Service overview
The service provides a comprehensive range of HR support to aid good practice in matters relating to both teaching and non-teaching staff. Experienced, professional staff provide guidance and advice on a wide variety of areas including capability, discipline, grievances, absence management, redundancy and reorganisation, pay policies and contractual issues.
Our team will work withschools’ existing policies, procedures and frameworks, unless we find them to be non-compliant with current legislation or best practice, in which case we will offer advice on how to update them in line with the Assure HR policies.
The service seeks to ensure that information is available to allow schools to understand and operate within all legislative, government and contractual requirements in relation to employment.
Service delivery
Schools are able to purchase the service at one of three levels to suit their circumstances:
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Access – portal and telephone helpdesk.
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Bespoke – top up consultant days or half days that can be purchased by any school at any time in multiples of one day or half days.
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Combined – the Access package plus five half-days of consultant time, offered at a reduced rate to Bespoke days.
More information about package pricing is available here.
Access package
The Access package provides access to the on-line portal and telephone helpdesk.
This service provides an online HR handbook that covers best practice policies and procedures including:
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Anti harassment and anti bullying policy and procedure;
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Competence policy and procedure;
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Disciplinary policy and procedure;
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Employees over 65 policy;
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Equal opportunities guidelines;
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Model policy for schools on equality;
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Fixed term and temporary contracts;
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Grievance policy and procedure;
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Model pay policy;
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Parenting policies:
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Maternity leave – teachers;
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Maternity leave – non teaching staff;
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Maternity leave – questions and answers;
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Parental leave;
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Paternity leave and maternity support leave;
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Adoption leave;
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Request for flexible working;
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Performance management premature retirement for non teaching staff;
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Premature retirement for teachers;
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Redundancy policy and process;
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Model retirement policy for schools;
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Management of sickness absence policy and temporary agency supply staff;
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Time off work policy and procedure;
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Whistleblowing policy and procedure.
The portal also includes:
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Managers’ toolkits;
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HR update service – for example, to alert schools to any pending changes to legislation;
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FAQs – as quick reference tool;
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Discussion forums;
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Email query form.
The telephone helpline is answered by a real person from 8am to 6pm on normal working days and is available for an individual problem or query. Where possible, queries are answered immediately; more complex queries are passed to an experienced schools HR specialist. All telephone advice is confirmed in writing via email. Records are kept securely on a live database to maintain continuity and quality customer service.
The areas covered in this manner will typically include advice on:
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Child protection;
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Employee relations;
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Terms and conditions of employment/policy matters; guidance and interpretation of legislation on employment matters, including teachers’ pay and conditions, ‘Burgundy Book’ and ‘Green Book’;
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Dealing with disciplinary situations, grievances, anti-harassment and competence issues;
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Redundancy;
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Absence – advice on particular absence cases;
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Dismissals;
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Recruitment processes;
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Any other HR policy matters.
Combined package
The Combined package includes the Access package plus five half-days of consultant time, delivered as required by the school. The five half days may be delivered on-site at school, off-site at meetings or off-site for report writing or other desk-based work.
Typically, this work might include:
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Individual casework – on a range of employee issues;
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Support for management with disciplinary and/or grievance investigations;
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Support for management in employment tribunal cases, including meetings with (LA or private) legal services;
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Attendance at governors or other formal meetings;
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Employee mediation where appropriate;
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Attendance at meetings with ACAS or other professional bodies;
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Recruitment interviews;
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Attendance at child protection strategy meetings;
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Consultation with recognised trades unions and professional associations;
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Acting as an ‘external adviser’ to provide advice to Governors in respect of the head teacher’s performance management.
Other services
By negotiation and for a supplementary charge, we are able to undertake additional services, such as carrying out a disciplinary investigation and compiling the disciplinary report.
Print details here.
