Policies and procedures relating to the conduct of business and
the provision of services
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
follows national pricing policy for the provision of NHS services.
Details of the relevant policy documents can be located on the
Department of
Health Website
Human resources (including Race, Disability, Age and Gender,
Equal Opportunities)
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
is committed to embedding equality and diversity in all the
services offered to staff, patients and visitors. For more
information see
equality and diversity.
Recuitment and employment
This section provides details of all human resources-related
information within the Trust including employment policies and
procedures.
The following documents are available on the Trust's website or
from the FOI Co-ordinator.
Note: Class 12 covers information of a personal and confidential
nature, some of which may be covered under the Data Protection Act
and will therefore need to be excluded. Material relating to health
and safety of specific individuals, as to law enforcement, criminal
or regulatory enforcement, or audit issues (in certain
circumstances), may also be excluded from publication.
Introduction
The Trust's workforce is our key asset. It is
through our staff that we continue to provide high quality care to
our patients. It is through our staff that we provide the
facilities and supporting services that back up our clinical
services. And it is through our staff that the Trust is able to
continuously develop and improve.
There are several principles that underpin our
approach to how we recruit, manage and develop our workforce.
The Trust's published vision and values:
- Every member of staff and every team should be able to add
value to the work of the Trust.
- Every team and every member of staff should be clear of
their role and how it contributes to the work of the Trust.
- Every individual should be able to receive the support and
the development they need to effectively perform their job.
- Every individual will be assessed on their
performance.
- Promoting excellent communications.
- Encouraging staff participation and involvement, involving
staff and staff side unions in all changes that affect staff.
- By the Trust recognising the importance of diversity and the
need to eliminate all unfair and unlawful discrimination in
employment.
- Promoting health and wellness at work.
- Continuously seeking to improving the benefits and facilities
for staff.
- Introducing the two new NHS pay systems (for consultants and
for most other staff) so that they enable us to reward staff fairly
and consistently for their contribution, in order to attract,
recruit and retain high quality staff; encourage staff development
and career progression; encourage increasing flexibility.
- Meeting all employment law requirements and wherever
appropriate introducing policies in advance of known legal
changes.
Working for the Trust
The Trust's list of vacant posts is updated
every week. The latest vacancies are available in
the careers
section of this website.
General enquiries can also be made by
telephoning the Trust's Recruitment Department: 0118 963 6353.
Terms and conditions of employment
Other Trust staff
From 1 October 2004 the NHS has been
introducing new terms and conditions for most other staff groups
(with the exception of a few very senior, Board-level management
jobs). These changes are known as Agenda for Change. Both
nationally, and within the Trust, the new terms and conditions are
being introduced in partnership between management and staff side
trade unions
Within the Trust the implementation of the
changes are being led by the Trust's Agenda for Change Steering
Group.
Terms of reference available from the FOI
Co-ordinator.
The three key documents are:
- Agenda for Change: Final Agreement, November 2004
- Agenda for Change: Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook,
November 2004
- The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and the
Development Review Process, October 2004
Trades unions and staff associations
The Trust recognises that it is of mutual
benefit of the Trust and its employees to be represented and
therefore recognises a number of Unions and Associations for sole
bargaining rights to represent their members.
Equality and diversity in employment
The Trust recognises the importance of
diversity and the need to eliminate discrimination, both in the
Trust's role as a provider of services and as an employer. The
following are available from the FOI Co-ordinator:
- Equality of Opportunity and Diversity
- Bullying and Harassment at Work Procedure
- Race Equality Scheme, Version 1 (September 2002)
- The Journey to Race Equality: progress against the
Trust's
Race Equality Scheme (May 2004)
The Trust has the following equality and
diversity groups:
- Race Equality Group
- Black and Minority Ethnic Staff Network Steering Group
- Disability Group
- Reading Declaration: the Trust is a signatory of the Reading
Declaration, thereby committed to seeking to develop strategies to
counteract racism in all its forms.
The Rainbow day nursery and Trust holiday club
The Trust runs a nursery for the children of
staff, as well as a holiday club, open during the main school
holidays.
OFSTED reports on both the
nursery and the holiday club.
For further information about the nursery or
holiday club please contact the Nursery Manager on 0118 322
7112.
Risk Management Strategy & Policy
Standing financial instructions
Standing
orders
Complaints and other customer service policies and
procedures
The 'Talk to Us' initiative aims to give people the confidence
to make
comments and raise any worries as soon as they arise, without
having to go through the NHS Complaints Procedure. The public are
encouraged to speak directly to the ward staff, or to an Operations
Manager or Divisional Nurse if they feel that the issue is serious
or relates more generally to the service or the ward.
We want to know what you think about the
services we provide at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation
Trust.
For more information see
Talk to Us.
Data protection / information governance / Caldicott
guardian
Information relating to data protection
including details of the Trust's Caldicott guardian are included in
the publication scheme
section.
Copies of the Trust's policies for Data Protection and Freedom
of Information can be found on the links below.
Freedom
of Information Policy
Data
Protection Policy
Further information of the Freedom of Information Act and Data
Protection Act can be found on the Office of Public Section
Information Website by using the links below:
Freedom
of Information Act
Data
Protection Act
Estate Management
The Trust is re-aligning its Real Estate
management with the Clinical Strategy. It is anticipated this joint
work will see a number of exciting and innovative solutions to our
real estate, including disposing of surplus property, reclassifying
the use of some buildings and challenging the way in which we
currently our real estate including exploring the benefits and
dis-benefits around increased home working.
Charging regimes and policies
The Royal Berkshire Hospitals
Foundation Trust follows national pricing policy for the provision
of NHS services. Details of the relevant policy documents can be
located on the Department of Health website