London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Social Services and Housing

Welcome!

Staff Induction Checklist

April 2003

Dear Colleague, I am delighted to welcome you to the staff group in Social Services and Housing. You are joining a very skilled and dedicated workforce who work in a range of different settings and with different groups of people across the borough. You will find details of an induction process that will be supplemented by your manager and there are corporate and service half day sessions, which I hope you will be able to attend. Each service area produces a monthly newsletter and this is an excellent way to stay up to date so find out how to get a copy. I hope you will enjoy working with us. Yours sincerely,

Jeff Jerome
Director of Social Services & Housing

Guidance to the induction programme process

Welcome to Richmond
The London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames Social Services & Housing welcomes you and hopes you will enjoy working with us in Richmond.

What can I expect on my first day?

Each new employee will be invited to meeting with other new starters and a member of the Personnel Department. This will cover information concerning Health and Safety policies and practice, Supervision Code of Practice, and briefly your Conditions of Service. The meeting usually lasts between 45 minutes and an hour and takes place at 9.30am on Mondays. This is an opportunity for you to raise any initial questions concerning any of these issues. You will be given a Professional Development File and a Health and Safety Pack to take away and read through. You will also meet with your line manager and be given a copy of the Induction Checklist. Your manager will also give you a copy of your induction timetable for some staff this may be completely prearranged but for others there will be spaces for you to fill in yourself. During your first day you will be given a tour of the building you are working in and be introduced to your work colleagues. Health and Safety issues of any immediate concern such as fire drill arrangements will be highlighted. Other administrative and practical details essential to your working day will be dealt with.

What is my induction?
Your induction is the opportunity for you to get to know the job you are doing and to familiarise yourself with the key people you will be working. You will also need time to read a variety of information such as policies, practice and guidance which will assist you to do your job effectively. Each manager is responsible for co-ordinating the induction of new members of staff. In some teams this will mean a lot of direct contact with the manager whereas in others this role may be delegated to senior workers or to your induction buddy. There will certainly be a key person with responsibility for your induction. The induction period usually last about two weeks, however following this two weeks many new staff will still need extra time to find out more about the job.

Staff Guide to Induction

Organisation as a whole. You will be allocated some work but the work should increase, over a period of time, until you are meeting all the requirements of the job.

What do I do in my first week?

During your first few days most of your time will be taken up with asking questions, seeking advice, reading through important policy documents and sorting out your information technology requirements (Check process on the intranet for new recruits). It is important that you use this time to understand the job, the organisation and the context you are working in. Do not feel worried if you forget some of the information you are given, the answers may be in the staff handbook you have been given. Otherwise, you can always ask your manager or induction buddy to go over it again.

When does my induction end?

Depending on your job the ending of your induction period should be gradual. By the end of three months you should be fully equipped and have been given adequate information about all the key areas of your job.

How do I make comments or feed back about it?

You will be sent a brief questionnaire at the end of the three months. Information is pooled from there and will be used to improve the induction process. If you need to talk to someone other than your buddy or managers before the three months ends you can contact the Personnel Department.

What should you expect to have been arranged by your Manager?

Personnel expect you at 9.30 on the first Monday you arrive. That there is a written induction plan prepared before your arrival. That a named person is arranged to be your induction buddy. That a tour of your workplace is arranged and health and safety issues are included. That you are properly introduced to your team colleagues. That you log on and information technology training requirements have been logged. That your workload grows gradually.

STAGE ONE To be carried out before start date

Activity
1. Implement any reasonable adjustments (Disability Discrimination Act 1995) for a disabled member of staff that were indicated during the recruitment and selection process. Prepare a personal induction programme ready for the individuals first day.

Date/Initials

2.

3.

Provide your new employee with a personalised copy of their induction schedule.

4.

Allocate time to carry out the first day requirements with your new member of staff or delegate to a named person.

5.

Ensure you are available to receive the new member of staff. Advise section of new colleagues start date.

6.

7.

Advise Head of Service/Switchboard of telephone extension number.

8.

Set up mandatory training and training arising from interview.

9.

Gather relevant procedures. (see page 3 activity list)

10. Work station: provide office equipment, stationery, system passwords, telephone directory, Councillors list.

STAGE TWO Action required on the first day Information & activities on start day
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Introduction to managers Introduction to colleagues Tour of workplace Location of toilets Fire Evacuation procedure Identifying and meeting reasonable individual needs (eg., those arising from religion, culture, gender age etc.,) Department structure and telephone listing Salary details and method of payment Pension scheme Notice period Bank details/P45 to relevant member of staff Allowances eg., mileage claims Holiday entitlement and leave procedure Job description and person specification Car parking arrangements, and season ticket loan scheme Eating venues eg., staff canteen, social club

Date/Initials

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

Health & Safety

17. Health & safety eg., protective clothing (Issue employees guide and relevant codes of practice) Accident reporting First Aid/First Aider location

18. 19.

20. 21. 22. 23.

Security (personal belongings) Office entry/codes I.D. badge (request photograph and arrange issues) Check and confirm adequacy of any reasonable adjustment as requirement by the DDA 1995 Issue workforce monitoring form Working hours including staggered hours/overtime as appropriate, and timesheets and Working Directive exemption

24. 25.

Policy
26. 27. 28. Probationary procedures Council smoking policy and workplace alcohol and substance misuse policy Equal opportunities policy details: Social Services Code of Practice, Council Policy Service Delivery, Council Policy Statement Staff Code of Conduct Whistleblowing Policy Training and Development Policy Code of Practice on Supervision Meetings Policy on Personal Safety .. .. .. Other issues raised... .. . ....
Please note that as the staff manager you will need to ensure new staff members understanding of the induction items and action any issues arising from these as the staff member is inducted. You will need to allow time for this during the induction process.

29. 30. 31. 32. 33.

STAGE THREE Action required in the first week

Activities during the first week

Items for the first week include some of the areas already listed for the first day. This is to ensure that more information is provided at this stage.

Date/Initials

1.

Introduction to the job Job description Establish supervision framework and contract Appraisal scheme Absence management policy Notice period and procedure

2.

Explain organisation, department and section structures and relationships, and provide structures

3.

Office Procedures Internal and external post system Computer systems Telephone answering standards Fax Photocopying Procedures for overtime/car mileage claims Petty cash/subsistence claims procedure Stationery ordering

4.

Personnel issues Conditions of employment Code of conduct Pension scheme Grievance procedure Disciplinary procedure Union membership Maternity and paternity leave Capability procedure

Activities during the first week

5. Communication Staff meetings Council intranet (code of practice) Corporate document presentation e.g. letters, memos Council complaints and compliments procedure Dealing with the media Details of support groups e.g. Black Workers Support Group, Womens Network Identify unmet individual support needs Customer care standards

Date/Initials

6.

Staff Training and Development Discuss relevant job training methods (eg., shadowing, coaching) Begin development of Personal Development Plan (PDP) Accessing training and development opportunities and processes (eg., Training Plan)

7.

Equal Opportunities Policy implementation Practice issues Individual needs, abilities and responsibilities Managers responsibilities Departmental responsibilities

8.

Other issues raised

Please that as the staff manager you will need to ensure new staff members understanding of the induction items and action any issues arising from these as the staff member is inducted. You will need to allow time for this during the induction process.

STAGE FOUR During the first four weeks Activities during the first four weeks
1. Finding your way about Civic Centre Regal House York House other locations Local amenities

Date/Initials

2.

Staff development Job review Review job responsibilities and set objectives Set training requirements and agree individual Learning and development plan Describe Investors in People accreditation, corporate and departmental approach Review induction at the end of the 4 weeks

3.

Documents you should have (Corporate & Departmental) Code of Conduct Code of practice on use of Email Community Plan Corporate Complaints and Complements Procedure Departmental Service Plan Domestic Violence Strategy Equal Opportunities Employment Policy Equal Opportunities Service Delivery Policy Statement Departmental Equal Opportunities Policy Health and Safety Employee Guide HIV and HIV Disease Corporate Policy Statement Strategy to Combat Racial Harassment Workplace Alcohol and Substance Misuse Policy Your Rights at Work Code of Practice on Supervision Meetings Whistleblowing Policy Local Agendas; MAP, EYDCP, YJP etc, Service Plan

Activities during the first four weeks

4. Other issues raised..

Date/Initials

Please that as the staff manager you will need to ensure new staff members understanding of the induction items and action any issues arising from these as the staff member is inducted. You will need to allow time for this during the induction process.

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STAGE FOUR During the first three months Activities during the first three months
5. The Local Authority Structure of Richmond Council Local government Finance (as appropriate) Cabinet Structures The role of the Elected Member Induction course attendance (where relevant) Mandatory training booked eg Fair and Efficient Recruitment for Managers

Date/Initials

When all relevant activities of the induction checklist have been completed, please sign below and return to your line manager for filing in your personal file.

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Activities during the first three months

Action Completed

Date/Initials

Signature of employee__________________________ Date__________________

Signature of manger__________________________ Date__________________

Please note that as the staff manager you will need to ensure new staff members understanding of the induction items and action any issues arising from these as the staff member in inducted. You will need to allow time for this during the induction process.

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