Interventions Job Evaluation FAQs

When an existing job description changes or a new job description is created, the role is subject to job evaluation (JE). Job evaluation is an analytical process that enables jobs to be ranked fairly and without discrimination. To maintain the integrity of the JE scheme, the JES team review and evaluate roles before they can be added to the pay and grading structure and filled. This is to avoid any new job conflicting or overlapping with an existing job description.

In the NPS there are two Job Evaluation Schemes used:

• Probation Service Job Evaluation Scheme for NPS Bands up to Band 6;

• Hay Job Evaluation Scheme for ACO Bands;

You can find out more about the Probation Service Job Evaluation Scheme on the intranet by clicking here.

The Probation Reform Programme has developed NPS job descriptions for the roles in the Regional Interventions teams.  As they are new roles for the NPS, that means we have to write job descriptions for these roles and evaluate them to determine their pay band.

Three roles have been evaluated which have resulted in outcomes below what the Programme had planned for:

• Unpaid Work Operational Manager / Band 4
• Programme Manager / Band 4
• Treatment Manager / Band 3

The job descriptions for these roles were written using a variety of sources of information. We held focus groups with staff who were employed in these roles and used existing CRC job descriptions with equivalent NPS grades and older Probation Service Trust job descriptions.

These roles have unfortunately been evaluated at a lower band than the Programme had envisaged. We believe that the roles should be Band 5 (Unpaid Work and Programme Manager) and Band 4 (Treatment Manager) respectively.

We are disappointed with the outcomes of the JES in these cases, but we cannot disregard the JES process and will be appealing.

We do not accept the outcome which we believe significantly understates the complexity and importance of these roles. We are now progressing appeals against all three outcomes and we will update you on the outcome of the appeal when it is known. We anticipate that the appeals will conclude by early August 2021.

We will be holding two events this week to talk colleagues through what we have done thus far, what we plan to do next, the timeline and what support we will provide. The first event will take place at 12pm on Tuesday 15^th   will be for Interventions senior leaders; the second event will be on Thursday 17^th‘ at 4pm for effected Interventions colleagues.

In the week commencing 21^st June, we will also be holding role specific national focus groups to be attended by regional representatives to help refine the documents that will be submitted for the appeals. We have also sent information to Regional Probation Directors (RPDs) who wish to hold discussions with staff in their region to gather feedback. Individual staff will also have the opportunity to give feedback before the appeals are submitted and we will let you know how you can do this shortly.

Appeals must be submitted by the Directorate / Director or Group to the Job Evaluation Team within 20 working days of the first job evaluation outcome being published and should explain the information the appellant considers should have been taken into account.

There are two situations in which an appeal can be submitted:

• Disagreement over the evaluation of a role.
• The role has changed significantly since the original evaluation.

Appeals should be heard by an agreed panel who consist of 3 people with only one person remaining from the original panel. The panel will consider all new information provided and apply this to the same procedure used in the original evaluation.

There is no fixed timeframe for receiving the outcome of appeals, however, the appeals process for Programme Manager and Treatment Manager have already started.

The appeals process for the UPW Manager is due to commence this week and We anticipate that all the appeals will conclude by early August 2021.

Transferring staff in these roles will be aligned to these evaluated job descriptions upon transfer.  For CRC staff, covered by the National Agreement, who are subject to pay assimilation upon transfer; if this is a lower band than your existing band, pay protection will apply in line with the National Agreement.  To be clear, this does not reflect an acceptance on our part that the JES outcome is right, but equally it would be wrong for us as the employer to set a precedent that we are prepared to ignore the JES process. As such, we will pursue appeal and in the event of a successful outcome, retrospectively correct this position.

For Parent Organisation or Supply Chain staff who are not covered by the National Agreement, they will remain on their existing contractual terms, including pay; subject to any changes we have consulted on during the measures consultation

On 26^th June you will transfer into the role you have been matched to as part of the Role Alignment process. This role will be confirmed in your transfer letter and any pay protection will be applied as outlined in your letter.

From Day 1 you will be aligned to the new NPS job description and this will show on your SOP (Single Operating Platform) record. You will continue to undertake your current role, including all tasks and activities you would normally do. These tasks and activities may change over time in accordance with the job description you have been matched to.

In the meantime, we will pursue appeals on the banding for all three job descriptions in accordance with the job evaluation appeals process. If the appeals are successful then we will retrospectively apply any changes to your pay, if applicable.

The job you are currently doing remains the same, and you should continue to work as you would normally, including, for example, any line management responsibilities.  We have had to determine what role people align to pre-transfer to enable us to give all staff clarity about the role they will undertake on Day 1. That does not mean that you will be doing all aspects of the new role on Day 1. Instead, you should continue working to your current role. Any changes to how you work will be discussed between you and your line manager after transfer as we begin to implement the next phase of the Target Operating Model.

Absolutely not and we acknowledge the concern and frustration felt. Both Accredited Programmes and Unpaid Work are critical functions in the Probation Service and these roles are central to the delivery of interventions to people on probation. The contribution these roles make to achieving positive outcomes for those we supervise and protecting the public is highly valued.

Guidance on the JES process will be made available on the HMPPS Intranet shortly. If you require documentation on the individual roles, please speak with your line manager, as these documents have been cascaded out.

Due to the three roles not currently being undertaken in the NPS, new Job Descriptions were required when transferring into the Probation Service. The generic SPO PO job descriptions could not be used due to the requirement for a Probation Qualification, and we did not want to impose this as a barrier to staff.

The original focus groups took place in December 2020 following a review of current Job Descriptions’, with the original documentation submitted to the JES Panel in January 2021.

On this occasion, we did not seek to undertake individual consultation on the Job Description evaluation because this was a process that affected a wide group of staff and for timeliness, we held focus groups which represented the various regions

Representation for focus groups was filtered through the Transition Leads in each region in November 2020., as we were seeking a fast response from CRC’s to nominate appropriate staff representatives to attend focus groups run by HMPPS. The CRC JDs (and in some cases Probation Trust JDs) were also collected and reviewed. This allowed us to develop one job description for each role. The staff that attended these focus groups were fully informed as to the purpose of the forums and the job evaluation process was explained to them to ensure they knew the importance of the information being submitted.

The JD Questionnaires and JDs were based on current JDs and the focus groups as stated above. This together with existing information was provide to the JES panel but after the initial decision by the JES panel, we want to ensure we can provide as much further information in the appeal as possible.

The JES panel undertook the full process and have reached the outcome that we are now appealing. The process is carried out through an independent panel, and we are not informed of who sits on each panel.

The CRC JDs (and in some cases Probation Trust JDs) were collected and reviewed, with focus groups set up with staff currently in the roles to provide information about the job, it’s activities and responsibilities. These were collated to produce a JD with supporting information about the job activities for each role. This documentation was reviewed by Senior Managers and then submitted to the panel. We are not made aware of the JES Panel members as it is a confidential process.

Our original hope following the outcome of the JES panel was to attempt to appeal the decisions prior to transition but we were unsuccessful in achieving this aim. We did not wish for the outcome to be communicated in the way it was and reflecting upon this decision we should have let you know earlier and managed the messaging to you all much better.

We will ensure going forward that we are transparent around any decisions made around the three interventions roles and the outcomes of the appeals. We want to reassure you that this is not the ethos of the probation service, and the outcome of the Job Evaluation is that of an independent panel.

This week (w/c 21 June) we have held a range of focus groups with nominated attendees from across the regions, as well as providing you access to a feedback forms, allowing you to submit information to help inform the appeals process.

Yes, we have and continue to be in discussion with unions and will continue to work with them throughout the process.

Yes, all policies and processes were followed.  The outcome is not what we wanted, and we are seeking to appeal this decision in consultation with staff and unions. As previously stated, however, communication could have and should have been better.

We do not want people to feel they have been demoted. We do not agree with the grade and understand the complexity of the role. This is why we are appealing the pay banding following the JES outcome. In the meantime, we have aligned staff to roles which best match their current role and their pay assimilation has been calculated on this basis.

There is no fixed timeframe for receiving the outcome of appeals and we will delay the process to allow staff and Trade Unions a full opportunity to engage with the process. We will submit the appeals, factoring in staff feedback from the national focus groups, and we are working on the basis that we anticipate all the                    appeals will conclude by the end of August 2021.

Yes, under the lift and shift model, staff roles remain as they currently are and, without the final outcome of the job evaluation appeal we would ask that staff continue to carry out their current roles. As soon as the appeal outcome is known staff will be informed and discussions can then be undertaken with staff based on the outcome.

The job evaluation process currently being undertaken addresses the CRC Treatment Manager roles. The Treatment Manager role is combined with the Programme Manager role in the NPS and so therefore there wasn’t a comparable role or Job Description in the NPS.

The facilitation of the Cafcass cases will continue to be managed and delivered by Probation Service interventions teams in their current roles.

No, the outcome of this job evaluation is not what we wanted, we recognise the critical role interventions staff hold in the delivery of Probation services.  The skills and experience of intervention staff is critical for future delivery, the outcome of this appeal does not reflect the level of where we feel these roles should be graded and we are committed to getting this right.

Information on the appeals process has been provided to all Interventions staff, including documentation on JES panel score sheets, evidence supporting their scoring for roles, and criteria that needs to be focussed on for appeals.

The appeal process provides the opportunity for staff to ensure the job description accurately captures the work they do.  For roles transferring into the Probation Service where a Civil Service job description were not available due to the role not being undertaken in the NPS, a new job description was required.  These job descriptions were compiled based on existing CRC job descriptions, plus insight gained from focus groups with staff currently doing these roles.  As anticipated, there were regional variations regarding who does what.

Once the appeal process has concluded, the outcome of a successful appeal will be applied retrospectively and will be effective from midnight on 25 June 2021. This means that any pay and pension contributions will be back dated and paid from this date.

The JES process allows for one appeal to take place. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the role must be left for a period of time to ‘bed in’ before any further review, change or re-evaluation is conducte unless there is TU and employer agreement to a different approach.

The Probation Service’s Employee Assistance Programme is provided by PAM Assist.  Our EAP offers a wide range of support to staff, including confidential advice on personal, social or work-related problems.  The Charity for Civil Servants supports civil servants, past and present, when times are tough, listening without judgement and offers practical, financial and emotional support.

Staff who seek legal advice will need to conduct their own research for suitable employment law firms, as the Probation Service does not hold that information.

Recruitment to new roles are based on ability and experience and people are not restricted in which roles they can apply to. Staff successful in getting roles at higher bands will moved onto the higher grade in line with our promotion policies.

The mechanism for our staff transfer process has been a Staff Transfer Scheme, which follows TUPE principles and is consistent with the approach that was taken to create the National Probation Service in 2014.

Yes, the Equality Act has been followed for our staff transfer process. A full Equality Analysis was undertaken for Probation Reform and this was shared with Trade Unions and wider stakeholders.

We understand that some aspects of current and future organisational change may feel difficult for colleagues in a variety of roles and teams across our unified Probation Service.  In the longer term we will need to review e Interventions teams’ roles and structures as we move from Day 1 towards the target operating model; when we have developed plans and next steps for this work, we will communicate them to all affected employees.

Where pay protection is given due to a reduction in pensionable pay as a result of mapping to a lower Band role, the protected element would be pensionable and so there should be no detriment to pension during the period of protection (3 years).

For more information please see the Pensions page on the Welcome Hub – https://welcome-hub.hmppsintranet.org.uk/what-you-need-to-know/the-transfer-explained/understanding-how-your-pension-will-change/

Should the appeal be successful, any pay and pension contributions will be applied retrospectively and pay will be backdated to the point of transfer (midnight 25th June 2021). Your continuous service will not be affected.

If you are currently employed on a fixed term contract, you have the same Probation Service terms and conditions as permanent staff which will apply for the duration of that contract. Staff transferring from CRC (both FTC and permanent staff) are covered by the pay protections as set out in the National Agreement. You can find out more about the National Agreement here: https://welcome-hub.hmppsintranet.org.uk/what-you-need-to-know/the-transfer-explained/understanding-the-national-agreement/

You will transfer over on the basis of your substantive role, which for you is band 4. Your pay assimilation calculation is based on what your substantive role has aligned to (band 4) and any pay protection you will receive is based on your basic salary, not including any acting up allowances you may be receiving. RPDs and regional teams are considering where temporary promotions need to continue post transfer and will be able to let you know shortly.

Your transfer letter details your current basic salary and your future NPS basic salary, as well as any transferring eligible allowances. We aren’t able to take into account your potential future earnings as this will be dependent on the requirements of the role going forward.

The National Agreement sets out our commitment that there will be no compulsory redundancy for minimum of 2 years. We do intend to run a targeted voluntary redundancy scheme to support achieving our target operating model and this is likely to be targeted, for example where we have more people than posts available. We are a growing organisation and our priority is to redeploy staff into roles.