Redeployment: NHSScotland PIN policy

Annex C: Guidance on Matching

Posts which are an exact match

Where there is a vacancy that is deemed to be an exact match for the displaced employee, they will be automatically matched into the post. An exact match is a post which is:

• At the same pay band/grade and has the same skills set; and
• At the same location or within reasonable travelling time (e.g. within 1 hour), subject to the availability of public transport; and,
• With comparable terms and conditions of employment (hours, shifts, etc.).

In these circumstances the displaced employee will be allocated to the post and the redeployment coordinator (or locally determined alternative) will make the necessary arrangements for integration and induction into the work area. The trial period in this situation will normally be four weeks. The redeployment coordinator (or locally determined alternative) will seek advice from the manager of the displaced employee and the manager recruiting to the vacancy, as appropriate, if they require clarification on transferable skills and relevant experience.

Posts which are not an exact match

For an alternative vacancy to be deemed suitable there must be at a minimum, a basic skill match between the requirements of the vacancy, based on the essential criteria in the person specification, and the skills and experience of the individual. If no specific skills or qualifications are required, experience in a similar role/environment will be deemed desirable.

If a full skill match does not exist, the vacancy would be deemed suitable if it were agreed at the outset that, after a reasonable period of training, one would exist. This should ensure that there is no excessive delay in the candidate being able to undertake the core duties of the post.

Staff redeployed into an alternative post which is not an exact skills match will be entitled to a trial period in the new post. These provisions incorporate the statutory trial period of four weeks, but also allow for a further period of four weeks, thus giving a total of eight weeks during which the employee and the manager recruiting to the vacancy can determine whether the alternative post is suitable. In exceptional circumstances this may be extended.

Disabled employees

In circumstances where a displaced employee is also disabled for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010^[28], and that employee's disability puts them at a particular disadvantage in relation to the requirements of the duties, physical location or nature of the vacancy, consideration must be given to what reasonable adjustments can be made to the role to overcome this disadvantage and allow the employee to be matched to the vacancy.