Mobilisation arrangements extended to 31 May 2021
Published: 17 February 2021
Given the protracted nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the continued need to sustain our Enhanced Health Protection Response, the Executive Team has agreed to extend staff mobilisation arrangements to 31 May 2021.
This affects all staff who are mobilised into roles supporting the health protection response.
The Gold Group held an extended discussion about workforce and mobilisation and made a recommendation which was approved by the Executive Team on Monday 15 February 2021.
The Executive Team recognises that the current demands on the organisation to provide and sustain the health protection response unfortunately do not allow for the demobilisation process of our people back to their substantive roles to begin yet. Therefore, staff mobilisation agreements, in dialogue with staff, will be extended to 31 May 2021. This will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
There are over 200 staff who are formally mobilised into the response and many more who are formally supporting the response through a change in focus to their substantive roles. This is a tremendous commitment from everyone involved.
Staff currently mobilised will be contacted by their line managers to discuss the mobilisation extension and will receive updated mobilisation letters to reflect this change.
Tracey Cooper said:
“Staff are currently undertaking roles as varied as providing health protection advice, testing, surveillance, call handling, project management, communications and social media support. The ongoing support provided by colleagues who have been mobilised from across the organisation has been critical to delivering our Enhanced Health Protection Response to protect the public. I’m extremely grateful for everything that you have done until now and for your ongoing commitment, support and professionalism as the pandemic continues.
“As you all know, the progression of the pandemic remains difficult to predict and unfortunately it’s too soon for us to be scaling back our health protection response at this time.. However, we have now received Ministerial approval for 109 new health protection roles which is excellent news, and this will enhance our Health Protection Response and move us into a more sustainable and resilient position. We will be rapidly recruiting into those roles and, over the coming months, this will enable us to progressively repatriate our people back into their normal roles as the year progresses and reactivate our core public health functions from across the organisation - including our focus on the long term population health effects of COVID-19.”
“I appreciate that this uncertainty is unsettling for people who are mobilised and rightly anxious about how this affects them. The Gold Group and the Executive Team are working through the details as quickly – and thoroughly – as possible to balance the needs of staff and the needs of the health protection response.”
“We recognise the amazing work each and every one of you is doing to protect the health of the people of Wales and, on behalf of the Executive Team, I want to extend the most enormous thank you. I do hope as we move into the second half of this year, we will be in a more regularised position and, in addition to our health protection response, be able to address the wider population health challenges that Wales needs us to do.”
Next steps
If you are a member of staff currently mobilised to support the enhanced response, you will have a 121 with your line manager and you will receive an updated letter confirming the extension
Line manager guidance has been produced to support discussions with staff who are mobilised to support the Enhanced Response.
Line managers of mobilised staff are expected to hold 121 conversations with all staff who are mobilised by 1 March 2021. This is to ensure staff understand what it means for them. As part of these discussions line managers should ensure staff wellbeing is discussed, any risks or issues are raised and the appropriate support is put in place.