sample text, effective media, publication dates and deadlines Advert placement Placement of job advertisement through the Council s retained advertising agency Disclosure and Barring Service (previously CRB service) Processing of DBS applications Performance standard Telephone advice within 1 day; advice within 5 days Telephone advice within 1 day; advice within 5 days; provision of templates within 3 days Telephone advice within 1 day; advice within 5 days; sample text within 3 days As per advised agency/ media deadlines for the next/ preferred issue Acknowledge receipt of DBS application forms from schools within 3 working days All correctly completed DBS forms sent to the national DBS within 5 days of receipt (at peak times, this may take up to 10 working days) Issue letters confirming outcome of negative disclosures Advice on positive disclosures Certificates of Sponsorship Advice on UK Border Agency sponsorship licenses and certificates of sponsorship Issuing of certificates of sponsorship (Please note we are not able to do this for Academies) Redeployment Unconditional provision of job matching across community schools for redeployees Assessment Centres Provision of assessment centres to give an evaluation of behaviour based on multiple criteria for head teacher and deputy headteacher recruitment Provision of simpler forms of behaviour based Letters sent to schools within 14 days of the issue date of the negative disclosure Contact made with school within 3 days of receipt of positive disclosure. Telephone advice within 1 day; advice within 5 days. In accordance with UKBA guidance. Telephone advice within 1 day; advice within 5 days.. The talent consultant will discuss requirements with the recruitment panel and prepare a proposal and estimated costs. Assessment proposal within 3 working days of the talent consultant being briefed in the case of off the shelf exercises 10

11 assessment for recruitment to other posts Exercises can range from numerical and verbal testing, to role plays to report writing. Bespoke exercises can also be designed. Deliver an assessment including all project management and provide feedback or outcomes of assessment centres. Bespoke exercises developed within 10 days of being briefed Results of the assessment centre on the day of interview Recharge of assessments within 30 days of delivery 11

12 2.5 Teachers Pensions (See separate Teachers Pensions SLA for schools which do not buy the HR Administration SLA) Service detail Statutory Information Annual Return of Teachers Service and Salary TP Administration TR6 new starter form to TP via STU Check contract, completed pension option form and pension details on Trent Issue Opt Out form to new starter if applicable Process transfer in or transfer out request from other pension scheme if applicable Changes to personal details Change from Full to Part time contract Additional Pension Benefits (setting up, amendment and cancellation) Additional Voluntary Contributions (setting up, amendment and cancellation) MEMELECT form to existing teachers Process Opt Out and refund/repayment of contributions to existing teachers Process Certificates of Re-Employment Process valuation requests for Divorce and provide other pension values/payments for and from other agencies Send TR8 leaver form to TP Darlington via STU Process all Retirement Application forms Process all other TP forms TP Member Information Pack, literature, leaflets and forms Death in service Advice on pension records with changes to contract or personal circumstances (from school or member) Performance standard (processing forms) Completed on behalf of all schools buying into Croydon payroll. All others to provide own data to meet deadlines set by TP Team. (including liaising with TP Darlington and Liberata payroll as necessary) Monthly report to TP Darlington unless required earlier Within 7 days of receipt of documentation Within 5 days of receipt of documentation Within 10 days of receipt (dependent on obtaining information from outgoing scheme(s) ) Within 5 days of receipt of notification Within 5 days of receipt of notification Within 5 days of receipt of documentation. Within 5 days of receipt of documentation. Within 5 days of receipt of documentation Within 5 days of receipt of documentation Within 5 days of receipt of documentation Within 10 days of receipt of request and documentation Monthly report to TP Darlington unless required earlier Within 7 days of receipt of documentation Within 5 days of receipt of documentation Issued on request without charge either to school or member direct as specified Manage whole process and liaise with school, TP Darlington and family to award short term pension and arrange payment of full pension benefits to beneficiaries Initial telephone advice or within 3 days from request by letter or within 10 days Full support and advice on Auto Enrolment Ongoing Pension records Missing service queries historic and current Investigate on receipt with aim to resolve within 4 weeks depending on availability of information Submit corrections and missing service details to TP Darlington via STU at their request or from members and/or schools Provide information to TP Darlington as soon as available, check pension record and issue corrected service record to member 12

13 Queries arising from schools about annual Pension Statements Providing complete, or extract from, previous annual return to school Checking and confirming pension details held on CHRIS records, for current and returning schools. Contributions related issues Claim from TP Darlington for recovery of arrears of pension contributions or inter fund adjustment from LGPS On receipt, investigate with TP Darlington for provision or re-issue as required Provide information within 7 days of request Check CHRIS records and provide information within 7 days of request. A download will be dependent on HR s timescales.. Investigate claim, reasons and method of resolution within 10 days of receipt. When confirmed, seek recovery of EE arrears through salary or sundry debt process and recovery of school ER contributions school through re-charge process within 2 months or in current financial year, whichever is sooner. 2.6 Organisational Development Service detail Workplace mediation Access to a trained internal (or external) workplace mediator to resolve workplace conflict Performance standard Requests for workplace mediation acknowledged within 2 days of receipt either from HR Consultancy or directly from educational establishment Facilitation of individual and joint face to face meetings on one day Copy of Mediation Agreement (if reached) within 3 days of facilitation Individual and team development Access to certified practitioners in the application and interpretation of the Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) and Strengths Deployment Inventory (SDI). Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) This self-report instrument can be used to identify personality preferences and is useful to raise awareness around communication styles, conflict management, change management, leadership and management development. The questionnaire can be completed manually or on line. Face to face facilitation and interpretation of inventory and action planning. (Group feedback can also be arranged). Strengths deployment inventory The full suite of SDI instruments can be used in a variety of situations e.g. as degree Face to face facilitation and interpretation of inventory and action planning. (Group 13

14 tool; to identify and prioritise individual strengths; to identify role expectations and as part of conflict management. The tool is available in paper and electronic formats. feedback can also be arranged). Team away events Bespoke events tailored to need. Services include design, facilitation and evaluation of event. Letter of agreement for bespoke work within 3 working days of business partner meeting Full proposal within 10 days of business partner meeting Invoice for interventions within 30 days of delivery Full evaluation report on the effectiveness of bespoke intervention 3 months after the event Service Delivery 3.1 Assigned Contacts The school will have one named HR Consultancy team member assigned to it as the first point of contact for HR advice and support and a second team member as a back-up. The school will be advised of the names of the assigned officers and will be informed of any changes and the consultant will visit the school each term to conduct a health check in addition to any specific attendance as required. In the absence of the school s assigned Children, Families and Learners (CFL) HR representative, other members of the team will be able to assist with an enquiry from the school. In addition, schools senior management have access to the HR Consultancy Advice Line, providing consultant level generalist HR advice from 9:00 to 17:30, Mondays to Fridays. The Consultant on the Advice Line may not be a specialist in education matters, but in cases where an immediate answer cannot be obtained, the Consultant on duty will record the issue and take ownership of the call, ensuring a follow-up by the end of the next working day and in urgent cases the same day. Schools senior management has access to the HR Consultancy Surgery, every Tuesday from 9:00 to 17:00 at Taberner House (bookings can be arranged via the Advice Line). A dedicated schools payroll address. Two named contacts in Croydon s Teachers Pensions team who are the first point of contact for Teachers Pensions advice and support 3.2 General Quality Standards CFL HR staff are well trained and experienced in order to provide the full range of the services that schools require. Continuous professional development forms part of staff s job responsibilities and the 14

15 majority of staff are CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) qualified or equivalent obtained through significant experience in HR within the education sector. CFL HR undertakes to continually review and improve the quality of its services. We: Strive to operate at the highest standards of professional competency, conduct and confidentiality. Provide advice and assistance in accordance with the requirements of all relevant education and employment legislation. Ensure that the content of all contracts is in line with legal requirements and that the requested contractual details comply with national and local terms and conditions. Promote the importance of customer care. Be innovative and provide new ideas and solutions for the benefit of schools, including consideration of requests and suggestions from schools. 3.3 General Performance Standards Unless otherwise stated, CFL HR will work to the targets set out below in delivering the service: Designated office hours: Staff are available to respond to queries during the designated office hours of the service which are 8:45 to 17:00, Mondays to Fridays. Written enquiries: Provide an answer to a written enquiry within 5 days of receipt. Where a full reply cannot be given within this timescale the enquiry will be acknowledged giving an indication of any related problems and the likely response timescale. s: Provide an answer to an within 3 days of receipt. For more urgent cases the Advice Line (HR.Advice@Croydon.gov.uk) will provide an answer within 1 day. Where a full reply cannot be given within this timescale the enquiry will be acknowledged, giving an indication of any related problems and the likely response timescale. Attending meetings: Arrange for an HR representative to attend a meeting at the school, including a meeting of the governing body or its committee, provided there is consultation on the dates being considered and reasonable notice of the meeting is given. Normally, an HR Consultancy team member can be expected to attend any dismissal hearing and appeals. Processing advertisements: Final versions of job advertisements, sent to the Recruitment Consultancy electronically in the corporate format, will be inserted into the appropriate publications and internal bulletins. Deadlines and costs for external publications will be advised on request. Changes to pay: Changes to payroll will be processed on the Council s contracted payroll system by the effective month, where written authorisation is received from the school by the published 15

16 deadlines. Any changes not received by the relevant date will be processed the following month, unless the school authorises a manual payment, for which a charge of 50 will apply. Job evaluations: Job evaluation requests for support staff should be sent to CFL HR for new posts or significant changes to duties and responsibilities, and will be evaluated within 15 days after receipt of all relevant documentation. DBS: Receipt of DBS application forms from schools will be acknowledged using a standard proforma within 3 working days. Where schools are following the advertised process and they do not receive acknowledgement or receipt they should contact the DBS Administrator in the first instance. All correctly completed DBS applications will be processed and sent to the national DBS within 5 days of receipt. When high volumes of DBSs are being received (usually during the Autumn Term) this may take up to 10 days. Schools will receive confirmation of negative disclosures within 14 days of the disclosure issue date. Schools will be contacted within 3 days of the receipt by Croydon Council of a positive disclosure. 3.4 Teacher s Pensions For the purposes of the Teachers Pensions (Consolidated) Regulations 2010 the Local Authority is the statutory employer for all members of the Teachers Pensions scheme in maintained schools and is wholly responsible for the administration of the scheme and providing the required sign-off of all forms and returns. This covers all teachers in Croydon regardless of fte, contract status and whether they are employed in: Community schools Foundation schools Federation schools Voluntary Aided or Voluntary Controlled schools Whilst the Local Authority is not the statutory employer for teachers in academies, the Council s Teachers Pensions team can also sign off forms and returns for Academies, if they subscribe to the TP administration service. Schools within the HR Administration SLA will receive free of charge: A full administration service, with checking and query resolution for members, schools and/or TP Darlington Unlimited access to support, advice and case management Compilation, submission and checking of Annual Return data Reconciliation of service against contributions paid, including investigations into financial arrangement with TP and the Prudential TR6 & TR8 completion and notification to TP Provision of salary and service details (historic and current) and completion of Part B (salary details) of all TP forms Case resolution with TP where there is a dispute in service records or contributions and investigation of claims for arrears of uncollected contributions Visits to schools to check pension records and particularly for those schools returning to Croydon s payroll to confirm accuracy and that the supporting paperwork is in place for compliance with the TP Regulations. On request and with prior arrangement, visits can be extended to include pension records for your support staff in the LGPS. Full support and advice on Auto Enrolment. 16

17 Schools outside the SLA will be subject to charges and are advised to refer to the separate Teachers Pensions SLA. This includes charges for queries relating to previous years service, whether or not the school was part of previous SLA agreements. It is then down to the school to determine whether they wish to recover any charges from their 3 rd party provider, if applicable. 4. Performance Monitoring Feedback from the governing body, head teacher and administrative staff on the quality of service is welcomed at all times, enabling the CFL HR Team to ensure that quality standards are maintained and improved. Specifically, CFL HR undertakes to: Send out an annual performance monitoring questionnaire to head teachers and/ or the chair of governors to score the SLA performance, with results published following the collation of the feedback. The school will receive termly visits by a member of the HR Consultancy team, not precluding additional visits as and when required. As part of these visits we will conduct satisfaction surveys throughout the year and publish results before end of each autumn term. The termly visits by the HR Consultant will include health checks on key HR matters and provision of HR audit tools HR representative attendance at relevant heads and governors conferences. 5. Charges 5.1 SLA Charges Buying into our all-inclusive HR Consultancy and/or HR Administration SLAs will cover all the activities specified and the school will not incur any further costs for additional hours/ days, even in the event that the school may have a protracted problem. Unlike some other service providers schools have the reassurance that they are not charged separate fees for out-of-hours work or for complex issues demanding dedicated staff time. Schools which do not buy into Croydon s payroll will be subject to the separate charges for Teachers Pensions Administration Service set out in the separate Teachers Pensions SLA. 5.2 Variation of Costs and Services Where a significant variation to the personnel administrative procedures is made or required by the governing body, a charge may be negotiated between both parties on an individual basis. In the event of CFL HR being required to introduce major changes as a result of legislation or Council policy, revised charges and specifications may be negotiated between both parties, for inclusion in this agreement. 5.3 Costs and Services not included in the SLA Recruitment advertising costs and interview expenses. 17

18 Provision of specialist services, e.g. external consultants' fees, hire of external meeting room facilities or specialist resources. Charges for these will be agreed in advance with the headteacher/ governing body. Charges made by a GP or consultant in order to provide a medical report in respect of an employee undergoing an occupational health medical referral. Legal fees Fees for solicitors and barristers to represent the school in a tribunal or court of law, unless specifically agreed by the Council. Charges by the DBS or other bodies for their services. Other charges for additional services Provision of non-la services e.g. external pension consultants fees, training workshops provided by Teachers Pensions or another external agency Charges made by Teachers Pensions Darlington for compound interest on arrears of pension contributions where the non collection is due to incorrect procedures in the school, or where fault lies with the member, school or previous 3 rd party provider. Where the LA is at fault the compound interest charges will not be passed to the school. 5.4 Co-operating Schools Schools that co-operate on various levels, i.e. Federations, cannot obtain advice for another school that does not buy the SLA. This also applies in the case of co-located infant and junior schools that use separate providers i.e. one uses Croydon and the other uses a 3 rd party provider. 6. Termination of the SLA 6.1 Duration and Notice These SLAs are valid for one year, from 1 April 2013 to 31 March Schools are required to sign the agreement on an annual basis. The notice period to terminate an SLA is three months. Termination without giving notice as above can only be invoked after exhausting the complaints process. In the interests of an effective, responsive service, CFL HR reserves the right to review aspects of the SLA during the life of this agreement, and implement reasonable changes, taking into account the views of schools before doing so. 18

19 6.2 Complaints Process Where possible, a complaint should be made informally to the person responsible for the relevant service item, with a view to seeking satisfactory performance. The formal process in cases of non-performance or poor performance of the SLA is a three stage process: Stage 1: School to notify the CFL Business Partner, in writing, of the service issue. If performance standard or an agreed reasonable timeframe/standard is not met, stage 2 can be invoked. Stage 2: School to notify the Deputy Director, Workforce, in writing, of the service issue. If the performance standard or an agreed reasonable timeframe/ standard is not met, stage 3 can be invoked. Stage 3: School to notify the Divisional Director of WCR, in writing, of the service issue. If the performance standard or an agreed reasonable timeframe/ standard is still not met, the school is entitled to withdraw from the SLA without giving notice. A pro-rata refund will be made; in addition, a poor performance deduction may be applicable, following the process below. 6.3 Poor Performance Deduction In the event of CFL HR not performing to the specified performance standard and after exhausting the complaints process, the school will be entitled to a deduction of up to 20 per cent of the cost of the SLA. 19

20 Appendix 2 Formal Agreement FORMAL AGREEMENT The Workforce and Community Relations (WCR) division, and its officers, agree to comply with the terms and conditions as defined by the published HR Consultancy and HR Administration SLAs The school agree to abide by the terms defined within the SLA and acknowledge that the Local Authority retain the right to reasonably amend the agreement from time to time, following consultation with schools. I.(please print name), on behalf of the Governing Body of.. School, confirm that the school purchases the HR Consultancy SLA and HR Administration SLA (delete as appropriate) with effect from (enter date) and that the school will be re-charged for this service, during the Autumn term. Signed:. Title: Head Teacher Date:. 20