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3.0. IntroductionLeicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (the “Trust”) recognises the need to developmodern working practices to enable employees to maximise their performance andproductivity whilst maintaining a good work life balance. In addition, newtechnologies are making it easy to access information remotely, work from a varietyof locations, whilst promoting a more joined up service. In order to ensure that theTrust’s Vision, Values and Goals become a reality the Trust must also continue toattract, develop and retain high quality staff.The introduction of agile working across the Trust will not only realise financial andproductivity gains for the organisation, but provide an enhanced workingenvironment for staff, as well as improving service delivery. Agile working also linksto the Trust’s vision for Sustainable Development; placing emphasis on theimportance of sustainable economic growth and the health and well-being of bothstaff and service users. The benefits of improved work life balance and reducedtravel make a direct contribution to this strategic priority.Although the nature of a number of the roles within the Trust cannot be classed astotally agile, there is considerable scope in many cases for some form of agileworking. The different ways in which agile working can be undertaken is dependenton the demands and needs of the role, the service needs and the individual’spreferences and circumstances. It is possible, with careful planning for staff to carryout their duties from a variety of different locations.Agile working provides staff with more options with regards to where and when theyundertake their roles by introducing an element of choice which will ensure that theneeds of the service user are best met. Agile working allows staff to influence howthey carry out their role and promotes varying levels of flexibility within theworkplace. It must be noted however, that there is no expectation for staff to work athome and managers cannot force any member of their team to do so. It has beenrecognised that personal circumstances or personal preference may influence anemployee’s decision with regards to home working. In such cases where anindividual does not want to work at home, other elements of agile working must stillbe considered, for example using touchdown space to hot desk.Agile Working is being rolled out via a phased approach across the Trust. As someroles are more suitable than others, agile working will be adopted at varying levelswithin services and across the Trust as a whole.8

4 Who can be Agile?The matrix below defines the 2 work styles for Trust staff, as defined under the AgileWorking Principles to clarify the concept of Agile Working.Agile WorkersFixed Workers Spend most of their time workingaway from their deskMay travel across trust sitesIf clinical carry out assessments inpatient / service user homesAttend meetings or spend timeworking at other sitesWork load is not locationdependentHave the option to work away frombase including from home (ad-hoc)Example Job Roles - CPN, PublicHealth Nurse (Health Visitor),Project Manager Spend most of their time workingat a fixed location (circa. 90% oftime)Have specific individual equipment/ furniture needs to enable them toperform their role effectivelySeldom away from their deskexcept for meeting with colleaguesin same locationDo not have an option to workfrom other locationsExampleJobRolesReceptionist, Single Point Access(SPA) WorkerThose who fall in the low mobility range are generally at a desk or in a specified areafor approximately 90% of the time. They rarely attend meetings or work fromalternative locations. This may be fixed in the office or ward area or fixed at home,depending on the role. (Additional considerations and processes must be in place forHomeworkers and information regarding this can be accessed through the Trust’sFlexible Working Policy and Procedure, to ensure a consistent approach to homeworking is embedded across the Trust.)Staff that have a more mobile workstyle are usually able to work from a variety oflocations. Agile staff are those who spend most of their time working in an officeenvironment although may frequently be away from a desk attending meetings,working from other Trust sites or working occasionally from home. Similarly clinicalstaff that tend to spend a lot of time in service user’s homes will also be agile. In thisrespect, a high proportion of Trust staff will be categorised as agile and the degree ofagility and flexibility is to be determined by the member of staff and their manager inline with the service need.After consultation and assessment between the individual and relevant line manager,where the individual is identified as agile an agreed way of working involvingtechnological solutions should be implemented, in order to support the transition tothe new more agile way of working. All Trust staff are eligible for agile working withthe following exceptions: Inpatient Services Staff Identified as Fixed Workers Staff with a condition or disability which limits their ability to undertake agileworking (Not all staff with a disability/underlying condition will fall into thiscategory and advice can be sort from Occupational Health if required)9

4.1Agile Working AgreementWhere staff are identified as being Agile Managers must talk to staff to agree howthey will work. An Agile Working Agreement Form (see Appendix 1) is included as atool to assist with this discussion and is most applicable for new starters to a teamwho have already gone Agile or teams who are about to go agile. Most of this formcan be completed at an initial meeting however, depending on the service needs andthe individual’s proposed new working arrangements, some actions may need to becompleted outside of the meeting.Once it has been identified that a member of staff is an agile worker a technologicalsolution will be agreed upon (as necessary), in order to support the transition to thenew more agile way of working.Upon appointment of new starters, managers must ensure that the new member ofstaff reads both the Agile Working Policy and may find it useful to complete the AgileWorking Agreement Form.Annual reviews will be undertaken as part of the Appraisal process between the linemanager and the employee to ensure that the working pattern is not detrimental toservice delivery or the team and other colleagues. If the employee or manager findsthat the working arrangements are unworkable or there is a change in theemployee’s circumstances then a notice period of 4 weeks may be given on eitherside to revert to either the former working pattern or an alternative working pattern.4.2Appeal ProcessEmployees can appeal the outcome of the original decision regarding their AgileWorking arrangements by writing to their ‘next in line manager’.The ‘next in line manager’ with support from an HR Advisor / Business Partner willarrange a meeting with the employee. The meeting will usually take place within 14calendar days of receipt of the appeal. The employee should be sent a letterconfirming the date and purpose of the meeting, and giving them the option to bringa colleague or Staffside representativeFor the meeting, the ‘next in line manager’ hearing the appeal should have reviewedboth the request, and the line manager’s response, and be sure that they haveeverything they need to make an informed decision.Once the meeting has taken place, the decision should be confirmed in writing within14 calendar days of the date of the meeting. It will either; uphold the appeal, specify the exact nature of the agreed change, establish astart date and a review or end date if applicable, orReject the appeal, stating the grounds for the decision, and inform the memberof staff of their right to lodge a grievance at Stage 2 under the Trust Grievanceprocedure.10

5.0The Benefits of Agile WorkingUndoubtedly, the key corporate benefits are a reduction in costs and increase inproductivity. Ultimately, the successful implementation of agile working will allow forsavings to be made Trust wide whilst contributing extensively to more cost effectiveand efficient service provision. In addition, the introduction of agile working will be ofbenefit to the Trust and to staff in the following ways:For the Trust agile working can: Support continuity of service and the efficient functioning of the Trust.Increase availability of limited expertise or resources.Aid the retention of skilled and experienced staff whose personal circumstanceschange and who may otherwise leave the Trust.Enable learning and development activity to be undertaken remotely, including elearning.Enable the Trust to respond to an individual’s need for flexibility in workingarrangements, for example to attend ad hoc appointmentsEnable disabled employees to retain their existing employment and support therecruitment of disabled applicants.Provide alternative solutions to short or longer term office accommodationissues.For staff agile working can: 6.0Enable them to work more effectively on a particular piece of work, whereconcentration is important, by avoiding the interruptions that are part of the officeenvironment.Provide a solution to a temporary problem where travel to the office is notpossible.Reduce the time spent travelling to a specific base in order to access clinical oradministrative systems.Enable greater flexibility and autonomy for staff to work in a way that suits theirneeds and improves their work/life balance.The Principles of Agile WorkingIn order for agile working to become successfully embedded within teams, a mutualagreement must be reached between the staff member and manager with regards tothe logistics of the agile working arrangement.When considering the practicalities of agile working and in particular during initialdiscussions between manager and employee, both parties must be mindful of thefollowing principles: Some options may not be operationally practical for certain jobs.11

Operational feasibility and quality standards, including Health and Safety,Information Governance, legislative and security of equipment requirements,must not be compromised. Managers should choose to consider a particular arrangement or set ofarrangements to improve and enhance service delivery. Contractual changes to terms and conditions of service can only be agreedfollowing careful consideration of the implications and proper understanding ofthe individual’s circumstances. Advice should be sought from Human Resourceson this matter.The principles of agile working covered within the remit of this policy are notdesigned to replace the concepts outlined within the Flexible Working Policy,which still remains available for all employees.Although agile workers will not always work standard office hours (unless the roledictates this), it is essential to plan and agree a work programme for others (e.g. themanager, the rest of the team and colleagues) so they are aware of the individual’sworking pattern, where they are located and know when and how to contact them.The hours of work must be agreed in advance allowing employees who are usingtheir homes as part of their agile working arrangements, to have a right to privacy outof hours and be able to separate their working and home lives.The ability to work occasionally from home allows employees to manage theirdomestic responsibilities e.g. delivery of goods, assisting with childcarearrangements (for example allowing parents to complete the school run and make uptheir time later in the day), providing this does not have a negative impact on theindividual’s ability to carry out their work, or on service delivery.Employees must note that the ability to work from home is not a substitute forchildcare or similar carer responsibilities. It is the staff member’sresponsibility to ensure adequate provision is in place, should they choose towork from home.12

7.0 Support for Agile WorkingInformation in the following section covers the following: Hot desks and Agile Space Clear Desk Principles Room Bookings Front Line Service Provision Designated Bases for Travel Claims Supervision Arrangements Pregnant Workers Student Placements Resources for staff7.1Hot desks and Agile Space -The Trust has agreed that in respect of agile working, a hot desk refers to adesignated work space for any employee to use at any time. Where applicable,designated banks of hot desks should be used by visiting staff, or alternativelyindividuals should approach a team member to ask if they may work from a free deskwithin that team.Staff must remember that they can work from any Trust location and managers andstaff must ensure colleagues feel comfortable when ‘touching down’ at temporarydesks and zones.Agile spaces have been identified within the Trust and details can be found on esource of all the spaces available as this will be updated as new space is converted.7.2Clear desk principles -Every desk is a potential hot desk and as such should not contain any personalbelongings such as photographs, plants, mugs etc. All desks should be clear with theexception of any IT equipment located on the desk to support staff in carrying outcomputer work. This includes desks allocated to ‘fixed’ workers, as they should beclear and available to use by other staff during periods of absence such as annualleave, sickness or non-working hours. For further guidance please refer to the ClearDesk Clear Screen Policy within the Trust’s Information Security Policy.7.3Room booking for meetings -It is envisaged that in order to enable agile working to be implemented Trust wide; acentral room booking system will be introduced. However, until full implementation isachieved, staff must continue to book meeting rooms via existing methods.7.4Front line service provision -Agile working must not affect the provision of services and therefore managers mustensure that they have systems in place to maintain suitable presence, as requiredand to monitor the level of available front line staff on duty at any one time.13

Service provision and responsiveness should also inform agile working boundariesand any agreements related to working from home. As such it is essential to planand agree a work programme and communicate this with the rest of the teamthrough the use of Outlook diaries or clinical ledgers so that all are aware of anindividual’s working patterns, current location and contact arrangements. Hours ofwork must be agreed in advance allowing employees the right to privacy out of hoursenabling them to separate work and home time. Developments in technology willlead to developments in the support available for lone workers and these should beintroduced and monitored in line with the Lone Working Policy.7.5Designated Bases for Travel Claims-For staff where agile working principles have been implemented there is a choice towork from alternative locations and touchdown space to allow for improved efficiencyand a more effective service. For some staff they will not have a fixed base for theirservice and in these cases the staff will be given a designated base for travel claimpurposes. The criteria for defining a designated base is a health or care buildingwhich has access to Firefly which an agile worker could realistically touch down at towork. The designated base would be the first site that the agile worker would passon their natural commute to their normal geographical patch of work once they crossthe boundary of that patch. Designated bases must be agreed between the memberof staff and the line manager.Where the agile worker has a designated base their payslip will be sent to thedesignated base or an agreed LPT building and they will be responsible for ensuringthey collect their payslips. Where an individual wishes to receive their payslip athome instead it can be delivered to their home address however there is a cost of 1per month for this which will be deducted from their monthly pay.Due to national developments ESR will be able to provide a web based facility forstaff to log on and check their payslips. Once this is available the Trust will beremoving hard copy payslips for all.7.6Supervision ArrangementsManagers and staff should explore opportunities for both formal and informalsupervision and agree any changes to the current format prior to commencing agileworking. Supervision should be a forum for discussing performance against preagreed performance management outcomes and discuss any concerns related toAgile Working practices as well as an opportunity to discuss additional support andtraining opportunities.The ongoing wellbeing of staff should be monitored through regular review of agileworking arrangements by managers. Managers should allow opportunity to meetvirtually via Skype for Business where requested but also ensure staff have accessto support and supervision in a face to face setting.7.7Pregnant WorkersNew and expectant mothers may be impacted by the adoption of agile working withinthe Trust. The ability to have greater control over the management of their workloadboth in terms of appointment/meeting management, and the ability to work remotely14

could positively support staff during pregnancy and during their return to workfollowing maternity leave.Conversely, it should be acknowledged that staff may see an increase moving andhandling risk associated with carrying both IT and clinical equipment and thereforesome elements of agile working may be sacrificed during this period. Changesshould be agreed with their service manager.The law requires employers to assess workplace risks for all employees and takepractical action to control those risks (Management of Health & Safety at WorkRegulations 1999). In addition employers must take particular account of risks tonew & expectant mothers. These risks may come from display screen equipmentuse, driving at work, moving and handling and other health and safety issuesoutlined in the New and Expectant Mothers risk assessment which can be found one-source.7.8Student PlacementsSupporting high quality education for students is a core element of the Trust'sbusiness and the organisation supports staff to develop and demonstrate a positiveculture in which students can learn.Agile working allows additional flexibility to be built into a standard workingday/week, however consideration should be given to staff (student mentor) that areexpected to provide the student with direct supervision. For example, it may be thatthe staff member undertakes some element of working from their home. It isinappropriate and outside of Trust policy to allow the student to work alongsidecolleagues in their homes. Being shadowed by a student should not pose significantproblems for teams when it comes to agile working, providing suitable workingarrangements are in place to manage such situations.Where there is a requirement to undertake working from home, suitable alternativearrangements need to be made for the student. This could involve co-mentoring orshort placement with a colleague. It may in some circumstances be more suitable forteam members to sacrifice this element of agile working completely whileundertaking the role of mentor.7.9Resources for staffA dedicated e-source page is available for staff who work in an Agile Way with linksto information and resources available. In addition training is available for managersof Agile Teams to ensure managers are equipped with the skills to manage staff andsupport them when they are working in a new way with less face to face contact.8 Impact on EmploymentConsideration must be given to the legal implications associated with agile working.Below summarises the key points; please refer to the Flexible Working Policy formore details.15

It is essential that managers consult with Human Resources when a significantchange is made to an employee’s working arrangement e.g. the move to full timehome working. Advice can then be given on the impact of the working patternaccording to current legislation:Agile working can be advantageous to those with caring responsibilities and thosewith medical problems or disabilities, particularly when considering reasonable workadjustments, in accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act (2010). (Seethe Trust’s Reasonable Adjustments Policy). However, individuals must be mindfulthat as previously outlined, agile working is not a sub

Version Control 4 Equality Statement 4 Due Regard 4 Definitions that apply to this policy 5 1.0 Purpose of the Policy 6 2.0 Summary of the Policy 6 3.0 Introduction 8 4.0 Who can be Agile 4.1 Agile Working Agreement 4.2 Appeal Process 9 10 10 5.0 Benefits of Agile Working 11 6.0 Principles of Agile Working 11