NHS Employers have published an annex to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook outlining the principles of the Job Evaluation Scheme.
The SoR has welcomed the annex, which outlines the principles that underpin the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme (JES). In the document, staff can find details of the actions required and the rights and responsibilities of staff, their trade unions and employers in the operation of the scheme.
The JES is used to determine the pay bands for all posts under the NHS terms and conditions of service Agenda for Change (AfC), and supports equal pay for more than one million NHS staff.
Applying standards correctly and robustly
Publication of the annex is one part of a programme of work by the government to restore confidence in and build local capacity to improve job evaluation practice across the NHS.
Wes Streeting, secretary of state for Health and Social Care, said: “I want to be clear that my expectation is that the NHS JES is applied correctly and robustly throughout the whole of the NHS, underpinned by partnership working between employers and trade unions at a local level, to ensure that all staff are paid correctly for the work they are asked to deliver.”
Annex 31 aims to support “correct and robust” application of and confidence in the scheme.
Specific requirements of the latest JES annex include keeping job descriptions accurate and reviewed at least every three years, and ensuring sufficient capacity, resource and awareness to operate the scheme correctly.
Monitoring and evaluation
In response, the SoR emphasised that any member who has a significant change to their job description is entitled to have their job description reviewed. If members have queries in the first instance, they should contact their local representative, who will be able to support them with this process.
Leandre Archer, head of industrial relations at the SoR, said: “It is good that job evaluation schemes within NHS organisations are now being monitored and boards will be aware of how their scheme is functioning and where they need to target resource. The Job evaluation scheme is for everyone under AfC, and it is important that our members avail of it as required.”
Work to agree annex 31 has been led by the NHS Staff Council and has seen employer and trade union representatives work together in partnership to address this important issue.
Find out more about the annex online here.
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