Service Level
Agreement
Gold Package
Rev 01/04/16
Service Level Agreement
Gold Package
Rev 01/12/13
1.0 - Gold Package
The Schools’ Personnel Service Consultancy Team provides specialist expert advice and guidance on a
range of HR issues within schools and academies. Working in partnership with our customers we are experts
in finding practical and proactive solutions to HR issues. We have a comprehensive knowledge of HR best
practice and current employment legislation and a sound understanding of the challenges facing schools and
academies. We offer a range of flexible packages and services to meet out customers’ needs. Some services
may be offered at an additional charge depending on the package purchased.
Our comprehensive HR Administration service includes the following key features:
Management of Employee Life-Cycle
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Create record of employment, including preparation and issue of contractual documentation.
Process changes to employment and personal status covering contractual and non-contractual
amendments, issuing of confirmation and reflecting those changes on the system of record.
Ensure legislative compliance of these payments.
Close record at end of employment including, liaising with pension provider.
Ensure full legislative and policy requirements are met during the employee life-cycle.
Validation and Auditing


Carry out suitable checks on data input in accordance with best practice auditing of process, including
compliance, self-audit and checking.
Consider and unless otherwise agreed implement audit recommendations from internal or external
audit reports.
Advice, Customer Support and Information


Provision of a comprehensive and expert first and second line advice service to all customers.
Recording and reporting of queries for analysis and improvement of services and to influence policy
or procedural changes.
Respond in a timely manner to day to day ad hoc requests for information.
2.0 - Service Levels and Performance Standards
2.1 Service Hours
Service Element
Availability and Service Hours
Customer support
08:30 – 17:00 Monday to Friday, (excluding English Bank Holidays and the
concessionary day which is appended to the Christmas Bank Holidays).
www.the-sps.co.uk
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Service Levels – HR Administration
2.2
The performance measures are:
Measure
Target
Respond to Emails
Within 3 working days
Resolve calls at first contact
80% of all calls
Customer Satisfaction
80% good or better
Notes:
Schools Personnel Service will periodically carry out random checks in order to measure the target. As a
minimum these will be:
Schools Personnel Service will regularly carry out customer surveys and undertake mystery shopping to
measure the target.
Score
Definition
1
Poor
2
Satisfactory
3
Good
4
Excellent
The results of customer surveys will be shared with the parties to this agreement.
2.3 - Service Levels – HR Consultancy
2.3.1 – Performance Measures
Measure
Target
Respond to Emails
Within 24 hours
Resolve calls at first contact
80% of all calls
Customer Satisfaction
80% good or better
www.the-sps.co.uk
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2.3.2 – Key Service Areas
Services
Face to face on-site advice and guidance from a designated Consultant
Consultant attendance at formal meetings
Consultant attendance at Hearings to support and advise the panel
Access to a Duty Consultant between 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday if your designated
consultant is unavailable
Email and telephone advice and guidance
Provide procedural advice to investigating officers
Benchmarking support staff roles in schools
Provision of template letters and documents
Checking and revising of letters and documents
2.4 - Service Levels – HR Administration
2.4.1 Appointment of New Employees
Service
HR record
Contract of
employment
www.the-sps.co.uk
Who
Activity
Target
Complete all relevant employment and
safeguarding checks and advise SPS of new
appointment
As soon as possible
following
appointment
SPS
Set up person record on HR system inclusive of
salary details and contractual arrangements as
per school instruction.
Within 4 weeks of
receipt of full and
complete paperwork
SPS
Produce full contract of employment in
accordance with relevant terms and conditions
and statutory requirements and forward via
email to School for despatch.
Within 4 weeks of
receipt of full and
complete information
or within statutory
provisions (8 weeks
from commencement
date)
SPS
Update contract and record if start date
changes.
Within 4 weeks of
receipt of full and
complete paperwork
School
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2.4.2 Contractual and Non Contractual Amendments/Changes
Service
Contract variations
Policy
Who
Activity
Target
School
School completes documentation and send to
SPS (e.g. re-grading, change in contractual
hours).
As soon as possible
following decision
SPS
Produce contract variation in accordance with
authorised instruction.
Within 4 weeks of
receipt of full and
complete information
or within statutory
provisions (within 8
weeks of
commencement
date)
School
Liaise with / Notify SPS regarding proposed
changes to Policy or Procedures at the planning
stage.
At initiation of project
/ proposal
SPS
Agree system or procedural changes including
the timetable for delivery and any cost
implications, to give effect to the Policy change
proposed to an agreed timetable
As agreed
SPS
Deliver changes to agreed timelines.
As agreed
2.4.3 - Maintenance of Employee Records
Service
File maintenance
Who
SPS
Activity
Target
(working days)
Update employees file with all relevant
documentation
Within 2 days of
action
2.4.4 - Sickness and Absence Management
Service
Other absence (nonannual leave)
Who
School
SPS
Activity
Target
Notify SPS of any authorised/unauthorised
absences.
By SPS submission
deadline
Must comply with
Policy
Notify LGPS accordingly.
2.4.5 - Payments to and Deductions from Employees
Service
Who
Activity
Target
Total Contribution
Pay Process
SPS
Support the annual Total Contribution Pay
Process in accordance with the Kent
Scheme/School’s policy.
By published
deadlines
Teacher Assessment
Process
SPS
Process amendments as per completed
spreadsheet submitted by school.
1 September
(annually)
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2.4.6 - Administration
Service
Maternity / Paternity
and Adoption
Who
Activity
Target
(working days)
SPS advised of maternity/paternity/adoption
leave by school.
As soon as possible
Produce and send letters and packs
28 days from receipt
of all relevant
information
Notifies SPS of employees return to work date
by email.
By SPS submission
deadline
Update record when notified of employees
return
As soon as possible
School
Check that employee has returned for 13
weeks and notify payroll provider to process
half pay payment (if applicable).
13 weeks after
employees return
SPS
Follow termination process (where employee
not returning) as appropriate.
As soon as possible
SPS
Respond to queries from relevant Pensions
Scheme Administrator.
Within 5 working days
from receipt of
enquiry
SPS
Respond to school queries regarding SPS
related matters
Up to 5 working days
of initial contact, with
immediate referral of
misdirected queries
Activity
Target
(working days)
Completes leavers form and sends to SPS
along with copy of resignation letter.
By SPS submission
deadline
Update system and update Teachers
Pensions/LGPS record
Within 5 working days
SPS/
School
Send complete Leaver Paperwork to LGPS
Within 5 working days
of receipt of PLD from
payroll
provider/school
School
Request pension estimate (for employees aged
60 or over) and send to employee upon receipt
from Pensions
4 days from receipt of
request from
employee
School
Completes leavers form and sends to SPS
along with copy of retirement letter (if retiring)
By SPS submission
deadline
Update system, produce and send letter to
employee (if requested) including pensions
leavers notification form including life time
allowance declaration.
Within 5 working days
School
SPS
School
SPS
2.4.7 - Terminations/Leavers
Service
Leavers
Who
School
SPS
Redundancy/Ill
Health Retirement
SPS
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Death in Service
School
SPS
Completes leavers form and advises SPS
Consultancy and Operational Team of death in
service providing relevant information.
Upon notification of
death
Contacts relevant Pensions Section and then
sends letter and appropriate forms to next of
kin (in liaison with SPS Consultancy and
Pensions).
Within 2 working days
2.4.8 - Validation and Auditing
Service
Compliance
Self audit
Who
Activity
Target
To consult and liaise with SPS on policy and
procedural change requirements at the planning
stage and provide with final requirements once
finalised.
Continual
SPS
Provide ongoing HR service ensuring compliance
with statutory obligations, policy and procedures.
Provide advice on whether proposed policies or
single actions are compliant with legislation and
best practice and obtain confirmation in writing that
the action should proceed where this may be
contrary to that advice.
In line with
statutory
obligations and
policies.
SPS
Undertake checking of data input
New Starters
Variations
School
100%
25%
2.4.9 - Advice and Information
Service
Who
Activity
Target
Provide information
SPS
Provide relevant information to School as
requested
Within 3 working days
of receipt of the
request
Advice
SPS
Respond to requests for advice that require
factual information pertaining to SPS HR
issues
Within 3 working days
of receipt of the
request
SPS
Respond to queries from LGPS on current and
previously employed staff .
Within 20 working
days of receipt of the
query
Subject Access
SPS
Respond to requests to Personal information
(under Data Protection or Freedom of
Information Act)
40 calendar days for
Data Protection
20 working days
Freedom of
Information
Legislation changes
SPS
Advise School on legislative changes and
possible impact on service or organisations
As appropriate
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2.5 - Submission and Communication
Data for all of the above should be submitted to SPS via the following means (in priority order):
1.
2.
3.
4.
Self Service (when this is available)
Electronic submission (i.e. zipped email)
Via document management workflow from SPS (when available)
Hard copy (where signed documentation is required)
It is recognised that some statutory forms (i.e. P45, MAT B1) will need to be sent in hard copy format direct to
the payroll provider, therefore copies of these will be deemed as a suitable form of submission.
SPS commits to providing, via internal intranet and other suitable means, the methods of communicating with
Schools, including the above preferences, email addresses and the requirement for nominated school contact
to be the primary point of contact. We also commit to providing details of the complaints procedure (as noted
below) and feedback received from surveys.
2.6 - Confidentiality and Security
Personal files and all employee data will remain confidential and secure and maintained in accordance with
the Data Protection Act. Information will only be released to authorised individuals.
Users of computerised systems (including self service) are responsible for keeping their passwords
confidential and changed frequently. There must be no sharing of passwords under any circumstances.
Where a generic account or password is created for use by multiple users it is the responsibility of those users
to ensure that the data will remain confidential and secure.
Head Teachers are responsible for notifying SPS without delay, in accordance with published deadlines, of all
staff changes, leavers etc. so that relevant updates can be made.
3.0 - Changes To Your Package
3.1 - Upgrades
If you wish to upgrade your HR administration package we can action this for you with immediate effect.
3.2 - Downgrades
If you wish to downgrade your package, we require 6 months’ notice, in writing, which will start at the
beginning of the next month after the notice has been given. Package downgrades are not available for those
customers on a fixed term contract.
4.0 - Complaints Procedure
The Schools’ Personnel Service shall use best endeavors to deliver the Services in accordance with this
Agreement. We also know that sometimes you will want to let us know that you are not happy about
something that we have done – or not done. We hope that we can sort these problems out with you to your
satisfaction but accept that on occasions this will not be possible. For this reason, there is a complaints
procedure which gives you the chance to tell us when you think something has gone wrong and offers you the
assurances that your complaint will be taken seriously. Often you will be able to resolve problems face to face,
or by telephone but if you feel that this is not possible then you can put your complaint in writing and send it to
the SPS Customer Service and Resourcing Manager.
www.the-sps.co.uk
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If you are writing, it would be appreciated if you could cover the following points:
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What your complaint is about
The brief history of the complaint from your point of view
Your view on what should happen next
The names of any staff involved
When a complaint is received the Schools’ Personnel Service will:


Try to put it right
Respond to your correspondence within five working days
Where we are not able to meet that deadline, perhaps if a response requires further investigation, we will
agree a timescale with you if we cannot resolve your query within the five working days.
In all instances your complaint will be looked into by a senior member of staff and that person will contact you.
We will also ensure that lessons are learned from what happened and work to prevent it happening again.
www.the-sps.co.uk
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