Strategic Link:

People: We will create and maintain a professional workforce capable of delivering an effective and efficient service

Policy Scope:

Support Staff

Policy Aims and Objectives:

The function of this policy is to support the aims and objectives made out in the Force Recruitment Policy.

Associated Procedural Instructions:

This policy is supported by the following procedural instructions:

Police Support Staff Secondments: Instructions D51140

INTRODUCTION

1. Reflecting our commitment to Equal Opportunities, all appointments to short term (12 weeks or less) or long term (in excess of 12 weeks) secondments will follow the procedures contained in the Support Staff Recruitment and Selection document subject to the specific guidance set out in the following paragraphs.

DEFINITION OF A SECONDMENT OPPORTUNITY

1. Secondment opportunities arise when a post is temporarily vacated by the permanent post holder, e.g. to support a special project team, as a result of maternity leave, career break or long term sickness absence.
2. Some absences can occur without notice (e.g. suspension of a member of staff) while in other cases managers have more notice in which to plan.
3. Best practice suggests that we should maximise opportunities for staff to gain different skills and experience by encouraging lateral movement to different duties or by way of temporary promotion.
4. Unless a vacancy is immediate and short term (12 weeks or less) all secondment opportunities will be advertised in Force General Orders.

EXTERNAL SECONDMENT OPPORTUNITIES

1. Secondment opportunities can arise with outside agencies, such as Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC), National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS), or to externally funded projects such as Burglary Reduction or New Deal projects, and guidance regarding applications for such opportunities can be found in the Procedural Instructions for Police Staff Secondments D51140.
2. Employees will not forward such applications direct to the organisation where the vacancy exists. Application forms must be submitted for comment to employee's line manager. This must then be forwarded to the department head or district commander, who will attach a report giving reasons for either supporting or not supporting the applications. The employee must also be provided with a copy of this report.
3. The manager will then, via the department/district Personnel Manager, forward the application form to the Head of Personnel Services who, after full and careful consideration of all the details available, will decide whether or not the application may proceed.
4. Failure to comply with this procedure will result in release from substantive duties with South Yorkshire Police being declined.

SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS

1. While the South Yorkshire Police Service aims, as far as possible, to meet the career and developmental aspirations of our employees, our primary responsibility is to provide an efficient and effective police service to the public. Recognising this and the organisational and operational demands this places on the management of our employee resources, the following restrictions will apply:
2. Districts/departments must be aware that funding will not be available from central salary budgets to cover any 'backfill' costs if an employee is released to undertake a secondment. Any costs will be borne by the district/department where the secondment vacancy exists. This includes the cost of 'acting up' or temporary duties' allowance.
3. An employee cannot apply for a secondment during the probationary period.
4. An employee who accepts a role on a secondment basis will be required to complete the period of secondment in its entirety. Applications for other secondments during that period will not be permitted.
5. Probationary reports at 12 and 20 weeks will be completed for all employees undertaking secondments, and unsatisfactory performance could lead to the termination of the secondment and a return to the employee's substantive post.
6. There may be occasions when, for whatever reason, an employee does not feel able to continue or complete a period of secondment. To ensure that the situation can be dealt with appropriately for all parties concerned, the employee must make his/her line manager aware without delay, or, if this is not appropriate, the Head of Department.
7. Secondments are seen as developmental opportunities, and employees will only be allowed to serve one period of secondment in any one particular role. This will ensure that these opportunities are available to as many employees as possible. Any exceptions to this restriction will only be permitted after prior consultation and with the approval of the Senior Personnel Officer, who will inform all parties involved in writing.
8. Extensions to the duration of a secondment will only be granted after full liaison with the Senior Personnel Officer, line managers and the employee.
9. An employee's primary responsibility is to his/her substantive post, and "consecutive" secondments, i.e. moving from one secondment to another, will not be permitted. Employees will be required to return to their substantive posts for a minimum 6 months before moving to another secondment.

APPLICATIONS NOT SUPPORTED BY DISTRICT/DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT

1. The district/departmental Personnel Manager will give full and careful consideration to the reasons given by an employee's managers when an application is not supported. Any appeal against that decision will be made to the Senior Personnel Officer at Force HQ, who after liaison with all parties will decide whether or not the application will proceed.

ARE NOT CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN POST ADVERTISED

1. When a job–share secondment opportunity arises, the remaining job–share partner will be given the option to revert to full–time working for the period of time in question.
2. It must be recognised that certain duties require specific skills and qualifications, which do not exist outside a particular specialism, and to advertise the opportunity would be an empty gesture.
3. In exceptional circumstances (e.g. following the suspension of a member of staff) an immediate need to fill a post may arise. To go to advertisement would not be a practical option.
4. Prior to adopting any of these approaches, approval must be obtained from the Senior Personnel Officer.

LIAISON WITH PERSONNEL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

1. District/departmental Personnel Managers will liaise with HQ Personnel Services on behalf of local line managers.
2. All secondment opportunities must be referred to the Personnel Planning and Resourcing Section prior to any recruitment activity. This will ensure that:–

[a] guidance is provided to line managers in the application of this policy;

[b] the duration of short term secondments can be monitored and reviewed if necessary;

[c] forcewide staffing issues can be addressed and co–ordinated centrally;

[d] support staff establishment records and statistics are accurately maintained.

PDR

It is imperative that PDR's are carried out when due. However, in circumstances where a member of police staff is taking a secondment, a PDR may be completed early. For further details please refer to policy Performance Development Review D50143a.

Equality Act 2010:

In principle, this document has been assessed for discrimination, which cannot be justified, among other diverse groups.

Human Rights/Discretion:

The purpose of providing policy is to give an indication to staff of the expected course of action. However it is not possible to cater for every possible combination of factors that would justify a departure from stated policy. The Human Rights Act 1998 requires the proper use of discretion at all times and nothing within this policy and associated procedural instructions prohibits the proper use of discretion in appropriate circumstances.

Where action is taken that has the potential to interfere with an individual's Human Rights, the reasons behind the making of the decision to act in that way should be recorded on the appropriate forms, or where this is not practicable, in pocket books or policy logs.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Exemptions do not apply to this statement of agreed policy under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Audit Arrangements:

This policy together with its Equality Analysis will be reviewed every year

Rights of redress for members of the public:

Anyone who feels that a member of SYP staff has behaved incorrectly or unfairly has the right to make a complaint. Initial action should be taken in one of the following ways:

Complaint in writing or in person to the Senior Officer at the appropriate police station or in writing to the Chief Constable of the force concerned.

Visit a local Citizens' Advice Bureau.

Contact a solicitor.

Rights of redress for South Yorkshire Police staff:

South Yorkshire Police staff who feel they have grounds for concern in relation to the implementation of policies may:

Pursue concerns through their line manager.

Contact their First Contact officer.

Pursue a grievance formally through the South Yorkshire Police Grievance Procedure.

Seek advice from their staff association or trades union.

Use procedural instruction D50241 Management of Complaints, in the section entitled Handling Complaints relating to Direction and Control. 

Start Date:

15 December 2003