Royal Mail & CWU National Terms of Reference – Safe & Connected Trial

Royal Mail & CWU National Terms of Reference – Safe & Connected Trial

Dear Colleagues,

The Outdoor Department has been in discussions with Royal Mail for some time now regarding the possible trialling of an initiative that was initially trialled and is now being introduced in Jersey Post. The initial approach was made by Royal Mail through the DGS(P) Department following the Four Pillars dispute. Subsequently, and following further discussion with the company, it was agreed that the best way to take this issue forward was for the Outdoor Department to progress the initiative because the activity involves Delivery OPGs making contact with the participants.

As a result of these discussions, we have now agreed a trial of this concept in three delivery units along with a Terms of Reference document for the trial, which has also been fully endorsed by the Postal Executive.

Background

The UK, like most developed nations, has increasing numbers of older citizens; many of which live alone and/or away from their children/families. Postmen and women making doorstep calls to ask some simple questions to determine the well-being of these older members of society has been either successfully trialed or introduced in other postal administrations such as Jersey (Jersey Post) and France (La Poste).

Royal Mail has been asked by the Home Office to support trialing a similar type of service in the UK, entitled ‘Safe and Connected’. The trial involves Royal Mail working with three Local Authorities as well as the Voluntary, Commercial and Information Technology sectors, to provide a possible preventative solution to this group of people and so reduce or delay access to reactive support or dependence, e.g. Statutory Social Care Services.

Trial Description

The Safe and Connected trial is aimed at determining whether early intervention by the voluntary sector or local authorities positively impacts on feelings of loneliness, well-being and safety, which in turn could contribute to a reduction in the use of statutory services. At this point, it must be noted that this initiative is in addition to the normal level of statutory service provision, and not in place of it.

The trial will involve calling at the doorstep of a pre-recruited group of people and asking them 5 pre-agreed questions related to their happiness and well-being. This group will be recruited and vetted for their suitability and their consent gained by the local authority via partner organisations, e.g. Community Groups. The participants will not be currently under the care of Statutory Social Services or be known to them, and the vetting procedure will ensure that the participants are physically and emotionally suitable to take part in the trial (for example sufficiently mobile to answer the door).

The trial service will comprise a maximum of 100 Clients per unit who will each receive two visits a week (so a maximum of 200 calls in each unit each week).

Visits will be undertaken by postmen and women in the following Delivery Offices:

• New Malden DO (Borough of Kingston Upon Thames)
• Whitby DO (North Yorkshire County Council)
• North Liverpool DO (Liverpool City Council)

Royal Mail’s singular role within the trial is to collect responses to 5 pre-agreed questions on the doorstep. This will consist of a pre-scheduled call to a pre-recruited and qualified participant on a scheduled day. Visits will be undertaken twice a week per participant.

There will be no crossing of the threshold required by our members and the task does not require or involve any medical or mental health responsibilities as this is not part of the trial. OPGs are to act only as a “good citizen” in the event of any emergency situation or flag any concerns to their line manager – as per the standard current practice. 

It is also agreed that 10 minutes per doorstep call will be allotted and allowed for during the duration of the trial which will need to be factored into the resourcing arrangements for the unit and in order to build in the necessary time to carry out the task and to enable delivery of all mail products.

Each question is linked to national public sector measures in the areas of loneliness, safety and well-being.

Answers to these questions will be captured via a web-based application accessed via a Royal Mail PDA by the OPG making the call and sent directly to the Local Authority. The Local Authority will monitor and authorise an appropriate follow-up action with their local Voluntary Service Provider when needed.

Training

Full CWU involvement has taken place in the development of the training products. Work Place Coaches will receive the correct and appropriate training in order to carry out the new task, which they will then deliver to all staff within the trial units whilst also providing the necessary support and “one to one on the doorstep training” where required or requested.

CWU Involvement

The terms of reference includes provision for full involvement of National, Divisional, Area & local CWU IR and H&S for all aspects of the trial and also throughout the duration of the trial including the review, along with the necessary release for local representatives in order to deal with any associated workload issues relating to the trial.

Any operational changes proposed locally during the trial will be subject to the IR Framework.

Review

The trial will be for a 6 month period and subject to ongoing joint review at a National level during the trial period and will also include input from OPGs performing the task along with input from the Joint Working Group. Should the trial be considered a success and worthy of extending by the principle partners, either beyond the existing trial sites to a wider deployment or National roll-out, this will be subject to further joint discussion and joint agreement at a National level.

Summary

We have long argued with the company that Royal Mail does not fully leverage its unique reach and scale with the performance of the Universal Service, resulting in our members potentially touching every address point throughout the UK 6 days a week. We have also pushed Royal Mail hard in previous discussions in regards to their lack of creating and inventing new services and of their lack of innovation, whilst also challenging the ‘slash and burn’ culture of some senior management.

Indeed this has been a key factor in several recent National disputes and in the subsequent agreements that have followed, therefore we believe this trial and the concept within it can be a positive step in order to help to ensure we protect decent jobs whilst maximising full-time employment going forward with the development of a new service.

It is our view that we must look to work with the company jointly (where we have common interests) in order to provide different and innovative workloads and initiatives which can help to maintain the 6 day Universal Service within the UK. This also makes Royal Mail unique and further enhances the role which our members carry out within society in the UK, whilst also providing job security along with improving our members’ terms and conditions.

Therefore we have no hesitation in supporting this trial as we strongly believe it is fully consistent with the above and our Four Pillars approach, policies, campaign and agreement.

Any queries to the content of the above, please contact the Outdoor Department, reference: 530, email address: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org.

Mark Baulch

Assistant Secretary

LTB 580.18 – RM_CWU National Terms of Reference – Safe and Connected Trial

RM_CWU National Terms of Reference Safe & Connected Trial