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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Principles
3. Staffing
4. Secondments
5. Hours of Work
6. Time Off in Lieu (TOIL)
7. Annual Leave
8. Sick Leave
9. Compassionate or Special Leave
10. Training
11. Supervision and Appraisals
12. Expenses
13. Confidentiality
14. Health and Safety
15. The Role of the Link Manager
16. Review

1. Introduction

In line with the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Staff from the five core partner agencies are seconded to the Brighton & Hove Youth Offending Team (YOT). The five core agencies are: Probation, Police, Social Services, Health services, and the Education Department. However, the creation of the Children and Young People’s Trust within the City brings together Social Services, Education and Health provision within one body.

By seconding Staff to the YOT, partner agencies and wider resources of these agencies are brought together under one roof to deliver services to young people and their families. Delivery of services meets the five outcomes from ‘Every Child Matters’:

1. Being Healthy
2. Staying safe
3. Enjoying and Achieving
4. Making a positive contribution
5. Achieving economic wellbeing

All the secondees bring with them skills and new developments from their Parent organisations and continue to benefit from the skills / development of their Parent agencies. They enhance the YOT with constant updates / changes from their Parent organisations. In addition seconded Staff act as advocates for youth justice when returning to their Parent organisations.

2. Principles

1. Although there will be some variation across the agencies in some areas of this agreement, it is important that where possible consistency of approach is maintained.
2. As stakeholders each partner agency will contribute to the Staffing and resourcing of the Youth Offending Team and will participate in its overall management through membership of the Responsible Authorities Partnership as the YOT steering group.
3. All Staff in the Youth Offending Team will work within the principles and to the objectives of the team.
4. The job descriptions for all YOT Officers cover a range of generic duties whilst preserving some areas of specialism specific to each role and agency responsibility.
5. All Staff working in the Youth Offending Team who will have unsupervised access to children must be Police checked in addition to the individual agency’s usual checks. It is the responsibility of the Parent agency to ensure that seconded Staff have been checked by the Police and that this information is up to date and held on a record within the Parent agency.
6. All seconded Staff will continue to be employees of their respective agency and subject to the terms and conditions of that agency.

3. Staffing

Seconded Staff are accountable to the Head of Youth Offending Services, although day to day supervision of some Staff might be delegated to one of the Operational Managers.

The ethos of a multi-agency Youth Offending Team is to allow for all required expertise to be available in the same place. Seconded Staff will be required to use and preserve their specialisms within the team but in the spirit of shared responsibility all seconded Staff are expected to carry out a range of generic duties for which appropriate, training and support will be provided.

Each partner agency will appoint a Manager who will act as the secondee’s link with the agency. It is their role to enable the secondee to keep abreast of changes and developments, access relevant training and assist in planning the secondee’s return to the agency at the end of the secondment period.

There will be regular meetings between the secondee, the Link Manager and the YOT Operational Manager.

All grievance issues will in the first place be dealt with as part of the day to day management by the supervising Operational Manager who will respond within 7 and not more than 14 days. If any party is not satisfied with the outcome of the grievance or if it is of a more serious nature, then it will be referred to the Head of Service who will respond within 7 and not more than 14 days.

If the grievance issue concerns an Operational / Assistant Manager, then the YOT Manager will in the first instance deal with the matter within 7 and not more than 14 days.

If formal procedures need to be invoked, then the YOT Head of Service and the Parent agency will jointly deal with the issue in accordance with the Parent agency’s procedures.

All disciplinary issues will in the first place be dealt with as part of the day to day management by the supervising Operational Manager who will respond within 7 and not more than 14 days. If any party is not satisfied with the outcome or if the matter is of a more serious nature, then it will be referred to the YOT Head of Service who will respond within 7 and not more than 14 days.

If the disciplinary matter concerns an Operational Manager, then the YOT Manager will in the first instance deal with the matter within 7 and not more than 14 days.

If formal procedures need to be invoked, then the YOT Manager and the Parent agency will jointly deal with the issue in accordance with the Parent agency’s procedures.

Depending on the seriousness of the matter, then it might be appropriate for it to be dealt with jointly by the YOT Head of Service and the Parent agency or the Parent agency alone through its own formal procedures.

It is agreed that the long-term sick leave of any member of the YOT is the joint responsibility of all partners and as such each agency will be required to contribute to the temporary replacement as and when appropriate.

Seconded Staff will not be called upon by the seconding agency to perform any task outside that which is required by the YOT.

Seconded Staff will be the team’s link with their seconding agency and will take responsibility for:

• Liaison with the seconding agency to share information on the work of the YOT.
• Keeping up to date with service developments, policy and procedures and new legislation which affects the seconding agency and the work of YOT’s.
• Feeding back statistical, evaluation and other relevant information on youth offending.
• Acting as team link with areas of service delivery offered by the seconding agency.

4. Secondments

Staff are to be seconded for negotiated periods of time. Each secondment will be reviewed prior to the end of the seconded period in order to allow for a planned return to the Parent agency.

Application to extend secondment periods can be made by the post-holder or either party involved, but any decision will need to take into account the longer term implications of re-entry to the seconding agency by the secondee.

Selection of Staff to the YOT will be made through a process of internal advertisement within each agency.

Should a suitable candidate not be found from within the seconding agency, then it is the responsibility of the agency to advertise externally. Shortlisting and interviews will be conducted in collaboration with the YOT.

If a secondee is experiencing difficulty in the YOT s/he should approach either the Operational Manager or Link Manager, whose responsibility it will be to organise a 3 way meeting to discuss the most appropriate way forward.

In exceptional circumstances an early termination of the secondment may be sought by either agency or the seconded member of Staff. This request must be given in writing to all parties outlining the reasons for the request. Any such application will involve a meeting with the seconded member of Staff, the Link Manager and the Operational Manager and/or YOT Head of Service.

When a member of Staff leaves, s/he will be required to give formal notice to the YOT Head of Service and their Link Manager in the Parent agency. The notice period will be line with the contractual arrangements of the Parent agency.

The YOT Head of Service will review the vacancy and if appropriate will have joint responsibility with the Parent agency for recruitment to the post in line with the above procedures.

5. Hours of work

All full-time YOT members are expected to work 37 hours each week, however it is expected that some flexible and unsocial hours will be required from time to time. Such flexible hours must be agreed with the appropriate YOT Line Manager.

6. Time Off In Lieu (TOIL)

All YOT Staff will from time to time be required to work outside their normal contractual hours and will therefore be entitled to take TOIL. Staff must keep an accurate record of TOIL accrued on Youth Offending Team work and negotiate time off with their YOT Line Manager. Permission to take TOIL must be given by the Line Manager who will need to ensure appropriate Staff cover within the team.

7. Annual Leave

It is recognised that annual leave entitlements will vary between agencies, time served and conditions of service. Each agency will submit precise leave details, including any specially agreed days to the respective Line Manager.

Applications to take annual leave must be made in writing via a leave card to the immediate YOT Line Manager. The Line Manager will keep a record of leave taken by seconded Staff and supply a copy to the Parent agency if required.

8. Sick Leave

Absence due to sickness must be notified to the YOT Line Manager on the first day of absence and then in line with their seconding agency policy. All periods of sickness absence in excess of three days must be self-certified. Completed forms will be forwarded to Link Managers according to each agency’s requirement, and a copy retained by the YOT Line Manager. Doctors certificates will be sent to Link Managers and a copy kept by the YOT Line Manager.

In respect of extended sick leave, this will be managed in accordance with the seconded agency’s relevant policy. In line with the policy the YOT and Parent agency will agree who is best placed to support the employee and any support/return to work plans. In the event of sick leave being over 6 months consideration will be given to ‘backfill’ by the Parent agency.

9. Compassionate or Special Leave

These are subject to the seconding agency’s procedures. Application will in the first instance be made to the YOT Line Manager who will notify the Link Manager and the YOT Head of Service of this request. A joint decision should be made between the YOT Head of Service and the seconding agency

10. Training

All YOT members will be required to participate in induction, team building and practice development training. In addition it is expected that from time to time all Staff will be required to undertake training appropriate to their role and/or personal and professional development within the team

Training and development needs of all YOT Staff will be identified during supervision with their YOT Line Manager and at the annual appraisal stage. It is expected that all partners will contribute to the training and development of YOT members and will therefore notify the YOT of any training appropriate to the needs of the team. Seconded Staff will also need to provide training to other YOT Staff on their areas of expertise.

11. Supervision and Appraisals

All YOT Staff will have monthly supervision by their YOT Line Manager.

Each YOT member will be appraised annually by their YOT Line Manager via either their own agency’s procedure or a procedure developed by either the Youth Justice Board or YOT Manager. A copy of the appraisal objectives and the annual appraisal will be sent to the Link Manager.

12. Expenses

Travelling and subsistence expenses incurred by YOT members during the performance of their duties can be claimed on the relevant expense claim form. It will be the responsibility of the YOT Line Manager to check and approve expense claims. Completed, approved and signed claim forms will be forwarded to the relevant Parent agency for payment in the usual way.

13. Confidentiality

All seconded Staff, with the exception of Police Officers, will have signed a confidentiality clause within their contract of employment. Police Officers are servants of the Crown and not employees. As such, they are bound by the Official Secrets Act. Staff are therefore, bound to keep information relating to clients strictly confidential. However, it is recognised that YOT Staff will need to share information among themselves and with partner agencies.

An Information Sharing Protocol is in existence between, Brighton & Hove City Council and all relevant agencies.

14. Health and Safety

All Youth Offending Team Staff are subject to the Health and Safety Policy of the premises provider. It is the responsibility of the Line Manager(s) to provide information and induct Staff on emergency procedures and first aid facilities.

Although all Staff must contribute to the management of risk, it is primarily the responsibility of the YOT Manager to ensure that it is managed appropriately within the team.

15. The Role of The Link Manager

The seconding agency will identify a Link Manager who will provide contact and liaison with their seconded Staff as well as the Management Team within the YOT. The Link Managers’ role and responsibilities will include :-

1. Recruitment and selection of Staff.
2. Contribute to the appraisal and development process and to participate in and receive information in respect of seconded Staffs’ performance reviews.
3. As part of review meetings assist in the identification of training to further develop the skills and abilities of the seconded member of Staff in relation to both organisations.
4. Assist in the resolution of concerns if these cannot be managed within the Youth Offending Team line management structures.
5. At least a once yearly meeting to ensure effective communication between the seconded Staff member, Link Manager and Operational YOT Manager and/or YOT Head of Service.
6. Ensure seconded Staff are informed of current developments and changes of policy within the seconding agency.
7. Be involved in the preparation for the return of the seconded Staff member to their agency.

16. Review

This protocol will be reviewed in November 2007.

End.