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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Flexible Working and Work-Life Balance Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish a framework for flexible working and work-life balance within {{org_field_name}}, ensuring compliance with the latest Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) regulations and the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016. This policy supports the well-being and retention of staff while maintaining high standards of care for residents. By offering flexible working options, we promote a healthy work-life balance that enhances employee satisfaction and service quality. The policy aims to provide clear guidance on the availability of flexible working options, the procedure for requesting them, and how they contribute to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the care home environment.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees of {{org_field_name}}, including full-time, part-time, temporary, and agency staff. It encompasses all job roles within the organisation, from direct care staff to administrative personnel, ensuring inclusivity in work arrangements. The policy covers the principles, processes, and expectations surrounding flexible working arrangements and work-life balance, recognising the diverse personal and professional needs of employees. It also outlines the legal entitlements of employees regarding flexible working and how these requests will be assessed and managed in alignment with operational requirements and care standards.

For the purposes of the statutory right to request flexible working, the provisions of this policy relating to statutory flexible working requests apply to employees from the first day of their employment. Individuals who do not have employee status, including agency workers who are not employees of {{org_field_name}}, do not have the statutory right to make a flexible working request to {{org_field_name}} under Part 8A of the Employment Rights Act 1996. Nothing in this policy prevents {{org_field_name}} from considering a non-statutory request from a worker or other person who falls outside the statutory scheme.

3. Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside the following policies to ensure a holistic approach to workforce management and care provision:

• CHW26 – Recruitment, Selection, and Retention Policy: Ensuring fair hiring practices that accommodate flexible working requests where possible.
• CHW27 – Staff Supervision, Training, and Development Policy: Supporting career progression within flexible working arrangements.
• CHW31 – Disciplinary and Grievance Policy: Addressing concerns regarding flexible working arrangements.
• CHW33 – Staff Leave and Absence Policy: Managing absences in line with flexible work schedules.
• CHW30 – Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy: Promoting fair access to flexible working for all employees.
• CHW23 – Lone Working and Staff Safety Policy: Ensuring flexible working does not compromise staff or resident safety.

4. Policy Statement

{{org_field_name}} is committed to fostering a flexible and inclusive working environment that supports employees in balancing their professional and personal responsibilities. We recognise that providing flexible work arrangements can enhance staff well-being, reduce stress, and increase job satisfaction, which in turn leads to improved quality of care for residents. We strive to implement flexible working solutions that maintain high levels of service while accommodating employees’ varying needs, whether they relate to childcare, health conditions, further education, or other personal commitments. The organisation ensures that all requests for flexible working are considered fairly and equitably, in line with CIW regulatory requirements and the operational needs of the care home.

5. Types of Flexible Working Arrangements

We offer a variety of flexible working arrangements to accommodate the diverse needs of our staff while ensuring continuity of care for residents. These include:

• Part-Time Work – Employees may request a reduction in working hours while maintaining a consistent work schedule to support a better work-life balance.
• Job Sharing – Two employees may share the responsibilities of a single full-time role, ensuring that service quality is not affected while providing employees with more flexibility.
• Flexible Start and Finish Times – Employees may adjust their working hours within a defined range, allowing them to better manage personal commitments such as school drop-offs or medical appointments.
• Compressed Hours – Employees may work their total contracted hours over fewer days, such as four longer shifts instead of five standard shifts, maintaining full-time pay while increasing time off.
• Remote Work – Where appropriate, non-care staff may perform administrative duties remotely, supporting operational efficiency while promoting work-life balance.
• Annualised Hours – Employees work a set number of hours over a year but have flexibility regarding when these hours are worked, depending on service needs.
• Term-Time Working – Employees, particularly those with school-aged children, may work during school term periods and take leave during school holidays, ensuring minimal disruption to the workforce.

6. Requesting Flexible Working

Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working from the first day of their employment. An employee may make up to two statutory flexible working requests in any 12-month period but may have only one statutory flexible working request proceeding at any one time.

The following structured process ensures fairness and consistency in handling requests:

1. Submission of Request – A statutory flexible working request must be made in writing and must:

• state that it is a statutory request for flexible working;
• be dated;
• specify the change to the employee’s terms and conditions of employment that is being requested;
• specify the date on which the employee would like the proposed change to take effect; and
• state whether the employee has previously made a statutory flexible working request to {{org_field_name}} and, if so, when that request was made.

An employee is not required to provide a reason for making the request, to explain the effect that the requested change may have on {{org_field_name}}, or to suggest how any such effect should be addressed. An employee may, however, provide additional information voluntarily where they believe this will assist consideration of their request.

2. Management Consideration – {{org_field_name}} will deal with each statutory flexible working request in a reasonable manner and will consider the request fairly. Consideration will include the requested working arrangement, relevant operational requirements and, because this is a regulated care home service, the requirement to maintain sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff, appropriate skill mix, continuity of care and the safe delivery of care and support in accordance with individuals’ assessed needs, personal plans and the service’s Statement of Purpose.
3. Consultation – Where {{org_field_name}} does not intend to agree to the statutory flexible working request in full, the employee must be consulted before a decision to refuse the request is made. The consultation will provide an opportunity to discuss the request, relevant operational or service-delivery concerns and, where appropriate, whether an alternative flexible working arrangement could be agreed. Consultation is not required where the request is accepted in full.
4. Decision and Statutory Timescale – {{org_field_name}} will make and communicate the final decision on a statutory flexible working request, including the outcome of any appeal provided for under this policy, within two months of the date on which the request is received, unless the employee and {{org_field_name}} agree an extension to that period. Any agreed extension will be recorded in writing. Where a request is accepted, the agreed change and its effective date will be confirmed in writing and the employee’s contractual terms and conditions will be amended as appropriate.
5. Refusal of a Statutory Request – A statutory flexible working request will only be refused on one or more of the business grounds permitted by the Employment Rights Act 1996:

• the burden of additional costs;
• a detrimental effect on the ability to meet customer demand;
• an inability to reorganise work amongst existing staff;
• an inability to recruit additional staff;
• a detrimental impact on quality;
• a detrimental impact on performance;
• insufficient work being available during the periods the employee proposes to work; or
• planned structural changes.

Where a request is refused, the employee will be informed of the applicable statutory business ground or grounds. Before refusing the request, {{org_field_name}} will have complied with the statutory requirement to consult the employee.

6. Appeal Process – An employee whose request is refused may appeal the decision within 14 calendar days of receiving the written decision. The appeal should state the grounds on which the employee asks for the decision to be reconsidered. Wherever reasonably practicable, the appeal will be considered by a manager who was not responsible for the original decision. The appeal and its outcome must be completed within the overall statutory two-month decision period measured from the date the original statutory request was received, unless an extension has been agreed with the employee.

An employee will not be subjected to a detriment or dismissed because they have made, intend to make, or have exercised rights in connection with a statutory flexible working request, or because they have brought or indicated an intention to bring proceedings concerning those statutory rights.

A request for flexible working may also engage {{org_field_name}}’s obligations under the Equality Act 2010. In particular, where an employee is disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010 and a proposed change to their working arrangements may constitute a reasonable adjustment, the request will also be considered separately under the organisation’s duty to make reasonable adjustments. The statutory flexible working procedure does not replace, restrict or remove the organisation’s Equality Act 2010 obligations.

7. Managing Flexible Working Efficiently

To ensure flexible working arrangements are implemented without compromising care quality, {{org_field_name}} will:

• Conduct staffing assessments to evaluate whether flexible working requests can be accommodated without impacting care provision.
• Utilise rota planning software to manage shift allocations efficiently and prevent understaffing.
• Promote cross-training to allow employees to cover multiple roles, ensuring flexibility in shift planning and reducing pressure on individual team members.
• Maintain clear communication channels between employees and management to monitor the effectiveness of flexible arrangements and make necessary adjustments.
• Ensure that no flexible working arrangement results in the service failing to maintain, at all times, sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff, having regard to the Statement of Purpose, the care and support needs of individuals, their personal outcomes and the requirements of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017. Staffing levels and skill mix will be kept under review and adjusted where necessary to respond to changes in individuals’ needs and circumstances, while maintaining reasonable continuity of care.

8. Responsibilities

• Employees: Must submit requests responsibly, considering operational needs and service continuity.
• Management: Must assess requests fairly, ensuring a balance between employee well-being and care home requirements.
• Registered Manager: Ensures that flexible working arrangements are implemented in a manner that maintains safe staffing levels, appropriate skill mix and continuity of care and that the service continues to operate in accordance with its Statement of Purpose and the requirements of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017.
• HR Department: Maintains accurate records of requests, decisions, and justifications for regulatory and inspection purposes.

9. Compliance with Welsh Care Home Regulations

Flexible working arrangements will be managed consistently with the regulatory obligations applicable to the care home service. In particular, {{org_field_name}} will ensure that:

• sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff are deployed at all times, having regard to the Statement of Purpose and the assessed care and support needs and personal outcomes of individuals;
• appropriate staffing levels and skill mix are maintained and kept under review;
• reasonable continuity of care is maintained;
• arrangements are in place to cover sickness, absence and other staffing contingencies so that individuals’ care and support needs continue to be met;
• flexible working arrangements do not prevent the service from providing care and support safely, effectively and in accordance with individuals’ personal plans; and
• this policy is reviewed and kept up to date having regard to applicable legislation, statutory guidance, the Statement of Purpose and relevant regulatory requirements.

The granting of a flexible working request does not remove or reduce {{org_field_name}}’s obligations under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 or the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017.

10. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where required following a change in applicable employment legislation, Welsh social care legislation, statutory guidance, CIW requirements, the Acas Code of Practice on requests for flexible working, or the Statement of Purpose.

Any modifications to the policy will be communicated to all staff members, ensuring continued alignment with best practices and regulatory requirements.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
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