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08 Fall

DISCIPLINARY POLICY (INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDANCE)

Version New streamlined Policy

Final

HR Business Partner

Policy Review Alignment Group – 23 November 2016

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CONTENTS

1 PURPOSE 3

2 PRINCIPLES 4

3 INFORMAL ACTION 4

4 DISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATIONS 5

5 SUSPENSON AND RESTRICITON OF PRACTICE 5

6 REPRESENTATION 7

7 WITNESSES 7

8 DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS 7

9 DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS 7

10 CONFIRMATION OF DISCIPLINARY DECISION 9

11 REVIEW OF CONDUCT 9

12 DISCIPLINARY RECORDS 9

13 POLICE ENQUIRIES OR CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS 10

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APPEALS

REVIEW AND MONITORING

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APPENDIX A – MANAGERS WITH AUTHORITY TO ISSUE

WARNINGS OR DISMISS FOLLOWING DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS

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APPENDIX B – APPEAL PROCEDURE 12

APPENDIX C – RECORD OF CONVERSATION FORM 13

APPENDIX D – GUIDANCE ON THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

APPENDIX E – Consideration of Suspension/Restriction of

Practice Procedure

APPENDIX F - VERSION CONTROL SHEET

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1 The purpose of the Disciplinary Policy is to:-

a) Help and encourage all employees, directly employed by the Trust, to achieve and maintain the highest possible standards of performance and conduct;

b) Promote the equitable and consistent treatment of staff where breaches of

discipline are alleged. c) Support the Trust’s “fair blame” culture by imposing proportionate disciplinary

sanctions in accordance with the degree of blameworthiness for an act or omission.

1.1 Except where substandard work results from a deliberate lack of care and attention,

the disciplinary procedures will not apply to sub-standard performance issues which should be dealt with under the Trust’s policy on Performance and Development.

1.2 Definitions of misconduct are as follows. Please note that examples contained in

these definitions are not exhaustive. Each case must be considered individually and the examples are intended as a guide only.

A. Minor misconduct: Results in some form of misconduct or behaviour that is unacceptable to the Trust, these are generally minor in nature but can include areas such as absenteeism, lateness, inappropriate use of language, failure to undertake duties in a competent manner, minor cases of insubordination.

B. Serious misconduct: An act or series of acts of serious misconduct are more severe incidents which often involve serious, deliberate wrongdoing or inappropriate behaviour or conduct. Re-occurrences of several minor misconduct issues despite previous warnings, where misconduct continues may constitute serious misconduct. Examples include refusing to carry out reasonable managerial instructions, actions which have the potential to harm patients and compromise professionalism of the Trust, inappropriate use of / comments on social blog or social media.

Serious misconduct may justify dismissal being imposed where a number of proven serious allegations cumulatively amount to dismissal with notice.

C. Gross misconduct: Gross misconduct is an act or series of acts by an employee, which result in a serious breach of contractual terms, including a breach of the implied term of trust and confidence between employees and their employer, justifying dismissal.

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The types of misconduct that will constitute gross misconduct will vary according to the context, but typically it will include dishonesty, deliberate negligence, offensive behaviour and criminal conduct.

2 Principles 2.1 This policy does not apply to new employees during their probationary period as

separate arrangements exist for managing poor conduct during that period. 2.2 Employees are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the policies,

procedures, principles and codes of behaviour of the organisation and any relevant professional codes of conduct.

2.3 The disciplinary procedures, including informal action, should not be seen merely as

a means of imposing sanctions on staff, but also as a means by which improvements in the employee’s performance and conduct are encouraged.

2.4 Disciplinary action in individual cases will be applied fairly and equitably in

accordance with the Trust’s policy on equality and diversity. 2.5 Where misconduct is alleged, the member of staff will have the right to be told at the

earliest opportunity what the allegations are against them. 2.6 An employee will not normally be dismissed for a first breach of discipline except in

the case of gross misconduct when dismissal could result without notice or payment in lieu of notice.

2.7 No disciplinary penalty will be implemented against an employee until the case has

been properly investigated. 2.8 All information relating to proceedings, witness statements and records will be used

only for the purpose for which it was produced and will be kept with due regard for confidentiality.

3 Informal Action 3.1 Before taking formal disciplinary action a Manager should always consider whether

the matter could be dealt with by a one to one meeting with the employee to agree an action plan to address the misconduct issue rather than implement a formal disciplinary process.

3.2 Informal discussions may take place on more than one occasion and should not be

regarded as part of the formal disciplinary procedure, but failure to adhere to expectations made clear through informal action may result in the formal procedure being applied.

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3.3 The aim of the informal discussion is to reaffirm the employee’s knowledge and

understanding of behavioural standards within the Trust and to help them to adjust their behaviour to meet those standards. Its purpose is also to consider any explanation put forward by the employee.

3.4 Managers should keep a note of informal discussions for the personal file and copy

this to the staff member concerned as a record of the conversation.

4 Disciplinary Investigations 4.1 When a potential disciplinary issue arises the facts of the case should be

investigated quickly and thoroughly. Consideration may need to be given to suspension, or restriction of practice, of the employee as detailed in paragraph 5 of this policy.

4.2 Investigations into allegations of misconduct may involve obtaining written or verbal

statements from witnesses, including the employee under investigation. 4.3 The outcome of the investigation should be documented in the form of an

Investigation Report with supporting evidence. This will be presented to the Deputy Director of HR and Organisational Development (or his/her deputy) who will decide on whether the case should be further considered at a disciplinary hearing. The member of staff will be informed of this decision at the earliest opportunity.

4.4 The Investigation Report will be shared with all parties 10 calendar days before the

hearing date. 4.5 The Trust will facilitate employee representatives in carrying out their

responsibilities by making available all relevant documents which may include access to an individual’s personal file.

5 Suspension and Restriction of Practice 5.1 Suspension from duty or restriction of practice should be carried out by an

appropriate senior manager and with the relevant Line Director / Director advised accordingly. Suspensions/ROPs will be determined following a ROP conference call.

5.2 Suspension and investigation are non punitive acts and the employee should not suffer any detriment because of them. In exceptional cases the Trust may suspend an individual without payment in the event that it has reason to believe that the individual has been guilty of misconduct of a serious criminal nature. Further, the Trust may suspend an individual with pay for any reason relating to their health and safety or that of any other person. In cases where the individual is suspended

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without pay and the allegations are dismissed at a disciplinary hearing any pay withheld will be reimbursed to the individual.

5.3 A member of staff may be suspended from work (without any loss of their current

earnings) when:- a) It is considered that that his/her continued presence at work could cause

difficulty to self or others or impede the investigating process; b) It is considered that their continued presence could put the public or

organisation’s interest at risk; c) It is considered that the alleged act is of a very serious nature and either criteria

a or b (above) are satisfied. 5.4 When considering a potential suspension a manager should always consider

whether a temporary transfer to other duties or to another location; a change in supervision arrangements; or substitution of some duties would be more suitable in the circumstances.

5.5 If the employee is a doctor or dentist the Trust’s policy on the restriction of practice

and exclusion from work should be consulted and applied as appropriate. 5.6 All periods of suspension or temporary transfer must be confirmed in writing to the

employee within 7 calendar days. The letter will inform the individual whether the suspension is with or without pay and include an outline of the allegations made against the employee and arrangements to investigate these.

5.7 Periods of suspension must be as short as possible and reviewed regularly and

recorded regularly. The employee must ensure (s)he is contactable during their normal working hours and to participate in the investigation process and any formal hearing that may result.

5.8 If the employee’s suspension or restriction of practice is lifted this must be

confirmed in writing. 5.9 Staff who are suspended and / or under investigation because of an alleged

misconduct, will be allowed to apply for progression (including training) but any offer to an employee will be conditional on no disciplinary sanction being issued as a result of the suspension / investigation.

5.10 Any breach by the employee of the suspension or restriction of practice terms may

result in further disciplinary action.

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6 Representation 6.1 At all stages in the formal procedure, including formal investigation interviews, the

employee can be accompanied by an employed trade union official, an ERA trained trade union representative that the union has certified as competent, or a work colleague, not acting in a legal capacity. The employee is responsible for arranging the attendance of their representative.

6.2 Prior to any hearing, the employee should inform the HR representative to the

hearing of their representative’s name. 6.6 A representative can put the case, sum up and respond to a view expressed by the

employee. They cannot, however, answer questions on behalf of the employee.

7. Witnesses 7.1 Both parties may choose whether or not they wish to call witnesses. It is the

responsibility of parties to arrange for the attendance of their respective witnesses.

7.2 A list of witnesses should be supplied to the disciplinary hearing’s HR representative 5 calendar days in advance of the hearing.

7.3 Witnesses should not be present at any part of the hearing except when giving

evidence.

8 Disciplinary Hearings 8.2 Disciplinary hearings must be conducted with a minimum of two individuals to

include where necessary a professional technical expert ensuring the panel constitutes professional expertise (see Appendix A for a list of line managers authorised to issue warnings).One of the panel members will be a HR representative. Where dismissal is considered a possibility a manager with authority to dismiss must conduct the hearing.

8.3 The employee should be given 10 calendar days written notice of the hearing

detailing the date, time, venue and allegations to be considered including a copy of the Investigation Report, with their right of representation clearly specified.

8.4 The purpose of the hearing is to consider all the facts. The employee will provide

HR any documentation that they intend to rely on 5 calendar days prior to the hearing, ensuring that the panel have sufficient time to fully prepare for the hearing.

8.5 The Investigating Officer will not routinely attend the hearing. Employees or their representatives can make a request for their attendance along with any submissions to the panel and should be received with at least five days’ notice of

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the hearing. Any request should detail the specific points which require the Investigating Officer’s attendance. The Chair will consider such submissions and determine whether the attendance of the Investigating Officer is necessary. The Chair’s decision is final. Where it is determined that their attendance is necessary the Investigating Office may attend in person, or by telephone, such is the geographical spread of the Trust in order to minimise the impact of travel on resources, cost and the environment.

8.6 It is the expectation of the Trust that staff will attend any arranged hearing unless

they have a valid reason for not attending; however, if the employee fails to attend the hearing he/she will be given an alternative date to attend and the hearing will be reconvened. If the employee fails to attend the hearing for a second time the hearing will proceed in the employee’s absence.

9 Disciplinary Sanctions 9.1 Where a Panel finds the allegations proven they will turn their attention to an

appropriate sanction. This decision will be made taking into account the Chair and advice from the HR representative. Depending on the seriousness or frequency of the misconduct, disciplinary penalties may take one of the following forms:-

a) 3-6 months’ written warning; b) 12 months’ written warning; c) Dismissal with notice; d) Dismissal without notice; e) Alternatives to dismissal:

Final written warning 18 or 24 months

Downgrade / transfer/ redeployment to alternative role. 9.2 Alternative to dismissal:

As an alternative to dismissal in findings of gross misconduct a disciplinary panel may wish to consider issuing a longer final written warning and/or downgrading, and/or transfer to another post, and/or another location. The Trust reserves the right to carry out such sanctions if the disciplinary Panel considers it appropriate. The changes must be confirmed in writing. Pay protection will not apply in this circumstance.

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10 Confirmation of Disciplinary Decision 10.2 Disciplinary decisions will be confirmed in writing to the employee and

representative, as appropriate, within seven calendar days of the decision being made. If posted, it must be by recorded delivery.

10.3 The Panel must ask the individual or their representative how they would like to receive the written outcome and will accommodate a face to face meeting where this is requested.

10.4 Copies should be retained on the personal file in accordance with paragraph 17. 10.5 Appeals against dismissal do not affect the employee’s effective date of termination

unless the decision is rescinded and the employee’s appeal upheld in full.

11. Review of Conduct 11.1 A manager, who has given a warning under the Trust’s disciplinary policy, may

make a note of any actions necessary to improve conduct or performance. These actions will be allocated to an appropriate manager to deliver and oversee arranging for the employee’s progress towards meeting required standards to be reviewed within the agreed timescales.

11.2 Reviews must be conducted in a manner which encourages the employee to

improve. 11.3 Where an employee’s conduct, or reliability falls below required standards during

the monitoring period, the review date may, in exceptional circumstances, be brought forward and the appropriate procedures initiated.

11.4 Staff who have a current disciplinary sanction will not be allowed to apply for or be

considered for progression (including training) until any sanction(s) is/are spent.

12 Disciplinary Records

12.4 After the expiry of the warning the outcome letter will be retained on the individual’s personal file in line with the Data Protection Act. All other documentation will be placed on a case file and may be referred to where the Trust believes that the individual has demonstrated previous behaviour which collectively undermines trust and confidence in the individual or for the purposes of defending the Trust in the case of employment related claims.

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12.5 If any appeal results in a disciplinary penalty being withdrawn then all evidence, reports, correspondence and information will be destroyed from the individual’s personal file immediately and the individual circumstances will be considered as though the disciplinary action had not happened. A letter confirming this will be forwarded to the individual concerned within 7 calendar days of the decision being made.

13 Police Enquiries or Criminal Proceedings 13.4 Staff must notify the Director of HR and Organisational Development (or his/her

deputy) if they are charged with or convicted of a criminal offence. 13.5 Police enquiries, criminal proceedings or convictions relating to a criminal offence

should not necessarily be regarded as constituting either a reason for disciplinary action or a reason for not pursuing internal disciplinary action.

13.6 Where a matter is being considered in parallel with Police investigations, the decision of the Police to proceed will not necessarily have any bearing on any internal investigation or the decision of any manager of the Trust to impose a disciplinary penalty.

13.7 In deciding whether a matter should lead to disciplinary action the definitions at 1.3

of this policy will be considered.

14 Appeals 14.1 All employees have the right to appeal against formal warnings or dismissal in

accordance with Appendix B. 14.2 At an appeal hearing the Trust reserves the right to review the sanctions in full,

which may include a panel decision to increase a sanction up to and including dismissal.

15 Review and Monitoring 15.1 The effectiveness of this policy will be monitored and reviewed at the HR

management team meeting three months before the review date. Recommendations will be recorded and shared via the recognized policy approvals process in time for the policy review date.

15.2 The HR department and, where applicable, a representative from staffside will

undertake a without prejudice case review after each completed case to support onwards learning of all involved and aid policy development.

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Appendix A

Managers with the Authority to issue Warnings or Dismiss Following Disciplinary Hearings Line Managers within SWASFT are authorised to issue warnings or to dismiss an employee, subject to the outcome of a formal disciplinary hearing, in accordance with the table below:- Disciplinary

Warning issued

Warning 3-6 months

Warning 12 months

Final written warning

Action short of dismissal/ dismissal

Line Manager Pay Band

First Line Manager (Bands 4 – 7)

Yes Yes No No

Service Manager (Band 8a)

Yes Yes Yes No

Senior Manager (Band 8b and above, including those on secondment, will be authorised to Chair with authority to dismiss.

Yes Yes Yes Yes

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Appendix B

Appeal Procedure All employees have the right of appeal against the outcome of any disciplinary action taken against them. An appeal must be made in writing to the Executive Director of HR and Organisational Development. The written appeal must be made within 7 calendar days of receipt of written confirmation of the outcome of the hearing. The specific reason for the appeal must be clearly stated, and should normally be on the grounds of one or more of the following:

Investigation and substantiation of issues (adequacy and sufficiency).

Procedure (regularity and fairness).

Action (unreasonable). The appeal submission should provide an explanation as to the specific issues arising under these headings. The appeal hearing should take place at the earliest opportunity, and should be chaired by an appropriate Manager. The panel should also consist of one other senior manager who may be the panel’s professional or technical expert. In cases of dismissal, the panel will be chaired by a Board member. . None of the panel members should have been involved in the case prior to the appeal. The employee should be given at least 10 calendar days written notice of the appeal hearing detailing the date, time and venue, with their right to be accompanied by a colleague or Trade Union representative clearly specified. If the employee wishes to present any documentary evidence at the appeal hearing, a copy of this must be submitted to the HR representative at least 5 calendar days before the appeal hearing. The employee will receive written confirmation of the outcome of the hearing within 7 calendar days of the decision being made. The conclusion of the appeal hearing will be final. Employment will not be extended to facilitate an appeal.

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Appendix C Record of Conversation Form

Record of Conversation Form

Manager/Officer:

HR Assistance:

Employee Interviewed:

Employee’s Representative:

Date of Meeting:

Nature of Meeting:

Notes Typed up by:

Details:

Please sign below to indicate that the above represents an accurate account of the discussions at the meeting. Signature: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Print Name: …………………………………………………… Date: ……………………………

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Appendix D

Guidance on the use of Social Media The organisation recognises that many employees make use of social media in a personal capacity. While they are not acting on behalf of the organisation, employees must be aware that they can damage the organisation if they are recognised as being one of our employees. Employees are allowed to say that they work for the organisation, which recognises that it is natural for its staff sometimes to want to discuss their work on social media. If employees do discuss their work on social media (for example, giving opinions on their specialism or the sector in which the organisation operates), they must consider the appropriateness of this in line with the criteria set out below. Any communications that employees make in a personal capacity through social media must not:

Bring the organisation into disrepute, for example by:

o Criticising or arguing with customers, colleagues or competitor organisations;

o Making defamatory comments about individuals or other organisations or groups; or

o Posting images that are inappropriate or links to inappropriate content;

Breach confidentiality, for example by:

o Revealing information owned by the organisation;

o Giving away confidential information about an individual (such as a colleague or patient) or another organisation, or

o Discussing the organisation’s internal workings (such as its future business plans

that have not been communicated to the public);

Breach copyright, for example by:

o Using someone else’s images or written content without permission;

o Failing to give acknowledgement where permission has been given to reproduce something; or

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Do anything that could be considered discriminatory against, or bullying or harassment of any individual, for example by:

o Making offensive or derogatory comments relating to sex, gender reassignment,

race (including nationality), disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief or age;

o Using social media to bully another individual (such as an employee of the

organisation); or

o Posting images that are discriminatory or offensive (or links to such content). Any breaches of this guidance may result in disciplinary action being taken in line with the policy.

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Appendix E

Consideration of Suspension/Restriction of Practice Procedure 1 Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this procedure is to provide a mechanism to consider suspension

and restriction of practice and to enable those involved in these discussions to

make appropriate decisions in relation to suspension and restriction of practice.

2 Inclusion Criteria 2.1 Suspension or restriction of practice should be considered when there is a

reasonable belief that:

A individual’s skill (clinical or non-clinical) has been inappropriately applied; or

An individual’s competence to perform their role, or an aspect of their role, is inadequate; or

A clinical skill has not been applied in circumstances where it normally would have been applied and could have positively affected a patient outcome; or

A potential or actual adverse patient outcome has occurred due to failure to apply Trust guidelines and procedures; or

It is considered that the individual’s continued presence at work could cause difficulty to self or others or impede the investigating process; or

It is considered that the individual’s continued presence could put the public or organisation’s interests at risk; or

The seriousness of the incident or allegation is considered to warrant a formal review.

Where concerns are raised about an individual through the Trust’s Allegations Policy or through the Prevent Agenda.

3 Process

3.1 The member of staff involved in the potential incident must report the incident to the

Bronze Commander, or line manager, as soon as possible, unless the incident

involves a Bronze Commander; in which case it should be reported to the Silver

Commander or more senior manager.

3.2 An Incident Report must be submitted as soon as is reasonably practicable and in

any event within 24 hours of the incident. In cases where this has not occurred, the

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member of staff identifying or first becoming aware of the incident is responsible for

completing these actions.

3.3 Either the Bronze Commander or line manager must have a fact finding meeting or

telephone conference with the member(s) of staff concerned in order to ascertain

the basic facts.

3.4 If after the fact finding meeting there is cause for concern, then the Bronze

Commander or line manager must report the incident to the relevant local manager

(in hours) or the Silver Commander (out of hours) and identify that restriction of

practice may be appropriate for consideration.

3.5 The relevant local manager (in hours) or Silver Commander (out of hours) will

arrange for an immediate teleconference to consider the facts. The teleconference

will be chaired by an HR Business Partner (in hours) or Silver Commander or

Senior Clinical Advisor (out of hours) with the following in attendance:

Bronze Commander or local manager to whom the incident or allegation was

reported.

Senior Clinical Advisor on-call (where clinical practice is of concern)

Line Manager (or relevant service line representative with the authority to suspend

where this is an outcome)

Silver Commander (out of hours only)

Clinical Training Manager (where individual performance is of concern)

Patient Safety Representative (should there be any patient safety concerns)

Investigating Officer (if appointed)

3.6 The outcome of the call and decision making process will be democratic and is the

responsibility of all attendees on the call.

3.7 The HR Business Partner will make notes of the call on the Suspension/Restriction

of Practice pro-forma. If the call is convened out of hours, notes will be taken by

either the Silver Commander or Senior Clinical Advisor.

3.8 The Bronze Commander, local manager, or Investigating Officer where one has

been appointed, will present an overview of the alleged incident. The group will then

consider the application of the following options, each of which will be raised and

discussed:

The risk to patients

The risk to colleagues

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The risk to the organisation

The risk to the individual

The risk to any investigation (if applicable)

3.10 Each of the above should be discussed, taking into consideration the facts

presented and mitigating actions that could be taken to minimise the risk. 3.11 Based on consideration of the above factors a decision should then be made by the

group on the following basis:

Continuation of full scope of practice - to be considered when the group decide that there are no reasonable grounds to implement a restriction of practice or suspension and that there is no increased risk.

Restriction of practice, ie. working under direct paramedic supervision (preferably a Mentor or OO), and/or restriction of practice to a different role (this could be of a lower grade). Where practice is restricted, the group must confirm the parameters of the restriction and in the case of clinical staff, the exact skills which have been restricted. Restriction could also be made to work with a ‘named paramedic’.

Where a restriction cannot be accommodated, the group must consider:

Suspension – where the group are not satisfied that the individual is safe to remain in the workplace.

3.13 If the incident is dealt with out of hours, the Silver Commander is responsible for

informing the relevant local manager of the member(s) of staff involved and HR Business Partner promptly on the next working day.

3.14 The local manager must inform the relevant Head of Operations of the decision and

rationale, should they not have been involved in the teleconference. 3.15 The line manager of the member of staff concerned must confirm the any

suspension or restriction of practice in writing within 7 days of the decision detailing measures put in place and agreed actions. It is the responsibility of the line manager to ensure any training plans agreed as necessary are put in place.

3.16 If the matter is likely to be investigated as a Serious Incident then the local manager

will liaise with the Patient Safety and Incident Manager in order to appoint an appropriate Investigating Officer as soon as is reasonably practicable.

4 Review and Lifting of Suspension/Restriction

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4.1 Any suspension or restriction of practice must be reviewed regularly. 4.2 In cases where a training needs assessment has been carried out, and subsequent

action plan has been completed, the suspension or restriction may be reconsidered. 4.3 The appointed Investigating Officer or line manager will advise the HR Business

Partner and a further teleconference with those specified at 3.5 will be convened. 4.4 The group will discuss the original suspension or restriction using the Consideration

of Suspension/ Restriction of Practice proforma, taking into account actions that have been completed with regards to 4.2 or further evidence that may have been collated through the investigation.

4.5 The group may consider that:

The suspension/ restriction can now be fully lifted.

The suspension/ restriction may in part be lifted under specific circumstances.

The suspension/ restriction requires further extension. 4.6 The local manager must advise the staff member(s) who is subject to the

allegations of the outcome of the teleconference and this must be followed up in writing within 7 days of the teleconference.

4.7 A copy of the Consideration of Suspension/ Restriction of Practice form must be

completed and sent to HR Services for recording and filing.

5 Notifying the Professional Regulatory Body

5.1 The relevant professional regulatory body will normally be notified (if applicable) following the outcome of the investigation. If the incident is of a serious nature then the Investigating Officer (IO) must make a case for earlier professional regulatory body notification to the Deputy Director of HR and this will be considered on a case by case basis.

Consideration of Restriction of Practice/Suspension

To be completed in all instances of consideration of restriction of practice/suspension to record the decision making process. This form should be completed immediately and sent to HR Services for recording purposes. A record should also be made by the relevant HR Business Partner on the HR Case Management System.

Form completed By Date

Employee Name

Employee Role

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Names/ Job Titles of people present on call

Summary of Issue

Questions Considered and Summary of Discussion

Is there a risk to patients and if so what is this risk? How can this be mitigated? Is there a risk to colleagues and if so what is this risk? How can this be mitigated? Is there a risk to the organisation and if so what is this risk? How can this be mitigated? Is there a risk to the individual and if so what is this risk?

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How can this be mitigated? Is there a risk to any investigation and if so what is this risk? How can this be mitigated?

Decision Made

Actions put in place I.e.) investigating officer assigned, welfare officer, training needs analysis, letter for suspension and who will be responsible for each

HOP or senior line manager informed

Director/ Deputy Director of relevant service line informed

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APPENDIX F

Version Control Sheet

Version Date Author Summary of Changes

1

August 2016

Chrissie Jacobs HR Business Partner

Streamlined version of the old Disciplinary Policy

2 January 2017

Emily Finch, Trainee HRBP

Michelle Stevens, Lead HRBP

Addition of Appendix D – Guidance on the use of Social Media

Addition of Appendix E – Inclusion of appeals section and inclusion of Patient Safety Representative in Appendix E