Put back the Heart

This week at SPF, UNISON is triggering, in keeping with the Job Evaluation scheme, a partnership review of the NQP job description.  This is normal practice for a ‘new’ role, after 6 – 12 months and/or if the post holders feel their job description needs to be reviewed. It’s vital that job descriptions are not aspirational and that they accurately reflect the work undertaken by the post holder.

Once we have reviewed the NQP job description – which will involve post holders being consulted, then the new updated job description will need to go through a Job Evaluation process, i.e. to reconsider the banding of our NQPs. 

We know from our members that many of our NQPs are solo responding, have not received any support or guidance over the portfolio element of the NQP role, have not been allocated a mentor, have not had a formal review against the expectations at a minimum of every 6 months, have not had an induction into the NQP role, have not had an individual development plan, struggle to get through to clinical advice and are not able to refer to a more experience practitioner ‘at all times.’ These were all requirements in the National agreement.

It’s our view that our NQPs, and many others across Sector are not actually working to the National agreement and staff under the Job Evaluation scheme must be paid at the banding that is set for the actual role they are undertaking.

We believe our NQPs are carrying out a comparable role to band 6 staff. Continue reading →