We have expressed your concerns regarding lack of time available to do the work, concern about spending too little time in services/ too much time on the computer, increases in stress / decrease in quality of work. Below focuses on Mike's responses. Please let us know what you think of the contents of this report.
In brief:
Mike went through how the inspector numbers for this year were calculated. 3.3. days is given for each inspection (i.e. planning to report writing). 40 days for link role. Mike also outlined the time allocated for Random inspections and ASR's e.g 1 day per service for each. Contingencies are allowed in the figures for challenges to inspection reports etc.. Assumption was made ICAP would be up and running but this has not occurred yet.
New work assumptions have resulted in the need to reduce the number of inspectors by 168; reduce Regulation Managers by 21 and office staff by 25 (by 31.3.09 as previously announced). Registration and Enforcement staff groups will not be reduced. All staff reductions should be 'by natural wastage'.
CAIRE (CSCI computer system) shows 80% of inspections are completed in one day, 84% completed in two days- Hypothesis approach is viewed as effective in targeting what needs to be done on a site visit. Mike said there has been a 6% improvement in quality ratings.
Mike said the 3.3. days for inspection is a 'guide' and not a 'cast iron requirement' for the completion of an inspection (i.e. from planning to completion of a report)
The trade unions said:
Survey showed staff cannot get their work done in allocated hours. Staff feel service has deteriorated over last year. People did not feel there was enough time to complete the inspection process to a good standard. We had a consistant response from our members who responded.
Mike said when we have been criticised by the media it is not because we did not see something at a service, but because we did not do enough about it. Therefore CSCI is investing in enforcement to address this concern.
Mike said staff do need to receive a clearer message-i.e. as long as we all follow the 'hypothesis model' "we (management) will back you". Need to address the TOIL issue-staff should not have to work too many hours. If people have an excessive workload we need to review it i.e managers need to sit down individually with staff to reduce the hours worked.
Staff should only carry out 29 inspections a year. By the end of 08 / 09 people should have caseloads of 39
Mike appreciated the pressures on Business Services staff- alot to do with the delay of ICAP. In the short term the investment of £0.25 million in BS staff will occur until management are confident that ICAP works. This should ensure inspectors get better service, and less stress for BS staff.
We asked about homeworking for BS staff. Mike did not want to implement this yet. Management wants to ensure ICAP and new business services model works, but may be willing to look at extending homeworking once things settle down.
Bureaucracy- 'IBL walk through' exercise to occur. Will look at whether economies can be made in the paperwork we have to do. ICAP should result in less bureaucracy.
ASR's (Annual Service Review)-The trade unions do not want this to take the place of actual visits to services. Mike said the opposite should apply. ASR idea came from parliament. They wanted assurance we would monitor services if inspection frequencies got less. Mike said ASR's are not a replacement for inspection but should purely be a review of evidence since the last visit. If evidence is identified that makes us want to do an inspection, 'then we should do it'
Performance Indicators- Unison concerned about management 'obsession' with this. Mike said our work is clearly of good quality. If managers place too much emphasis on the importance of PI's 'this is not a good place to be, if this is the case'. Will try and cut down on no. of PI's
ACTION AGREED
Managing Workloads-'If staff follow the methodogy-gather good evidence-we'll back you' Need to get RM's to work with RI's to look at how their time is used, and use the hypotheses model for inspections.
Staff should not build up too much TOIL- need to look at what tasks can be dropped, how time can be better managed.
Linkloads. Mike thought linkloads 'about right' as long as excessive no. of hrs are not worked by staff. If excessive hours worked need to look how these can be cut.
.25 million investment in BST in short term until ICAP computer system is implemented and working smoothly.
Bureaucracy- IBL walkthrough and ICAP should cut down some of the paperwork we do
ASR's- If these show a problem / concern- we should do a random inspection. ASR's not a substitute for an inspection.
PI's CSCI to cut no. down We need to do some PI's but need to manage these in a reasonable way
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We have also emailed Barbara Young (CQC) a copy of our survey, and she has acknowledged receipt. She said she has passed on the info to the new CEO.
