Education Personnel ManagementSt John’s House

Spitfire Close, Ermine Business Park,Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 6EP

e-mail: epm@epm.co.ukwww.epm.co.uk

Tel: 01480 431993Fax: 01480 431992

“Excellent value for money and has been since it

commenced!” Primary School, Cambridgeshire

“

“Excellent support during grievance procedures and on any issues that

arise. Nothing too much trouble. Excellent knowledge.”

Academy, Rutland

“““

“Overall the service is outstanding. Very informative

staff and extremely efficient.”

Academy, Gloucestershire

“Tremendous support with potentially difficult disciplinary, absence and

restructuring issues.” Academy, Oxon

What We DoAlong with HR and Payroll services, EPM provides consultancy and training to all types and sizes of schools. Our extensive experience and understanding of HR issues in schools will help you to attain the high level of staff management expertise necessary to achieve a successful school. We have in-depth knowledge of local terms and conditions of employment in schools.

We work with Academies nationwide and are proficient in dealing with all complex HR matters. This includes first and second generation TUPE issues - Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment).

If you are a Community, Voluntary Controlled, Foundation or Voluntary Aided school looking to convert to an Academy we offer comprehensive support with the statutory TUPE process as well as providing practical guidance and a seamless administration process.

If you are a sponsor (or from a Project Management Company supporting a sponsor) we are happy to discuss how we can help you with the Academy conversion process. We currently work with many Multi Academy Trusts to provide a streamlined approach to HR and Payroll management.

Why consider EPM?Human Resources (HR) and Payroll services are important for any employer but the education sector has specialist requirements. Education is EPM’s explicit interest; HR and payroll services are our specific expertise. EPM has been providing services to schools since 1993, giving us a wealth of experience and a depth of knowledge which we believe are second to none.

Schools rightly demand high reliability, a fast efficient service and a problem solving approach to support school leaders and governors. We believe that the basis of good HR management is the proactive and timely implementation of effective, meaningful advice and administration services which are straightforward, fast and reliable.

Whether you are reviewing the cost of your services or have concerns over the quality or reliability of an existing provider now is a good time to look at alternatives.

Education Personnel Management Ltd is one of the country’s leading education support service providers. Our reputation for effective HR management consultancy and payroll services has grown through word of mouth. We now support over 700 schools in 62 Local Authorities nationwide.

DirectorsRoger Walker, MCIPDRoger has worked at EPM since the company established in 1993, initially as a Personnel Adviser before promotion to the position of Principal Personnel Manager and then Director. Prior to 1993 he worked in the Education Personnel Department of Cambridgeshire County Council.

David Williams David joined EPM in 2010 and has over 28 years experience in the education sector. This includes six years with Tribal Education, five at second tier in a Unitary Education/Children’s Services Authority and eight years as Head of the Education Human Resources teams in two Authorities.

Jennie Elliott, FCIPD, MA Jennie joined EPM in 1996 and completed her CIPD course in 1999. She went on to complete a Masters degree in Employment Law at Leicester University in 2001. Jennie upgraded her CIPD membership to MCIPD in 2005 and became a Chartered Fellow of the Institute in 2012. She is also a trained psychometric trainer.

Alexandra Hawkins, MCIPD, MA Alexandra joined EPM in 1995 as a Trainee Personnel Adviser. She has a Masters Degree from Leicester University in Employment Law and Relations and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development as well as being a trained psychometric tester.

Founding DirectorsBev Curtis, FCIPD, MABev was an Assistant Director of Education, responsible for personnel. Prior to that he was a Senior Professional Officer of a National Teachers’ Association. He has extensive and expert understanding of employer/employee relations in the education service. Bev has an MA in Employment Strategy and he is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Maureen Cooper, FCIPD, MAMaureen was a Senior Education Officer with responsibility for schools before becoming a Senior Education Personnel Manager. Maureen has an MA in Human Resources and she is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a trained Psychometric tester and has been an OFSTED inspector.

The TeamThe Directors are supported by a team of more than 90 highly qualified and experienced HR and Payroll advisers and an ‘in-house’ Solicitor.

The EPM team have skills and expertise in all aspects of human resource management in education, including local and national conditions of service and local government and teachers’ superannuation schemes and teachers’ pay.

As an ‘Investor in People’ since November 1995, EPM actively encourages continuing professional development for all its staff by providing in-house training courses on key topics, funding for further education and attendance at external training sessions.

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HR Services The HR service includes administration and advice on all matters listed below. Where necessary, we will provide advice at formal hearings, including dismissal hearings. There is no additional charge for on-site attendance or for advice and training resources as detailed below.

Recruitment, appointments and termination of employment• Contracts of employment – Production of, and

advice in relation to,• School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions document• Conditions of service for support staff• Induction• Resignations and terminations• Support for recruiting head teacher / principal• Model job descriptions and job evaluation• Pay grade and duties of support staff• Protection of children in relation to the employment

of staff• Equality and diversity

Conduct and Capability of Staff• Rules, procedures and model policies• Support preparing for dismissal and appeals hearings• Advice/guidance on conduct/capability/some

other substantial reason (SOSR)• Advice and representation at capability and

disciplinary hearings and appeals• Ill health dismissals/terminations• Advice/guidance on the role of Governors as the

employer

Redundancy and Restructuring• Legal requirements• Redundancy procedures• Support and advice throughout the full process,

including consultation, compulsory selection, dismissal and appeal hearings

• Early retirement on grounds of redundancy• Redundancy estimates

Grievance and Employee Disputes• Grievance procedures• Support and advice throughout the full grievance

process Employee Welfare• Managing sickness absence, including dismissal• Phased return to work• Using occupational health services• Maternity/paternity leave and pay• Time off for public duties/Trade Union activities• Leave of absence

Superannuation and Pensions• Contributions• Benefits and entitlements• Early retirement

Newsletters and Advice NotesEPM will apprise you of key changes in the Education HR, Payroll and Pension field by providing you with Newsletters and Advice Notes. These are sent out on an “as needed” basis, ensuring you are not burdened with unnecessary information. EPM has an in-house Employment Law Solicitor so you can be assured that the guidance we provide for you is legally accurate and robust.

Termly HR Update and Training SessionsAs part of the service, EPM provides face-to-face termly updates for Senior Managers and Governors on key issues in relation to Employment and Education Law and HR and Payroll best practice. Recent topics have included ‘Teachers pay and appraisal changes’, ‘Managing Sickness Absence’ and ‘Addressing Underperformance’. These sessions are arranged locally and provide a valuable forum for discussing HR issues in your local context.

WebinarsWe also provide webinars on key topics. We know that it is not always possible to release colleagues to attend training sessions. By offering the webinar facility you and your colleagues can either take advantage of our live webinars or view our archived webinars at your own convenience. There is no charge for these professional development HR webinars and the content is relevant to all types of school and academies.

EPM WebsiteThis is an additional resource facility which complements the HR and Payroll advice and training provision. The EPM website (www.epm.co.uk) provides essential information to Governors, Head teachers and Senior Managers on HR and Payroll related issues including guidance and model HR policies and procedures. These can be downloaded and tailored to meet the school’s needs. The website also enables access to archived EPM Newsletters and Advice notes, as well as links to key national documents/statutory guidance/regulations.

2 Education Personnel Management

Payroll Services Since April 2001 EPM has offered a comprehensive payroll service to those customers who have a full HR service and we now have approximately 600 customers using our integrated service. We understand that having to resolve payroll problems is frustrating for a school, so we appreciate it is crucial that payroll is correct each and every time.

Our team consists of people who possess the specialist knowledge needed to cope with new legislation, such as Real Time Information (RTI) and Auto Enrolment, along with the frequent changes in government policy and constant upgrading of information. Working solely within the education sector, our priority is to ensure that both our systems and our staff are always up-to-date in order to process and manage your payroll effectively.We manage all aspects of payroll. PAYE, pension contributions, union subscriptions, attachment and court orders are all automatically calculated, deducted and forwarded to the relevant authority by electronic transfer, along with any required reporting.

EPM also offer the following benefits for customers using the integrated HR and Payroll service:

• Real-Time access to the school’s staffing records and comprehensive monthly payroll reports, in both pdf and excel format, available to download via our secure web portal.

• Realistic closing dates for HR notifications, payroll variations of additional payments due and absence records submitted through the portal.

• Dedicated named contacts for HR and Payroll working together closely to deal with all of the school’s needs, no matter how complex. This ensures a comprehensive, efficient and accurate service.

• The ability to preview reports summarising the monthly total cost of payroll and the ability to see changes in pay. This enables the school to view and adjust the payroll, if necessary, before it is processed.

• Assistance with the requirements for Auto Enrolment.

• Processing the sickness and maternity policies for the school. We will calculate sickness dates and draft maternity schedules to inform the employee of their entitlement.

• A BACSing facility to process payments on behalf of customers.

• Monthly and annual Local Government and Teachers’ Pension returns. (Starters, leavers, variations, and a breakdown in contributions paid over on the school’s behalf)

• Submission of data in compliance with HMRC regulations for all schools, including the monthly submission of data upon the introduction of RTI.

• Appropriate reports and payments sent to third party providers as required.

If you are considering changing your payroll provider and transferring to EPM part way through the financial year please contact us to discuss appropriate timeframes.

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Investing in technology to make life easier EPM actively promotes a culture of embracing change and our staff are encouraged to ‘work smarter, not harder’, a philosophy that we want to share with our customers. Working with Cambridge Online Systems – one of the UK’s leading Microsoft Gold Partners, we have developed a custom built HR and payroll software system. Designed specifically for EPM for use in Schools and Academies it allows our staff and colleagues in schools to process transactions efficiently.

The EPM Web Portal allows you access to your information anytime, anywhere. You can be confident that the information submitted via the portal is handled safely. EPM will never share the information with anyone without your express permission unless required by law to do so.

• All you need is a computer with internet access and you will be able to log on with your unique personal log in details to view your school’s records. You will experience more flexible deadlines and EPM advisers will pick up any problems or queries without delay.

• The portal is a secure, confidential website that will only be accessed by the Headteacher and authorised staff. The Headteacher will be able to nominate up to 8 users, all with their own log in details, and designated access parameters.

• Transactions made through the portal are sent via our secure servers direct to your named advisers so there is no possibility of information going missing.

HR Portal The submission of information through the web based portal is instant. You will receive an initial summary of your transaction as an audit trail and a log is also retained as a record on the portal. Progress of your instruction may be tracked online.

The HR Web Portal gives you:

• The ability to submit HR details directly online when convenient to you.

• The flexibility to access from anywhere via a secure login (home/evening/weekend).

• The ability to view specific employee details/contracts and amend as necessary whenever you require.

• The ability to view submitted data and track progress of transactions.

• The ability to download data flexibly for reporting purposes.

• A highly auditable and secure service.

“Since moving to EPM the service has been excellent. Our Advisor

is extremely helpful and nothing is ever too much

trouble.”

Payroll Portal The Payroll Portal is designed specifically to integrate seamlessly and comprehensively with the HR Portal. The payroll and absence facility helps to minimise duplication and off-line use of other school databases, spreadsheets and paper records, simplifying the management of your information.

The integrated system provides the fast and efficient payroll service that schools require. Accessed through the same secure login process, you have the full range of payroll services such as submitting additional payment and absence details, as well as receiving your monthly payroll reports through the site. It is possible for designated staff to only see the part of the portal relevant to them, e.g. a receptionist responsible for recording absence may only have permission to view and amend the absence tables. They would not see HR or Payroll details, unless you authorise them to do so.

You will have access to the full range of payroll services including:

• View initial costing report in PDF for on-line authorisation

• An extended deadline for submitting variable and absence data

• You will be able to view a variance report by cost centre, by variance type or person before the data is processed and the initial costing report issued

• New starters, leavers and amendments will be highlighted on the variance entry screen so any contractual changes can immediately be identified

• Access to a downloadable absence report by person, absence type or date

• Access to a downloadable final costing report in excel format

• Access to historical reports• Access to copy payslips• Year to date pension report• Gross/net pay variance report• Absence report for all staff during the previous 12

months

Following the payroll run at the end of every pay period, a series of costings reports summarising all payments and deductions, SSP and SMP and the Tax and NIC is provided for the school. A fully detailed payslip is produced for each employee and mailed as a bundle to the school in a secure envelope. We are developing an e-payslip process.

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DBS Portal EPM operates its e-Bulk system for the online processing of DBS applications. EPM offers all schools that purchase the full HR service (both HR and Payroll) the use of the e-Bulk system as part of our service.

By using the DBS’s e-Bulk channel, we can provide our customers with a fast, paperless and error-free application process. That means no paper forms, no applicant signatures and no reliance on the postal service.

The scope for error with paper DBS applications is time-consuming and manually-intensive to manage. The DBS e-Bulk Disclosure System eliminates data errors using intelligent validation and simplifies the management process.

Benefits of e-Bulk:

• Applications (which are submitted online) are submitted to the DBS the same working day, saving on postage and printing and ensuring that application forms are not mislaid.

• Access to a real-time online management facility to track all Disclosure records.

• Real-time confirmation of disclosure result.• Quicker results, allowing applicants to start work

sooner.• Efficient administration of the checking process.

The DBS Portal has reduced the application process timescales significantly with the majority of results available within 10 working days.

6 Education Personnel Management

Specific Focus• Our explicit interest is education. We exclusively

work with schools and academies and have skills and expertise in all aspects of human resource and payroll management, and payroll and pension administration.

Professional• EPM has supported schools since 1993 and

currently provides support to more than 700 schools across 62 Local Authorities.

• At EPM we are proactive and provide updates, briefings and training for schools on all aspects of education HR.

• We see our role as supporting school leadership to ensure the achievement of excellence in the school’s main purpose – teaching and learning.

• We provide a practical problem-solving approach to casework which supports heads and governors.

Dedicated• Each school has a dedicated named HR Adviser

with specific responsibility for the school, ensuring trust and confidence. Every HR Adviser is a member of a team with an HR Manager.

• The full HR service provides each school with a dedicated Payroll Adviser who has a close working relationship with the HR Adviser, ensuring a comprehensive, efficient and accurate service.

• On-site attendance at the school, as necessary, at no extra cost.

• Our latest customer satisfaction survey showed that 98% of our customers rated our services as either good or excellent.

Forward Thinking• Our staff are encouraged ‘to work smarter, not

harder’; a philosophy we look to share with our schools to improve our working practices.

• We invest in the latest technology to make the day-to-day running of the school just that bit easier.

• With the creation of the HR, Payroll and DBS Web Portals we aim to save you time by reducing the amount of administration. This minimises the scope for error and provides you with fast response times so that you can focus on the things that really matter.

• We are constantly reviewing new ideas for future improvements

The Benefits of Choosing EPM

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Costs EPM knows and understands schools and academies, we are geared to ensure that the service provided is at its most efficient and cost effective. We understand that you do not have the luxury of wasting valuable resources and rightly look for service providers who provide both quality and cost effectiveness. In the years that EPM has been a private company it has harnessed the best practices from both the public and private sector in order to ensure that its services are what schools require and at a cost schools consider fair. EPM structures its charges, enabling schools to spread the costs over the entire year, including providing for those unforeseen problems that could otherwise prove costly.

Contact Us If you would like to talk, in confidence and without obligation, about EPM’s services and your school’s requirements, please contact EPM on 01480 431993. We are happy to provide further information, answer your questions and meet with you to discuss your needs.

Our website www.epm.co.uk has more information about our services, and allows you to request a quotation.

8 Education Personnel Management

Education Personnel ManagementSt John’s House

Spitfire Close, Ermine Business Park,Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 6EP

e-mail: epm@epm.co.ukwww.epm.co.uk

Tel: 01480 431993Fax: 01480 431992

“Excellent value for money and has been since it commenced!”

Primary School, Cambridgeshire

“

“Excellent support during grievance procedures and on any issues that arise. Nothing too much trouble. Excellent

knowledge.” Academy, Rutland

“““

“Overall the service is outstanding. Very

informative staff and extremely efficient.” Academy, Gloucestershire

“Tremendous support with potentially difficult disciplinary, absence and

restructuring issues.” Academy, Oxon