Halton Nursing Team

A bit about Mersey Care Foundation Trust 

Q1   Where can we find out information about Mersey Care?
Mersey Care is one of the most innovative and progressive NHS trusts in the country. We offer specialist inpatient and community services to support physical and mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services and are a founding member of the Zero Suicide Alliance. We are the largest provider of 0 to 19 services across Liverpool and Sefton, working in partnership to improve the health and wellbeing of 160,000 local children and their families, and one of only three trusts in the country which deliver high secure mental health care.
Mersey Care has 11,000 people working together to provide community and mental health services to a population of more than 1.4 million, across Merseyside and parts of Lancashire and Cheshire.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Our aim is to play a full part in the health and social care economies we serve, by promoting and driving greater integration between mental and physical health and social care. Population health management is a theme of Mersey Care’s long-term strategy; and by looking at our communities and the recurring problems, or at groups which need the same treatment, we can find the best way to provide help quicker and more efficiently.

Our clinical services are provided across 236 sites spanning a large part of the North West. Our services are supported by Trust Wide Support Services based at our offices in Kings Business Park, Prescot, and Hollins Park, Cheshire.

It is intended that this page will provide regular updates and communications. 

TUPE Information

Q2   What is TUPE?
TUPE stands for The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”).  TUPE is the main piece of legislation governing the transfer of an undertaking. The purpose of the TUPE Regulations is to protect the rights and employment of individual employees, affected by a transfer of an undertaking from one employer to another. This means that colleagues employed by the previous employer (Halton Borough Council) become employees of the new employer (Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust), on the same terms and conditions of employment as if they had always worked for them. This includes any employees who are on authorised leave, for example, on maternity, adoption, parental, career break and/or sick leave, etc.).

Q3    Why is this transfer happening?
Halton Borough Council has for a number of years funded and provided an adult Learning Disability Nurse Service for adults with learning disabilities and their families living in Halton. On 19th January 2023 the Council’s Executive Board considered the report ‘Transformation Programme and Budget Proposals’. The report proposed cessation of provision of the service by the Council from 1 April 2024, advising that it is a health function and for the ICB to consider future arrangements for its provision. The service is commissioned by the ICB in other Places.

On 15 June 2023 Halton Senior Leadership Team at the ICB endorsed the recommendation that commissioning and funding responsibility for the service transfers to the ICB with effect from 1 April 2024.Halton Senior Leadership Team at the ICB approved a temporary arrangement where HBC continue to provide the service, funded by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, pending finalisation of the process to secure a new provider. It was noted that Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust had been identified as the preferred future provider, with the service being varied into the contract.
    
A proposal was received from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust on 4 December 2023 setting out the proposed service and staffing model. The proposal outlined a plan for the community LD nursing team to join the existing learning disability community health provision in Halton provided by Mersey Care NHS Trust.

Following agreement of the proposal by the ICB a project group was established to oversee the recommissioning of the service to ensure the LD Nurse function is provided within the broader learning disability health team in Mersey Care NHS Trust. Halton Senior Leadership Team at the ICB approved a temporary arrangement where HBC continue to provide the service, funded by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, pending finalisation of the process to secure a new provider. It was noted that Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust had been identified as the preferred future provider, with the service being varied into the contract.

A proposal was received from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust on 4 December 2023 setting out the proposed service and staffing model. The proposal outlined a plan for the community LD nursing team to join the existing learning disability community health provision in Halton provided by Mersey Care NHS Trust.

Following agreement of the proposal by the ICB a project group was established to oversee the recommissioning of the service to ensure the LD Nurse function is provided within the broader learning disability health team in Mersey Care NHS Trust.

Consultation & Engagement 

Q4  What can I expect from the consultation and engagement process?
The legal requirements in accordance with TUPE are to inform and consult with employee representatives (Trade Union Reps which Mersey Care refer to as ‘staff side’). You can expect to have your views listened to and considered and receive feedback as appropriate.

You can request to have a discussion (individual consultation meeting) about the transfer. You can expect to receive details of any changes (measures) the new employer intends to make.

You can expect to receive regular updates during the consultation process.
We know that the language used in respect of TUPE may be difficult to understand.  You can expect information to be explained clearly and please ask about anything you are unsure of.

You can expect us to work in partnership to ensure a smooth transition for our colleagues. 

Q5     When will the formal consultation commence?
A process of meaningful  consultation commenced on 29 November for a period of 30 calendar days. During this time, you can if you wish to request an individual consultation meeting. To arrange this please email the dedicated inbox haltontupe@merseycare.nhs.uk. 

Q6    What is the timeline we are working to?

Formal consultation commenced on 29 October for a period of ‘meaningful consultation’ of 30 days. Consultation ends on 28 November (this date is flexible and can be extended to allow all colleagues an opportunity to have an individual consultation meeting if requested)

Individual consultation meetings to be arranged upon request. Mersey Care availability has been shared with Halton HR colleagues. 

TUPE transfer will be 13 January 2025.

Q7     Who will be doing the one to ones?
Rachel Mayner Nurse Consultant Learning Disability and Autism and Jayne Burton, Clinical Services Manager, will lead the 1:1 meetings supported by Jodie Senior, Strategic HR Lead.  Colleagues can be supported at the meetings by a staff side representative or a work colleague.

Q8    Where will I be based?
Your new base will be The Bridges Learning Centre, 7-9 Crow Wood Lane, Widnes, WA8 3NA. 

Q9   Is there enough office space at the new base and will this be a confidential working space?
Mersey Care NHS Trust are currently liaising with NHS property services to secure a further room at The Bridges Learning Centre to ensure sufficient office space is available. The current LD team manager has a plan to fully integrate the nursing team by ensuring the current office space is available to all staff, thus negating any requirement for the nursing team to be in a separate room. It has been identified that the additional office space in the Bridges learning centre is occasionally used as a ‘walk through’ for other healthcare staff/services. Concerns have been raised that this can compromise confidentiality of patient care and be disruptive to staff. 

This has been considered by the management team and steps are in place to minimise the concerns including purchase of room dividers to separate the ‘walk through.’ This room at the Bridges is one of a number of rooms that can be utilised and room planning has been carefully considered to maximise use of the rooms available, fully integrate the team and maintain patient confidentiality. 

Q10     When will Mersey Care supply us with a measures letter outlining any changes they are going to make?
The measures letter has been shared with Halton Borough Council HR on Wednesday, 6 November 2024.

Q11   I currently receive a ‘essential car user allowance’- will this be protected?
We are working with HR and operational colleague at Halton, to understand this is a contractual payment as discussed at the meeting of 29th October. We will confirm this in due course. 

Q12    Will I be able to claim for costs incurred as a result of travelling across Runcorn Bridge to new base?
Yes.

Q13    Will I be entitled to excess mileage?
You will be eligible to claim any excess mileage incurred as a result of your base change in accordance with Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions for a period of four years with effect from the move. 

Pensions/Pay/Leave  

Q14     Will my pension be affected and where can I find out more information about pensions?
The NHS operates an ‘auto enrol’ scheme for the pension and so should you not wish to join the NHS pension scheme you just need to ‘opt out.’ 
Within the NHS, Employee % contributions vary based on salary. 
Employer contributions from 1st April 2024 are 23.7% and is based on salary.
We have sought advice directly from pensions and have been advised that the employer contributions do not go into the members individual pension pot, so it doesn’t affect the benefits paid to the member. 
The NHS scheme is a career average scheme, this is based on a 54th of their pensionable pay for each year they are in the scheme and it is revalued each year. 
Further information regarding NHS pensions can be found using the following link below NHS Pensions | NHSBSA.

Q15     What is the pay date and frequency?                                                                                                Mersey Care colleagues are paid on the 26th of each month.

Q16     What will my annual leave entitlement be?
Depending on years’ service NHS colleagues will receive 27 days annual leave increasing to 33 days pro rota (excluding bank holidays). 

•     Up to 5 years’ service – 27 days.
•     5 -10 years’ service – 29 days.
•     After 10 years service – 33 days.

Purchasing additional annual leave is available on request.

Operational 

Q17    What will be the impact on the Halton population from a clinical perspective?
Job roles and structure will predominantly remain the same. There are no plans within the proposal to reduce the capacity of the nursing element of the service. Community LD nursing staff will continue to hold a caseload of people with a learning disability from the Halton area who require specialist LD nursing support regarding their health and wellbeing. Clinical pathways for care delivery within Mersey Care NHS Trust are informed by national guidance. The referral process will change for key stakeholders with a single point of referral to the ‘Community Learning Disability Team’ for allocation to the appropriate professional for assessment, care planning and formulation and care provision. The core business of those allocated to the nursing team will not change and is based on LD national clinical senate guidance. It is not envisaged that there will be any change or impact to the LD population in Halton in regards to clinical input from the service. 

The alignment of the services is likely to enable capacity within the service with reduction of duplication (triage / duty / initial assessments) as a shared responsibility and further improve joint working with other professional groups as part of the MDT. 

Q18     Are we required to wear a uniform and if so will they be provided?
Yes. Mersey Care made a decision to standardise uniforms across all clinical areas during 2022. The purpose is to ensure that patients / service users, their carers / families and staff can recognise and identify who is who in a busy ward or clinical environment by standardising the colourways for different professional groups.
There is an acknowledgment that sometimes when working with people with a learning disability, reasonable adjustments may be required to policy for example – if a service user has a fear of health professionals / uniforms. To ensure best clinical outcomes for service users, any reasonable adjustments would be care planned and implemented accordingly.

Uniforms will be provided to all staff based on the standardised colour system for professional groups. Uniforms will be provided to all staff based on the standardised colour system for professional groups. 

Q19    How is annual leave booked and monitored in Mersey Care? Will my requests for annual leave (including Christmas) be honoured?
Annual leave in Mersey Care NHS Trust is requested and monitored via health roster system which is managed by the team / Operational manager. The Christmas duty rota has been planned (as with the nursing rota) and will be amalgamated to ensure appropriate cover across the service.

Should the TUPE take place prior to Christmas, any pre-booked leave will be honoured and current plans for nursing cover will remain as decided by the current team manager in Halton Borough Council. 

Q20   I work condensed hours as part of my contract – will this be honoured?
Discussions are taking place with Halton colleagues to understand the working hours / patterns and contractual arrangements for those colleagues transferring into Mersey Care. 
Mersey Care is committed to looking after our colleagues to ensure our staff feel valued and supported, as echoed in our 2028 vision.

We work towards creating a friendly flexible working culture where colleagues have open conversations about flexible working and are given the opportunities to balance their family life and work commitments. Flexible working will help us attract and retain our colleagues, to diversify, increase motivation and morale, thus a happier workforce to deliver excellent patient care. You may be aware that it is one of the elements in our NHS People Promise and it can make a big difference in improving our experience in the workplace.

Q21   Will you be arranging to meet the team outside for formal consultation to pick up BAU / operational matters?
An informal session has taken place on 7th November as agreed at Bridges learning centre including current Operational manager, Matron for clinical service and Clinical service manager. A further session has been arranged for 25th November. Staff are welcome to discuss any concerns regarding BAU and operational matters. 

Q22    Will there be communication with GPs, patients etc ahead of transfer?
Communication leads from Mersey Care, the ICB and Halton Local Authority are linking in to ensure all stakeholders are informed of the plans pre and post transfer.
Weekly meetings have been scheduled with each of the communication managers.

Q23   What training do I need to undertake at Mersey Care? 
All Mersey Care staff complete mandatory training requirements and in addition any specific clinical training required is discussed and agreed with line manager as part of supervision of PACE (annual appraisal). 

Q24     Can we have a dedicated email address for questions?
An email account has been set up where affected colleagues can raise any questions they may have as part of this process. There is a commitment to respond to your query within 48 hours. The email address is haltontupe@merseycare.nhs.uk

Q25     Can colleagues raise questions anonymously?
Yes, questions can be raised via your staff side representatives, by managers on your behalf or a HR colleague. 

Q26     Who can I approach for support and to ask questions?
As above. Your managers, your local HR teams and the Halton Tupe email address are all available routes for you to ask questions and to receive answers.  We will update the micro site with the latest information.  

Q27   Will there be opportunities for shadowing / buddying?
A planned local induction will be provided to all staff moving to Mersey Care including opportunities for shadowing both with the broader nursing teams across other 5 place areas team and Halton MDT.

Q28   What new systems will I be required to use and will training be provided?
Rio – our patient electronic record system is used within learning disability community services, mental health service and other community-based services within the Trust. The hope is that access and training for the ‘Rio’ clinical record system will be coordinated prior to the completion of the transfer to enable staff to utilise the clinical system immediately. 

Q29    When will staff have access to a Mersey Care email account to enable them to forward any current emails that may need transferring over?
Email addresses have been set up and shared with team manager to disseminate upon transfer. We can’t provide full log on information for the MCT accounts until transfer date, but we can share what the email addresses are.

MCT IG and Halton IG have been liaising around the colleagues saving any information they wish to transfer over into a file ready for transfer (this can’t contain any clinical data).  
 
Q30     Does Mersey Care NHS Trust notify nursing staff of NMC registration and validation requirements?
If the role requires a particular professional registration (e.g. NMC) the recruitment team will check the relevant professional body website to verify that individuals have the required professional registration. This information will be monitored of the ESR (Electronic staff record system).

Staff are wholly responsible for ensuring that their professional registration is maintained. The Trust will undertake appropriate pre-employment checks as well as monthly checks of the professional registration of colleagues to ensure ongoing compliance with NHS Employment Check Standards, however ultimate responsibility and accountability is with all colleagues to maintain their registration.
There are some actions that the Trust takes to support the monitoring of registration including the running of monthly reports on professional registration compliance. This action is intended to assist in ensuring that all colleagues of the Trust maintain appropriate registration.

Colleagues will receive their own reminders from the professional and regulatory body they are registered with and are responsible for maintaining professional update.

Q31  There remain some vacancies on the team. Will these vacancies be filled following the transfer?
Mersey Care does not envisage any changes to the current structure of the team and is currently reviewing the financial envelope to ensure that the remaining posts are within the budget. 

Q32   Will the nursing team be involved in Trust developments ie: clinical pathways?
There is currently an Operational Transformation Programme for learning disability and autism in the trust which is being led by the associate Director for Learning Disability and the Nurse Consultant for LD and A. As part of this, there is opportunity under the clinical network for staff to be involved in the development of clinical pathways and implementation thereof. Staff moving over to the service will be encouraged to support with any pathway development work

Q33  How does the office rota work?
During the meeting the team manager showed an example of the office rota including allocation of duty/triage and buddy system in relation to lone work policy. The rota is completed by the team manager and staff moving into the service will be included within the rota following induction.

Q34   Will there be a local induction?
Yes. In addition to the Trust induction a local induction has been planned which will cover practicalities in relation to daily operations of the service. 

Q35  Will the nurses be seated in the new room in the Bridges learning centre and will they be sat      together? 
The current LD team manager has a plan to fully integrate the nursing team by ensuring the office space is available to all staff, thus negating any requirement for the nursing team to be in a separate room. It has been identified that the additional office space in the Bridges learning centre is occasionally used as a ‘walk through’ for other healthcare staff/services. Concerns have been raised that this can compromise confidentiality of patient care and be disruptive to staff. 

This has been considered by the management team and steps are in place to minimise the concerns including purchase of room dividers to separate the ‘walk through.’ This room at the Bridges is one of a number of rooms that can be utilised and room planning has been carefully considered to maximise use of the rooms available, fully integrate the team and maintain patient confidentiality. 
 

We have similar services across the Mersey Care footprint. These links will take you to our public website which describes each service in turn.

Learning disability service for adults in Halton provided by Mersey Care

Learning Disability Community Team in Knowsley :: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Our Learning Disability Community Team in Liverpool

Our Learning Disability Community team in South Sefton, Southport and Formby, and Liverpool

Learning Disability Community Team in St Helens :: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Learning Disability Community Team in Warrington:: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust