The Schools HR Professional Services team

Consists of experienced, dedicated Principal HR Advisors with specialist knowledge of school casework and a thorough understanding of the framework and statutory duties under which educational establishments operate.

You will be allocated a Principal HR Advisor who will get to know your educational establishment and tailor their approach accordingly.  Schools HR Professional Services work in partnership with you to identify areas of concern and achieve positive resolutions.

You will have access to advice from HR Professionals by telephone, email, virtual meeting or visit as appropriate.  In addition, you will receive a termly visit and a comprehensive annual HR audit (subject to educational establishment agreement). This will identify areas of best practice and risk.  A full report will be provided setting out clear recommendations, which HR will review and discuss with you at your next termly visit, or earlier as required.

Links

Schools HR Professional Services actively influence and participate in national consultations to ensure the views and needs of our educational establishments are represented in relation to the workforce.  

Well established links are maintained with national, regional and local employer associations, trade unions and professional bodies, education networks, school leaders, governing bodies, diocese and other relevant agencies (LGA, DBS and DfE).  Partnership working supports the delivery of excellent services, driving efficiencies for the educational establishments we support.

LADO - Advice and support in matters relating to safeguarding allegations against staff

Occupational Health EAP Included in Schools HR SLA Absence Management, Health Surveillance, Physiotherapy - first 6 sessions of a referral, General Health Promotions, Ill Health Retirement referrals*, Specialist referrals/assessments*, Physiotherapy - beyond the initial 6 sessions*, Vaccinations
*additional costs apply for these services

Royal Borough Greenwich Legal Services (Separate SLA available) - Access to legal advice for educational establishments is not included in the Schools HR Professional Services SLA; this is available to educational establishments via the Legal Services SLA.

Note: Employment Tribunal claims costs arising

Educational establishments are advised that any costs associated with or arising out of an Employment Tribunal claim/other claim (including legal, counsel and awards) are the sole responsibility of the school/educational establishment.

TUPE

Royal Greenwich have no liability for losses in relation to terms and conditions of employment claims in respect of the period after the date of transfer to the new employer.

Schools HR Professional Services benefit from access to in-house advice from legal services which is used to help further mitigate against any risks associated with employment relations issues. 

Payroll (Separate SLA available)

Finance Pensions

Professional expertise/knowledge of teachers' pay and conditions of service, Royal Greenwich pay and grading structure and relevant pensions information

Health and Safety (Separate SLA available)

Governor Support Services (Separate SLA available)

Joint workshop delivery

Recruitment

Workforce Development

School Improvement, ECT, and Apprenticeships

Services include:

Pay and conditions of service

• Advice and guidance on the interpretation and implementation of national and local government decisions and regulations
• Provision of local and national information on employment issues e.g. salaries/benefits
• Advice on other matters relating to pay and conditions of employment for all categories of staff
• Provision of the interpretation and writing of statements of terms and conditions of service
• Contracts of employment (available at additional cost - see Bolt on)

Capability disciplinary grievance casework

• Telephone advice and support on the implementation of the school's capability, discipline and grievance procedures
• Attendance by a member of the HR team to advise and support Governors
• Headteachers/Leadership at all formal hearings/meetings, including hearings where dismissal is a potential outcome, subject to availability by prior agreement
• Advice and support throughout the process of investigation by prior agreement

Attendance management casework

• Telephone advice and support on the implementation of the school's attendance management procedures
• Access to Royal Greenwich Occupational Health Provider and EAP
• Advice on Occupational Health referral and guidance on how to proceed following receipt of Occupational Health reports
• Attendance at formal review meetings, subject to availability by prior agreement
• Provision of ill health retirement benefit calculations
• Ill health retirement assessment/certificate accessed via Occupational Health at an additional cost
• Advice and support on implementing robust and effective absence monitoring systems

Employee relations

• Telephone advice and support on all employee relations issues
• Advice and support on consultation processes e.g. when redundancy is appropriate together with attendance at meetings as required
• Advice on timescales, statutory and procedural requirements and preparation of documentation
• Attendance at other hearings as appropriate and subject to availability by prior agreement
• Where required, liaison and negotiations with employee representatives around settlement agreements, including drafting of agreements (see Bolt on) 

HR Intranet

Access includes:

• Employment updates
• Royal Greenwich model policies and procedures and associated letters
• Forms and guidance notes
• Information relating to national and local terms and conditions

Employee data (conditional on buying in to Royal Greenwich Payroll SLA)

Detailed employee data provided on request and monthly absence reports (see Bolt on in relation to TUPE)

Core Traded Services (Aligned to statutory obligations)

National/Local conditions of service

Notification of national pay awards and new conditions of service arising from the national negotiating machinery and of any local agreements, for both teaching and support staff.

Dismissal of staff

The Director of Children's Services (DCS) has the right to attend any hearing that could end in dismissal of staff employed by the Local Authority.

Pre-employment safeguarding checks

Basic checks to support safer recruitment of staff i.e. Enhanced DBS checks, Barred list

Administered via Recruitment Service - additional charges apply

Pre-employment health checks

Administered via Occupational Health

School Workforce Census

Royal Greenwich submits the statutory return on behalf of maintained schools.

Workshops/Training delivered for new SBMs/Office Managers.

School HR Professional Services reserve the right to levy an additional charge for those schools generating substantial errors and queries.

£10 per error/query may be charged.

Industrial Action

Written information will be provided on statutory advice.

Where data is available, we will collate and provide information to corporate and external regional bodies on the effects of industrial action.

Educational establishment responsibilities

To ensure legal compliance, commitment and adherence to statutory and service standards are met, it is the specific responsibility of educational establishments to undertake the following:

• Provide all relevant information and staffing data to assist in the provision of HR advice
• Ensure all relevant facts are provided when dealing with a staffing or employment issue
• Specify any school based time limits or constraints which must be reasonable and appropriate to the circumstances
• Provide a timely update of any change in circumstances that may affect/impact on the advice or work Schools HR Professional Services are undertaking on your behalf
• Undertake not to withhold or misrepresent any relevant information which would hinder the HR support/advice provided
• Provide as much advance notice as possible when requesting the attendance of a HR representative at a hearing/governing body meeting. This should include consultation with HR to agree a mutually convenient date/time
• Provide as much notice as possible for 'one off'  consultancy that may be required
• Provision of any other information requested to enable Royal Greenwich to exercise its duty as an employer or to comply with statutory requirements or its strategic functions defined by current or future regulations

In subscribing to our service, you are appointing Schools HR Professional Services as the sole HR advisory service and agree not to seek advice from other HR agencies when engaging our services for casework.

Schools that require external HR support, for example from Diocesan HR, agree to notify Schools HR Professional Services of their involvement whereupon a joint decision will be made on which HR service will act as adviser for specific casework.