HR Direct and HR Consultancy
We offer an HR service that understands and supports the specific needs of all educational establishments, including all types of schools, academies, colleges, nurseries and pre-schools.
We have over 35 years experience in providing HR support to the education sector.
Our services include:
A helpline service – offering your school access to high-quality advice and guidance to answer one-off operational or policy queries.
The helpline service also provides schools with a suite of HR policies and guidance documents to support the management of staff in your establishment.
Additionally, schools are able to purchase pre brought blocks of hours giving you a named link HR adviser to work alongside and support the school. These hours are available upfront in blocks of 10, 20 or 40 hours.
Your pre-purchased hours can be used for an HR adviser to visit your school to attend planned meetings, provide support with drafting or reviewing letters, reviewing and amending reports or to provide emergency support during crisis situations.
Throughout the year you can continue to purchase in 10 and 20 hour packages where additional support is required.
Federations also have the flexibility of buying a block of hours and allocating them across the schools in their Federation as they see fit.
All services are provided by our dedicated team of HR advisers, who have:
- expertise in applying employment law and best practice appropriate to the culture and environment of schools and colleges
- an awareness and understanding of services for children and young people
- the ability to call on support from specialist legal advisers
- the experience of offering professional support, advice and guidance in:
- absence management, conduct, capability and grievances, including investigations
- change management, including redundancy, reorganisation and TUPE
- pay grading and conditions of service, including pay appeals
- preparation for employment tribunal hearings and appeals
- the ability to provide employment law updates and information
- up to date information on guidance relating to redundancy including fixed term contract renewal and termination
- experience in policy and guidance writing.
Payroll
We are one of the largest payroll providers in the South West providing a high-quality, professional service that offers great value for money.
We provide a full payroll service, which includes giving help and support with all aspects of your payroll requirements. We will work closely with you to provide a payroll service that meets your needs. We have many years of experience in running payrolls for large and small educational establishments, numerous academies and other public bodies.
We have close, established links with related organisations such as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Local Government Pensions provider and the Teachers’ Pensions Service. We are audited annually to review and maintain our high standard of service provision.
Our comprehensive payroll service can provide:
- Specialist support for your business through our helpdesk. In particular, we have in-depth knowledge of school staff pay conditions and years of experience running payrolls for educational settings of all sizes.
- Access to our self-service HR and payroll system for both employees and school personnel to view and update employee records as appropriate.
- Our system will automatically apply national pay awards and increments (where appropriate), along with absence adjustments and pay calculations including equated pay.
- Our experienced team of payroll staff to process complex payroll changes including overpayments, family absences, attachment of earnings orders and pension scheme contribution administration.
- Reporting – we will provide you with a range of reports for each pay run to enable you to review your payroll and support your financial management.
- Regular updates – we will provide you with regular updates keeping you informed of all legislative changes.
- Expenses and benefits – we are also able to offer an expenses and benefits service, which covers all HMRC reporting requirements.
- End of year – we provide a financial end of year service to support you with all of your necessary returns.
Completion of statutory pension reporting for both Teachers’ Pension Scheme via Monthly Contribution Reconciliation and Local Government Pension Scheme. This includes the submission of starters, leavers and related pay information to the relevant Pension provider.
Health and safety
At the Devon Health and Safety Service, our health and safety advisers are qualified to graduate or Chartered level of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and hold additional qualifications in fire safety.
The service is an IOSH accredited training provider. We provide services at your establishment, and aim to provide solutions in accordance with the principles of sensible and proportional risk management.
We support schools, academies and colleges to fulfil their legal duties in relation to health and safety (H&S) matters. The Service provides specialist advice and practical support on a wide range of health and safety issues relating to employees, premises, pupils/students, visitors, contractors, activities, security, equipment, off site activities, work experience, emergencies and curriculum safety.
There are two levels of service and additional ‘pay-to-use’ services. You are able to purchase additional hours that can be used for training or additional support either remotely or at your schools.
Subscription service – two levels
Basic service and full service – The full service includes all the elements in the basic and also incorporates a range of additional services, for example, undertaking fire risk assessments or complex risk assessments.
Basic service
- Acting as the Competent Person under Section 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations for Foundation, Trust, Voluntary Aided, Academies and Independent Schools and Colleges (County Schools are provided this by their employer).
- Provision of health, safety and wellbeing information, guidance and policies that are reviewed regularly in line with new legislation, good practice and case law.
- On-going support for your health and safety coordinator
- Helpline service: Duty health and safety adviser available office hours for routine matters and out of hours emergency response for serious injuries/ incidents. Helpline covers all safety matters, including educational visits, work experience.
- Membership and associated CLEAPSS materials.
- Radiological Protection Advisory Service through CLEAPSS via our Radiation Protection Officer.
- Primary and nursery establishments – 3 yearly onsite assistance visits which include and overall health and safety management system. Secondary and special school establishments – annual onsite assistance visit which includes an overall health and safety management system review every three years. Visits on non-review cycle years to be determined by the establishment but could include high risk curriculum area support, assistance with routine premises inspection, work experience support, or risk assessment preparation.
- Management review visits include post visit report, action plan and on-going support.
- Induction for new principals/health and safety coordinators
- Access to the OSHENS web based health and safety management system for accident reporting, Arrangements, template risk assessments, and display screen equipment risk assessment.
- Access to the Evolve Educational and Offsite visits system.
- Reporting all RIDDOR reportable accidents to the HSE (via the OSHENS system).
- Assistance with serious accident investigations.
- Liaison with all enforcement bodies (HSE, Fire Brigade, Environmental Health) and Ofsted.
- Liaison with establishment based trade unions, professional bodies and governors.
- Termly newsletter and hazard alerts.
- Access to a free library of health and safety training DVDs.
Full service
As per all activities in basic level, plus the following:
Direct assistance (4 hours at primary level, 7 hours at secondary/special level) per academic year which may include:
- assistance in carrying out the annual fire risk assessment
- reviewing areas of concern
- provision of in house training
- health and safety induction for new heads of higher risk departments, for example, Science, D and T
- review of establishment risk assessments for suitability and sufficiency
- a full premises inspection with written report and action plan
- assistance with safety documentation during civil litigation
- use of a range of calibrated equipment (portable electrical appliance tester, noise and light meters)
- attendance at health and safety committee meetings, safety sub groups, governors meetings and pupil council meetings as requested
- assistance with carrying out complex risk assessments, including moving and handling assessments of students with complex needs
Additional pay-to-use services
- Training courses via the published Health and Safety Training programme.
- Establishment/learning community based bespoke training sessions.
- On-site specialist technical advice or support during major building work.
- Work experience safety checks for placements in high risk activities.
- Use of a portable electrical appliance tester for a small fee.
- Assist the responsible person to carrying out the annual fire risk assessment (for those with the basic service).
- Review of establishment risk assessments for suitability and sufficiency.
- Any activity listed in the Full Service specification.
- Direct assistance with carrying out complex risk assessments, (for those with the basic service).
Evolve+
Following its introduction last year, schools continue to have the opportunity to upgrade to Evolve+, an optional add-on to the standard Evolve system that gives a greater amount of functionality, allowing more flexibility and efficiency in planning offsite trips.
Features in Evolve+ include:
- the ability to link Evolve directly to your MIS for populating student and staff names
- outline approval, which can involve any other key members of staff (for example, finance) in the visit form process
- calendar feeds, which can feed trip information into Outlook/iCal calendars of relevant staff
- gaining parental consent online rather than having to use a separate paper system
- the ability to send texts and emails to the parents of visit attendees directly from the Evolve system (additional cost per text applies)
The price for Evolve+ is £200 + VAT, in addition to your standard SLA cost. If you want further information about Evolve+, please follow the ‘Evolve+’ link on the front page of OSHENS.
HR ONE pricing schedule 2022/23
Subscription services:
(this should be read in conjunction with the ‘Service Specification’ documents)
HR Helpline – advice and guidance
Access to high quality HR advice and guidance to answer one off operational / policy queries, as well as to a suite of statutory and best-practice HR policies.
This level of service does not include a named link HR adviser.
£665 per school plus £18.70 per employee.
HR Consultancy
(only available to subscribers to the HR Helpline)
Additionally, HR for Education customers may purchase blocks of consultancy time in 10, 20 or 40 hour packages. This can be to undertake a range of employment related work, including investigations, restructures, and policy development.
This consultancy will be provided by a link HR Adviser who will develop a working knowledge of your school and work with you to resolve ongoing cases.
10 hours @ £785
20 hours @ £1,460
40 hours @ £2,475 (only available to purchase until 30.6.22).
(Travel cost included in block hourly rate, and travel time deducted from the block purchased).
Pay as you go rate £83.00 per hour.
(Travel charged at prevailing DCC rate).
Health and safety
We offer two levels of service on a subscription basis:
Basic service and full service
The full service includes all the elements included in the basic service and also incorporates a range of additional services, for example, undertaking fire risk assessments, complex risk assessments, etc. Full details of the services are detailed in the service specification.
- Nursery/Primary – basic £345
- Nursery/Primary – full £640
- Secondary – basic – £1,040
- Secondary – full – £1,625
- Special – basic – £445
- Special – full – £755
Evolve+ – £200
- 10 hours @ £785
- 20 hours @ £1,460
- 40 hours @ £2,475
Pay as you go rate £83.00 per hour.
(Travel time deducted from the block purchased)
(Travel mileage charged at prevailing DCC rate)
Payroll
The charge per employee, per year is calculated on the number of payslips produced. There is an additional charge for teaching staff to cover teachers’ pension administration and the annual service return.
- £74.20 per teacher
- £51.20 per non-teacher
Mediation
£1,040.00 per mediation. Price includes co-ordination of mediation process, and 2 trained and nationally accredited mediators for one day.
Travel will be charged at the prevailing HMRC rate.
In exceptional circumstances, where a further day or part of a day of mediation is required, this will be charged at a further £995.00 for a full day.