Whalley Retraction

This is an archived news page from May 2022 and is now out of date. Please click here for the latest information.

A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the move off the Whalley site is available for staff. 

Section 188 Collective Consultation
Q1. What is section 188 and why is the trust following this process?
Mersey Care have a duty to consult with trade union representatives under section 188: Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (legislation.gov.uk) to collectively consult with colleagues affected by this process.

The Trust’s principal aim is that everyone affected by the retraction process agrees to move to Aspen Wood. However, if not everyone agrees, the Trust may need to terminate the contracts of some staff who have not agreed. Whilst those individuals will all be differed jobs at Aspen Wood, technically the reason for any dismissals would be redundancy. This is where section 188 comes in.

The Trust will commence collective consultation for a minimum of 45 days from 12 September 2023.

The Trust is committed to mitigating any risk of redundancy and will consult with trade union representatives on ways to:
- avoid any redundancies, and
- reduce the numbers of employees who may be dismissed.

The principal way in which we will seek to do this is by encouraging colleagues to agree to move to Maghull.

We recognise that this is a difficult process for those affected and as such, we have developed a support package for colleagues, further information is provided within this document and is also available on the micro site Whalley retraction page.

We will be inviting staff side colleagues to engage positively with us in the collective consultation process and to make suggestions themselves for any other ways in which we can seek to secure the agreement of staff to move to Aspen Wood, and thus avoid the risk of dismissals, or reduce the number of dismissals.

An indicative timeline has been developed outlining the process ahead and envisaged next steps from 12 September 2023.

Proposed Timeline
“Section 188” letters to be issued 12/09/2023
45 day collective consultation period commences 12/09/2023, ends 27/10/2023 Communication to all affected colleagues 13/09/2023
Update letters for all colleagues 12/09/2023, ends 27/10/2023
Commence and offer 1:1 consultation period 27/10/2023, ends 08/12//2023
Letters confirming to staff of any outcome following the consultation period 08/12/2023, ends 01/03/2024

Q2. Will I have to have another consultation meeting and who will be doing the one to ones?
All colleagues will have an opportunity to have a further 1:1. These are not mandatory. Due to the number of colleagues affected by this process, and thus the number of potential 1:1 consultation meetings needing to be arranged, we have identified a group of independent senior managers who are designated to support with this process. These managers are not contracted to the Whalley site and therefore not in scope for the organisational change process. A HR representative will also be present for the one to one meetings where possible and colleagues can be supported at the meetings by a staff side representative or a workplace colleague. These will be offered via teams as well as face to face.

Q3. Can you confirm we have job security?
For colleagues employed within the Secure Care division there is a suitable alternative offer of employment for everyone that agrees to move to Aspen Wood. We would like our colleagues to come with us to Aspen Wood and have offered incentives to support colleagues to do so which will help to mitigate on any financial impact of the re-location. In addition to any additional mileage incurred from home to new base will also be protected for a period of 4 years in accordance with Agenda for Change terms and conditions. We do fully appreciate that some colleagues may have concerns in respect of personal commitments for example, and all these concerns can be explored as part of this process.

Our main aim is for all our colleagues to remain within the Mersey Care or the wider NHS so that the valuable skills and experience every individual brings is retained and as such we are working with neighbouring trusts around clearing house principles. We are already working closely with LSCFT in regard to opportunities for colleagues within the Woodview unit that they will open on site in October 2023 and the potential opportunities within this unit for any displaced colleagues. We have also communicated to colleagues on 15 August 2023 and 12 September 2023 to outline the current roles available at Woodview and the process should colleague wish to express an interest in these opportunities.

Q4. Is redundancy an option?
It is understandable that some colleagues will be fearful of this process and the potential for job losses however we would like to reassure you that Mersey Care is committed to retaining employment for all colleagues, and it is the intention of the Trust to minimise the risk of redundancy. As detailed above, as part of this process suitable alternative employment will be explored. We will be working in partnership with the Integrated Care Board (ICB’s) and other NHS organisations to use the clearing house principles (previously shared) and seek to re-deploy colleagues across the wider NHS where is it not possible to retain them in Mersey Care (further detail below).

Q5. Will the trust be able to offer suitable alternative employment in another trust?
Yes, we will be exploring suitable alternative employment within the wider NHS family to secure employment for those colleagues affected by this process.

Agenda for Change (AFC) NHS booklet section 16, outlines the following section regarding the Trust to seek alternative opportunities for a person through particular arrangements:

16.17 Employers have a responsibility before making a member of staff redundant or agreeing early retirement on grounds of redundancy to seek suitable alternative employment for that person, either in their own organisation or through arrangements with another NHS employer. Employers should avoid the loss of staff through redundancy wherever possible to retain valuable skills and experience where appropriate within the local health economy.

16.18 ‘Suitable alternative employment’, for the purposes of paragraph 17, should be determined by reference to Sections 138 and 141 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. In considering whether a post is suitable alternative employment, regard should be had to the personal circumstances of the employee. Employees will, however, be expected to show some flexibility.

The Trust will be following this practise and is currently seeking opportunities to colleagues in other NHS organisations.

Q6. What opportunities will the trust provide in relation to SAE (suitable alternative employment):
The Trust considers that the offer of a role in Aspen Wood is a suitable alternative employment (SAE) for all affected staff who live within one hours travel of the new site. The trust is also working hard to seek and secure possible alternative employment within the local NHS Trusts, for those who decide they would rather not move to Aspen Wood. As part of this there is an agreed memorandum of understanding to support colleagues who are placed formally “At Risk” as a result of this organisational change. The key principle behind this is to retain knowledge, skills and experience within the NHS, avoiding a redundancy situation. Work has commenced to identify the workforce leads in the local Trusts and discussions will commence imminently about how we can support one another with this process and secure preferential treatment in recruitment processes for our “At Risk” colleagues.

The NHS has a significant number of vacancies across the country at present so whilst we hope to retain all our colleagues from the Whalley site within Mersey Care we are also optimistic that we will be able to secure NHS employment elsewhere for anyone on the Whalley site who cannot continue their journey with us to Maghull Health Park or other Trust sites.

Q7. If there are no job offers that I deem suitable, what happens next?
We are committed to offering suitable alternative employment (SAE) at Aspen Wood and we want all of our Whalley colleagues to transfer. There is an offer of employment for all of our colleagues affected by this process. The trust considers that the offer of a role in Aspen Ward is SAE for all affected staff who live within one hours travel of the new site.

If you feel that an offer of suitable employment is not suitable to you his will, be explored in the induvial consultation process. As mentioned above, there may be opportunities or you may be offered SAE at another NHS Trust, where available.

We are committed to avoiding making any colleague redundant as part of this process with the aim to protect employment and retain knowledge, skills, and experience in the NHS, hence also securing opportunities across the wider NHS via the clearing house process. If a colleague is at risk of redundancy, they will be placed on the ‘at risk’ register for 12 weeks and be given priority consideration for any posts identified as ‘reasonable suitable alternatives’ in line with their skills, experience, and capabilities. During this time, you will remain in your substantive role.

Q8 Who assesses what job role I would be suitable for?
In accordance with the trust Organisational Change Policy (HR19) the Trust will seek to redeploy colleagues who are declared ‘at risk’ to a reasonable suitable alternative post within the Trust. Wherever possible this will be a post on the same band, pay, working hours and competencies. . A post at one pay band lower with protection may also be deemed as a reasonable suitable alternative. In relation to re-deployment we would look at suitable offers of employment that would align with your skills and experience, so where possible a role similar to that you are currently doing. Any decisions regarding someone’s appropriateness for a future role will be based on their substantive job role and banding. All attempts to redeploy people will be made, including exploring reasonable suitable alternative employment at neighbouring Trusts. This process will be managed by the management lead for the process with the support of HR.

Q9 What if I refuse an offer of suitable alternative employment or fail to apply for any other roles?
Where an “at risk” colleague fails to make application for a post brought to their attention as suitable it will be deemed that they have refused reasonable suitable alternative employment and as such may forfeit their right to a redundancy payment. Agenda for Change 16.26 states that an employee who has ‘unreasonably refused to apply for or accept, suitable alternative health service employment within four weeks of the termination date’ is not entitled to a redundancy payment.

Q10 How many Trusts will be involved the “Clearing House” (redeployment) process?
The Trust are working collaboratively with HR and operational leads from neighbouring
trusts in respect of the whalley retraction process:
• Lancashire Teaching Hospital
• East Lancashire Hospital Trust
• Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB
• Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS
• Greater Manchester Mental Health

Links for their current roles:
Further details will be shared in due course.

Q11. Could we move to LSCFT and work in Woodview as an outcome of this process?
The Trust are working closely with colleagues at LSCFT in respect of their intentions for the Whalley site. As stated, we are aware that Woodview will open prior to the site retraction as a mental health inpatient unit and they are currently looking to recruit to this unit. We continue to work collaboratively with HR and operational leads from LSCFT in respect of the clearing house and opportunities for our displaced colleagues to remain on the Whalley site working within this unit.

As part of our wider discussions and planning for the Whalley site retraction we are also working collaboratively with our organisational effectiveness (OE) team and appropriate disciplines to ascertain any further support that can be provided to colleagues in respect of training or additional familiarisation that may assist them when seeking alternative opportunities via clearing house processes should they not relocate to Aspen Wood with the Trust.

Q12. If I have to go through a redeployment process, will I be placed on the redeployment register?
Yes, the redeployment processes in accordance with the Trust Organisational Change policy will apply and colleagues will be placed on the ‘at risk’ register for a period (based upon their length of service). This will mean that any colleague affected by this process will be considered ahead of other colleagues who are not ‘at risk’ across the trust for vacancies within the Trust that may be classed as suitable alternative employment. Please refer to the trust organisational change policy for further information particularly relating to this or alternatively your HR representative can provide further advice.

Q13. If a clearing house operation were in place and you changed to another Trust will your MHO status remain valid if you have it now?
Yes, when transferring from one NHS trust to another your MHO status would remain in place as long as there was no break in service.

Q14. If a colleague were to be redeployed internally within the Trust, how long does pay protection last?
If a colleague is moved into a job that is one band lower as a result of the organisational change then their pay is protected. The period depends on the start date of the employee: Pre 2011 it would be protected for two years, post 2011 it would be protected for one year. Please refer to the Trust Organisational change policy for further information.

Q15. Will Mersey Care fund any retraining for prospective job roles (besides clearing house offers also) before site closure?
If a suitable role is identified for which you meet the minimum essential requirements for the role (or can with reasonable / appropriate training) a trial period can be made available which allows for both the Trust and colleague to assess the suitability of the post. The recruiting manager will support the redeployee and design training and development opportunities specific to their needs.

Incentives
Q16. What are the incentives for all staff groups for Aspen Wood?
We have updated our incentives over the last several months. We are pleased to provide you with an updated version: Whalley site news: Jobs, future plans and service changes :: YourSpace Mersey Care

Personal circumstances:
Q17. If I move to Aspen Wood the journey to and from work will put too much time on my day. What assistance will be given?
As part of the pre consultation process we have already identified that some colleagues will have a longer commute when they move to Aspen Wood. Payment for excess mileage will be made. It is envisaged that the agreed shift times will mean that colleagues will be travelling outside of the usual rush hour times so that we can lessen the travel time for colleagues and this will be taken into account when determining the times of the shifts. All Colleagues who will travel to Aspen Wood will be also paid travel time, up to a maximum of two hours per shift (one hour each way) for a period of two years.

Q18. Will flexible working be available if I do move to Aspen Wood?
Where a colleague requires some flexibility in their working times because of personal needs, these will be considered in line with the operational needs of the new unit and the spread of working patterns across Aspen Wood.

It is recognised that some colleagues may already have individual flexible working patterns which will be discussed at individual consultation meetings and that for others, some additional flexibility may be required to accommodate individual needs. If this is applicable to you then please ensure that this is raised as part of your individual consultation meeting. Once we know the full range of requests from colleagues, a determination will be made as to whether your request can be honoured. It is anticipated that we will be able to accommodate a variety of flexible working requests but this will be very dependant on individual and service needs.

Q19. What help will be offered to me as I care for a family member?
During the consultation phase of the organisational change programme, all colleagues will have the ability to have a confidential individual meeting with a relevant manager and a HR representative. We are aware that many colleagues will have caring responsibilities and where these exist we will attempt to work with colleagues and their representatives to discuss options for making a request for a flexible working pattern which will suit both the needs of the organisation and the colleague. Consultation is an important part of this whole change programme and all reasonable efforts will be made to work with affected colleagues in this regard. It should be noted that any decisions about flexible working patterns will be taken in light of operational need as well.

Q20. What is being put in place to support our health and wellbeing?
The Trust has a plethora of health and wellbeing initiatives which will all remain applicable to colleagues working at Aspen Wood. The Trust ensures that colleagues are well cared for when they need some personal assistance and this will not change. In the run up to the relocation of colleagues the Trust will provide additional inputs in respect of resilience and reaction to change as it is recognised that change in the workplace can cause anxiety to colleagues. Once the new unit is established our OE colleagues will continue to support the transition with activities to promote team building through team coaching and associated initiatives in order to develop colleagues at the new site. Colleagues who require individual support for health related conditions will be able to raise these at their individual consultation meetings and reasonable adjustments will be made in line with personal, organisational and legislative need.

Q21. Will my pension be affected?
If you remain in employment with Mersey Care and you are a member of the NHS pension scheme there will be no impact on your pension. If you access a role via the proposed clearing house process with another NHS employer, as long as there is no break in service then your pension rights and continuous employment will be unaffected.

Q22. Will night contracts remain for colleagues who hold these currently?
For colleagues who remain with Mersey Care and transfer with the service to Aspen Wood night contracts will be honoured and remain for colleagues who already hold these. This may be subject to review at a later point depending upon service needs however there is no intention to withdraw these for colleagues who hold them at this time.

For colleagues who move as part of a clearing house process this is something that would need to be discussed with prospective employers as part of this process.

Q23. What will happen to people on daytime only contracts will these be changed?
In order to run Aspen Wood successfully within the financial envelope provided by commissioners there is a need for colleagues to be employed on rotational (days and nights) contracts however dependent upon personal circumstances requests for flexible working patterns will be considered.

Aspen Wood LSU:
Q24. What can you tell us about Aspen Wood?
Aspen Wood is a purpose built unit based upon the Maghull Health Park which will deliver a new model of care. It has been designed with strong input from our LD staff and service users and has a strong focus on rehabilitation. It is close to local facilities in the community as well as near to one of the largest concentrations of specialist mental health and learning disability professionals in Europe. Aspen Wood is built on Trust land, with a railway station and the motorway network close to hand, but with plenty of open space, gardens, even squirrels and outdoor gym areas for staff. It will be the heart of our low secure care from March 2024.

Q25. When will Aspen Wood be ready as we have heard different dates for this?
The new unit will be built and in a position to hand over to the Trust in summer 2023. Following handover there will be a three month period whereby colleagues are trained and the building is prepared for occupancy which will happen in March 2024.

Q26. Will any new colleagues recruited for Aspen Wood shadow colleagues on Maplewood to get to know the service users prior to moving?
Yes, it is expected that colleagues recruited for Aspen Wood will come and work at Whalley for a period whilst waiting for the unit to open.

Q27. Are Learning Disability colleagues going to be expected to work across Mental Health as well as Learning Disability wards?
There is an expectation that in the longer-term colleagues will be cross trained and have transferrable skills which will enable mobilisation across all wards in the secure care division if necessary. However, colleagues would predominantly work in their preferred area, unless asked to cover other areas in times of shortage etc.

Q28. Can Learning Disability trained nurses (and support staff) work in Mental Health units and are skills transferrable?
The short answer to this is yes. This is something we and other NHS have supported and continue to support and provides colleagues with great opportunities for new experience and further development. Learning disability nurses play a vital role working across the whole life span in both health and care settings. The main areas of your role as a learning disability nurse involve: improving or maintaining a person's physical and mental health. In the UK, there are four fields of nursing (learning disabilities and mental health nursing being two of these). Whilst nurses study a specific field of practice as part of their nursing degree (and each field has a specific type of registration), all registered nurses will be expected to meet the essential mental and physical health needs of people of all ages and conditions including those needing end-of-life care. Some nurses qualify in multiple fields and so will be registered in more than one field and choosing field, does not prevent registered nurses working in any of the four fields.

A registered nurse is a member of the nursing profession who has a specialised and important role in the lives of people. The registered nurse (both Learning disability and Mental health ) supports the physical, mental, emotional, psychological, educational , spiritual and social needs of any person in services. The most important model of care should build on established joint working practices to enhance and extend partnership working amongst all nurses.

All registered nurses and midwives must act in line with the values and behaviours set out by their professional body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council in “The Code; professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives” (2015). The Code contains a series of statements that taken together signify what good nursing practice looks like, which is the same for LD and MI nurses.

The particular knowledge, skills and experiences of the Registered Nurse - Learning Disability and Mental health, are transferable across the wide range of health and social care services. This includes roles within management structures and nurse development functions.

Although there are different fields of nursing, registered nurses will be expected to meet the essential mental and physical health needs of people of all ages and conditions and be adept in their approach and the nursing degree will have provided nurses with a whole host of subject-specific and transferrable skills.

The Trust have had some initial informal discussion with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in respect of the Woodview Unit which will open on the Whalley site this Summer as a Mental Health unit. We are exploring the possibility of clearing house options within this unit for potentially displaced colleagues and there has been some conversation in respect of whether learning disability training nurses have holding powers under section 5(4) of the Act. Within the Code of Practice for the Mental Health Act 1983 there is a section, which states:

“Hospital managers should ensure that suitably qualified, experienced and competent nurses are available to all wards where there is a possibility of section 5(4) being invoked, particularly acute psychiatric admission wards and wards where there are patients who are acutely unwell or who require intensive nursing care. Where nurses may have to apply the power to patients from outside their specialist field, it is good practice for hospital managers to arrange suitable training in the use of power in such situations.” Mental Health Act 1983 (publishing.service.gov.uk) page 162 section 18.28

We recognise that colleagues may be anxious about working in a field of nursing which is different to the specific field of training they undertook. We also understand that some colleagues may not want to do this and may wish to remain in their field of choice. If you have any queries or concerns please discuss with your manager in the first instance.

We have been working closely as a Senior Nursing team with HR, Organisational Effectiveness and Staff Wellbeing Services to ensure that our colleagues are fully supported with appropriate training and skills to aid with any potential transitions and have access to wellbeing services which will build confidence in these areas for those colleagues who may wish to move between fields of nursing. The Trust will ensure that our colleagues receive individual and personalised support which will be identifiable as soon as formal processes and individual one to one meetings take place but if any colleague wishes to discuss this in advance of that then please approach your line manager in the first instance.

This applies equally to qualified and non-qualified colleagues and brings a vast number of opportunities for many of you going forward. Of course, it remains an individual choice as to whether people wish to access this support and opportunity or whether people would like to seek alternative employment in their current field. The Trust deem that, in line with the NMC Code of Practice, any offer of employment across the various fields of nursing is a suitable alternative role and therefore colleagues should be aware that they may forfeit their rights to any redundancy payment should they wish to decline any offer of suitable alternative employment in the event this circumstance arises.

Q29. If you agreed to work at Aspen Wood, would you be moved and expected to cover on Rowan View or other areas?
Whilst your main role would be in Aspen Wood, there may be a time that requires colleagues to mobilise, as we do now. This operational practice has always been the case on the Whalley site.

Q30. Can there be a display in the reception area so that we can see what Aspen Wood will look like?
Yes there is a display in Maplewood reception. There is also the Trust webpage regarding Aspen Wood which has been launched and can be accessed here- Maghull Low Secure Unit (LSU) (merseycare.nhs.uk) Please visit the link to see videos/virtual tour of Aspen Wood.

Q31. Can we visit Aspen Wood and can service users attend too?
We have 4 Aspen Wood champions identified who will support visits, help disseminate information, support training and generally be involved and keep colleagues involved in the whole process. The service users identified to transfer to Aspen Wood (which will be nearer the time) will absolutely get a chance to visit. A minibus has now been arranged every Thursday morning to take colleagues to view Aspen Wood, please contact Paula Taylor if you would like to book a visit.

Q32. How do I become an Aspen Wood ‘Change Champion’ and what does this involve?
Please contact Stephanie Phillips who would be happy to discuss this further with colleagues who are interested in becoming a champion. Further details can also be found on the micro site.

Q33. If colleagues find other jobs prior to the opening of Aspen Wood how will the services provided at Whalley continue until March 2024?
The Trust will develop a robust service continuity plan which will consider all options to ensure a safe and effective transition for service users and colleagues. It is our hope that we can retain as many of our valued Whalley colleagues as we can, as we would not want to lose your knowledge, skills and in many cases, significant years of experience.

Communications and Engagement:
Q34. Where can we find out information about the Whalley site and Aspen Wood?
The Trust have developed a page on the Trust internet solely focused to Aspen Wood. This is a public page and can be accessed internally and externally to the organisation (please click the blue text here to access the public website). There has also been a microsite set up on the intranet for colleagues affected around the retraction which contains all the information we have available at this time. It is intended that this page will provide regular updates and share communications sent via email that may otherwise be missed. This internal webpage set up to support colleagues and provide information around the Whalley site.

Q35. 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 three working days. The email address is whalleyretraction@merseycare.nhs.uk

Q36. Will there be any more focus groups in the future?
You will be aware that a number of focus groups have been arranged with colleagues including manager walk arounds to talk informally about our incentives packages to support our colleagues to transfer to Aspen Wood.

We will continue to offer engagement events prior to the site retraction to allow colleagues to talk about concerns you may have at this stage and to provide some reassurance.

We will continue to ensure that communications are shared regularly from management and executive leaders and opportunities for colleagues to share feedback will also be provided. Staff side colleagues will also be engaged and consulted with throughout and able to offer support to their members.

We recognise that any change process can cause heightened anxiety and so will offer as much support to our colleagues as needed as part of this process and continue to seek feedback of anything further we can do to support our colleagues at this time.

Q37. Can colleagues raise questions anonymously?
Yes questions can be raised via your staff side representatives, by managers on your behalf or a HR colleague. Please see above for details of the Whalley retraction email account.

Q41. Who can I approach for support and to ask questions?
We will update the micro site with the latest information. Your managers, your local HR teams and the Whalley retraction email address are all available routes for you to ask questions and to receive answers. Lastly a number of your colleagues have volunteered to be Change Champions through whom queries and issues can be raised. Their details are included on the Aspen Wood microsite or you can request this via your manager.

Excess travel:
Q42. What is the payment for excess mileage?
The Trust pays excess mileage in accordance with Agenda for Change terms and conditions of service. This rate has now increased to 30p per excess mile from 1st January 2023 and will be payable for a period of up to four years from the date on which you are relocated to Aspen Wood provided that you do not change your contractual status in that time. As part of the bespoke incentives package the division are able to confirm that colleagues who secure promotion (within the division) will retain this payment for up to 4 years (from the date of the organisational change).

It has also been agreed that the Trust will support paid travel time for all colleagues who transfer to Aspen Wood for a period of two years.

Please see Q27 for the mileage rate allowances.

Q43. Previously the Whalley site had a provision that any additional travel time in excess of 30 minutes (over the usual commutable time) would be deemed unreasonable. Will this still apply?

No. This clause was never part of the original Calderstones organisational change policy and it did not transfer as a TUPE right on acquisition. In addition, it is not, and never has been, part of the Mersey Care organisational change policy. A determination of whether an alternative base is deemed reasonable in respect of a proposed suitable alternative role will be made dependent on role, and individual circumstances and each case would be considered on its own merit.

Q44. There is no direct bus or train route from Whalley to Maghull. What steps are the Trust taking for transporting colleagues?
It is envisaged that the majority of colleagues will use their own transport to get to the Maghull Health Park and where this incurs excess travel then they will be reimbursed at the new rate of 30p per mile (1st January 2023) for up to four years as per Agenda for Change terms and conditions provided they do not change their contractual status in that time. Colleagues will not be entitled to claim extra time to travel to their base of work which is in line with policy and consistent with the approach taken when re-locating service to Rowan View. At this moment in time there are no plans for the Trust to provide transport links. The Trust will continue to explore options which may provide support for colleagues who are relocated to Aspen Wood.

Q45. If I have recently been employed on a ‘Maghull contract’ will I still get travel expenses?
No, you would not be eligible to claim excess travel expenses as you have accepted a role with Maghull Health Park as your ultimate base at the time of being recruited but have been working at an interim location in the meantime.

Q46. Is excess mileage rate taxed when paid through salary?
Any expenses paid for excess travel are taxable but not pensionable. There is no upper limit on the amount of excess mileage paid.

Q47. I have a car lease with fleet solutions. What would I do about my lease if moved to Aspen Wood?
You need to directly contact Fleet Solutions regarding your own individual car lease. There may be an opportunity to extend your lease contract for a period of 2 to 3 months. In addition, you may be eligible to order a new lease under your current terms and conditions. We would not envisage our colleagues to suffer any financial detriment due to the incentives on offer (please refer to incentives section). The incentives agreed are to compensate for any personal circumstances and this includes any increase to costs incurred from any amendments to your lease agreement.

Q48. I am possibly looking into voluntary retirement. Do we have access to further details in respect of voluntary retirement?
Colleagues can be directed to the retirement guidance which outlines the process and procedure in full:
https://yourspace.merseycare.nhs.uk/application/files/7616/4243/1434/HR-G4_-_Retirement_Guidance-V2-uploaded_17_Jan_2022-Review_Dec_2022.pdf

Q49. Can you confirm the excess mileage rates as of 2023?
These are available in the Trust policy.