Data NHS England is collecting

The collection comprises two distinct but related sets of metrics. Phase 3 focuses on Job Evaluation Scheme activity and outcomes across the wider Agenda for Change workforce, while Phase 4 supports oversight of the Nursing Band 5 Job Evaluation programme and implementation of the employer-led review of Band 5 nursing roles.

Data is reported for the most recent rolling 3 month period. For example, a data submission window opening on 1 October would cover the 3 month period from 1 July to 30 September (quarter 2).

Organisations are required to confirm that the return has been approved by the nominated board-level Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for job evaluation and shared through local staff-side partnership arrangements, including with the staff-side JE lead (or equivalent) and local partnership forum.

To support benchmarking, workforce data will be drawn down centrally by NHS England from the national Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This will provide comparator data to assess job evaluation activity volumes across the system.

A summary is provided below to outline the key elements of the new data collection.

Further details about the metrics requested, including submission requirements and data validation criteria, are provided in the Annex.

The purpose of this phase of the data collection is to provide a robust picture of organisational job evaluation activity, outcomes, quality and timeliness across all bands and professions of the Agenda for Change (AfC) workforce.

This section of the return collects information on completed job evaluation activity across the organisation. The data requested includes the number job matching and job evaluation panels that have run (excluding consistency checking panels) and the number of jobs banded at those panels over the last 3 months. Information is also required about the reason for the job description has been through the panel process; and whether this relates to a new job, a changed job, or a review request.

This section of the return collects information on the quality, governance and delivery of job evaluation activity across the organisation. The data requested includes the way in which job evaluation panels are convened (including the involvement of staff side panellists, use of external/private providers, and panel cancellations) and the quality assurance/consistency of panel outcomes. It also collects information on the number of panel outcomes that are disputed by the role holders affected by them.

This section of the return collects information on the volume and outcomes of job evaluation activity across the organisation. The data requested includes the total number of staff impacted by a changed job or review panel outcome within the last 3 months (reported by band grouping), and whether those  panel outcomes resulted in a new job description at a higher pay band, a lower pay band, or no change to pay band.

This section of the return collects information on the timeliness of job evaluation reporting. The data requested includes the average (mean) time taken in working days to achieve and communicate a job evaluation outcome once all paperwork has been confirmed, together with the shortest and longest time recorded during the reporting period.

Further details on the Agenda for Change job evaluation metrics requested, including submission requirements and data validation criteria, are provided in Annex 2.

The purpose of this phase of the data collection is to understand organisational job evaluation activity and outcomes across the Band 5 Nursing workforce.

Volume of Nursing Band 5 job evaluation activity

This section of the return collects information on the volume of job evaluation activity relating to Band 5 nursing roles. The data requested includes the total number of Band 5 nursing job descriptions in use, the number reviewed and evaluated through the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme within the last three months, and the number of Band 5 nurses affected. Data is also collected by nursing service area, aligned to ESR workforce categorisations, to support understanding of activity across different parts of the workforce.

Outcomes of Nursing Band 5 job evaluation activity

This section of the return collects information on the outcomes of job evaluation activity relating to Band 5 nursing roles. The data requested includes the number of Band 5 nursing job descriptions revised to Band 6, the number of Band 5 nurses uplifted to Band 6, and the number of job evaluation outcome disputes raised and resolved within the last three months. Data is also collected by nursing service area, aligned to ESR workforce categorisations, to support understanding of implementation and outcome activity across different parts of the workforce.

Further details on the Nursing Band 5 job evaluation metrics requested, including submission requirements and data validation criteria, are provided in Annex 3.