Correct pay rates, care agency workers

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland) should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland),

Dear
On 4 March BSO wrote a letter to all care agencies in NI contracted by all Health Trusts in NI and wrote as follows:

"We would like to remind contracted suppliers of their obligations under the Framework and
the Agency Worker Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 to ensure that, in terms of the
payment of enhancements for unsocial hours, pay parity is applied to the hours 8.00pm-
6.00am for night shift workers as outlined in the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service
Handbook. We would like specifically to remind contracted suppliers of the following from the
Handbook:

Where a continuous night shift or evening shift on a weekday (other than a public holiday)
includes hours outside the period of 8pm to 6am, the enhancements should be applied to the
whole shift if more than half of the time falls between 8pm and 6am. "

Please outline clearly and concisely without ambiguity, which care agencies have started to charge/invoice your trust at the correct night rate between 6-8am weeknights, given that 3 months have now passed since the letter was received.

Please outline clearly which agencies have not started to invoice at the correct rate.

If agencies have not and your Trust is aware of the reason why, please outline the reason.

Please outline which agencies have submitted requests for backpay and if your Trust will oblige requests for backpay or not and if not , why not.
Yours faithfully,

Joan Corrigan

Governance, Info, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

Health & Social Care has experienced unprecedented pressures due to COVID-19. The Trust understands the significance of your request and we will endeavour to meet the legislative deadlines in all situations; however, delays may occur. We therefore would appreciate your forbearance during these exceptional circumstances. Should you wish to speak to a member of staff, please contact 028 2766 1293.

Jardine, Irene, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

Dear Joan, I acknowledge receipt of your request below.

 

Your request is being processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000;
however, as you will appreciate, Health & Social Care are experiencing
pressures due to COVID 19 and you may experience a delay.

 

Your patience and understanding during this period is very much
appreciated. 

 

Kind regards.

 

Irene Jardine

INFORMATION GOVERNANCE OFFICER

(T)028276 61415/X363415

 

 

 

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Jardine, Irene, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

3 Attachments

Dear Joan, please find attached.

 

Kind regards.

 

Irene Jardine

Information Governance Officer

Tel:  028 276 61415 (ext 363415)

Causeway House

8e Coleraine Road

BALLYMONEY    BT53 6BP

[1]cid:image002.png@01D685FD.0EAA9A10

 

 

 

From: Jardine, Irene
Sent: 28 May 2021 08:46
To: '[FOI #760037 email]'
Subject: FW: Freedom of Information request - Correct pay rates, care
agency workers - Our Reference JC270521

 

Dear Joan, I acknowledge receipt of your request below.

 

Your request is being processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000;
however, as you will appreciate, Health & Social Care are experiencing
pressures due to COVID 19 and you may experience a delay.

 

Your patience and understanding during this period is very much
appreciated.

 

Kind regards.

 

Irene Jardine

INFORMATION GOVERNANCE OFFICER

(T)028276 61415/X363415

 

 

 

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Dear Ms Jardine
Your Trust has stated, in response to the question:

"If agencies have not and your Trust is aware of the reason why, please outline
the reason. "

"We are not aware of the reasons "

I do not believe that to be factual or true.

I have been informed that agencies are trying to invoice the correct rates, but it is Trusts who are obstructing that from happenign and making them wait, and it is completely disingenuous to expect me to belive , that after a letter such as the one from BSO in March 2021, that agencies would not be immediately trying to invoice at the correct rate and that communication around that woud have been substanatial. If Trusts , such as yours have denied agencies the right to invcice at the legal rate, then that will have been communciated to them clearly, somehow, with reasons, and to say you are not aware of the reasons, is frankly, a lie.

* The public have a right to know about this communication especially as Trusts , if impeding this correct payment, are potentially liable / partly liable for breaking NI legisaltion , namely Agency workers regulations 2011.

*It is my belief that not only does N Trust know the reasons, it is creating the reasons.

*I do not accept your answer to the question at the top of this message as outlined above and I am requesting an internal review.

Yours sincerely,

Joan Corrigan

Jardine, Irene, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

I work Mon, Wed and Friday, outside of these days
please direct your email to [Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland) request email] or contact 028 276 61293 if urgent.

Ms Jardine
You stated in your last message that you work Monday. Today is Monday.
I have requested an internal review. Please acknowledge this request in writing.

Yours faithfully,

Joan Corrigan

Governance, Info, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

Health & Social Care has experienced unprecedented pressures due to COVID-19. The Trust understands the significance of your request and we will endeavour to meet the legislative deadlines in all situations; however, delays may occur. We therefore would appreciate your forbearance during these exceptional circumstances. Should you wish to speak to a member of staff, please contact 028 2766 1293.

Moore, Marjorie, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland)

Good morning,

I wish to acknowledge your request for an internal review to be completed on your Freedom of Information request.

Kind Regards,
Marjorie

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Dear Moore, Marjorie,
On 3 June I requested an Internal Review

Please outline an expected response date.

Yours sincerely,

Joan Corrigan

Dear Moore, Marjorie,

On 3 June I requested an Internal Review

it is now nearly 2 MONTHS later

I will give your org 1 week to answer, then the issue will go to NIPSO , ICO and a variety of NI MPs

Stop insulting people who have a legal right to be given the information requested, you are making a mockery of Data law.

,

Joan Corrigan