CONTENTS
1. Introduction
Staff working with adults who are receiving care and support from the service, must be supported in their role and able to access advice and support from service managers quickly and at all times.
The on call rota should be displayed prominently in the service office, with details of the on call number. Staff working in the community should be given a copy of the on call rota, which they should keep with them at all times.
2. Local On-Call Arrangements
The service should agree which staff, and of what grade, should cover the on-call rota.
The service should agree the maximum time period for which a member of staff can be on-call.
The manager who compiles the rota must ensure that all the staff taking part in the on call rota are competent to do so, not absent through planned holiday or sickness.
The service should agree a designated senior manager who is responsible for overseeing the on-call arrangements. Should the member of staff not be available to by on-call due to sickness or unplanned leave, it is their responsibility to allocate another appropriate member of the on-call team to cover.
2.1 Roles, responsibilities and conduct of staff on call
Wherever possible, communication should be by mobile phone, and not via text message.
Staff who are on-call for any period must be fit for work during that time
The person on-call should be within an hour’s travelling time of the service.
During a period of on-call the nominated person must be available and contactable.
Staff should not drink alcohol or consume any other substances that could affect their judgement and their ability to drive, during the period they are on-call.
2.2 Recording and reporting
All calls received during the on-call period should be logged in the on-call book and shared with the appropriate manager/s.
All necessary records relating to the situation / concern should be completed and reported to the appropriate manager and external agencies where necessary.
3. Senior On-call Arrangements
A member of the senior management team will be available on-call to support the on-call member of staff.
The service should agree the period of time for which a senior manager can be on-call.
At the end of each on-call period the senior manager will handover to the next senior manager on the rota, and inform them of any outstanding issues that may require their attention.
Senior managers on call should only be contacted, for serious matters that need to be addressed as soon as possible. This may include:
- untoward or notifiable events (see Notification of Significant Events);
- responding to RIDDOR incidents (see Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, Health and Safety Executive);
- safeguarding adults incident (see Safeguarding Adults from Abuse or Neglect);
- death or absence of an adult who uses the service (see Notification of Death of an Adult who uses the Service);
- a major incident.
The senior manager on-call must be:
- contactable
- fit for the purposes of work at all times throughout their on call period (including non-use of alcohol or other substances that could affect their judgement).
In the event the senior manager on-call is unable to fulfil their duties during any of their on-call period, they should notify their manager as soon as possible.
