The Director of Human Resources* is responsible for Human Resources services within the Trust.

Policies
In the context of the National Human Resources Strategy, Wirral Hospital (NHS) Trust has developed, and is working towards implementation of, its own Human Resources Strategy called 'Working for Health'. The strategy embraces Improving Working Lives and other national standards. The Trust has also formulated a specific strategy related to the Improving Working Lives initiative and more details on this can be found later in this class. The Trust has a large number of policies that are directly related to staff employment issues. Some of these include Recruitment and Selection, Harassment in the Workplace, Flexible Working, Grievance Procedure, Policy for Staff to Raise Concerns in the Workplace and Attendance Management Policy.

Class 8 of the Publication Scheme has a more comprehensive list of the Human Resources policies that the Trust already has in place and a number that are currently being developed, including an Equality and Diversity Policy. All the policies listed are being continually reviewed and updated by the Human Resources Department. Details of the policies outlined and copies can be obtained from the Principal HR Advisor*.

Equality & Diversity
We are particularly proud of our record as a Trust on issues of equality and diversity. Ensuring health care is accessible to everyone, regardless of ability or ethnicity is a key priority for Wirral Hospital in its vision to create truly patient - centred services.

The Trust employs a Disability Advisor*, who advises the organisation on all aspects of disability, whether in relation to staff or patients, and works with a Disability Steering Group and User Group to promote issues across the Trust.

The Trust has a Race Equality Steering Group and a Race Equality Scheme, outlining how the Trust will ensure racial equality is reflected in the way it serves the local population, has also been developed by the Trust. For more details on the Scheme you can contact the Deputy HR Director*. In 2002/03 the Trust contributed to the revised Wirral Ethnic Health Strategy, an action plan for ensuring that diversity, equality and fairness are firmly at the heart of all services.

Communicating with Staff
We have within the Trust a number of well-established and highly regarded processes of communicating with staff, on both a formal and informal level. On a formal level we have a Joint Consultation and Negotiation Forum (JCNF) with our Trade Unions, that meets bi-monthly. The minutes of these meetings are available on request from the Principal HR Advisor*.

We also communicate formally with our staff using our monthly Team Information Exchange, which is delivered throughout the organisation by a series of team 'briefings' at different levels. This is available to read on the Trust's Intranet site. We have 'Insite' which is a staff magazine which is produced bi-monthly and covers issues and stories that are of interest to and about Trust employees. The Human Resources Department also produces a Human Resources bulletin.

The Trust's Intranet site is available as a constant source of information for staff, through the use of workplace - based computers or by accessing the 'Cyber Cafes' which are located for staff use in the Dining Rooms on the Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge sites. Work is currently underway to provide this service at the Victoria Central site. As the 'Intranet' site is designed for staff it cannot be accessed by the general public but if you would like copies of any of the information that has been referred to you can contact the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator*.

Staff are involved in a number of internal working groups and sub-committees of the Trust, such as the Race Equality Steering Group, Disability Steering Group and the Improving Working Lives Steering Group which liaises with the staff forums at Directorate level. Each directorate has a staff forum, which provides staff with the opportunity to discuss issues that affect them and to make suggestions about changes and improvements.

Improving Working Lives Initiative
All NHS organisations were required to reach Improving Working Lives Practice Standard by March 2003 and Wirral Hospital (NHS) Trust has achieved this status and is now working towards 'practice plus' accreditation.

There is a Trust wide steering group comprising managers and representatives from each Directorate. Each Directorate within the Trust also has its own Staff Forum that meets to discuss issues that impact upon the specific areas across the Trust and to suggest improvements where necessary. The Trust's Improving Working Lives Strategy and Action Plan is available on request from the Principal HR Advisor / IWL Lead*.

Workforce Description

Paying our Staff
The physical process of paying all our staff is dealt with by the Payroll Department, which is based at Willow House, Clatterbridge Hospital and is overseen by the Payroll Manager*. The majority of staff who have pensions are contracted in to the NHS Pensions Agency whose website can be found at www.nhspa.gov.uk.

The Trust is working towards compliance with a new government initiative related to the NHS pay system called 'Agenda for Change' which will be implemented across the NHS from October 2004 and aims to offer a fairer and more varied aspect to the NHS pay system. More information about this can be found on the Department of Health website www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/

Workforce Development Confederation
The Trust is linked to the Cheshire and Merseyside Workforce Development Confederation (C&MWDC;). Details of how to contact C&MWDC; can be found at www.wdc.nhs.uk. The Directorate Manager for Learning and Development* is the designated link with this organisation from the Trust.

The Trust is one of four acute Trusts participating in a national pilot called 'Hospital Out of Hours', which is aimed at helping to implement the European Working Time Directive. The pilot is designed to monitor activity of Medical Staff out of hours with a view to reducing the number of hours worked by certain members of staff, in order to meet the directive and to improve services overall. The lead within the Trust is the Director of Medical Workforce Development*.

Training & Development
The Training and Development Manager* has responsibility for the Education & Development Strategy within the Trust. A Training & Development Prospectus is written each financial year and details in-house training courses that staff can attend. A copy of the prospectus can be obtained from the Training & Development Manager*.

The portfolio system for Continual Professional Development, for both Clinical and Managerial staff, is supported by Training and Development and the portfolio structure is available on the Trust's Intranet site and on CD ROM. This department also trains staff in the Appraisal system within the Trust and a copy of the Appraisal system for all staff levels is available from the Training & Development Manager*.

Staff Induction
The Trust operates a mandatory, minimum 2-day Induction Programme for all new employees to give a comprehensive introduction to the organisation. This is tailored to meet the needs of various staff groups. For any information about the Induction Programme, please contact the Induction Project Manager*.

There is a handbook designed for staff containing information about the Trust. This was updated in August 2003 and is made available for all existing staff and those undergoing the Trust Induction programme.

Staff Support
The Trust has as Staff Support Officer*, who is available for staff to talk to in confidence about any issues or problems that they may have and to be a support mechanism for staff. Recruitment & Retention Details of current employment opportunities within the Trust are available from the Personnel Department at Arrowe Park Hospital and in the local press and local job centres. The Job Centres' website can be found at www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk.

We have a Nurse Recruitment Office that deals with all aspects of Nurse Recruitment, Return to Practice and International Nursing. The Nurse Recruitment Team are responsible for advertising all qualified nurse vacancies within the Trust, mainly via the Internal Vacancy List and Job Centres and occasionally externally. There is also a mailing list that anyone can be entered on to, to inform about any vacancies. To obtain an Information Pack or with any general enquiries contact the Nurse Recruitment Team*.

To obtain more information about Nurse training courses at Chester College go to www.chester.ac.uk or contact them directly at School of Nursing & Midwifery Admissions, Registry Services, Chester College of Higher Education, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ or Telephone: 01244 375 444 Ext.: 3567/3568/3569.

Directorate of Learning & Development
The newly established Directorate of Learning & Development will co-ordinate the educational and practical training requirements of clinical and non-clinical staff at the Trust. The Clinical Director of Learning and Development* is already in post and the Directorate Manager for Learning and Development* has recently been appointed and will be taking up the post from January 2004. More details about the directorate will be added to this Publication Scheme when the directorate becomes operational.