NHS Agenda for Change Pay Query

[thelurker]

Has anyone managed joined the NHS and not started on the lowest increment for Agenda for change banding?

What/If any tips to get a better a rate or are these "rules" set in stone?

Cheers

[cojak]

Sorry the question does not compute. Is this a contractor question?

[NickNick]

Has anyone managed joined the NHS and not started on the lowest increment for Agenda for change banding?

What/If any tips to get a better a rate or are these "rules" set in stone?

Cheers

If your question is:
Has anyone managed to join the NHS recently and not started on the lowest increment point in the "Agenda for change" banding? If so, do you have any tips for getting that better rate or would I be wasting my time in asking?

My answer is nope.

[BA to the Stars]

Agenda For Change when first introduced was biased very heavily in favour of clinicians especially those working on wards, including basing the gradings on number of patients seen per day, having to lift objects and people, etc.

Bearing in mind that the NHS employees people from gardeners to IT staff, drivers to cooks the one size fits all approach adopted made it very hard for many staff to obtain upgrades.

[speling bee]

I have been an NHS employee and have recruited people under AfC. Typically, the only way you start on a different point from the bottom is if you are already on that AfC band (or a higher band).

It is difficult to subvert this. But... if you have an offer, you are in a negotiation, so say what you want and know what the minimum you are prepared to expect is. Be prepared not to get a deal.

[Darksider]

Very uncommon to be put into the middle of a band unless transferring across from high in a previous band.

[Sean Key]

Yes you can....

Very uncommon to be put into the middle of a band unless transferring across from high in a previous band.

As part of your negotiating more 'spine points' you can claim to have equivalent years experience, if the Trust has a policy for it.

The policies I saw would take into account years experience at the equivalent grade, you have to make the argument with a letter and copy of your CV, and perhaps references and validated previous job descriptions. The policies I saw would include permanent and relief work experience but deliberately excluded contracting experience, still policies vary, so have a go.

e.g. first example I hit on google (using: nhs recruitment policy banding)

Starting Salary and Incremental Dates
3.49 All new employees should be appointed on a salary point in the relevant band that is
no higher than the second Gateway point in that band.
3.50 When an internal candidate is offered a job that is at a higher pay band, pay should
be set at the minimum of the new pay band. However, if this would result in no
increase either because the individual is receiving a bonus or recruitment and
retention premium or because they are at the top of the band, the individual would go
to the first pay point in the band which would result in an increase in pay.
3.51 Only in exceptional circumstances will a starting salary which is higher than the
second gateway point be agreed, this would normally be where posts is of such a
specialist nature that the higher salary is necessary to secure the best candidate for
the post. Such cases must be discussed with Corporate Human Resources prior to
the salary offer being made.
3.52 When an internal candidate is offered a job that is at the same pay band as their
current role, they would normally move across on the same pay point. Where an
employee has been in receipt of a bonus payment in their current role, this may be
consolidated and a higher pay point offered. However, this will be no higher than the
top point of the relevant pay band and no protection will be payable.
3.53 In exceptional circumstances the Divisional Managing Director can authorise for a
successful candidate to be appointed further up the pay scale. This decision should
be discussed with Corporate Human Resources.

From : http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Documents/N..._-_Issue_3.pdf

There are only two gateway points in a band, one near the bottom and the other near the top. . Gateway points relate to KSF, the annual increments come from spine points, and there's around 7 to 10? per band. So say there were 10 spine points you might find the first gateway at spine point 2 and the second at spine point 8.

Hope that helps.

[Darksider]

I was with the NHS since 2004 and never once seen someone actually step through a gateway. Trying to prove it via KSF always ends up falling short, and once you've missed the first gap, you get stuck on the yearly increment for another 5/6 years.