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AGENDA FOR CHANGE
COULIN ADKINS, amicus/CPHVA research and policy officer discusses new job profiles, grading evaluations and pay scales and gives advice on guaranteeing good outcomes from Agenda for Change
The first edition of the Job Evaluation Handbook (www.doh.gov.uk)1 includes two agreed profiles that can be used to assimilate district nurses onto the new Agenda for Change pay scales. There has also been a subsequent profile published on the same website that once again can be used in district nursing.
Now is an appropriate time to determine where we are in the Agenda for Change (AfC) process, how we got there and the next steps to ensure the best possible outcome for district nurses.
Remember we saw AfC as a means to address long standing grievances district nurses have about their grading which has been the subject of a campaign led by amicus/CPHVA.
November 2002 was an important time in the Agenda for Change job evaluation process. It was at this stage that amicus received the first batch of draft profiles for the professions that we represent. To say that we were 'underwhelmed' by their contents was an understatement. Indeed we were incandescent because they greatly undervalued our members' contribution to providing health care. We were worried about the affect that this would have on recruitment and retention of key skilled staff.
The draft district nurse profiles did not provide the basis for reversing the 'grade drift' which has resulted in a decline in the number of G grade district nurses.
We now believe that the published profiles do put us in a position to restore pay parity between community nurses and practitioners practising at the same levels, following interventions from staff side organisations including amicus. However, we need to get organised to ensure that grade mix is not replaced by AFC band mix.
Outcomes
At present profiles have been agreed at the following levels:
Qualified nurses (Community)
Band 5 £17,548 - £22,710
This is essentially the profile for staff nurses working in a district nursing team.
This represents a salary gain for nurses on Whitley Scale D and Scale E.
District nurse
Band 6 £20,955 - £28,387
This profile is on a par with other specialist practitioner profiles (health visitor, community psychiatric...