Archive – Understanding role alignment appeals

If your role was reviewed by a panel and you meet the criteria specified in the 3rd FAQ on this list, then you can appeal your role alignment decision.

If you have been aligned to the NPS regional role (operational or corporate and support), NPS National (BSC team) or HMPPS (H&S team) your revised role alignment outcome letter clearly states your right to appeal. You can appeal whether or not you received a match or no match role alignment outcome.

If you align to a functional area within MoJ (Comms, Digital & Tech, Finance, Property, People Group, Project Delivery, Commercial), your appeals deadline has been deferred to post transfer (deadline of 9th July). This is because you have been aligned to a team and we want you to have more information on your role on which to make a decision about appealing.

Staff who are aligned to NPS regions, NPS national or HMPPS, have an extended window to appeal which is up to the 4th June. Please note that initially the position was that you have 5 days to appeal from the date you received your outcome letter however, we have revised our position in light of feedback received.

If you are aligned to a functional area within MoJ, your appeal deadline has been deferred to post transfer in early July (9th July). This is because you have been aligned to a team and we want you to have more information on your role on which to make a decision about appealing.

You can see more information on the timeline further down this page.

If you are appealing the decision it should be because there is new or additional information that you believe should be considered. For example, your job description could have been incorrect or there may be an updated version.

• Your appeal should explain the full reasons why you disagree with the result
• Your appeal should be based only on the information used to confirm your role alignment. This means that appealing against the confirmed pay band is not considered grounds for appeal. The scope of the role alignment process is about the alignment of people to roles. NPS roles are already within the NPS grading structure and the alignment of these roles to grade cannot be changed. The most important thing is that we get the right role alignment for you. Don’t forget that you will receive pay protection that covers any difference between your salary and the pay band of the role (if you are covered by the National Agreement). If you’re not covered by the National Agreement you’ll transfer on your current pay.
• Don’t forget that you will receive pay protection that covers any difference between your salary and the pay band of the role (if you are covered by the National Agreement). If you’re not covered by the National Agreement you’ll transfer on your current pay.
• Please remember that if you are on secondment, all alignment decisions are made based on your substantive role.

After you have appealed once, there is no further opportunity for you to appeal again. However, please remember that there are lots of opportunities for movement within the NPS and wider organisation once you have joined. The role that you are placed in for day 1 does not necessarily have to be your long term role. We are a growing organisation and new roles are frequently advertised.

You can explore this after your transition with your line manager if you wish to do so.

The appeals panels will comprise of at least one senior leadership representative as well as another manager or HR representative. Please be reassured that someone who knows your area of work will be part of the appeal panel. A maximum of one appeal panel member can be the same as the panel that made the original alignment decision, to ensure that the appeal is considered as fairly and impartially as possible.

Neither the individual or a Trade Union Representative will be asked to attend the appeal, the appeal panel will consider the decision based on the information you have provided.

The appeal panel will consider the new or changed information that you presented as part of your appeal.

• They will test the original decision-making process in light of the new information they have been given.
• The panel will read the appeal you provided, consider the information supplied, read the current job description  and the job description that the role was aligned to.
• Next the panel will agree a clear rationale for the decision (which will be communicated to the individual who appealed).

The panel will decide to either:

• Uphold the appeal– this decision changes the role alignment. The panel must be clear what the new alignment is.
• Not uphold the appeal– the role alignment decision remains unchanged.

The date that you will hear the outcome of your appeal will vary depending on which area of the organisation you are aligned to and when the appeal panel takes place.

• If you are aligned to the NPS regions, NPS National or HMPPS then you will have sent your appeal to us on or before the 4th June. You will hear the outcome of your appeal after the 4th June and before the end of July, depending on when your appeal is heard at the panel. This will vary for different roles so we are unable to give precise timelines but we are aiming to hear appeals as soon as possible. If you don’t hear your appeal outcome before transfer then you will transfer with your original role alignment outcome. Your appeal will heard after transfer and this won’t impact upon the appeal panels decision.
• If you are aligned to a team within the MOJ then your appeals deadline is not until after transfer (9th July). We expect that you will hear the outcome of your appeal before the end of July.

If you are aligned to a team within the MOJ (Comms, Digital & Tech, Finance, Property, People Group, Project Delivery), then your appeals deadline is being moved until after transfer (9th July). This is because most people who are aligned to the MOJ have been told that they align to an area but haven’t been given an alignment to a role.

This group will receive an outcome letter following their role alignment discussions, after this, staff can make a more informed decision about whether or not to appeal the outcome.