POLICY REF NO. SABP/AUDIT/0011

Transcription

1 POLICY REF NO. SABP/AUDIT/0011 Name of Policy Reason for Policy What the policy will achieve Travel and Subsistence (Staff) Policy To set the Trust policy on the paying members of staff for travel and subsistence necessary for the course of their work. 1. Clear process for paying employees at appropriate levels of reimbursement. 2. Confirm that the Trust follows Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental Staff Terms and Conditions. Who needs to All staff. know about it Date approved 13 July 2017 Version number Approving Committee Date of Implementation Date of Formal Review Author / Reviewer Responsible Directorate Distribution V3 Executive Board 2018 October 2020 Associate Director of Financial Management and Planning Finance Trustwide Page 1

2 1 PURPOSE 1.1 This policy sets out the objectives and methodology for the level of reimbursement of travel and subsistence payments to staff members. 2 OBJECTIVES 2.1 The overall objective of the Travel and Subsistence Policy is to fairly and equally reimburse all staff who have to travel during the course of their work duties. 3 POLICY STATEMENT 3.1 The Trust will reimburse staff at the nationally agreed rates and circumstances under Agenda for Change Conditions of Service. These are the referred to in the Terms and Conditions of Service NHS Medical and Dental Staff (both the pre-2003 and the 2003 Contract). 3.2 It is the Trust s policy that staff will be reimbursed expenditure above the cost of their regular journey to their usual workplace. 4 CHECKS 4.1 Controls are set out in the procedure and include: a) Managers are required to authorise payments after initially confirming that the trips were valid in the execution of Trust business, were made on the days specified and that the amounts claimed are reasonable. b) A central, sample audit is conducted on claims to confirm their validity. 5 MONITORING 5.1 Payments are made via the ESR Payroll System. These show on budget statements and are subject to the same rigorous and vigorous budget monitoring as all other expenditure. 6 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 6.1 Any member of staff may potentially have reason to claim for travel and subsistence during the course of their employment. It is their line manager s responsibility to check the validity of any claim before they authorise the claim form. Page 2

3 PROCEDURE REF NO. SABP/AUDIT/0011 Name of Procedure Travel and Subsistence (Staff) Procedure Purpose of Procedure What the procedure will achieve To set the process by which employees will obtain reimbursement of travel expenses incurred. 1. Clear process for staff to claim, managers to authorise and the Trust to pay travel and subsistence expenses. 2. Clear guidance on what will be reimbursed to staff and, therefore, what is outside the procedure. 3. Refers to national guidance so bi-annually updating of the Procedure is avoided. Who needs to All staff. know about it Date approved 13 July 2017 Version number Approving Committee Date of Implementation Date of Formal Review Author / Reviewer Responsible Directorate Distribution V3 Executive Board 2018 October 2020 Associate Director of Financial Management and Planning Finance Trustwide Page 3

4 CHANGE LOG from version 2.1 Para Change Reason 2.3 Eligibility for a lease car is explained within the Trust s Lease Car Removal Policy. Page 4

5 1 Scope and Levels of Mileage Allowance Reimbursement 1.1 The Trust pays travel and subsistence claims at the national levels under the Agenda for Change terms and conditions of service. These paragraphs are referred to in the Terms and Conditions of Service NHS Medical and Dental Staff (both the pre-2003 and the 2003 Contract) so all staff are reimbursed under the same rules. Full details can be found in section 17 and Annex L of the latest NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. The latest version as at March 2017 (amendment 1/2017) is provided below at Appendix C Subsequent changes are not repeated here so that this policy does not need updating each time a minor change happens (potentially at least twice a year). These include details of: confirming vehicle and driver can undertake business mileage (follows relevant laws, driver has business mileage insurance, driver has a valid driving licence, etc.) rates of reimbursement (standard rate and reserve rate) eligible mileage mode of transport (vehicle, motorcycle, pedal cycle, passengers, heavy equipment) attendance on training courses out of pocket expenses public transport journeys 1.2 The eligible mileage will be the shortest route between the two points as determined by the route finder on the RAC website ( In some circumstances, where a longer route has to be taken (e.g. in the event of roadworks, accident), this should be noted and the manager is required to agree any higher level. Any reasonable adjustments for an alternative route under the Equality Act 2010 should be noted and agreed with the manager. 1.3 There are no local arrangements within the Trust. 2 Limitation of Scope 2.1 This procedure does not cover the situation when employees are required to change their base of work as result of a reorganisation or merger of NHS employers or when employees accept another post as an alternative to redundancy. Section 19 and Annex O of the above named handbook give some guidance but can be subject to local variation. 2.2 At such times when it is necessary to relocate a service either at short notice for environmental reasons or due to a planned change, these changes can have a significant impact on the travel times and costs for people. When planning for an organisational change project which involves the relocation of services, the impact on the travel nad/or parking needs of staff working in that service should be assessed. This assessment of impact and the proposed strategies to either reduce, remove or accept the impact should be detailed and communicated to the people affected. If these strategies include the reimbursement of travel expenses then there should be a supporting plan as to how this will be administered and monitored. 2.3 Lease vehicles are no longer available via the Trust, which now promotes the salary sacrifice scheme operated by Tusker Direct. Should an individual wish to make use of this scheme, they should obtain details direct from Tusker via TrustWeb. Mileage claims for remaining lease cars (until the term of the lease finishes) are submitted in the same way as for private vehicles. 3 Submission of Mileage Claims 3.1 No travel claims will be paid without submission of an approved Authorised User Application Form (Appendix A). This needs to be completed by the user and authorised by the manager before Payroll can process a claim. 3.2 All travel reimbursement claims are now made electronically by spreadsheet available on TrustWeb. Page 5

6 3.3 Details of how to claim can be found at: nww.sabp.nhs.uk/staff/travel-forms-new-electronic-versions/new-travel-and-subsistence-claim-forms 3.4 Contact details for Payroll in Northumbria can also be found via the above link. If any member of staff has difficulty claiming electronically, these contacts can determine the most appropriate, alternative method. 3.5 Any receipts for verified expenditure are not now required by Payroll before payment is made but the employee s manager needs to keep the receipts for at least one full financial year (i.e. in April 2018, receipts for April 2016 to March 2017 can be securely disposed of. April 2017 to March 2018 will be retained and the current year s report). 3.6 Some employees have a Trust Purchasing Card. It is permissible to buy public transport tickets using this rather than reclaim later. These journeys should not appear on a claim form as there is a risk they would be paid in error. The employee s Manager is required to assure him/herself that the member of staff has not claimed via Payroll for expenses bought using a purchasing card. 3.7 Claims must be made within approximately 9 weeks (depending on varying submission dates) of the period to which they relate. For example, claims for the month of January need to be made to the Payroll Department by the payroll submission date for April s payroll. If that date is 5 April, then claims for 1 31 January need to be with Payroll latest by then. 4 Subsistence Allowances 4.1 Section 18 and Annex N of the latest NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook covers the subsistence allowances that can be claimed. These are also reproduced below at Appendix C. There are no local arrangements. 3.2 These cover: Night subsistence for overnight stays (long-term and short-term) Day subsistence when an employee is necessarily absent from home on official business and five miles from their base. Late night duties allowance 4.3 These are claimed on the same form as mileage claims are made. Again, where a subsistence allowance requires the production of a receipt, that receipt must be viewed and retained by the manager. Page 6

7 Appendix A : Authorised User Application Form PART 1 for completion by the employee Name of claimant.. Job Title.. Insurance company.. Policy No. Make of vehicle.. Registration number. I confirm that: a I will obtain and maintain during all official use full third party insurance including cover against risk or injury to, or death, of passengers, and damage to property. b The policy in respect of the above specifically provides for cover on journeys on the Trust s official business c I will ensure that the vehicle is maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition whenever it is used for the purpose of my employment by the Trust d I understand that the Trust does not accept any responsibility for any claims arising out of the use of a private vehicle e I will notify the Trust in the event of changes in the insurance policy referred to above f I hold a full, current driving licence and am not banned from driving at this time. Employees should ensure that, if they are requested to carry goods/articles belonging to the Trust which they would not normally transport as part of their duties, they have adequate insurance cover. Where you are proposing to use a vehicle which is not wholly owned by you, you must obtain written confirmation (before the vehicle is used on Trust business) from the insurers that any necessary extension to the policy cover has been made and that the other requirements of the Trust have been complied with. Please ensure a copy of your Insurance Policy is attached. Signature of applicant Date.. PART 2 for completion by the authorising officer Authorised user status confirmed Yes / No Form to be effective from. Signature of manager Date.. Page 7

8 Appendix B : Distance Between Trust Sites Ashford Hospital Dorking Clarendon House Caterham Dene Epsom St Ebba's Epsom West Park Farnham Hospital Guildford: Farnham Rd Hosp Ashford Hospital TW15 3AA Dorking Clarendon House RH4 1QJ Caterham Dene CR3 5RA Epsom St Ebba's KT19 8QJ Epsom West Park KT19 8PB Farnham Hospital GU9 9QL Guildford Farnham Rd Hosp GU2 7LX Trust HQ, Leatherhead, KT22 7AD Redhill Gatton Place RH1 1TA Farmfield Charlwood RH6 0BN Camberley Theta GU16 7ER Chertsey ACU KT16 0PZ Aldershot Centre for Health GU11 1AY Godalming Berkeley House GU7 1QU Trust HQ Leatherhead Redhill Kingsfield Farmfield Charlwood Woking Bridgewell House GU22 7SF Camberley Theta Chertsey ACU Aldershot Centre for Health Godalming Berkeley House Woking Bridgewell House The grid shows distances between Trust sites calculated using rac.co.uk It is intended to provide guidance when completing travel claims for business journeys. It is appreciated that staff may, occasionally, need to travel by a different route and to claim a different amount as a result. Where a claim is higher that the figure in the above grid, the reason for the discrepancy must be recorded on the claim form and countersigned by the authorising officer in the . Updated: May 2017 Page 7

9 Appendix C

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18 Appendix D : Additional Guidance The recent revision of section 17 of the Terms and Conditions Handbook has changed how staff should claim for business journeys that do not start or end at their base. The new rules state that in future, if you are starting from or finishing at home, the miles you can claim are those which are in excess of your normal Home to Base mileage. Set out below are some illustrative examples of how this works. For the purpose of these examples a notional distance of 12 miles normal Home to Base travel has been used. Example 1 Travelling from Home to first appointment and then onto Base: Distance from Home to first appointment: Distance from first appointment to Base: 8 Miles 7 miles Total Journey: Business Miles Claimed: 15 Miles = 3 Miles Example 2 Travelling from Home to multiple appointments then onto Base: Distance from Home to first appointment: 5 Miles Distance from first appointment to second: 6 Miles Distance form second appointment to base: 11 Miles Total Journey: Business Miles Claimed: 22 Miles = 10 Miles Example 3 Travelling from Home to an appointment(s) then returning home: Distance from Home to appointment: Distance from appointment to Home: Total Journey: Business Miles Claimed: 10 Miles 10 Miles 20 Miles = -4 Miles NO CLAIM NB - The same rules and principles apply for Journeys starting at your base and finishing at home Business Mileage linked to Existing Excess Travel Arrangement Where a member of staff is in receipt of excess mileage payments, business miles will commence once normal home to base miles have been completed for example: Page 17

19 Example 4 Distance from Home to base: 12 miles (of which 8 are paid as excess miles) Distance from Home to appointment 4 miles - No claim Distance from Home to appointment 8 Miles Claim 4 miles at excess travel rate Distance from Home to appointment 16 Miles Claim 8 miles at excess rate then 4 miles as business rate Page 18

20 Equality Analysis The equality analysis guidance notes and template are provided to support you in meeting the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty which came into force on 5 April They replace previous versions of the Trust s equality impact assessment toolkit, which should no longer be used. You should use this template to record evidence that equality analysis has been carried out before policy decisions take place. The form is a written record that demonstrates that you have shown due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations with respect to the characteristics protected by equality law. Please ensure you read the guidance notes and any available examples before attempting to complete this form. If you require further help, please contact the Equality and Human Rights Team. 1. About the policy/project/change Title of the policy / project / change: What are the intended outcomes / changes expected as a result of this policy / project / change: Are there links with other existing policies/projects: (if yes provide details) Travel and Subsistence (Staff) Different method of claiming reimbursement at different rates 2. Decide if the policy / project / change is equality relevant Does the policy/project involve, or have consequences for Employees who may travel in the people using services, carers, employees or other people? If course of their work yes, please state the groups of people who are likely to be affected. If yes, then the policy/project is equality relevant. If no, you can skip to section 6. However the majority of Trust policies and projects are equality relevant because they affect people in some way. 3. Gathering evidence to inform the equality analysis What evidence have you gathered to help inform this analysis? This can include evidence from national research, surveys & reports, interviews and focus groups, policy monitoring and evaluations from pilot projects, etc. If there are gaps in the evidence available under any of the characteristics, please explain why this is the case and state what actions will be taken to close the gaps as part of the action plan. Please ensure you check Annex C of the guidance notes for sources of evidence. The Protected Characteristics & Evidence Using the relevant available evidence - what is known, understood or assumed about each of the equality groups / protected characteristics identified below that could be relevant to this policy / project / change. Record the sources of the evidence used Age (consider & record evidence for people from all age ranges e.g. this might include safeguarding, capacity & consent) Age is not relevant to any aspect of this policy. Caring responsibilities (consider and record relevant evidence e.g. part time working, shift patterns, general caring responsibilities) The policy does not vary in line with any caring responsibilities. Disability (consider and record relevant evidence e.g. attitudinal, physical and social barriers etc.) Alternatives can be made to the method of claiming if a disability prevents the use of a computer on an individual basis. Gender reassignment (Transgender) (consider and record relevant evidence e.g. issues of privacy of data, historical records, promoting dignity & reducing harassment) Page 19

21 No aspect of this policy changes in respect of this protected characteristic. Marriage and civil partnership (applies to employment only) (consider and record relevant evidence e.g. part time working, shift patterns, general caring responsibilities etc.) This protected characteristic is not relevant to any part of this policy. Pregnancy and maternity (consider and record relevant evidence e.g. working arrangements, part time working, infant caring responsibilities etc.) Pregnant staff may change their method of travelling or their work but this policy covers claims in all circumstances. Race / ethnicity (consider and record relevant evidence e.g. different ethnic groups, nationalities, language barriers, cultural differences etc.) Not affected by any aspect of this policy. Religion or belief (consider and record relevant evidence e.g. people of different religions, beliefs or no belief) This policy does not have any variation for this protected characteristic. Sex / gender (consider and record relevant evidence for men and women - also consider links to other characteristics e.g. caring) No relevance to any aspect of this policy. Sexual orientation (consider and record relevant evidence for heterosexual people as well as lesbian, gay and bi-sexual people) This has no bearing on any claim under this policy. 4. Engagement and Involvement Record the names of the people and/or groups involved in gathering evidence and/or testing the evidence against the policy / project / change. Who and how were they involved? Who name of individual / group(s) represented How have these people been involved e.g. meeting 5. Analysis of the potential impact of the policy / project / change Based on the evidence you have gathered, describe any actual or likely impacts that may arise as a result of the decision and whether these are likely to be positive or negative. Where actual or likely impacts are identified, you should also state what actions will be taken to promote the likelihood of positive impacts as well as minimise or mitigate against possible or likely negative impacts, i.e. what can the Trust reasonably do to actively manage the consequences of its decision / action Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation: Does the policy / project / change, help eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation in any way? If yes, provide details. If no, provide reasons Age The policy is not considered to disadvantage any group or individuals with protected characteristics. All are treated equally under this policy Caring responsibilities and this procedure. Disability Gender reassignment Marriage & civil partnerships Pregnancy & maternity Race / ethnicity Religion or belief Sex / gender Sexual Orientation Page 20

22 Advance equality of opportunity: Does the policy / project / change, help develop equality of opportunity in any way? This could include removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics, taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people, or encouraging people from protected groups to participate in activities where their participation is disproportionately low. If yes, provide details. If no, provide reasons Age Caring responsibilities Disability Gender reassignment Pregnancy & maternity Race / ethnicity Religion or belief Sex / gender Sexual Orientation There is nothing to indicate the policy is discriminatory. All members of staff can claim for mileage in their own car or public transport as needed as part of their job. Promote good relations between different groups: Does the policy / project / change, help foster good or improved relations between different groups in any way? Yes If yes, provide details. If no, provide reasons. Age Caring responsibilities Disability Gender reassignment Pregnancy & maternity Race / ethnicity Religion or belief Sex / gender Sexual Orientation Equal treatment of all protected characteristics will indirectly promote good relations. What do you consider the overall impact: Considering the combined impact of the analysis and the actions required to promote the likelihood of positive impacts and minimise or mitigate against potential negative outcomes does the analysis support the implementation of the policy / project / change? Yes 6. Action Planning Actions to be taken as a result of this analysis (add additional rows as required): None Name of person who will take this action Date action due to be completed Page 21

23 7. Authorisation Name & job title of person completing this analysis: Date of completion: 9 th July 2018 Name & job title of person responsible for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the actions arising from this analysis: Name & job title of authorised person: (If there are doubts about the completeness or sufficiency of this equality analysis, seek advice from the Equality and Human Rights Team or the Legal Services & Reporting Manager in the Clinical Risk & Safety Team) Natalie Wallace Associate Director of Financial Management and Planning Ann Underwood Director of Finance Graham Wareham Chief Financial Officer Date of authorisation: 9 th July 2018 The completed template should be presented (within a paper or as a separate paper / appendix) to the appropriate committee, steering group or management team, before decisions are taken. A copy should also be forwarded to the Equality & Human Rights Team. Page 22