Emergency Vehicle Staff Lease Car Policy

Transcription

1 Type of document Authorisation Groups: Ratified by: Date Ratified: Date Processed: Review Date: Document Author: Document Owner: Authorised Signatory: Policy CO-POL-71 Policy Review Group Workforce and Equality Committee November th September 2014 November 2015 (biennially) Head of Financial Services Chief Operating Officer Authorised Staff: All Staff Page 1 of 19

2 Contents Section Page 1 Scope of Policy 3 2 Definitions 3 3 Roles and Responsibilities 3 4 Eligibility 3 5 Authorisation Process 4 6 Vehicle Provided 5 7 NCAP Rating 6 8 Reducing the Trust s Carbon Footprint 6 9 Insurance 6 10 Maintenance and Terms and Conditions Use of Vehicle Terms of Use Costs Borne by Employee Early Termination of Hire Normal Termination of Hire Termination of Hire by Leasing Company Accidents and Thefts Mileage Allowance and Fuel Reimbursement Income Tax Implications Equality and Diversity Statement Consultation, Approval and Ratification Review and Revision Arrangements Dissemination and Implementation Document Control Including Archiving Arrangements Monitoring Compliance With and the Effectiveness of Procedural Documents 17 Appendix A Version Control Sheet 18 Appendix B Vehicle Security 19 Page 2 of 19

3 1. Scope of Policy 1.1 This policy describes the Emergency Vehicle car scheme operated by the Trust. The objective of the scheme is to provide a responding vehicle to staff where this is the most cost effective method of providing transport, whilst also enhancing operational resilience. 1.2 The Policy also allows for private use of the vehicle when not being used for business purposes where the cost of this use is reimbursed to the Trust. 1.3 Employees who do not wish to participate in this scheme will be provided with an Emergency Vehicle for the period of their on-call duty only. 1.4 This Policy does not cover staff with a lease car under the Directors, Standard Lease Car (non-blue light) drivers, or Salary Sacrifice Family Lease Car Scheme. 2. Definitions 2.1 The Trust operates a discretionary lease car scheme in accordance with the principles of Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions of Service. 2.2 The Trust retains the right to not offer participation in the scheme, withdraw an offer of participation or to vary the vehicle provided depending on the requirements of the post and financial viability. 3. Roles and Responsibilities 3.1 The following are the key individuals responsible for operating and monitoring the scheme: 4. Eligibility Head of Fleet Services in conjunction with the Fleet Support Manager manages the scheme on a daily basis. Head of Financial Services responsible for ensuring the correct salary deductions and tax reporting. Executive Team responsible for considering lease car applications and approving/rejecting all applications under this scheme via the Business Investment Group. Head of Risk and Claims responsible for ensuring the provision of vehicle insurance and the management of vehicle accident claims. Staff responsible for adhering to the conditions of the policy. 4.1 The provision of an Emergency Vehicle applies to those members of staff who are required to drive for the organisation in the performance of their role (detailed in the job description), under the following criteria, all of which must Page 3 of 19

4 be met. 4.2 The eligibility criteria are as follows: Minimum of 5,000 business miles per year (excluding mileage where car is loaned to other members of staff), Requirement to respond to emergency situations, major incidents/untoward events as a gold, silver, tactical advisor or bronze commander. Trained to drive under Blue Light conditions On call commitment 4.3 A list of eligible posts is available from the Chief Operating Officer. 4.4 Cars will be allocated solely to meet the business purpose of the Trust. The principal requirements will be evidenced from the appropriate Director/Manager giving consideration to all the criteria. 4.5 The Trust reserves the right to extend the Emergency Vehicle policy to those staff who would normally fall under the standard lease car policy but have been trained to drive under Blue Light conditions and are prepared to respond. In this instance the following criteria would be considered:- Fulfil the standard car policy criteria, Trained to drive under Blue Light conditions Prepared to respond in times of operational need 4.6 The scheme is open to any member of staff who meets the required employment criteria e.g.: - Full Time Staff Fixed Term Contract Staff with a minimum 4 year contract Part Time Staff 5. Authorisation Process 5.1 The provision of an Emergency Vehicle to an employee is subject to approval by the Trust as follows:- 5.2 Where a new post is created and the relevant Executive Director/Manager considers the post justifies the provision of an Emergency Vehicle, the Director will produce a Business Case for formal consideration following the business case approval process in operation at that time. The decision of the relevant committee considering the Business Case will be final and no vehicle shall be procured until this decision has been obtained. 5.3 For posts where access to a vehicle has been approved previously and the vehicle is due for renewal, the relevant Executive Director must review eligibility using the criteria above and produce a short paper for consideration at a meeting of the Executive Team, outlining the basis for the renewal. The paper should include the amount of business miles undertaken as well as the number of times the vehicle/staff have made themselves available to respond Page 4 of 19

5 to patients and Major/Serious Incidents on behalf of the Trust and also where these have been refused. The Executive Team shall review the paper, taking careful consideration of the minimum eligibility criteria and performance against the minimum criteria in the previous term and make a decision based on service need. The decision of the Executive Team will be final and no vehicle will be procured until this decision has been obtained. 5.4 Approval of posts eligible for an Emergency Vehicle will require the signature of the Chief Executive (or nominated Executive Director Lead). 5.5 Vehicles will only be released to employees upon receipt of a signed car user agreement. 6. Vehicle Provided 6.1 The Trust shall assess a suitable vehicle for employees eligible to a vehicle under this scheme that provides value of money for the Trust. This will be determined by the Trust taking into consideration the following service requirements in addition to the lease cost, currently, as follows: Compatibility to ensure that Emergency Operations have the ability to bring these vehicles into main operations if and when required to meet vehicle demand requirements. Have a 4x4 or all-wheel drive capability. Have enough ground level clearance to overcome difficult weather conditions or deep rutted roads. Fit for purpose e.g. of suitable size to enable equipment to be carried and removed easily e.g. minimum boot capacity of 500litres. Powered by diesel, Bi-Fuel or Hybrid in line with the Department of Health guidelines on fleet and environmental impact. Fitted and supplied with such equipment required where there is a service need for the employees use of these devices. These may be fitted as a factory fitted option or installed after delivery of the vehicle. Meet or exceed the following average fuel efficiency figures: 2012/13 57mpg (Diesel) or 54.4mpg (Petrol) where possible. 6.2 Cars provided under this policy are all-inclusive and include maintenance, road tax, tyres and insurance. 6.3 Eligible employees will not have a choice of vehicle or additional extras and therefore no additional car allowance, voluntary or otherwise will apply. 6.4 Eligible employee will be required to supply accurate estimates, agreed by their Manager, of their expected business and private mileage prior to the vehicles being ordered. 6.5 The vehicle will be allocated to the post, not the post holder, therefore in the event of the post holder leaving the Trust or moving to another post, the new post holder will be allocated the same vehicle. The Trust does not therefore guarantee any eligible employee designated as an Emergency Vehicle user a new car. Page 5 of 19

6 6.6 As at July, 2013 the vehicle assessed as meeting the Trusts requirements is as follows:- Skoda Octavia 4X4 all-wheel drive 6.7 However, the appropriateness of the vehicle will be reviewed on an annual basis or as the need arises, in line with service developments/future organisational requirements. This will be available from the Chief Operating Officer. 7. NCAP Rating 7.1 The Trust is committed to ensuring that cars provided for the use of employees through the Trust Emergency Vehicle car scheme will have a high level of recognised safety rating. From 1 April 2012, the Trust will strive to ensure all vehicles supplied through the scheme will have achieved the Euro NCAP 5 Star Adult rating. Details of which vehicles meet this requirement can be found on the website below Reducing the Trust s Carbon Footprint 8.1 In recognising that the Trust has a contribution to make to the sustainability of the environment for future generations, that the links between transport and health are undeniable and to demonstrate commitment to reducing the Trust s carbon footprint, the Trust will aim to comply with both government direction and national good practice in reducing carbon emissions of the vehicles obtained under this scheme. 8.2 The Trust has set an upper limit for CO2 emissions, which is reducing in line with EC443/2009. NEAS will aim to provide vehicles under this car scheme where the CO2 emissions do not exceed the following government targets in the year the lease is taken out; From 1 April mg CO2 (EU declared target) 8.3 There are exceptions, where vehicles are used operationally and fitted with fixed blue flashing lights and sirens. In these circumstances the main priority is to have suitable, capable vehicles to ensure organisational resilience. 9. Insurance 9.1 The scheme includes fully comprehensive insurance for business (of the Trust) and private use. 9.2 The following excess applies currently: Standard Excess The standard excess shall not be payable as a result of accidents/incidents which occur whilst on Trust business. Any accident/incident occurring whilst Page 6 of 19

7 in private use, will require the excess to be payable if there is a blameworthy accident determined by the insurance company. If the outcome is part blameworthy, 50% of the excess will be charged. When applicable, the employee will be responsible for re-paying the excess to the Trust. 9.4 The Trust reserves the right to vary the insurance premium and/or excesses for individual users or nominated drivers in light of claims experience. Such insurance premiums and/or excesses will be reviewed annually by the Director of Finance and Resources, who will submit his report and recommendations to the Executive Team for consideration and approval. No change will be authorised without this process having been concluded. Individuals will then be notified of any change, but will not have their excess varied until their next vehicle renewal or in the light of their individual claims experience. This will be managed by the Risk and Claims department. 9.5 In appropriate cases, the Trust will pursue a claim for uninsured losses. 9.6 An additional named driver, over 25 years of age, using the vehicle can be covered under the Trusts insurance scheme where private use of the vehicle is contracted. The additional driver MUST be named on the vehicle request form and a copy of their driving licence submitted annually for inspection. If the car user has not informed the Trust in advance of an additional named driver it will be assumed that only the car user will be using the vehicle. All employees and additional named drivers agree to an annual licence check which will be carried out by the Trust. 9.7 It is the employee s responsibility for insurance of personal belongings, not NEAS and it is not the Trusts intention to arrange such cover. The Trust will not be held responsible for or contribute to the replacement costs of personal belongings stolen or damaged whilst in vehicles. 10. Maintenance and Terms and Conditions 10.1 Vehicles are supplied to the employee on the assumption that the cars will be kept in good condition and to the same standard as if the employee owned the car. It is in the interests of all parties that the cars have a high value when returned at the end of the contract and that penalties are not incurred The user will be responsible for arranging all servicing, maintenance and repair of their vehicle in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer s recommendations, at an appropriate main dealer. Where servicing is not carried out at the manufacturer s specified intervals, resulting in nullification of the warranty, the cost of the unmet warranty claims becomes the responsibility of the employee The user will ensure that any work covered by the manufacturer's warranty is carried out under the warranty and that no action is taken which would in any way invalidate that warranty The user is responsible for the day to day maintenance of the vehicle i.e. maintaining the car in a reasonably clean and tidy condition and carrying out Page 7 of 19

8 the routine care of the car, as detailed in the car handbook including checking and correcting tyre pressures, oil and coolant levels as well as the Trusts VDI inspection The User shall also be responsible to undertake the following:- report as soon as possible any damage or accident affecting the car to the Trust, and to complete the necessary accident report forms Vehicle accident /damage (drivers responsibility), following accident procedure flow chart. An Incident Report form should also be completed via the Trusts intranet site. not to smoke or let others within the vehicle smoke at any time. repair any unreported damage to the vehicle other than fair wear and tear before the return of the vehicle. report to the appropriate Director/ Manager, in advance, should the employee foresee that the actual annual mileage is likely to be significantly more/less (2000 miles) than estimated. Where appropriate this will inform a renegotiation of the contract and may benefit the Trust and the vehicle holder by removing end of term penalties. ensure that a valid road fund licence is displayed at all times. ensure that a valid MOT is held for the vehicle at all times ensure security of the vehicle at all times, i.e. keys should never be left in the vehicle and it should be locked and any fitted security device activated whilst unattended. not remove any accessories from the vehicle at the end of the period if this will result in damage to the vehicle or if they were factory fitted, and to make good any damage or loss resulting from any such removals. remember that he/she will be personally responsible for the car s roadworthiness as if he/she were the owner of the vehicle. Employees should not service, repair or adjust the vehicle themselves (other than as mentioned before) and, in particular, must not interfere with the odometer (the instrument that records the mileage of the vehicle). notify their Line Manager of any speeding or other motoring/traffic offence that they have been convicted of. Failure to do so may lead to disciplinary action Towing by the vehicle is permitted, subject to the instructions in the driver s handbook, but the cost of any necessary towing equipment and electrical modifications must be borne by the employee if towing capability is not required by the Trust Although hands free mobile phone units may be fitted, the user should refer to the Trusts mobile phone policy on this. If involved in a vehicle incident the Page 8 of 19

9 Police may check to see if the mobile phone was in use at the time and this will be considered as part of any investigation Use of the Vehicle The vehicle is provided primarily to be used for the official business of the Trust. It may be used for social, domestic and pleasure purposes by the employee and other approved named driver as per the Trusts insurance policy in operation at the time where this is contracted for. An employee may take the car abroad, provided that private use is contracted for and written permission is obtained. Employees wishing to use the vehicle abroad should seek the advice of the insurance company via the Risk Department. A minimum of one month s notice is required. The vehicle must not be used for hire, racing, pace making, speed trials or any other sporting competition. The vehicle may be used for driver training/assessment and by other employees for business use as and when required by the Trust during working hours. Permission from the individual should be sought Terms of Hire The allocation of a vehicle will commit the employee to a time specific agreement with the Trust dependant on the employee s position and role (see paragraph Early termination). Employees are responsible for seeking approval prior to ordering their replacement vehicle to ensure delivery at the appropriate time/end of lease contract. Every effort will be made to ensure replacement vehicles, once approved, are delivered at the end of the agreement. Where an employee is awaiting delivery of a new/replacement vehicle or ordering has been delayed for any reason, the employee is still liable in the interim period, whilst having the use of a vehicle to payment of private mileage (lease contribution and fuel) deductions. Whilst participating in the scheme, employees will be expected to have their car at their disposal, whenever required, for official business. The Trust reserves the right to offer a second hand car, if it has been released prior to the termination of use by another employee. In such cases, the period will be the unexpired portion of the agreement Costs Borne by the Employee In return for private use of the car, employees will be subject to private mileage contribution (covering lease cost, insurance and road tax), paid monthly by salary deduction based on the employees assessment of private use. Private fuel will be calculated and charged separately. Page 9 of 19

10 The definition of business mileage for lease cost calculations is any travel undertaken in the course of the official duties to and from the designated base plus any commuting mileage and minimal on-call mileage where the employee is logged onto the A&E system with Control and available to be responded to category R1 and R2 incidents. In responding to such incidents there will be no additional call-out payments. For contracts starting in August - November 2013 only, the contribution for private use of the vehicle will be at 8p per mile plus VAT. (9.6p per mile) Leases commencing after this time will be based on the marginal rate of the specific car contracted as per the example provided below. Example for illustrative purposes only Vehicle contracted for 15,000 miles (10,000 business miles and 5,000 private miles) Costs Lease cost excluding private use Lease cost including private use Annual insurance cost Personal Contributions 2, Lease cost for private use 3, Insurance Total (incl. VAT) Monthly salary deduction Once a vehicle has been supplied, the contribution, based on a specified annual mileage will be fixed for the period of the lease with the exception of:- Changes in VAT, insurance, road fund tax, fines and charges and other legislative provisions Increases in private mileage. Changes to contributions payable due to the above factors will be revised as and when additional costs are incurred. If employees make a decision to move further away from their work base they will pay for any excess mileage incurred as private miles and these should be recorded as such. If a change of base is imposed by the employer as a result of operational need, the additional travel will be classed as business travel as per the Trusts excess travel principles. At the end of the lease period, the total mileage travelled by the vehicle will be compared to the original mileage contracted for. If the mileage is above the contracted limit as a result of private miles travelled or the actual private miles travelled are in excess of the contracted private miles, an excess charge will be levied by the Trust Page 10 of 19

11 for payment by the employee. Employees will pay for all fuel with the exception of business mileage as set out in Chapter 14 below. Fixed penalty fines will always be the responsibility of the employee. Any fines passed to the lease company (if applicable) by the police/local authorities, in accordance with current legislation, will be passed on to the employee for immediate clearance including any administrative changes imposed by the leasing company. The Trust reserves the right to deduct this from salary without any further authorisation by the employee. A administration charge will be imposed for any unpaid fine passed to the Trust after the individual has failed to pay after notification from the Trust Early Termination Subject to any discretionary arrangements agreed individually with the Trust the employee s right to a car within the Scheme would be terminated: On his/her death On the termination of his/her employment by the Trust for whatever reason By his/her breach of any of the conditions of the Scheme On appointment to another role within the Trust not eligible to this scheme On disqualification from driving When, in exceptional circumstances, it is agreed by the Trust that an employee may terminate participation in the Scheme In all cases the employee must return the vehicle as directed to a designated point. In the event that the employee is absent from work for an extended period i.e. sick leave/maternity leave/paternity leave/adoption leave or approved training, an employee who has contracted for private use of a car may choose one of the following options:- to continue the private use with associated costs and continue to have the personal tax liability or to voluntarily terminate the agreement and return the vehicle in which case the relevant paragraphs in this section shall apply. In the event that an employee chooses to voluntarily terminate the agreement, upon their returning to work the Trust reserves the right to reassess eligibility for the scheme. The employee will, unless any discretionary arrangements are approved by the Trust, be required to reimburse the Trust for any payment due to the leasing company (if applicable) because of the Page 11 of 19

12 11. Normal Termination of Use premature termination of the contract and or excess mileage due to:- An employee breaches the terms of the agreement. The vehicle has suffered neglect or wilful abuse. Details of the penalty charges are set out below. Termination Period Penalty Charge Within 0 12 Months of start date = 3 monthly rentals Within Months of start date = 2 monthly rentals Within Months of start date = 1 monthly rental By signing the Emergency Vehicle documentation this provides authority for the Trust to recover any excess/damage/termination costs directly from the employee s salary. The employee may have the option of buying the vehicle at current value, plus any early termination penalty imposed by the leasing company (where appropriate) or transferring the vehicle to a new employer, subject to the agreement of the leasing company At the end of the agreement the following procedures will apply: The car will be appraised for condition by the Trusts Fleet department representative and Lease Car Company s representative in the presence of the employee. The appraisal of the vehicle, to determine what is / is not fair wear and tear, will be undertaken with reference to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association guide. The employee will be required to reimburse to the Trust the cost of the repairs considered to be needed as a result of neglect or misuse by the employee or from damage not previously reported The contract will then be terminated for the vehicle returned. Further participation in the car scheme will be determined by the policy in effect at that time. In circumstances where the Trust does not offer a replacement vehicle, then the employee will be eligible to return to the appropriate car user status For those employees with a leased vehicle, this may be available for sale at the end of the period, the cost of which will be based on a valuation agreed direct with the Leasing Company. The sale will be the responsibility of the Leasing Company and the Trust shall not be involved in any such transaction. 12. Termination of Hire by Leasing Company 12.1 In the event of the Leasing Company terminating the Agreement for any reason the Trust shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement forthwith and without notice, whereupon the employee will without hindrance permit the Leasing Company, with the Trust s approval to repossess the vehicle. 13. Accidents and Thefts 13.1 Employees involved in 2 or more reportable incidents/accidents in a year will Page 12 of 19

13 be required to undergo an assessment by a NEAS approved Driving Instructor In addition to their responsibilities under the Road Traffic Act, in the event of an accident or theft, employees should: Report the incident to the claims manager (Driving Standards Manager). Notify their manager Complete an Accident/Theft Report form and submit it directly to the Driving Standards Manager. Complete an NEAS Mileage Allowances and Fuel Reimbursement 14.1 Employees provided with an Emergency Vehicle should, in the first instance, draw fuel from appropriate stations or use the appropriate Trust fuel card. Emergency Vehicle users will be required to reimburse the Trust for any private mileage incurred. Where a fuel card is used, fuel must be purchased at the delegated garages as per the fuel card in use at the time, wherever possible Employees will be required to complete a monthly mileage form (AHQ04) recording the detail of all business travel, attach all fuel details/receipts, obtain authorisation by the appropriate line manager and submit to the finance department by the 4th day of the following month. The private mileage (fuel) will then be deducted from salary. If submissions are received after this date the finance department may duplicate the previous month submission with a reconciliation having to be made by the employee the following month In all cases mileage rates will be based on the Company Car Advisory Fuel Rate per Mile issued by H.M Revenue & Customs. Rates may vary according to the engine size and type but is currently 15p per mile for a diesel engine size cc (September 2013) Business travel for fuel purposes is defined as any travel undertaken in the course of the official work duties, except to and from work (ordinary commuting) unless blue light responding to an emergency call where the additional travel over and above the commuting travel is classed as business. Any journeys therefore direct from home to base or base to home are regarded as private journeys. Additional travel incurred during the on-call period e.g. if called out from home to respond are also regarded as business travel Journeys that begin and end at an employee s base are reimbursed based on the shortest practical route Where an employee combines an official journey with travel to and/or from home, the mileage claimable will be based on Agenda for Change guidance currently the distance travelled in excess of the home to agreed work-base journey. Page 13 of 19

14 14.7 Where a journey begins and ends at home without visiting the employee s base, the mileage claimable will be based on Agenda for Change guidance currently the distance travelled in excess of the home to agreed work-base journey Business travel for tax purposes only, where an employee contacts Control and makes themselves available to respond to R1 and R2 incidents on their commuting journey this should be recorded separately. The use of the Terrafix pager is an acceptable way to inform control of availability. Whilst the Trust classes this as a reimbursable journey for fuel, HMRC class this as business travel for P11D purposes If excess travel arrangements come into force as a result of a permanent work-base relocation, car users should record this mileage separately. The Trust will not class this as private mileage for the first four years only but it will be classed as private mileage for P11D reportable Benefit in Kind purposes unless available to Control to respond If excess travel arrangements come into force as a result of a temporary workbase relocation (i.e. for less than a two year period), car users should record this mileage separately. The Trust will not class this as private mileage nor will it be classed as private mileage for P11D reportable Benefit in Kind purposes unless the move becomes permanent in which case the paragraph above applies The Fleet administration team receive monthly fuel card reports from the supplier and transactions will be monitored by this team. Any concerns or inconsistencies will be reported immediately to the Head of Fleet Services and subsequent actions taken. 15. Income Tax Implications 15.1 For tax purposes, Emergency Vehicles are treated as use of a company s assets by HM Revenue and Customs and employees are personally liable to pay income tax on the benefit associated with the provision of a vehicle and in certain cases fuel by the employer for private use. Under current tax legislation, the benefit is calculated as:- All costs borne by the employer in providing the vehicle e.g. lease cost/20% of market value when first made available, tax, insurance, modifications, maintenance and fuel, reduced by the value of personal contributions made. The BIK is then assessed based on the proportion of private to business use. Private fuel see HMRC website for details The Trust is required to provide details of the full cost of the benefit to HMRC, detailed on a P11D which is also copied to the individual. It is then the employee s responsibility to claim the tax relief on the business element of the vehicle. Currently HMRC have provided a reporting easement whereby the Trust is able to report an employee s tax relief as long as there are auditable business and private travel records. Page 14 of 19

15 16. Equality and Diversity Statement 16.1 The Trust is committed to providing equality of opportunity, not only in its employment practices but also in the services for which it is responsible. As such, this document has been screened, and an Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out on this document, to identify any potential discriminatory impact. Recommendations from the assessment have been incorporated into the document and have been considered by the approving committee. The Trust also values and respects the diversity of its employees and the communities it serves. In applying this policy, the Trust will have due regard for the need to: eliminate unlawful discrimination promote equality of opportunity provide for good relations between people of diverse groups For further information on this, please contact the Equality and Diversity Department. 17. Consultation, Approval and Ratification Process 17.1 Consultation Consultation has taken place with the following Executive Team Staff currently participating in the lease car scheme Union representatives 17.2 Approval and Ratification This policy has been approved by the Policy Review Group and the Joint Consultative Committee This policy has been ratified by the Workforce and Equality Committee. 18. Review and Revision Arrangements 18.1 This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the policy owner and immediately following any changes in legislation in order to ensure compliance. Revisions will be made known to staff through the normal channels of information dissemination operated by this Trust. Additions and amendments required as a result of legislation will not necessitate the rescindment of this policy unless they form a significant change to this policy All new versions of the policy will have a new version number appended to aid tracking and retrieval. See Appendix A. 19. Dissemination and Implementation 19.1 Dissemination Once ratified this policy will be added to the Document Quality Control System and added to the intranet site to which all staff have access. Earlier versions of the document will be archived in the quality system. Page 15 of 19

16 Directors will be sent a copy of the policy for onward circulation to their appropriate staff Implementation The Chief Operating Officer, through the Fleet department, will be responsible for implementing this policy. 20. Document Control Including Archiving 20.1 Register / library of procedural documents All documents shall be held within the Trusts Quality System and will be managed in line with quality standards Archiving Arrangements Archiving of documents will be in line with the Records management Policy. 21. Monitoring Compliance and Effectiveness 21.1 Compliance with and effectiveness of the policy is subject to on-going review by the Chief Operating Officer and the Executive Team At the end of each contract term, the Chief Operating Officer shall report to the Executive Team providing assurance on whether the criteria for the vehicles have been met for each post and recommend or otherwise contract renewals accordingly as per the policy in place at that time Where the criteria are no longer met the Executive Team shall remove the provision of the lease car. Page 16 of 19

17 Appendix A: Version Control Sheet Version Date Author Status Comment 001 November 2007 Director of HR & Organisational Final Suspended Development 002 November 2013 Chief Operating Officer Draft Pending approval Page 17 of 19

18 Appendix B: Vehicle Security 1. Where possible never leave ignition keys in the vehicle whilst it is unattended. Such incidents are on the increase and many insurers will decline to deal with such claims. The exception to this rule is when attending a Major Incident when all vehicle keys MUST be left in the ignition of the vehicle. 2. Lock all access points, including the tailgate or boot whenever the vehicle is unattended. For example, theft of and from motor vehicles at petrol filling stations is increasing. 3. Ensure that the steering lock is properly engaged; free movement allows a thief to dismantle the lock more easily. 4. Activate any anti-theft device fitted to the vehicle whenever it is left unattended. 5. Park the vehicle where it can clearly be seen. At night leave it in a well-lit area, driveway or preferably in a locked garage. 6. Garage the vehicle whenever possible or use a secure compound if one is available. 7. Avoid parking in high-risk areas. Use attended car parks and if possible leave the vehicle in sight of an attendant. 8. Never leave valuable personal possessions in the vehicle 9. Never leave valuable Trust possessions in the vehicle other than such equipment as required to carry out the role/respond. 10. Ensure that any contents of the passenger compartment are locked out of sight in the boot or glove compartment. 11. Never leave the Trusts satellite navigation system in plain view when parking the car up for ANY duration of time. If the vehicle is fitted with portable audio/cd and/or telephone/hand held portable radio, these should be removed from the vehicle when unattended. (This may be impracticable if the vehicle is used for emergency response due to the number of units supplied). Operational Officers MUST ensure that any visual warning devices not attached to the vehicle i.e. magnetic blue lights, should be put out of sight when not using vehicle for emergency response etc. Did you print this document yourself? Please be advised that the Trust discourages the retention of hard copies of policies and can only guarantee that the policy on the Trust website is the most up-to-date version. Document Location The source of the document will be found in the Trust Quality System Freedom of Information Act 2000 Access This document will be available via the NEAS Publication Scheme. Page 18 of 19

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