Archived decisions

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Personnel Committee Item 5

8 September 2004

Employee Assistance Programme - Personal Performance Consultants (PPC)

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: Jennifer McNeill Head of Human Resources - Tel: 023 8064 4000 ext 2348

1

Summary

1.1

As part of our programme of improving attendance at work and providing a source of support to our employees, the provision of an employee assistance programme has been reviewed and updated. The change came about following a tendering process for the service and recognition that there was very limited uptake with the previous provider. This report summarises the service now available to all our employees and the benefits we expect to receive.

1.2

This report is to provide background information to the presentation being given by PPC Resource to the Personnel Committee at this meeting.

2

Background

2.1

PPC made a successful bid for our work through a competitive tendering process and the new service was launched on 1 June 2004. This provides free and confidential support for all our employees and their immediate family. Professional advice is available for work, personal or home matters as it is recognised that if an issue persists it can have an impact on our ability to work at our best.

2.2

Support is already available from our Human Resources Department and Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare unit. Indeed, it was recognised that the workload of our Welfare Adviser was increasing significantly and there was a need to provide further support in this area. PPC Resource offers an external source of advice through trained and professional counsellors who are accessed through a `free phone' number available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

2.3

In finalising the service we required from PPC Resource and the administration of this, we worked closely with our Welfare Adviser as her professional input was key to ensuring that this source of external support was `joined up' and in line with our own policies and values. We also involved our trade unions in a joint meeting with a representative from PPC Resource to ensure they were happy with the service we were seeking to provide. Our launch on 1 June included a letter to all our employees, signed by the Deputy Chief Fire Officer and the trade unions as a public commitment to the shared recognition of the benefits to our employees. This initiative was warmly welcomed by management and unions alike as a new dimension in employee care.

3

Services provided by PPC

3.1

Services offered to our employees are as follows :-

· general information and Citizens' Advice services, including consumer issues, education, residency advice, etc

· financial advice and debt counselling

· legal advice, including matrimonial, consumer, criminal, litigation, employment, family, Wills, etc

· child and dependant care information, including benefit and grant information, local support, etc

· counselling, both on the telephone and face-to-face, for issues including bereavement, abuse, anxiety disorders, substance related disorders, relationship issues, phase of live events, etc

· trauma support, including access to critical incident team

· telephone consultation service for Managers offering advice on dealing with work related issues, including managing performance, risk, situations and oneself

4

Benefits to date

4.1

Usage figures for the first month show a significant increase on uptake compared to the previous provider. There were 19 cases opened between 1 and 30 June, giving an average annualised usage rate of 13.3%. This figure demonstrates a significantly greater take up of this type of support, compared with the service we received previously. Clearly, we will monitor progress and take up here to see if this is maintained once our employees become more familiar with the benefits that may be gained.

4.2

Quarterly review meetings have been arranged with PPC to examine statistics, review usage and identify areas for further marketing and raising awareness as appropriate.

5

European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998

5.1

The proposals within this report are compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 and considered in the light of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Recommendation

1

That the Personnel Committee notes the change to our provider of an employee assistance programme.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Papers

The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report.

None

Note: The list excludes:

(1) Published works

(2) Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act