Staff Handbook

Sport Wales is committed to supporting the principle of equality of opportunity in the workplace.  Sport Wales believes that its male and female workers should receive equal pay for the same or similar work, work rated as equivalent under job evaluation, or work of equal value. 

To support the above, Sport Wales will conduct an Equal Pay Audit biennially. 

An equality impact assessment has been carried out and this policy is not deemed to adversely impact on any people on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, language, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or the Welsh language.  

Sport Wales is accountable to the Welsh Government.  We work within a funding framework and are expected to manage our funds with probity and in the public interest.  Our pay system and scales are subject to approval from Welsh Government.  We recognise the PCS for the purposes of Collective Bargaining for our pay system and pay scales.  

We comply with all relevant employment legislation in determining the pay and   remuneration of our employees.  Sport Wales ensures there is no pay discrimination within its pay structures and allowances and that pay differentials can be objectively justified through the use the Job Evaluation and Grading Support (JEGS). 

Our pay structure and associated pay scales are reviewed periodically with the following considerations: 

• The need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably able, qualified and high-calibre people; 
• Maintaining openness and transparency; 
• Fairly remunerating employees for the work they do; 
• Overall affordability within available resources; 
• Pay practices in the wider public sector and comparator organisations; and 
• Relevant legal obligations including equality and anti-discrimination requirements. 

The grading structure consists of set pay scales, each role is allocated to a specific grade within the structure.  We pay our employees at a pay level commensurate with the responsibility and role, with equal pay for equal value roles.  The pay structure has been agreed with our recognised Trade Union and any changes to it are subject to consultation and negotiation with them under a collective bargaining agreement.  Any changes to the pay structure are equality impact assessed.  

All jobs at Sport Wales are evaluated using the Job Evaluation and Grading Support (JEGS), which is recognised by our Trade Union and is designed to meet equality objectives and provide equal pay for work of equal value.  Job Evaluation provides a score for a role, with scores grouped into ranges that equate to a specific grade. Scoring is undertaken by a job evaluation panel, consisting of Sport Wales and Trade Union representatives. Please refer to the Job Evaluation Policy for further information.  

All pay scales are based on financial years, pay scales are reviewed on 1st April, unless pay scales have been agreed for a longer period, i.e. two or three years. 

Each year, the Welsh Government issues guidance on acceptable pay remits. Following this, the PCS union will submit a pay claim to Sport Wales.  The Sport Wales will negotiation the pay scales until agreement is achieved, at which point, approval by Executive Team will be sought.   Following Executive Team approval, PCS may ballot its members.  The outcome of the ballot will affect all Sport Wales employees.  Once approval is received by PCS, a submission will be made to the Welsh Government.  Once they accept the remit, the HR team will implement in accordance with the timescales agreed. 

Sport Wales has implemented the Living Wage. The implementation and review of the Living Wage fit in with the annual pay review cycle, at 1st April each year. 

All employees are paid via BACS transfer on 25th of each month.  Overtime and bank holiday hours are paid monthly in arrears. 

Senior staff are defined as those who have significant influence over the decision making for Sport Wales.  The remuneration of senior staff forming the Executive Team at Sport Wales is reported in the annual reports and accounts.   

The remuneration of the Sport Wales Board is also reported in the annual report and accounts. 

The lowest pay within Sport Wales is the starting rate in Grade 1, the highest is the Grade 14.  We publish pay relativity comparisons between the highest and lowest paid employees in our annual report and accounts. 

Pay arrangements will take account of any particular focus needed for lower paid employees or in helping to address any issues flagged through equal pay audits. 

Employees will progress through the increment points within their allocated grade, until they reach the top of the grade.  

The date for your incremental increase will be the anniversary from the date you joined the organisation.  This will apply to all employees on a fixed term/permanent contract, also to those who are on outward secondment.  Employees absent from work whether that be maternity/adoption/shared parental leave, sick leave, career breaks will be awarded an incremental uplift on their anniversary. 

All employees will have the opportunity to progress to the highest incremental point for their role within a maximum of three years.  There is no form of performance-related pay. 

All employees will normally be appointed at the minimum of the appropriate pay grade.  In exceptional circumstances, the appointing manager may exercise discretion and appoint above this, subject to discussion with the HR team. Exceptional circumstances may include: 

• To secure the best candidate, considering the candidate’s current circumstances; and 
• Overall value for money when considering the costs of a further recruitment exercise. 

Where employees are internally promoted to a higher grade, they will receive a new increment renewal date, being the start date in the new role.  The employee will move on to the bottom of the new grade. 

Where employees move from one job to another, but at the same grade, they will retain their existing increment renewal date. 

Where a role has changed requirements, an employee or manager may request that   a job evaluation is undertaken.  If, as a result of the job evaluation, the role changes to a higher grade this will be treated as an internal promotion, as above. 

Substitution applies when an employee acts up into a higher graded post.  This involves carrying out all of the duties and responsibilities of that post.   

This policy only applies where arrangements are temporary and for longer than one month – for example to cover long term sickness, maternity leave or other short-term requirements.  The exception are those occasions where the substitution is covered on a shift basis.  If a permanent substitution is required, this is considered a promotion opportunity and should follow our recruitment and selection procedure.  

Where employees take on the full duties and responsibilities of a higher graded post they will receive the difference in their current salary and the minimum incremental point of the higher grade.  If employees are taking on part of the additional duties or responsibilities, for example, sharing responsibilities with another employee, their role should be evaluated and if this results in the role falling in a higher grade, the employee will be paid at lowest point of the newly evaluated grade.  The date from which the substitution commenced will be recognised as the new incremental date.   

Once the employee ends the substitution arrangement they will revert back to their previous grade and the previous incremental date will apply. 

Where employees substitute for another role which is of the same grade, this policy will not apply.  If there is uncertainty whether the additional responsibilities may result in a grade change, the manager should follow the Job Evaluation policy. 

Managers should contact HR to discuss substitution arrangements, which will need to be authorised via the Contract Variation Form and confirmed to employees in writing.

Depending on business requirements, employees may be eligible for additional allowances during the delivery of their role.  These are covered in the Allowance Policy. 

Overtime or TOIL may be applicable in certain circumstances.  Overtime is paid at   basic rate but will include allowances for part time employees for the first 37 hours. Where overtime is worked on a bank holiday time off in lieu (TOIL) will apply. Further information is available in the Overtime and TOIL policy. 

In addition to an employee’s salary, Sport Wales offers a range of both financial and non-financial workplace benefits. This includes membership to a choice of two pensions schemes, Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and Scottish Widows (see Pension policy).  Access to salary sacrifice arrangements, options to purchase additional leave, exceptional learning and development opportunities and employee wellbeing schemes.  In addition, Sport Wales welcomes flexible working arrangements. 

To support organisational change, we may from time to time elect to run severance schemes.  Details of the scheme and any compensation payments will be communicated at the time.  Please refer to the Redundancy Policy for further information. 

Sport Wales ensures our basic hourly rates for casual employees are the Living Wage or higher.  We will ensure that casual employees are paid fairly for the work they do, this will be matched to equivalent permanent roles, where applicable.  These hourly rates will be reviewed each 1st April, in line with the pay scales.  

Individuals on casual contracts will be offered work as and when needed. Individuals who do not accept work for whatever reason will not suffer a detriment as regards being offered work in the future. 

Those who have been undertaking regular hours over an extended period of time will be reviewed to determine whether a casual contract remains the most suitable type of contract. 

Individuals undertaking casual work will be able to accrue annual leave, as set out in their terms and conditions of employment.  Where it is not possible to arrange leave during the period of work, a payment will be made to reflect the individual’s entitlement to statutory holiday pay at the end of the period of work. 

Pay protection arrangements may be needed in situations such as: 

• Changes to the grade of the post, for example, following a job evaluation which reduces the pay band of the role 
• If a post is declared redundant or disappears through restructuring and the individual is undertaking work at a lower grade 

Pay protection means that an employee’s salary will be held at their current level of pay for a period of time, even where the salary exceeds the maximum of the grade for their revised post. 

Pay protection will normally be at one years, at full pay from the date that the negative change in pay comes into effect.  This may vary in length depending on the situation and needs of the business. 

A shorter period may apply in specific circumstances, for example if an individual has requested redeployment to a lower-paid post or such redeployment is the result of performance proceedings. Any such protection will be considered by the HR team on a case-by case basis, referring to relevant HR policies. 

Shift allowance is awarded when an individual’s working pattern varies from week to week on a rota basis.  It is not payable where an individual is not on a fixed rota pattern or where they work the same hours every week, even if those hours are outside of normal office hours.  This only applies to posts up to and including Grade 5, to recognise the lower levels of pay coupled with the demands of employees needing to be flexible.  

The shift allowance is applied at two different rates: 

• 16% allowance is applied for posts which require a two week or more shift pattern, involving weekends, and hours outside 7am to 8pm. 
• 8% shift allowance for two week or more pattern which may involve weekends, with hours between 7am and 8pm. 

Both of these allowances are pensionable.  

This allowance is automatically applied to applicable posts.  If you think that this should be applied to your post, and has not been, please raise this with your manager in the first instance. 

The mobile phone allowance is applied to employees by application.  The allowance is provided to employees who have not been issued with a Sport Wales mobile phone, and need to make and receive phone calls  away from the office.  Part of this agreement will be that the employee is contactable during normal working hours and uses the email functionality to keep up with important emails etc. The responsibility for the phone, upgrades and content on the phone will therefore be a personal one.  

To compensate the employee, Sport Wales will contribute the sum of £25.00 per person per month inclusive before deductions which will be paid through the normal payroll process. Note that this contribution does not count towards pension entitlement or any other additional payments.   

Employees who meet the criteria for a Mobile Phone Allowance are required to: 

• Complete the Mobile Phone Allowance Form available on the intranet 
• Use equipment sensibly to obtain a work life balance both for themselves and colleagues 

Not use mobile phones whilst driving or operating machinery during working hours.  

Provide the mobile telephone number to ICT so that it can be used internally for work-specific purposes.  

Provide a suitable mobile phone or Smartphone that is capable of connecting to the corporate email system. See below for guidance on suitable handsets  

Agree to Sport Wales erasing the contents of your device if it is lost or stolen. This will only be done after consultation with you and is a condition of connecting to the corporate email system. You should make regular backups of all content on their device to minimise the loss of information should this situation arise.  

Notify ICT Service Centre if your device is lost or stolen. Note you are advised to use tools such as ‘Find my phone’ to aid recovery of lost devices.  

Enable security ‘Password’ or ‘PIN’ on your device to increase security   

Managers are required to: 

• Ensure there is appropriate business justification for requesting the mobile phone allowance. 
• Review the application of the allowance to ensure the justification still applies. 
• Notify payroll if the allowance no longer applies. 

Sport Wales undertakes to:  

• Provide suitable remote access to the corporate email system;  
• Notify the user of any issues that may affect connecting to Sport Wales’ systems. 

This allowance is applied to employees who are required to be part of a set on-call rota and remain continuously and immediately available at home outside normal hours for a period of more than 12 hours.  This is applied to posts up to and including Grade 9.   

Employees may be required to respond to emergencies or to monitor media activity.  Employees who receive this allowance will make their mobile phone number available and ensure that they are immediately available to respond to calls when on-call.   

Where a call out requires employees to either attend their place of work or media matter for more than half an hour, the time will be compensated as flexi-time or as overtime payment if this is not possible.   

The value of the allowance is £159.77 per month, or £1,917.30 per annum. This will be reviewed alongside the annual pay review.  This will be pro-rata for part time employees, if they were a proportionately reduced on-call rota. This allowance is non-pensionable. 

This allowance will automatically be applied to relevant posts.  If you feel that this allowance should be applied to your post, please raise this with your line manager in the first instance. 

The application of this policy is on condition of continuing business requirement.  If call outs are in-frequent and do not meet the above requirements this allowance will be removed, with adequate notice. 

The home working allowance is applied to employees who permanently work from home for the majority of their contracted hours, this may be as a result of business need or by application.   

Further information regarding practical arrangements can be found in the  Working at Home policy.  

Employees are compensated at the rate advised by HRMC for compensation of electricity, gas, internet and telephone line rental. This rate is pro-rata for part time employees. Should the home working arrangement end, the home working allowance would also come to an end.  This payment is not pensionable. 

Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA) can be applied to individual jobs, or groups of jobs, where employment market pressures make it difficult for Sport Wales to recruit and retain employees in sufficient numbers at the normal salary scale.  Payments under this policy will be based on a clear business case and will be subject to independent decision-making. 

All RRA payments are subject to the submission of a clear business case for approval.  Heads of Department are responsible for compiling and submitting cases and resubmitting them for review where applicable.  Such business cases should include evidence such as: 

• Failed recruitment exercises in the past 12 – 18 months where despite advertising, Sport Wales has been unable to attract the right candidate and evidence suggests this is due to the pay level. 
• Evidence from exit interviews indicating that pay is a significant reason for leaving, with evidence of a job offer for a similar role at a higher level of pay. 
• Evidence from current pay surveys that demonstrate that pay for a comparable post in a comparable organisation is at least 10% higher than in Sport Wales.  The post should be similar in terms of duties, competence requirements, breath and complexity of the role, location, management and budgetary responsibilities.  

Comparisons must be made on the whole package including other elements of the reward package, including annual leave and pension benefits. 

The business case will go to HR for scrutiny and recommendation to the Executive Team who will make the decision.  The panel will only consider business cases where there is a difference of more than 10% between the total pay at Sport Wales, compared to the pay level the evidence suggests. 

RRA will apply to posts rather than employees and will be applied equally to all applicable employees.  Where an employee moves to a different post that does not attract the allowance, their entitlement to any previous RRA will cease.  

A short-term RRA may be applied where employment market conditions are expected to be short-term and where the need for the allowance is expected to disappear or reduce in the foreseeable future.  This will be awarded on a fixed term and will be reviewed at the end of this term.  This allowance may be withdrawn or have the value adjusted, subject to adequate notice period. 

Long-term RRA will apply where employment market conditions are more deep-rooted and the need for the allowance is not expected to vary significantly in the foreseeable future.  This allowance will be reviewed regularly and may be withdrawn or have the value adjusted, subject to notice period of six months. 

Both long-term and short-term RRA will be expressed as a percentage of the basic pay for the post.  The payment will count towards the employees’ pension entitlement.  This amount will not exceed 25% of the basic salary.  

Sport Wales is committed to work-life balance, actively discourages a ‘long hours’ culture and encourages and trusts its staff to manage their time appropriately and sensibly. However, there can be exceptions to this, due to the nature of our   business i.e. where staff work in high-demand partner environment, where working patterns are dictated by the partner or a business outcome.  For example, attendance for long periods of time at sport events or a consistent need to provide athlete services outside and in addition to normal working hours. 

In most roles there will be varying levels of business need from time to time and Sport Wales appreciates employees’ flexibility in meeting business needs.  In most cases this will be for a short period of time or can be managed by adapting working patterns.  The Exceptional Work Demand allowance, is designed to fairly compensate staff when the level of business demand reaches a height by which working patterns cannot be adapted to meeting the demand.  This will impact upon some employees more than others, therefore, the application of this allowance will be on a business case basis and include a review period. 

All Exceptional Work Demand payments are subject to the submission of a clear business case for approval.  Heads of Department are responsible for submitting a case for review.  Such business cases should include: 

• Evidence that current working patterns and allocation of work cannot be adapted to meet the level of business demand. 
• Detail the nature of the business pressure, whether this is for an extended period due to a sporting event or due to consistent athlete demand. 

The business case will go to HR for scrutiny and recommendation to the Executive Team who will make the decision.  When making their decision, the Executive Team will set a review period to ensure the allowance is applicable and to ensure employees are not being placed under undue pressure for extended periods of time. 

HR will inform employees of the outcome of the decision along with the review period.  Employees are expected to keep a record of their exceptional work demand and Heads of Department will need to monitor this to ensure that working hours are not excessive.  The Exceptional Work Demand payment will be expressed as a percentage of the basic pay for the post.  This payment will not exceed 5%. 

The equality of the application of this allowance will be monitored through the biennial equal pay audit. 

This historic allowance applies to people who have opted out of the current pay and grading structure.  This means that those in receipt of this allowance have a responsibility and regular commitment to work hours considerably longer than those ordinarily expected of staff.  Staff are expected to work flexibly to meet business needs.  These hours worked will be of an unsocial and irregular nature in the evenings, on weekends and on public holiday periods.  Those in receipt are not eligible for overtime payment, flexi-time, TOIL, shift allowance or on-call allowance, or any allowance associated with the new pay and grading structure. 

Unsocial hours allowance is set as a percentage of salary.  For Grades up to and including Grade D, on the old pay scales, the allowance is 20% of salary.  In the case of some Grade E posts, it is 12% of salary.  This allowance, which is pensionable, is paid with salary. 

As a Worker of the Organisation we will ask you to provide us with certain personal information relating to you at the outset of you commencing work for us and during the course of your employment/engagement. 

Data protection law protects personal information which is essentially any information from which an individual can be identified. There is a type of personal information which receives additional protection because of its sensitive or private nature, this is sometimes referred to as ‘special category personal information’ and means personal information about an individual’s race, ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership (or non-membership), genetics information, biometric information (where used to identify an individual) and information concerning an individual’s health, sex life or sexual orientation. 

This information is collected either directly from Workers or sometimes from an employment agency or background check provide, for example the National Brand Initiative. We may sometimes collect additional information from third parties including former employers and other referees, credit reference agencies or other background check agencies, pension administrator, medical professionals, other employees, the home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service, intranet and internet facilities. 

The information we will collect during your employment/engagement with us will include some or all of the following: 

• your name, address and contact details 
• your date of birth 
• your gender 
• your family details 
• your education and qualifications 
• your skills, experience and membership of professional bodies 
• your National Insurance number and tax code 
• your emergency contact details and next of kin 
• your bank details, payroll details and tax status information 
• your salary, annual leave, pension and benefits details 
• evidence of your ability to work in the UK, your nationality and immigration status 
• your driving licence 
• information provided about you from your previous employer(s) and other referees 
• your employment history information collected during the recruitment process that we retain 
  during your employment 
• your working terms and conditions (e.g. pay, hours of work, holidays, benefits) 
• details of any other offices or appointments or business interests you hold 
• any accidents connected with work 
• any training you have undertaken 
• any disciplinary, grievance or other issues relating to your employment or in relation to which you are able to provide information 
• your attendance record and leave taken (e.g. holiday, sickness absence, family leave) 
• your performance reviews 
• any other personal information you share with us, including lifestyle and social circumstances 
• any reasonable adjustment(s) made to your role or your work under the Equality Act 2010 
• CCTV footage and any other information obtained through electronic means 
• Information about your use of our IT, communication and other systems 
• Details of your use of business related social media such as LinkedIn 

We use the personal information we hold about you for a number of different purposes, which we list below. Under data protection law we need to have a valid legal basis for using your personal information, we also set out below the legal bases which we will be relying upon. 

We use the personal information we hold about you for the following reasons: 

• to comply with and demonstrate compliance with our legal obligations, such as checking you are legally entitled to work in the UK, deducting PAYE and National Insurance contributions, complying with equality legislation and other employment laws 
• to prevent fraud 
• to comply with health and safety obligations 
• to comply with and demonstrate compliance with any regulatory requirements 

In these cases, the legal basis that we will be relying upon to process your personal information will be because it is necessary for us to do so to comply with our legal obligations. 

We will also use the personal information we hold about you for the following reasons: 

• to comply with and enforce our contract with you and inform you of any changes 
• to pay you and provide you with any benefits you are entitled to including pension 
• to deal with any disciplinary and grievance issues which may arise relating to you or in respect of which you may be able to provide relevant information 
• to record your absences from work and your leave 
• to review and manage your performance and development 
• for general employment or contract administration purposes 
• to monitor compliance with any of our policies and procedures 

In each of these cases the legal basis that we will be relying upon to process your personal information will be because it is necessary for the performance of the contract between us. 

We will also use the personal information we hold about you for the following reasons: 

• to enable business management and planning, including accounting and auditing 
• to respond to reference requests 
• to conduct performance reviews, manage performance and determining performance requirements 
• to make decisions about salary reviews and compensation 
• to assessing qualifications for a particular job or task, including decisions about promotions 
• to gather evidence for possible grievance or disciplinary hearings 
• to make decisions about your continued employment or engagement 
• to make arrangements for the termination of our working relationship 
• to assess education, training and development requirements 
• to monitor your use of our information and communication systems 
• to ensure network and information security, including preventing unauthorised access to our computer and electronic communications systems and preventing malicious software distribution 
• to conduct data analytics studies to review and better understand employee retention and attrition rates 

In these cases, the legal basis that we will be relying upon to process your personal information will be because it is in our legitimate interests. Our specific legitimate interests are: 

• to be a fair and reasonable employer in relation to your employment/engagement and our employment/engagement of others and be able to demonstrate good employment practice and/or 
• to comply with and demonstrate compliance with our obligations as an employer and/or our policies and procedures relating to Workers and/or 
• to enable us to manage the Organisation effectively and efficiently 

We will need to keep certain special category personal information in relation to you which might be relevant to your employment, such as your: 

• racial or ethnic origins 
• political opinions 
• religious or philosophical beliefs 
• membership of a trade union 
• physical or mental health (including details of any disability) 
• sexual orientation 
• details of any known disability 
• commission or alleged commission of any offence, including the results of Disclosure and Barring Service (‘DBS’) checks 

We use the special category personal information we hold about you for a number of different purposes, which we list below. Data protection law prohibits us from processing any special category personal information unless we can satisfy at least one of the conditions laid down by data protection law. We also set out below the specific conditions we rely upon when processing special category data. 

We use the special category personal information we hold about you for the following reasons: 

• to monitor equality and diversity. 

In this case the condition we rely upon for processing the information is to monitor equality and diversity which is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, namely for the purposes of identifying or keeping under review the existence or absence of equality of opportunity or treatment between groups of people specified in relation to that category with a view to enabling such equality to be promoted or maintained. 

We also use the special category personal information we hold about you for the following purposes: 

• to comply with and demonstrate compliance with employment law and best practice and any other applicable laws 
• to comply and demonstrate compliance with any regulatory requirements 
• to deal with any disciplinary and grievance issues which may arise relating to you or others in respect of which you may be able to provide relevant information 
• to record your absences from work 
• to provide you with any health benefits you may be entitled to 
• to assess your fitness for work 
• to administer your trade union membership 
• to make any reasonable adjustments to your role 

In these cases, the conditions we rely upon for processing the information are because it is necessary for the purposes of carrying out the obligations and exercising specific rights in the field of employment law. 

In cases where a claim has been brought against the Organisation or there is a potential risk of a legal dispute or claim we may need to process your special category personal information where it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. 

There may be circumstances where we need to process your special category personal information, particularly relating to your health, where it is necessary to protect your interests (or someone else's interests) and you are not capable of giving your consent. 

We envisage that we will hold information about criminal convictions. 

We will only collect information about criminal convictions if it is appropriate given the nature of the role and where we are legally able to do so. Where appropriate, we will collect information about criminal convictions from the DBS as part of the recruitment process or we may be notified of such information directly by you during the recruitment process or during your period of work. 

We will only use information relating to criminal convictions where the law allows us to do so. This will usually be where such processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, namely, preventing or detecting unlawful acts, protecting the public against dishonesty, preventing fraud or suspicion of terrorism or money laundering. 

Less commonly, we may use information relating to criminal convictions where it is necessary in relation to legal claims, where it is necessary to protect your interests (or someone else's interests) and you are not capable of giving your consent, or where you have already made the information public. 

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so. 

Please note that we may process your personal information without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law. 

Some of the personal data we request will be because we have a legal or contractual requirement to obtain and use the information or it is necessary for us to obtain the information to be able to enter into a contract with you. An example of this would be under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 we are required to satisfy ourselves that you have the right to work in the UK. Failure to provide certain information will prevent us from employing or engaging you or from performing the contract we have entered into with you. 

 We do not carry out any automated decision-making or profiling in relation to you. 

Your personal data will be held by the HR department. Your personal data will be shared internally with other individuals and/or departments where this is reasonably necessary for the processing purposes set out in section 2 above. For example, it will be necessary to share some of your personal information with the Finance department in order to pay you. 

From time to time we will need to share your information with external people and organisations. We will only do so where we have a legitimate or legal basis for doing so and in compliance with our obligations under data protection laws. 

Your information may be disclosed to: 

• Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in connection with your pay and benefits 
• Banks and other financial institutions in connection with your pay and benefits 
• Pensions providers (Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Pension Scheme) for providing and administering your pension 
• Payroll provider (currently RSM) to enable us to pay you 
• Companies and businesses who provide or administer any benefits we offer. 
• Other people who help us provide our website, in-house WIFI network, they include information technology experts who design and host our website 
• Our insurers and insurance brokers (the Crown Insurance Service) who provide us with comprehensive cover against the risks of running a business 
• Employment and recruitment agencies and outplacement organisations 
• Professional bodies and regulators such as the Wales Audit Office and Deloitte 
• Our professional advisors including our accountants when they need it to give us their professional advice 
• The Police, local authorities, the courts and any other government authority if they ask us to do so (but only if us doing so is lawful). 
• Other people who make a subject access request, where we are allowed to do so by law. 
• Complainants, where this is necessary to respond to any complaints received 
• Private investigators 
• Debt collection and tracing agents 
• Where we are legally obliged to do so, e.g. to comply with a court order 
• Prospective employers in response to reference requests 
• Educational establishments, examination bodies, course providers in relation to any training you undertake or have undertaken 
• Marketing service providers who carry out marketing activities on our behalf 
• Cloud service providers such as Cascade, Halogen, Office 365. 
• Your family or representatives 

We do not transfer any of your personal data outside the European Economic Area. 

To make sure we meet our legal data protection and privacy obligations, we only hold on to your information for as long as we actually need it for the purposes we acquired it in the first place. 
 
In most cases, this means we will keep your information for as long as you are employed or engaged by us and for a period of 7 years thereafter. The reason for keeping your personal data for this length of time is to comply with HMRC requirements and because of the fact that some claims can be brought up to 6 years after your employment/engagement ends. 

To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements. 

Data protection legislation provides individuals with a number of different rights in relation to their data. These are listed below and apply in certain circumstances: 

• Request access to your personal information (commonly known as a "data subject access request"). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it. 
• Request correction of the personal information that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you corrected. 
• Request erasure of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal information where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal information where you have exercised your right to object to processing (see below). 
• Object to processing of your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes. 
• Request the restriction of processing of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of personal information about you, for example if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it. 
• Request data portability of your personal information.  In certain circumstances, you may have the right to require that we provide you with an electronic copy of your personal information either for your own use or so that you can share it with another organisation. Where this right applies, you can ask us, where feasible, to transmit your personal data directly to the other party. 

If you want to review, verify, correct or request erasure of your personal information, object to the processing of your personal data, or request that we transfer a copy of your personal information to another party, please contact the Head of HR. 

No fee usually required 

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request for access is clearly unfounded or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with the request in such circumstances. 

What we may need from you 

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is another appropriate security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. 

Where your personal data is processed on the basis of your consent or explicit consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time. You can do this by emailing the Head of HR. Any withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing of your personal data based on consent before the withdrawal is notified. 

If any of your personal details change during your employment/engagement you should contact a member of the HR team to notify them and provide them with the updated accurate information. We will as a matter of course send an email out annually to remind everyone of the need to ensure that the personal data you have provided to us is accurate. 

We review the ways we use your information regularly. In doing so, we may change what kind of information we collect, how we store it, who we share it with and how we act on it. 

Consequently, we will need to change this privacy policy from time to time to keep it accurate and up-to-date. 
 
We will keep this policy under regular review to ensure it is accurate and kept up to date. 

Our full name is the Sports Council for Wales. 
 
We are the data controller of the information you provide us with. The term “data controller” is a legal phrase used to describe the person or entity that controls the way information is used and processed. 

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) regulates data protection and privacy matters in the UK. They make a lot of information accessible on their website and they ensure that the registered details of all data controllers such as ourselves are available publicly. You can access them here http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public.aspx. 

You can make a complaint to the ICO at any time about the way we use your information. However, we hope that you would consider raising any issue or complaint you have with us first. We will always do our very best to solve any problems you may have 

You’re welcome to get in touch with us to discuss your information at any time. We have appointed a data protection officer (DPO) to oversee compliance with this privacy notice. If you have any questions about this privacy notice or how we handle your personal information, please contact the DPO.The DPO’s contact details are as follows;   

• Phil Stevens
• Email dpo@sport.wales 

Categorisation  

The scheme into which individuals are auto-enrolled, if any, is determined by their categorisation below: 

Eligible Job Holder (EJH) 

Eligible Job Holders are ‘eligible’ for automatic enrolment. Sport Wales will automatically enrol an eligible jobholder into the Scottish Widows defined contribution pension scheme (automatic enrolment scheme). 

Eligible Job Holders are those who: 

• are aged between 22 and state pension age 
• are working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period that are above the earnings trigger for automatic enrolment 

Non Eligible Job Holder (NEJH) 

Non-eligible jobholders do not meet the additional criteria required to be eligible jobholders, so do not need to be automatically enrolled. However, they do have a right to ‘opt in’ to Sport Wales’ automatic enrolment scheme, or LGPS 2014 CARE scheme if they choose. 

Non Eligible Job Holders include workers who either: 

• are aged between 16 and 74 
• re working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period but below the earnings trigger for automatic enrolment 
• are aged between 16 and 21, or state pension age and 74 
• are working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period that are above the earnings trigger for automatic enrolment 

Entitled Worker (EW) 

Entitled workers are not automatically enrolled in to the Sport Wales pension schemes. However, they do have a right to join a pension scheme. The pension scheme used by Sport Wales for Entitled Workers is a defined contribution scheme provided by Scottish Widows. 

Entitled Workers are those who: 

• are aged between 16 and 74 
• are working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• do not have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period 

Opting Out  

Whilst Sport Wales will automatically enrol those identified as Eligible Job Holders, and ‘opt-in’ those Non Eligible Job Holders who request this, on-going membership of the relevant scheme is not compulsory. 

Where an individual has been automatically enrolled, or enrolled as a result of an opt-in request, they can choose to ‘opt-out’ of their scheme: 

• Eligible jobholders may choose to opt out after they have been automatically enrolled* 
• Non-eligible jobholders who have opted in may choose to opt out after they have been enrolled* 
• Entitled workers who have asked to join a scheme do not have the right to choose to opt out.  If an Entitled Worker wants to leave the scheme, they must cease membership in accordance with the relevant schemes rules 

* can only opt out during what is known as the ‘opt-out period’ 

Opt Out Period 

• The opt-out period is one calendar month and starts from the later of the date the individual: 
• becomes an active member of the scheme with effect from the automatic enrolment date (i.e. the date that the administrative steps for achieving active membership are completed) 

OR 

• is given written enrolment information 

Individuals cannot opt out before the opt-out period starts or after it ends. If they decide to leave the scheme outside this period, they will instead be ‘ceasing active membership’. 

Further details on the opting out process are available from the relevant pension scheme provider. 

Provided staff are still eligible, Sport Wales will re-enroll those that have opted out back into the automatic enrolment pension scheme. This re-enrolment will occur every 3 years.   

Staff will have the option to opt-out of the scheme once they have been re-enrolled. Opting out will need to take place in line with the one month opt out period as described above. 

Changes in Age and/or Salary 

Sport Wales regularly monitor changes in age and earnings of its staff to enable the identification of those that become eligible for automatic enrolment. 

If it is identified that individuals have become eligible for auto-enrolment or opting in to a scheme, Sport Wales will follow the process for auto-enrolment, which is available from the HR department. 

New Starters 

On the appointment of a new member of staff, Sport Wales will check their eligibility for auto-enrolment and follow the process applicable for the category of worker in which they fall. 

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)  

Until 31^st March 2014 the LGPS Defined Benefit scheme was based on final salary and promised to pay out an income based on how much an individual was earning at the point of retirement or departure from Sport Wales. 

On the 1^st April 2014 this scheme changed to a CARE scheme (Career Average Revalued Earnings). The CARE scheme is also a defined benefit scheme. However, unlike the final salary scheme, the CARE scheme promises to pay out income based on the average income an individual has earned across their career. 

Those staff who were within the LGPS Final Salary scheme on 1^st April 2014 will have been transferred to the LGPS CARE scheme from this date. All benefits accrued to 31^st March 2014 under the Final Salary scheme will be fully protected, meaning that all membership to this date will still be worked out using the individual’s final salary on retirement or departure from Sport Wales. 

The LGPS CARE scheme (Career Average Revalued Earnings) is a defined benefit scheme. The CARE scheme promises to pay out income based on the average income an individual has earned across their career. For further, detailed information please click on the following link: https://www.cardiffandvalepensionfund.org.uk/ 

Scottish Widows  

The Scottish Widows pension scheme is our qualifying scheme for automatic enrolment purposes. It is a Defined Contribution scheme which means it is built up through an individual’s contributions and those of Sport Wales, together with tax relief from the government. Defined contribution schemes give an accumulated sum on retirement. 

Staff falling into the Eligible Job Holder category will be automatically enrolled into this scheme unless they advise they wish to join the LGPS. 

The Scottish Widows defined contribution scheme is also available to those falling within the Non Eligible Job Holder and Entitled Workers category should they wish opt-in to the scheme. 

• For further information on joining the Scottish Widows scheme, please contact the HR department 
• For information on a Scottish Widows policy, please contact Scottish Widows directly 

Pensionable Pay  

Individual’s contributions rates are based on pensionable pay. This includes basic salary, overtime and include all other allowances apart from the mobile phone allowance. 

LGPS 2014 Care Scheme Contribution Rates  

Employee Contribution Rate: 

The contribution rates vary dependent on your annual salary. 

Cardiff Council will issue revised contribution levels for Sport Wales and its employees. These are fixed, non-flexible contribution levels. 

Members of LGPS 2014, as an alternative, are able to enter into a 50/50 arrangement, whereby they contribute half of the contribution percentage applicable to their salary and receive half of the benefits they would have received under the main section of the scheme. 

Employer Contribution Rates: 

Regardless of the individual’s contribution rate, Sport Wales contributes to the fund of those participating in the LGPS pension scheme. 

Salary Changes 

Where salaries changed during the year, we will review the band within which your new salary sits and notify payroll and pensions at Cardiff of this change. 

Scottish Widows Contribution Rates  

Employee Contribution Rates: 

Staff joining the Scottish Widows pension scheme will be required to pay a minimum contribution rate of their total pensionable pay. 

Employer Contribution Rates: 

Sport Wales will continue to contribute a percentage of your pensionable pay in line with legislation. 

Retirement Options  

Within the LGPS there are a number of ways in which Retirement may occur: 

Normal Retirement 

The scheme retirement age is to be linked to the state pension age at the time of retirement. 

Member driven early retirement 

Employees are able to claim their pension from the age of 55. However, significant reductions would apply. 

Ill Health 

An active member who has qualifying service for a period of two years and whose employment is terminated by Sport Wales on the grounds of ill-health before the member reaches normal pension age, is entitled to, and must take, early payment of a retirement pension if that member satisfies the following conditions: 

• That the member is, as a result of ill-health, permanently incapable of discharging efficiently the duties of the employment the member was engaged in 
• That the member, as a result of ill-health, is not immediately capable of undertaking any gainful employment 

Three tiers of ill-health retirement are available: 

Tier 1 benefits 
 

If the member is unlikely to be capable of undertaking gainful employment before normal pension age, the member will be entitled to an immediate payment of benefits without reduction and an enhancement to membership equivalent to 100% of the period from the date of leaving to normal pension age. 

Tier 2 benefits 

If the member is: 

• not entitled to Tier 1 benefits ; and 
• is unlikely to be capable of undertaking any gainful employment within three years of leaving the employment; but 
• is likely to be able to undertake gainful employment before reaching normal pension age. 

Where a second tier pension is awarded the member will be entitled to an immediate payment of benefits without reduction and an enhancement to membership equivalent to 25% of the period from the date of leaving to normal pension age. 

Tier 3 benefits 

If the member is likely to be capable of undertaking gainful employment within three years of leaving the employment, or before normal pension age if earlier, Tier 3 benefits will be available without reduction but with no enhancement. 

Redundancy 

Please refer to the Redundancy policy for guidance on early retirement and redundancy 

For further information on the retirement options listed, please speak to a member of the HR team. 

If you were a member of the LGPS scheme at any time between 1st April 1998 and 30th September 2006, some or all of your benefits could be protected from an early payment penalty under what is called the 85 year rule.  Sport Wales has exercised its discretion to apply the 85 year rule for relevant members. For further information regarding this please contact HR. 

Flexible working requests will be dealt with on a case by case basis.  Please refer to the Flexible Working policy regarding flexible working requests. 

For those in the LGPS, employees aged over 55 may apply to retire flexibly whilst continuing in their employment on a reduced hours or/and grade basis. In this circumstance the employee can continue to contribute to their pension fund whilst receiving their pension benefit. Your pension however would be reduced in these circumstances depending on your age at flexible retirement. 

Sport Wales will usually only consider flexible retirement cases where there is no cost to the organisation and business needs are met. 

Criteria 

Employees must meet the criteria set out below: 

• Employees must be aged 55 or over 
• Employees must submit their request to flexibly retire to their manager in writing 
• Employees must show there is no increase in cost by allowing this request 
• The employee must commit to a permanent reduction in hours or a decrease in grade or both. 

Request for Reduction in Hours 

• Must be at least a 40% reduction from previously contracted hours 
• Will be a permanent contractual change 
• Employees will be unable to work additional hours above the newly reduced contracted hours whilst in this post 

Please note that pension accrued before the reduction of hours will be unaffected by the change, however pension accrued after the change will be affected. 

Reduction in hours will also affect redundancy benefits and the Local Government Pension Scheme ill health benefits. 

Where a reduction in hours is requested, a flexible retirement request form must be filled in and submitted to your line manager. This request will then be subject to the Flexible Working Policy. 

Additional Voluntary Contributions  

An employee can choose to pay Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) which are invested separately in funds managed by the AVC provider. The full cost of these additional contributions is funded by the employee. 

Additional Pension Contributions  

An employee can opt to buy extra pension for their retirement by paying Additional Pension Contributions (APCs). If the employee is in the main section of the Scheme, they can pay more in contributions to buy up to £6,500 of extra pension. 

Any extra pension purchased is payable each year in retirement and is payable on top of normal LGPS benefits. The full cost of these additional contributions is funded by the employee. 

Shared Cost Additional Pension Contributions (For absences starting before 1 April 2026) 

Shared Cost Additional Pension Contributions (SCAPCs) cover the amount of pension ‘lost’ during periods of unpaid additional Maternity, Adoption and Paternity leave or periods of unpaid authorised leave of absence. 

New Parent Leave 

If the employee is a new parent and has a period of relevant child related leave the amount of pension they build up won’t be affected. 

Relevant child related leave covers all periods of Ordinary Maternity Leave, Ordinary Adoption Leave and Ordinary Paternity Leave and any paid Additional Maternity Leave, Additional Adoption Leave and Additional Paternity Leave. 

That means that if the employee has a period of reduced contractual pay during relevant child related leave their pension is still worked out using an average of their usual pensionable pay (before the reduction in pay took place).   

Employees will only pay contributions on any pay that they receive. 

Unpaid additional Maternity, Adoption or Paternity Leave  

If the employee decides to take a period of unpaid additional Maternity, Adoption (usually from week 39 to week 52) or Paternity Leave they will not build up pension benefits. They can elect to cover the period of pension ‘lost’ by taking out a Shared Cost Additional Pension Contribution (SCAPC) contract. 

Where a SCAPC contract is taken out to cover the pension ‘lost’ during a period of unpaid additional Maternity, Adoption or Paternity leave, the cost is shared 1/3rd to the employee and 2/3rds to Sport Wales, provided that they make an election to buy the ‘lost’ pension within 30 days of returning to work. 

Authorised Unpaid Leave 

If an employee decides to take a period of unpaid leave, they will not build up pension benefits. The employee can elect to cover the period of pension ‘lost’ by taking out a Shared Cost Additional Pension Contribution (SCAPC) contract. Where a SCAPC contract is taken out to cover the pension ‘lost’ during a period of authorised unpaid leave, the cost is shared 1/3rd to the employee and 2/3rds to Sport Wales, provided that you make an election to buy the ‘lost’ pension within 30 days of returning to work. 

Qualifying Additional Pension Arrangements (QAPAs) (For absences starting after 31 March 2026) 

New Parent Leave 

As per the guidance that applies for absences starting before 1 April 2026 (see above), If the employee is a new parent and has a period of relevant child related leave the amount of pension they build up won’t be affected. 

Unpaid additional Maternity, Adoption Paternity or Shared Parental Leave  

If the employee decides to take a period of unpaid additional Maternity, Adoption (usually from week 39 to week 52) Paternity or Shared Parental Leave they will not build up pension benefits. They can elect to cover the period of pension ‘lost’ by applying for a QAPA. Employees have one year from their return to work to apply, provided that they remain in the same employment. 

Pension purchased through a QAPA will mirror normal pension build-up; it will count towards survivor benefits and it will not be reduced if the member retires on redundancy or efficiency grounds. 

The cost of buy-back will be based on the employee and Sport Wales’ normal contribution rates.  

For the purposes of calculating pension contributions during a period of qualifying family related leave (unpaid additional adoption leave, unpaid additional maternity leave or unpaid shared parental leave) the employee’s pensionable pay will be assumed rather than treated as zero.  

Authorised Unpaid Leave 

Employees who take authorised unpaid leave, such as a career break, can also elect to cover the period of pension ‘lost’ by applying for a QAPA. Employees have one year from their return to work to apply, provided that they remain in the same employment. 

Pension purchased through a QAPA will mirror normal pension build-up; it will count towards survivor benefits and it will not be reduced if the member retires on redundancy or efficiency grounds. 

The cost of buy-back will be based on the employee and Sport Wales’ normal contribution rates.  

Redundancy 

Sport Wales will not be exercising its discretion to grant extra annual pension to those active Scheme members, or those within 6 months of leaving, whose employment was terminated on the grounds of redundancy or business efficiency. 

Sport Wales will make use of the discretion to waive actuarial reductions only when there is a clear financial or operational advantage to the organisation. 

Any application for early retirement on compassionate grounds and the waiving of all or part of the reduced pension benefits will be decided by the Remuneration Committee. 

The following discretions apply to: 

• Active members voluntarily retiring on or after 55 who elect to draw benefits immediately 
• Deferred and suspended tier 3 ill health pensioners 

LGPS 2008 Discretions  

The following discretions are applicable to scheme members who ceased active membership between 1^st April 2008 and 31^st March 2014. 

Applications for early payment of deferred benefits 

Sport Wales will not be exercising its discretion to grant applications for the early payment of deferred pension benefits on or after age 55 and before age 60. 

Waiving actuarial reductions on deferred benefits 

Sport Wales will not be exercising its discretion to waive any actuarial reduction that would normally be applied to deferred benefits which are paid before age 65, on compassionate grounds 

Applications for early payment of suspended tier 3 ill health pension 

Sport Wales will not be exercising its discretion to grant applications for the early payment of a suspended tier 3 ill health pension on or after age 55 and before age 60. 

Waiving actuarial reductions on suspended tier 3 ill health pension 

Sport Wales will not be exercising its discretion to waive any actuarial reduction that would normally be applied to any suspended tier 3 ill health pension benefits which are brought back into payment before age 65, on compassionate grounds. 

LGPS 1995 Discretions  

The following discretions are applicable to scheme members who ceased active membership before 1^st April 1998. 

Applications for early payment of deferred benefits 

Sport Wales will not be exercising its discretion to grant applications for the early payment of deferred pension benefits on or after age 50 and before age 65, on compassionate grounds. 

Scottish Widows Discretions  

There are no discretions available under the Scottish Widows Group Personal Pension Plan. 

Approval of Overtime  

Overtime is not contractual, and employees are not obliged to undertake overtime as part of their role, likewise Sport Wales is not obliged to offer employees overtime. Where overtime is required it will be offered to all relevant employees.  Overtime may be paid by prior approval from a Head of Department.  This policy only applies to roles that operate on a shift/rota pattern.  

Overtime Rate  

The overtime rate is paid at the basic rate.  For part time staff this will include shift allowance up to the first 37 hours, and thereafter, at basic rate only. 

At the discretion of the relevant Head of Department, you may be given the equivalent paid hours as time off in lieu (TOIL) instead of payment for overtime.  This will only be permitted if the TOIL criteria outlined below are met.  If authorised, your TOIL record will be adjusted accordingly. 

Overtime Rules  

Overtime and TOIL must be recorded in 15 minute periods, which must be worked, not rounded up.  This must be authorised by the relevant line manager. 

Overtime will be paid monthly in arrears. 

Entitlement and Premium Payments for Bank Holidays  

The assumption is that employees will take their time off on bank holidays unless they are required to work.  Staffing levels during Bank Holidays are at the discretion of the line manager. 

Employees on a shift pattern who are scheduled to work on a bank holiday will receive full payment for their contractual hours as part of the normal monthly salary payment.  

If the employee attends work on the bank holiday, they will be: 

• credited TOIL with the bank holiday entitlement to be taken on a different day.  
• receive a premium payment for the actual hours worked which will be paid at basic rate plus allowances.  
• if the employee is sick on this day, they will not receive the premium payment 

If the bank holiday falls on a scheduled rest day the bank holiday entitlement will either be credited to the employee’s annual leave balance, or credited as TOIL to be taken on a different day.  

 If the bank holiday falls on a scheduled rest day but the employee works the day they will receive; 

• receive a premium payment for the actual hours worked which will be paid at basic rate plus allowances.  
• the bank holiday entitlement will be credited as TOIL to be taken on a different day. 

The bank holiday entitlement for a full-time employee is 7.4 hours. Part-time employees can calculate bank holiday entitlement by using the calculation below: 

7.4 hrs / 37 x your p/t hrs = bank holiday entitlement in hours. 

If the centre closes on a day you were due to be in work and your bank holiday entitlement is less than your contracted hours for that day, then the remaining hours will be deducted from your annual leave entitlement or TOIL card. 

If the Centre closes on a day you were due to be in work and your bank holiday entitlement is more than your contracted hours for that day, then the remaining hours will be added to your annual leave entitlement or TOIL card for you to take on a different day. 

This section provides some guidelines and criteria around taking TOIL.

Approval of TOIL  

As with Overtime, the accrual of TOIL must be given prior approval from the Head of Department.  

TOIL will only be authorised if all of the relevant criteria below apply. If authorised, your TOIL record will be adjusted accordingly.   

If the criteria below are not satisfied, then the equivalent hours will be paid as overtime the following month.  

Your line manager must approve all leave in advance, including TOIL. You may only commit to your leave plans, including booking holidays, once your line manager authorises your request for taking TOIL. 

If your application for TOIL is refused, your line manager will notify you as soon as possible.  Where there are conflicting annual leave or TOIL requests, priority will be given to the member of staff whose request was received first, subject to business needs. 

 TOIL Rules  

TOIL must be recorded in 15 minute periods.  You must work for the full 15 minute period that you are claiming.  This must not be rounded up.  

No more than 4 days (30 hours) credit will be able to be carried over into the following month, apart from in exceptional circumstances, as authorised by the relevant Head of Department. Any additional hours will be paid as overtime. 

No more than 1 day (7.5 hours) TOIL debit will be able to be carried over into the following month, apart from in exceptional circumstances, as authorised by the relevant Head of Department. Any additional debit hours will be processed as unpaid leave. 

 TOIL Cards  

Staff are responsible for completing their TOIL card and managers are responsible for approving TOIL to be credited and authorising TOIL requests.  Line managers should also record any TOIL activity via Cascade. 

Line managers are responsible for recording any TOIL for bank holidays. 

Key Principles 

Sport Wales will meet the cost where employees are required to travel on official business.  

Employees should ensure they use the most efficient and economic means of travel, taking into account the cost of travel, the cost of subsistence and savings in official time.  More expensive means of travel will be authorised only when justified by an operational benefit agreed in advance.  All unnecessary travel must be avoided. 

If an employee is travelling on official business they must take advantage of any cheap facilities which may be available, for example, day return or season tickets, where their use is consistent with the efficient and economic conduct of the official business. 

If an employee considers their proposals for travel involve a novel or contentious application of these principles, they should obtain their Line Manager’s/Director’s approval first.  

Sport Wales reserves the right to refuse to meet the whole or part of claims in respect of unreasonable expenses or expenses which could have been avoided had the journey been better planned. 

The current allowance rates for travel and subsistence are available from the intranet or the Human Resources’ team. 

Use of Procurement Cards 

When using a procurement card for travel and accommodation purposes, authorisation will be required from the Line Manager and Budget Holder prior to the purchase being made and in line with the expenditure levels set out within this policy. 

Employees need to ensure they also follow their responsibilities as Procurement Card holder as set out in the Procurement Card Scheme procedure (FIN010) which can be found in the Finance area of the intranet. 

Whilst the process for the use of procurement cards is regulated by the Procurement Card Scheme procedure, the principles set out for travel and subsistence within this policy still apply.  

Submission of Claims 

Employees should submit their claims promptly using the travel and subsistence claim form, available from the intranet. 

Claims submitted later than the following time limits may be disallowed (unless there is good reason for the delay): 

• monthly, for employees travelling regularly 
• within a reasonable period of time, but certainly within the current financial year 

Employees must ensure that claims for travel and subsistence allowances have been counter-signed by the relevant travel and subsistence budget holder or their line manager, whichever is the more senior. 

Employee expenses might include one or more of the following: 

Travel: 

• Travel by Road 
• Travel by Rail 
• Travel by Air 

Subsistence: 

• Meals 
• Overnight accommodation 
• Personal Incidental Expenses linked to overnight accommodation 

Sport Wales will reimburse an employee where the travel is for business purposes only. 

What journeys qualify as business travel? 

Business travel for both tax and National Insurance Contributions is defined as those journeys that have to be made in the course of an employee’s job. This includes: 

• If an employee travels from their office to visit a third party and uses their own vehicle 
• If an employee travels directly from home to visit a second party (unless the journey is practically the same as their ordinary home to work journey, because the premises are just down the road from the office) 

What journeys do not qualify as business travel? 

Journeys that do not count as business travel include: 

• Ordinary commuting - travel between home, or any other place an employee attends for personal reasons (such as the home of a friend or relative) and their usual workplace 
• Private travel - any other travel where the purpose is not for business 

Employees' Own Car, Bicycle or Motorcycle 

It is Sport Wales’ policy not to pay for travelling expenses unless they qualify as business travel as defined above. 

Business mileage will be reimbursed in accordance with the approved rates. These rates will be reviewed periodically by the Senior Management Team, in line with Inland Revenue regulations. 

Insurance for Business Use 

Employees who use their own vehicle on Sport Wales’ business are required to ensure their insurance policy covers them for business use of the vehicle. The employee must meet any additional costs. 

When employees use their private motor vehicle on official business, they must complete and sign a form the travel and subsistence form, acknowledging that they know and understand these insurance requirements, that they are covered accordingly and that they will immediately notify Sport Wales of any change which leaves them with less cover than the rules require. 

Pool Cars 

There is a separate policy for the use of Pool Cars. 

Hire Cars 

Where the use of a Sport Wales’ pool car, or private motor car, is not available, or public transport or a taxi does not provide the most efficient means of travel, employees may request provision of a hire car. 

Employees should choose the cheapest option when hiring a vehicle.  This will usually mean use of the approved car hire scheme of Sport Wales.  The procedure for requesting a hire car is detailed on the intranet. 

Normally hire cars should be used for journeys which require an absence from the normal place of work of more than half a day and a journey distance of more than 60 miles.  Prior approval of your line manager must be obtained before hiring self-drive cars. 

Sport Wales has its own comprehensive fleet insurance policy to cover hire vehicles.  This is limited to vehicles with a maximum of seven seats.  If employees have a requirement for the hire of a minibus, they must also obtain additional insurance from the hire company.  The policy covers any Sport Wales’ employee.  

Passenger Supplement 

If employees use their private motor vehicle and carry passengers whose fares would otherwise be paid by Sport Wales, they may be paid a passenger supplement for each passenger carried. The current rate for which is available on the intranet, or from Human Resources.  

Associated Expenses 

Car parking fees, congestion charges and bridge tolls paid for during the course of official business will be reimbursed subject to the production of proof of expenditure. 

Claims should be made using the travel and subsistence claim form. 

Home to Office Journeys 

Daily travel between home and the workplace is an employee’s responsibility. 

Only in exceptional circumstances may payment be made for mileage allowances for use of a private vehicle for this journey, i.e. if employees are required to make additional attendance outside of normal working hours. 

Fines 

Sport Wales will not reimburse: 

• Parking fines 
• Congestion charge fines 
• Clamping release fees 
• Vehicle recovery fees 
• Motoring offence fines 

Please note this list is not exhaustive. 

Disqualification 

Employees who are required to travel during the course of their normal duties may be required to make suitable alternative arrangements at their own expense if disqualified from driving. 

Loss or Damage 

Subject to the provisions of the following paragraph, Sport Wales would not reimburse for any loss or damage resulting from the use of private motor vehicles used on official business, whether or not the cost of such loss or damage can be claimed under your insurance policy. 

If the insurance policy is subject to an excess clause, Sport Wales may reimburse the cost of any loss and damage which cannot be recovered from the insurance company because of the operation of that excess clause, provided that:  

• The irrecoverable loss or damage up to £165 
• Any loss or damage occurred whilst employees were on official business 
• Employees repay to Sport Wales any monies originally paid by Sport Wales under this provision, if reimbursement from any other party is obtained 
• The loss or damage was not due to the employee’s negligence 

Accidents 

In the event of an accident involving other parties, employees should obtain the names, addresses, registration number(s), and insurers of the other parties and also the names and addresses of witnesses.  

Employees should not admit liability to any third party at the scene.  After any accident, they must complete and submit an accident report form to Sport Wales, the form for which is available on the intranet.  Completed forms should be sent to the Human Resources Manager. 

Theft 

In the event of the theft of a hired car or any of its contents you should inform the police immediately it becomes known and, thereafter, the hire company.  

Employees will be required to complete and submit a motor vehicle theft report form to Sport Wales, the form for which is available on the intranet.  Completed forms should be sent to the Human Resources Manager. 

Employees may claim a mileage allowance for all business journeys (other than to and from your normal workplace) made by bicycle.  Please see the Expenses and Allowances Rates on the intranet. 

Taxi fares may only be reimbursed in the following circumstances: 

• For journeys for which there is no other suitable method of public transport 
• When heavy luggage has to be transported to or from terminal stations 
• Where the saving of official time is important. There may be very little saving of official time by using taxis in large towns and in central London 
• Where employees would otherwise be placed at personal risk in order to undertake official business e.g. a late night journey that could involve waiting at a lonely bus/railway station 

When travelling by rail, employees should, as far as possible, travel standard class and should book their journeys sufficiently in advance to obtain the best possible prices. 

If employees prefer not to pay for an approved rail journey themselves before making a claim, they may obtain a rail warrant from the Finance team. An application for a rail warrant can be obtained from the intranet\Finance documents. The rail warrant is then exchanged at the railway station’s ticket office for a ticket.  

Alternatively they may purchase the ticket using a procurement card (information on procurement cards are available from the Finance team). 

Employees should retain all tickets and credit card vouchers. 

Within the UK 

All air travel within the UK is classified as Non–Standard Travel and as such prior approval by the Line Manager is required. 

Air journeys should only be made where it is apparent that such travel results in either direct or indirect cost savings, where there is no other practicable method of travel, or where other special circumstances apply. 

Regular travellers may qualify for one of the ‘air-miles’ schemes of the major airlines. However, employees should not benefit personally from accumulating air miles but should use them to offset the costs of official journeys. 

International 

All overseas travel requires prior approval from the relevant Corporate Director. 

All air travel must normally be made utilising the most economic fare available at the time of booking. It is expected that employees will travel economy class. In exceptional circumstances business class travel may be appropriate. Senior Management Team approval will be required in these circumstances. 

Bookings should be made at the earliest opportunity to take advantage of special fares. 

Staff who choose to travel business class, club class or first class without the prior approval of the Senior Management Team will be required to reimburse Sport Wales for the difference in cost between the economy fare and the fare charged. 

Employees need to ensure that they hold a full and valid passport when travelling internationally. Travel to certain countries requires specific visas and these should be rganised by the employee along with travel insurance. 

Employees should note that, whilst travelling on official business, Sport Wales has no liability to pay compensation for the loss of, or damage to, any personal property, either in this country or abroad. 

Employees should therefore make their own personal insurance arrangements according to your needs. 

Sport Wales would not wish employees to be at a disadvantage financially when attending meetings or other events out of their normal office. As such, Sport Wales will pay subsistence if they necessarily incur additional expenses when away from the home or office as a direct consequence of their work. 

On the other hand, Sport Wales has to show propriety in the use of public funding.  Consequently, this policy and process seeks to adopt a balanced approach. 

Claiming Subsistence  

Sport Wales will reimburse reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by an employee when: 

• It is necessary to stay away from home overnight 
• Additional expenses are incurred as a result of having to travel on Sport Wales business 

Where costs exceed the rates specified, these cannot be claimed for, unless there are exceptional circumstances and it has been possible to obtain the prior approval of the employee's Corporate Director.  Under such circumstances, receipts should be obtained and submitted with their expense form. 

Information on the rates applicable can be found in the Expenses and Allowances Rates on the intranet. 

Meals  

Expenditure on meals will only be reimbursed on production of original receipts up to the approved limits (please see the Expenses and Allowances Rates on the intranet). Individual receipts for each claim must be submitted. 

A receipt shared by multiple claimants is not permissible. However, where one employee submits a claim of expenses for a number of employees, each employee must be identified by name and position. 

Subsistence may not be claimed for meals when these are provided at no cost to employees. 

The current meal limits will be periodically reviewed by the Senior Management Team and updated accordingly. 

Breakfast Reimbursement 

The cost of breakfast can only be claimed when Sport Wales business requires employees to leave home prior to 7am or to stay overnight. Reimbursement is subject to the maximum values specified in the Expenses and Allowances Rates on the intranet.  

Lunch Reimbursement  

When employees are required to work or attend work at a location other than their normal place of work it is expected that they will provide their usual lunch arrangements without making an expenses claim. 

However, where business requires employees to work through the full 12pm-2pm lunch break for a meeting with external parties and additional expenditure is incurred in the purchase of meals, including non-alcoholic drinks etc., necessary and agreed expenditure will be reimbursed, subject to the maximum values specified in the Expenses and Allowances Rates on the intranet. 

Evening Meal Reimbursement  

The cost of an evening meal (including non-alcoholic drinks) can only be claimed when as a result of Sport Wales business employees would stay away overnight or not return home until after 8pm. Rates are available on the intranet. 

NOTE: Subsistence cannot be claimed for meals that have been provided, for example, at a seminar, training course or conference, or if the hotel accommodation includes breakfast or an evening meal. 

Refreshments 

When a member of staff is away all day from their place of work, the cost of refreshments and snacks can also be claimed within the maximum detailed in the rates available on the intranet. 

Hotels 

Employees will be reimbursed for the cost of reasonable overnight accommodation when necessarily away on Sport Wales’ business. 

In the spirit of showing propriety in the use of public funding, hotel accommodation should be sourced and if appropriate, pre-booked using the discounted rates for government bodies. 

Please see the Expenses and Allowances Rates on the intranet for details of the maximum allowances for hotel accommodation. 

If discounted rate hotels are unavailable, or costs exceed the guideline rates, actual costs will be reimbursed against VAT receipts provided employees can satisfy their line manager that it is the most efficient option available, taking account of cost, time and convenience.  Employees should pay the bill and submit a claim for reimbursement at the appropriate rate.  

National Centre Accommodation 

Employees will be expected to stay at either of the National Centres when business is undertaken at, or reasonably near, Cardiff or Plas Menai. ‘Reasonably near’ should be interpreted as within 30 miles. 

In the event of accommodation not being available, employees should arrange for accommodation locally at economical rates or consider changing the meeting arrangements if appropriate. 

If employees stay at a National Centre, the bed and breakfast cost, plus other meals, as appropriate, will be charged direct to Sport Wales by the management of the Sport Wales National Centre, or Plas Menai. 

Where an employee is required to work on until at least 2000 hours in addition to their normal duty, they may claim a light meal/snack given the late finish to the working day. This will be claimed for in the normal way, if it has not been possible to obtain the light meal/snack from either the National Centre in Cardiff or Plas Menai. 

Such late working will be treated as overtime, unless employees are in receipt of an unsocial hours’ allowance. 

It is not Sport Wales’ policy to pay for tips and gratuities. These will be excluded from any claim for reimbursement, unless they have been specifically included as a service charge. It is essential that this be adhered to in order to comply with Inland Revenue regulations. 

Sport Wales may refuse to reimburse unreasonable expenses at its absolute discretion. 

Sport Wales will reimburse you the professional fees you pay where a particular qualification or membership is detailed as an essential requirement of your role, i.e. stated as essential within the person specification or job advert. 

Where membership of a professional body is deemed to be essential for you to carry out your duties, you will be entitled to be reimbursed for the full amount of the subscription upon receipt of proof of membership payment. 

Please note, that only one membership will be supported, unless there is a legislative requirement that a membership is held alongside a professional qualification, as is the case with the Health Care Profession Council 

Managers may wish to review the requirements of the roles within their departments where there is deemed to be an essential requirement for a professional qualification or membership, but this was not asked for previously. 

Where changes are made to the job description and person specification full consultation should take place with HR and approval sought from the relevant Director. 

Membership will be paid by Sport Wales if you are undertaking any course required and sponsored by Sport Wales, where membership is essential in order for you to undertake the course (for example, courses in marketing, finance, information and communication technology, human resources).  

If you choose to retain their membership following completion of the course, applications for the reimbursement of professional fees will be considered in line with the criteria of this policy. 

Applications should be submitted on the ‘Reimbursement of Professional Fees’ application form and together with a completed expenses form, receipt and a copy of the person specification or job advert for the role* showing the requirement, forwarded to the line manager who should sign the application. 

The completed application should be signed off by the line manager and approved by any any one of HR/OD Advisor, HR/OD Manager or Head of Corporate Performance. 

HR will then make arrangement with Finance for payment via the normal expenses process. 

Please note that all fees will be payable from the departmental budget and this should be noted on the expenses form. 

* Where no person specification or job advert is available, evidence will be required to show that, for regulatory or professional purposes, the membership is essential to the role. 

You are entitled to 52 weeks’ maternity leave in total, broken down as follows:  

• 26 weeks’ ordinary maternity leave (OML)  
• 26 weeks’ additional maternity leave (AML) starting immediately after OML.    

 You can start your maternity leave at any time after the start of the 11th week before the expected week of the birth of your child.   

There are two incidences in which the maternity leave is triggered automatically:  

• if you are absent for a pregnancy-related reason at any time after the start of the 4th week before your child is due, then your maternity leave will start on the first day after your absence. 
• if your child is born before you intended to start your maternity leave, your maternity leave starts on the day after your child is born. 

If your newborn baby requires neonatal care following birth, please refer to the neonatal policy. 

You are entitled to full pay during the first 26 weeks of maternity leave if you:  

• have at least 1 years’ service with Sport Wales at the 15th week before your baby is due  
• intend on returning to work for at least three months at the end of your maternity leave  

Maternity pay is broken down as follows:  

• 26 weeks’ ordinary maternity leave at full pay  
• The first 13 weeks of additional maternity leave at Statutory Maternity Pay rates (SMP rates here)  
• The final 13 weeks additional maternity leave - unpaid  

If you do not qualify for full pay during the first 26 weeks you may be entitled to receive SMP or Maternity Allowance.  Further details of which can be found here.  

You are entitled to reasonable time off with pay during normal working hours to receive antenatal care, which includes appointments with your GP, hospital clinics and any other appointments made on the advice of a doctor, midwife or health visitor.    

Please let your line manager know in advance of these appointments.  You may be asked to provide your appointment card to confirm details of the appointment.    

 You are encouraged to inform your line manager of your pregnancy as soon as you feel able to do so. This is to enable Sport Wales’ to be aware of any health and safety issues which might arise for pregnant employees. 

Once you receive your MATB1 form (which is usually given to you around the 20-week stage), please send this to the HR team. Once this has been received, HR will send you a letter explaining your entitlement to maternity leave and an ‘Maternity Options Form’ which you will use to tell us when your baby is due and when you want your maternity leave to start/end. 

Upon notification that you are pregnant,we will carry out an assessment of the risks to  you and take appropriate measures to ensure your health and safety 

If your job carries any risk for you or your unborn child, we will remove you from those risks.  This may mean that your working conditions are altered or that you are offered another more suitable job for the duration of your pregnancy.  If neither of these options is possible, we will suspend you on full pay until you are no longer at risk.  

If you have any concerns about your own health and safety at any time you should speak to your manager or the HR team.  

When you are absent on maternity Leave all contractual benefits will continue.    

During maternity Leave, you are required to comply with all of Sport Wales’ terms and conditions of employment and remain subject to Sport Wales’ rules, policies and procedures during your absence.  

You will continue to accrue annual leave entitlement during your full period of maternity Leave.  Annual leave accrued should be taken within 12 months of your return to work.    

As a pension member, you will pay pension contributions on any paid maternity leave.  The contribution you pay will be based on the pay you actually receive, but the period will count for pension purposes as if you had paid normal contributions.   

During nil pay, pension contributions will stop, and the period will not count for pension purposes.  You can opt to make contributions during nil pay and if you wish to do so, please contact the HR team.  

During your period of maternity leave you will continue to be covered by any death-in-service benefit.  

Your continuity of employment is not broken by maternity leave.  

Unfortunately, if you experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy, you will no longer be entitled to take maternity leave. .   

In the situation of a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, your entitlement to maternity leave will not be affected and you will still be able to take the time off, and receive pay, as planned.  Parental bereavement leave is also available for employees who suffer a stillbirth.  Further information on this can be found in the special leave policy.  

 We will help to support you through this time and your manager can discuss options with you, such as time away from work, reduced working arrangement or bespoke counselling. We offer an Employee Assistance Programme service that provide confidential counselling, advice and support which is available 24/7. Details of this can be found on our Intranet. 

You and your manager will discuss and confirm the level of contact you would like to maintain throughout your maternity leave. Your manager will send you relevant information during your maternity leave so you can keep in touch with what’s going on at Sport Wales.  

You may work for up to 10 days during your maternity leave for training or briefing sessions so you remain up to date with changes at Sport Wales. This is your choice and you do not have to work. If you choose to work during your maternity leave when you would only have received statutory maternity pay, or no pay, your normal pay will be provided for hours actually worked (inclusive of SMP) This will be treated as pensionable.    

Each time you work will count as one Keeping in Touch (KIT) day, regardless of the number of hours worked. KIT days may be used to extend a period of maternity leave (up to a maximum of 10 days), this should be agreed with the line manager and HR in advance to ensure that there is no overpayment of salary. 

Under the provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996, an employee is not permitted to return to work during the compulsory maternity leave period, which is for 2 weeks commencing on the day on which childbirth occurs 

On returning to work at the end of your maternity leave, you are entitled to return to the same job, with the same terms and conditions, in which you were employed before your leave. If you wish to consider returning on flexible arrangements, please refer to the flexible working policy. 

You will be treated as having resigned if you inform Sport Wales in writing that you do not intend to return to work.  

If you decide during maternity leave that you do not wish to return to work, you should give written notice of resignation to Sport Wales as soon as possible and in accordance with your contract of employment. 

If you do not return after your maternity leave or resign before you have completed three month's service after your return, you will be required to repay all maternity pay you have received in excess of your entitlement to SMP.  If you return to work following maternity leave but for less than 3 calendar months, the full amount of enhanced maternity pay would not usually be required to be repaid but a proportion of it calculated on a pro rata basis according to the amount of time you have returned to work, i.e. you’re required to return for 3 months, if you return for 1 month then you are required to repay 2/3 of the enhanced payment. 

If you are too ill to return to work at the end of your maternity leave period, the normal sick leave will apply. 

You are entitled to paid time off during normal working hours to receive antenatal care, which includes appointments with the GP, hospital clinics and any other appointments made on the advice of a doctor, midwife or health visitor. 

Please let your line manager know in advance of these appointments.  You may be asked to provide the appointment card to confirm details of the appointment.    

All employees will qualify for paternity leave and pay if they:  

• Have, or expect to have, responsibility for the child’s upbringing; and  
• Are the father of the child; Spouse, Civil Partner or Partner, of the opposite or same sex, who live with the mother in an enduring family relationship; and  

If you qualify for paternity leave, you can take a block, of one, two or three weeks, of paternity leave.  These do not need to be taken consecutively.  You are not able to take a period of less than one week.  

You may start your paternity leave on any day of the week on or following the child’s birth.  

Paternity leave must be completed within 52 weeks of the actual date of birth of the child or within 52 weeks after the expected week of birth if the child is born early.  

Only one period of paternity leave will be available even for multiple births, such as twins.  

If you wish to consider returning on flexible arrangements, please refer to the flexible working policy.  

If your newborn baby requires neonatal care following birth, please refer to the neonatal policy. 

You will be paid your normal salary for the duration of your paternity leave if you meet the above eligibility criteria. 

You should inform the HR team in writing of your intention to take paternity leave as soon as possible.  HR will write to you confirming your entitlement to paternity leave and pay.  You will be asked to complete a Paternity Leave Form and SC3 form with the following information:  

• When the baby is due  
• whether you wish to take one, two or three weeks’ leave  
• the date on which you would like your leave to start/end.   

The date you intend to take paternity leave is likely to change depending on the date of birth.  You must inform both your line manager and HR in writing as soon as is reasonably practicable of the date on which the child was born.  

Unfortunately, if you experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy, you will no longer be entitled to take paternity leave.  

In the situation of a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, your entitlement to paternity leave and pay will not be affected and you will still be able to take the time off, and receive pay, as planned.  Parental bereavement leave is also available for employees who suffer a stillbirth.  Further information on this can be found in the special leave policy.   

 We will help to support you through this time and your manager can discuss options with you We offer an Employee Assistance Programme service that provide confidential counselling, advice and support which is available 24/7. Details of this can be found on our Intranet. 

If the mother of a child dies within the first year after birth you are provided with protected time away to care for the child. 

This applies where the: 

• Child is under one year old at the time of bereavement 
• Child’s mother has died 
• You are the child’s father or married to, or the civil partner of the child’s mother 
• You have main responsibility for the child after the bereavement 

You have the right to take a single period of up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave, depending on when the bereavement occurs 

Leave can be taken at any point within 52 weeks of the child’s birth. 

Compassionate leave is also available for you.  Further information on this can be found in the special leave policy.   

We will help to support you through this time, and your manager can discuss options with you. We offer an Employee Assistance Programme service that provide confidential counselling, advice and support which is available 24/7. Details of this can be found on our Intranet. 

Adoption leave and pay is available to:  

• individual employees who adopt;  
• an employee who is a member of a couple where the couple adopt jointly (the couple may choose which partner takes Adoption Leave with the other partner taking Adoption Support Leave)  

You are entitled to up to 52 weeks adoption leave, made up of 26 weeks’ ordinary adoption leave and 26 weeks’ additional adoption leave.  

• To qualify for Adoption Leave, you must be newly matched with a child for adoption by an approved adoption agency.  In the case of fostering for adoption this is the date that the child comes to live with you.  
• Adoption leave and pay are not available in circumstances where a child is not newly matched for adoption, for example adopting a step child, becoming a special guardian or kinship carer or adopting a family member. 

You are entitled to full pay during the first 26 weeks of adoption leave if you:  

• have at 1-year continuous service ending with the week in which you are notified of being matched with a child for adoption.  
• intend on returning to work for at least three months at the end of your adoption leave  

Adoption pay is broken down as follows:  

• The first 26 weeks’ adoption leave at full pay  
• The next 13 weeks of adoption leave at Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP rates here)  
• The final 13 weeks of adoption leave - unpaid  

If more than one child is placed with you for adoption at the same time, your entitlement will be the same as if there was one child.   

 If you do not qualify for full pay during the first 26 weeks you may be entitled to receive SAP.  Further details of which can be found here. 

Primary Adopters can choose to forfeit a portion of their adoption leave and transfer it over to their partner up to a maximum period of six months. To find out if your partner is eligible, please contact the HR team.  

You are entitled to paid time off to attend adoption appointments in the period between notification of a match and the date of placement.    

Please let your line manager know in advance of these appointments.  You may be asked to provide evidence to confirm details of the appointment/s.    

Where reasonably practicable, please give us written notice of your intention to take adoption leave within seven days of being notified that you have been matched with a child for adoption.   

You will need to provide the following information:  

• the date on which the child is expected to be placed with you  
• when you want your adoption leave to start (which can be up to 14 days before the expected date of placement).   

You may be asked to provide documentation from your adoption agency as evidence of your entitlement to adoption leave and pay.    

You are able to change your mind about the date on which you want your adoption leave to start, as long as you give us reasonable notice.  

When you are absent on adoption leave all contractual benefits will continue.   During adoption leave, you are required to comply with all of Sport Wales’ terms and conditions of employment and remain subject to Sport Wales’ rules, policies and procedures during your absence.  

You will continue to accrue annual leave entitlement during your full period of adoption leave.  Annual leave accrued should be taken within 12 months of your return to work.    

As a pension member, you will pay pension contributions on any paid adoption leave.  The contribution you pay will be based on the pay you actually receive, but the period will count for pension purposes as if you had paid normal contributions.   

During nil pay, pension contributions will stop, and the period will not count for pension purposes.  You can opt to make contributions during nil pay and if you wish to do so, please contact the HR team.  

During your period of adoption leave you will continue to be covered by any death-in-service benefit.  

Your continuity of employment is not broken by adoption leave.   

If, after you begin a period of adoption leave before the placement of the child and you are then told that the placement will not be made, the adoption leave will normally finish eight weeks after the end of the week in which you are notified that the placement will not be made.  

If, during adoption leave, the child dies, or the child returns to the adoption agency, the adoption leave will normally finish eight weeks after the end of the week in which the child dies or is returned to the adoption agency.  Parental bereavement leave is also available if the child dies.  Further information can be found in the special leave policy. 

We will help to support you through this time and your manager can discuss options with you. 

We offer an Employee Assistance Programme service that provide confidential counselling, advice and support which is available 24/7. Details of this can be found on our Intranet. 

Your line manager will send you relevant information during your adoption leave so you can keep in touch with what’s going on at Sport Wales.  

You may come into work for up to 10 days during your adoption leave for training or briefing sessions so you remain up to date with changes at Sport Wales. You are not obliged to come in. If you choose to come in during your adoption leave when you would only have received statutory adoption pay, or no pay, your normal pay would be provided for hours actually worked (inclusive of SAP).  This will be treated as pensionable.   

Each time you work will count as one Keeping in Touch (KIT) day, regardless of the number of hours worked. KIT days may be used to extend a period of adoption leave (up to a maximum of 10 days), this should be agreed with the line manager and HR in advance to ensure that there is no overpayment of salary. 

On returning to work at the end of your adoption leave, you are entitled to return to the same job, with the same terms and conditions, in which you were employed before your leave.  

If you wish to consider returning on flexible arrangements, please refer to the flexible working policy. 

If you intend to return to work before the end of your additional adoption leave, please give us reasonable notice.  

If you decide during adoption leave that you do not wish to return to work, you should give written notice of resignation to Sport Wales as soon as possible and in accordance with your contract of employment. 

If you do not return after your adoption leave or resign before you have completed three month's service after your return, you will be required to repay all adoption pay you have received in excess of your entitlement to SAP.  If you return to work following adoption leave but for less than 3 calendar months, the full amount of enhanced Adoption pay would not usually be required to be repaid but a proportion of it calculated on a pro rata basis according to the amount of time you have returned to work, i.e. you’re required to return for 3 months, if you return for 1 month then you are required to repay 2/3 of the enhanced payment. 

If you are too ill to return to work at the end of your adoption leave period, the normal sick leave will apply. 

In order to take SPL, both you and your partner must:   

• be the mother/ birth parent, father, or adopter of the child, or the partner of the mother/birth parent or primary adopter  
• have 26 weeks’ service at the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth (EWC) or at the week in which the primary adopter was notified of having been matched for adoption with the child  
• have a partner who meets the employment and earnings test (requiring them in the 66 weeks before the EWC, worked for at least 26 weeks and earned an average weekly salary of at least the maternity allowance threshold in any 13 of those weeks)  
• share the primary responsibility for the child with the other parent  
• be working for the Sport Wales until the week before any leave is taken.  

For us to verify the information you have provided; you may be required to produce:  

• the name and business address of the partner’s employer  
• in the case of biological parents, a copy of the child's birth certificate  
• in the case of an adopted child, evidence of the name and address of the adoption agency, the date on which they were was notified of having been matched with the child and the expected date of placement  

Parents can take up to 52 weeks of leave in total made up of maternity or adoption leave and SPL.  Paternity leave is excluded as it is a standalone entitlement.   

The amount of SPL to which you are entitled will depend on when the mother/birth parent  or primary adopter brings their maternity leave period to an end and the amount of leave that the other parent takes in respect of the child.    

SPL must be taken in blocks of at least one week.  You can request to take leave in one continuous block, or as a number of discontinuous blocks of leave.  A maximum of three requests for leave can be made.    

The first two weeks following birth are the compulsory maternity leave period reserved for the mother/birth parent.  This means that the mother/birth parent cannot end their maternity leave to take SPL until two weeks after the birth.    

SPL can commence as follows:  

• The mother/birth parent can take SPL after they have  taken the legally required two weeks of maternity leave immediately following the birth of the child  
• The primary adopter can take SPL after taking at least two weeks of adoption leave  
• The father/partner/spouse can take SPL immediately following the birth/placement of the child, but may first choose to exhaust any paternity leave entitlements first  

SPL will end no later than one year after the birth/placement of the child.  Any SPL not taken by the first birthday or first anniversary of placement for adoption is lost.  

We treat SPL pay in the same way as our maternity and adoption pay arrangements.  

In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements for SPL, you must also:  

• have been continuously employed for at least 26 weeks up to and including the “qualifying week” (the 15th week prior to the expected week of childbirth or placement for adoption)  
• have average earnings not less than the lower earnings limit calculated over the eight weeks prior to the qualifying week  
• comply with the notification requirements.  

If eligible, you will receive you statutory pay for the first 37 weeks of your SLP, followed by nil pay for the remaining weeks. 

If you meet the above criteria and have been continuously employed for at least 1year up to and including the “qualifying week” (the 15th week prior to the expected week of childbirth or placement for adoption) you will receive your  normal rate of pay for the first 26 weeks of your SPL, less any weeks of maternity pay, maternity allowance, or adoption pay and leave already claimed/taken.  The remaining 26 weeks of SPL will be paid at statutory rate (rates can be found here) for 13 weeks and the remaining weeks will be unpaid.   

If you decide not to return to work after SPL, you will be required to repay the shared parental pay you have received in excess of your entitlement to statutory pay.  

Please let us know as early as possible if intend to take SPL, by filling in the SPL form (available from the HR team).  

If you are considering taking SPL, please contact the HR team to arrange an informal discussion to talk about your plans and to enable us to support you during this time.  

You can request continuous leave, which means a taking a number of weeks in a single unbroken period of leave (for example, six weeks in a row).  You have the right to take a continuous block of leave, so long as it does not exceed the total number of weeks of SPL available to you.  

You can also request periods of discontinuous leave, which means asking for a set number of weeks of leave over a period of time, with breaks between the leave where you return to work.  If you request discontinuous blocks of leave, a meeting with be arranged with the line manager to discuss in detail the leave proposed and what will happen while you are away from work.  The outcome of such a request will be one of the following:  

• agreement to the request  
• proposal of alternative leave dates or  
• refusal of the request.   

All requests for discontinuous leave will be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis, weighing up the potential benefits to the employee and to the organisation against any adverse impact to the business.   

Once a period of leave notice has been submitted, you may change the dates, as long as you give reasonable notice of this.  Changing SPL dates will count towards your maximum three notices unless its due to the child being born earlier or later than expected.  

During the period of SPL all contractual benefits will continue, however, salary will vary accordingly above.   Annual leave accrued should be taken within 12 months of your return to work.    

As a pension member, you will pay pension contributions on any paid SPL.  The contribution you pay will be based on the pay you actually receive, but the period will count for pension purposes as if you had paid normal contributions.   

During nil pay, pension contributions will stop, and the period will not count for pension purposes.  You can opt to make contributions during nil pay and if you wish to do so, please contact the HR team.  

Before SPL begins, we will discuss the arrangements for you to keep in touch during the leave.  Your line manager will send you relevant information during your period of leave so you can keep in touch with what’s going on at Sport Wales.  

During SPL, you may work for up to 20 SPL ‘in touch’ days (SPLIT days), which are optional: you are not obliged to use them.  

You will be paid at normal rate for work on a SPLIT day. Any work carried out on a day or part of a day shall constitute a day's work for these purposes.  

Your entitlement to 20 SPLIT days is not affected by your entitlement to 10 KIT days during maternity or adoption leave.  

You may use SPLIT days to work part of a week during SPL.  Alternately, you may use SPLIT days to affect a gradual return to work towards the end of a long period of SPL or to trial a possible flexible working pattern.  

If you wish to amend the date on which you are to return to work after SPL, please give us as much notice as possible.   

After SPL, provided the total amount of leave taken by you (including maternity leave) does not exceed 26 weeks, you are entitled to return to the same job on the same terms and conditions of employment as if you had not been absent.  

If you wish to consider returning on flexible arrangements, please refer to the flexible working policy. 

If you decide during SPL that you do not wish to return to work, you should give written notice of resignation to Sport Wales as soon as possible and in accordance with your contract of employment. 

If you do not return after your SPL or resign before you have completed three month's service after your return, you will be required to repay all enhanced pay you have received in excess of your entitlement to statutory pay.  If you return to work following SPL but for less than 3 calendar months, the full amount of enhanced pay would not usually be required to be repaid but a proportion of it calculated on a pro rata basis according to the amount of time you have returned to work, i.e. you’re required to return for 3 months, if you return for 1 month then you are required to repay 2/3 of the enhanced payment. 

You are entitled to paid time off to attend up to two adoption appointments in the period between notification of a match and the date of placement.   

Please let your line manager know in advance of these appointments.  You may be asked to provide evidence to confirm details of the appointment/s.    

Adoption support leave is available if you:  

• have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing; and  
• are the adopter’s Spouse, Civil Partner or Partner, of the opposite or same sex; and  

If you qualify for adoption support leave, you may choose to take a single block of either one week, two or three weeks. These do not need to be taken consecutively.  You are not able to take a period of less than one week. 

Leave may commence either from the date of the child’s placement or up to 14 days before the placement date.   Adoption support leave must be completed within 56 days of the child’s placement.  

Only one period of paternity leave will be available even for multiple births. 

If you wish to consider returning on flexible arrangements, please refer to the flexible working policy. 

You will be paid your normal salary for the duration of your adoption support leave if you meet the above eligibility criteria.  

You should inform the HR team in writing, of your intention to take adoption support leave once you have received notification that you have been matched with a child. You should provide the following information:  

• the date on which the adopter was notified of having been matched with the child  
• the date on which you expect the child to be placed  
• whether you wish to take one, two or three weeks’ leave   
• the date on which you would like your leave to start and end.   

Once you have provided your initial notification, you may change the date on which you wish your adoption support leave to commence. You must inform both your line manager and HR in writing as soon as possible with your change of date. 

If, after you begin a period of adoption support leave before the placement of the child and you are then told that the placement will not be made or the child returns to the adoption agency or the child dies, your adoption support leave and pay will be unaffected.  

 We will help to support you through this time and your manager can discuss options with you.  

We offer an Employee Assistance Programme service that provide confidential counselling, advice and support which is available 24/7. Details of this can be found on our Intranet. 

If the primary adopter of a child dies within the first year after birth you are provided with protected time away to care for the child. 

This applies where the: 

• Child is within the first year of adoption at the time of bereavement 
• Child’s primary carer has died 
• You are the child’s father or married to, or the civil partner of the child’s primary adopter 
• You have main responsibility for the child after the bereavement 

You have the right to take a single period of up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave, depending on when the bereavement occurs 

Leave can be taken at any point within 52 weeks of the adoption placement. 

Compassionate leave is also available for you.  Further information on this can be found in the special leave policy.   

We will help to support you through this time, and your manager can discuss options with you. We offer an Employee Assistance Programme service that provide confidential counselling, advice and support which is available 24/7. Details of this can be found on our Intranet. 

To qualify to take parental leave you must:  

• you have or expect to have parental responsibility for the child   
• your child is under 18 years of age  
• you take the leave before your child’s 18th birthday  

Sport Wales is entitled to ask you for evidence as may reasonably be required of:  

• that you have or expect to have parental responsibility for the child in relation to whom leave will be taken  
• the child’s date of birth (in respect of natural parents)  
• the date of adoption placement (in respect of adoptive parents)  
• the child’s entitlement to Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment (if appropriate) to permit you to take leave in in blocks of one day rather than one week.  

Eligible employees are entitled to take a total of 18 weeks’ leave in relation to each child until the child is 18 years of age. Leave can start once the child is born or the child is placed for adoption, or as soon as the employee has completed a year’s service, whichever is later.  

No more than four weeks can be taken in relation to each child in one year.  Parental leave should be taken in blocks of one week (unless the qualifying child is disabled, in which case the leave can be taken one day at a time).  Part of a week counts as a full week, except in the case of a disabled child.  

To apply for parental leave, please speak with your line manager and the HR team, setting out when you wish leave to start and end.    

Sport Wales can ask you to postpone a period of parental leave if we believe the business will be disrupted by your absence.  Leave will not be postponed where it is to be taken on the birth of a child or on the placement of a child for adoption.    

Where leave is to be postponed, we will discuss the reasons for this with you and confirm in writing the newly agreed dates of leave.  Leave will not be postponed for a period longer than six months from the start date of the leave originally requested.   

During parental leave, you are required to comply with all of Sport Wales’ terms and conditions of employment and remain subject to Sport Wales’ rules, policies and procedures.  

Periods of parental leave will count as continuous service. Only statutory leave entitlement accrues during parental leave.  

As parental leave is unpaid, both yours and Sport Wales’ pension contributions will cease.  

After taking parental leave for a period of 4 weeks or less, you are entitled to return from leave to your job in which you were employed before your leave.  

If you take parental leave for a period of more than four weeks, you are entitled to return to the job in which you were employed before the leave or, if that is not reasonably practicable, to another job which is both suitable to you and appropriate for you to do, which has the same terms and conditions as your old job.  

If parental leave lasts four weeks or less and it follows Maternity Leave (or Adoption Leave) you are entitled to return to the same job.  

If you wish to consider returning on flexible arrangements, please refer to the flexible working policy. 

You are eligible for NCL from the first day of your employment, provided that at the time of the baby’s birth you expect to have responsibility for their upbringing and::  

• You are the baby’s parent and have responsibility for their upbringing, or  
• You are the baby’s adopter or prospective adopter in a "foster to adopt" arrangement) a, or  
• You are having a baby through surrogacy, intend to apply for a parental order within six months of the baby’s birth,  or  
• You are the partner living with the baby’s birth parent, primary adopter, or prospective adopter.  

For the purpose of the neonatal care leave and pay law, neonatal care is considered either: 

• medical care received in a hospital;  
• medical care received in another setting but as a result of an inpatient stay in hospital. This care would be under a consultant; or  
• palliative or end of life care.  

You are entitled to a period of leave equivalent to the number of complete weeks your baby spends in neonatal care, provided it has been for at least 7 consecutive days, up to a maximum of 12 weeks and within 28 days of birth  

NCL will be paid in full if you meet the qualifying criteria outlined in Section 4. If you do not meet the criteria, you can still take NCL, but the period of leave will be unpaid.  

You can take this leave within 68 weeks of your baby’s birth, allowing you to take your NCL entitlement in addition to other types of parental leave (including maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, and parental bereavement leave). Section 4 provides further details on how NCL can be taken alongside these types of family leave.  

NCL is structured into two tiers to provide flexibility and support during this critical period:  

• Tier 1 is when the baby is still receiving neonatal care, and including one week after the care has ended. Tier 1 leave can be taken in an unlimited number of blocks of a week to allow the you to stop work at short notice to care for baby in neonatal care. 
• Tier 2 is available once your baby has left neonatal care and must be taken in one continuous block at any time from your baby’s discharge up to 68 weeks after birth.  

In instances of multiple births where neonatal care is required: 

• where babies are receiving care at the same time, you get leave for of one baby 
• where babies are receiving the care at different times, the leave and pay entitlement can accrue separately, provided each of the babies spend at least seven full, continuous days in neonatal care. The employee can only accrue a maximum of 12 weeks entitlement 

You can take NCL after your maternity or adoption leave ends, or after you switch to Shared Parental Leave, but no later than 68 weeks after the baby’s date of birth or placement.  

If you are taking a period of paternity or adoption support leave, NCL can be taken before or after this leave; however, it should be noted that paternity leave must be taken no later than your child’s first birthday. It is recommended, therefore, that paternity leave be taken in the first instance.  

If you are taking a period of Shared Parental Leave, NCL can be taken before, during or after this leave, but no later than 68 weeks after your baby’s date of birth.  

If you have taken a period of compassionate leave and are eligible for NCL, you can add this leave to the end of your period of compassionate leave. If you have suffered a bereavement, please contact a member of the HR team so that we can discuss other support that we may be able to offer.  

You will continue to receive your normal rate of pay during NCL if you have completed at least 1 year service with Sport Wales by the expected week of childbirth or if adopting, by the date you were matched with the baby.  

If have not completed at least 1 year service, and you’re eligible to take 12 weeks neonatal care leave, you may be eligible for statutory pay if you have been continuously employed by Sport Wales for at least 26 weeks by: 

• Birth parents/Intended Parents: the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.  
• Adoptive parents: the week in which you are matched with your child.  
• Other cases: the week before neonatal care begins.  

If you qualify for Neonatal Care Leave but do not mee the eligibility criteria for either normal or statutory pay your leave will be unpaid. 

Notice during the tier 1 period  

• You should notify your line manager by telephone or email, preferably before your first day of absence in that week. However, we understand that this is likely to be a challenging time for you, so please give notice as soon as reasonably practicable for you to do so.  

Notice during the tier 2 period  

• You must inform your Line Manager of your intention and entitlement as soon as possible. Ideally, please provide at least 15 days' notice for one week of NCL or a minimum of 28 days' notice for longer periods. If this is not possible, please give notice as soon as reasonably practicable.  

We understand your child or children may have ongoing medical needs requiring regular hospital appointments and check-ups when you return to work. Please refer to our Special Leave Policy for further information and support regarding further time off that you may require.  

Additional support can be accessed through our employee assistance programme or bespoke counselling 

If you wish to consider returning on flexible arrangements, please refer to the flexible working policy. 

Your line manager must approve all annual leave in advance. You may only commit to your leave plans, including booking holidays, once your line manager authorises your request for leave. If your request has been accepted, you must ensure that you update any calendars used to communicate your availability, for most people this will be Microsoft Outlook calendar.  

If your application for leave is refused, your line manager will notify you as soon as possible. Where there are conflicting annual leave requirements, priority will be given to the member of staff whose request was received first, subject to business needs.  

Up to eight days' annual leave may be carried forward into the next leave year.    

You may be able to carry over additional leave into the following year (with approval from the relevant member of the Leadership Team and HR) if you have been unable to take your annual leave due to sickness, maternity or shared parental leave or if you wish to carry additional leave to take an extended holiday the following year.  

Annual leave may not be taken instead of sick leave.  

• If you fall sick during a period of annual leave, you are entitled to record the absence as sick leave and not as annual leave, provided that all of the following applies:  
• your line manager is notified immediately;  
• the period of incapacity seriously disrupts the period of leave  

Leave taken in half days involves attendance at work for half of the net hours (excluding meal breaks) which would normally be worked.  

A single period of leave should not normally exceed three weeks, but special requests for larger single periods will be given consideration by your line manager.  

The annual leave allowance continues to accrue in the following situations: 

• during periods of sickness absence (during periods of long term absence you will be permitted to carry over any untaken annual leave from your statutory entitlement); 
• during any paid leave; 
• during periods of paid special leave; 
• during maternity/paternity/adoption leave (see maternity/paternity/adoption section of the staff handbook). 

Each year you will be able to purchase up to 5 days (pro-rata for part time) annual leave.  This purchase will need to be made during the annual leave application period which will be communicated to all staff each year.  

The payment for additional leave will be taken as a deduction of your salary over the remaining months of the annual leave year.  

Payment for untaken leave should be made only in the following circumstances: 

• if you resign, you may convert any untaken leave into a cash payment. 
• if you are medically retired whilst on sick leave, cash compensation should be allowed for the amount of leave untaken when the sick absence leading to the retirement began; 
• payment in full should be made for all leave untaken at the date of death in service. 

The daily rate of pay for untaken leave is calculated by dividing the standard annual salary, including allowances and by the number of working days in the relevant year. 

You are entitled to eight public holidays per year (pro rata for part time) in additional to your normal annual leave allowances.   

Adjustments will be made to overall leave entitlement for staff who work a flexible working arrangement or who are required to work shifts that fall on bank holiday.  

You can request:  

• a change to your working hours;  
• a change to the times you are required to work; or  
• to work from home or another office location (whether for all or part of the week).  

Please note that any reduction in working hours will result in the proportionate reduction in pay and other contractual benefits, such as pension contributions and annual leave.  

Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Agreeing to one request will not set a precedent or create the right for another employee to be granted a similar change to their working pattern.   

Flexible working encompasses a wide variety of working patterns. Examples include; part time working, flexi-time, compressed working week or fortnight, job sharing, term time working, working from home, staggered hours, temporary or gradual reduction in hours (retirement or ill health) and shift working.  

You may request to temporarily change your working hours or vary your working pattern for a period of three months of less. In this instance, you will be guaranteed to return to your original hours or pattern after the period specified in the contract variation. If you wish to continue with the change working hours or varied working pattern or request a further change to your working hours or pattern you would need to submit a further flexible working request.   

If you request to change working hours or vary working patterns for a period of greater than three months you will not be guaranteed to return to your original working hours or pattern. If you wished to revert to your original hours or pattern, or vary your working hours or pattern again, you would need to submit a further flexible working request. Please note you will be allowed to submit a maximum of 2 flexible working requests in a 12 month period. 

Term-time working is an arrangement whereby an employee remains on a full or part-time contract but has the right to take an unpaid leave of absence during the school closure periods.   

Salary Adjustments 

Salary will be based on the number of term-time hours to be worked and will be paid in 12 equal monthly instalments or a pro rata number of instalments if the term-time working arrangement commences partway through the year. You should note that pay that has been averaged and is paid throughout the year in equal installments may affect the calculation of, and entitlement to, other benefits, i.e. annual leave.   

Annual whole time salary/52.2 x number of weeks worked = term time salary   

Annual leave   

You will agree with Sport Wales how much unpaid leave from work is required and when this is to be taken, based on factors such as the employee's paid annual leave entitlement, how long the school holidays will be, when the school holidays will occur, and whether or not alternative care arrangements can be made for some of the school holidays.   

annual leave for a whole time contract/52.2 x number of weeks worked = entitlement   

Compressed working hours is an arrangement whereby a standard 37 hour working week is compressed into fewer than 5 working days over a week or fewer than 10 working days over a fortnight.  

Leave and Salary Adjustment  

Provided you are not reducing your overall working hours there will be no change to your annual leave or salary.  

As the number of hours you will be working each day will vary from the standard full time 7.4 hours, your annual leave will be displayed in hours rather than in days.  Annual leave for a standard 37 hour contract is 33 days per year which equates to 244.2 hours.    

Depending on your non-working day there will be an adjustment made to your bank holiday entitlement.  Bank holidays for a standard 37 hour contract is usually 8 days per year which equates to 59.2 hours.  If you were working 9.25 hours each day, this would give you 6.4 days of bank holiday per year (59.2 hours entitlement divided by 9.25 hours working day).  If you were to have a greater number of bank holidays on your working days than you are entitled to, the bank holiday balance will be taken from your annual leave balance.  Conversely if you were to have a greater number of bank holidays on your non-working day than you were entitled to then the bank holiday balance will be added to your annual leave balance.  

All annual leave and bank holiday entitlements will be calculated by HR and verified by Payroll.  

You will have the same access to information and opportunities as employees working on standard 37 hour working pattern, year-round contracted employees and will, therefore, be expected to attend the workplace for training, work delivery, team meetings as needed. Every effort will be made to arrange mutually convenient dates during your working hours. However, this may not always be possible, in which case adequate notice of such dates will be given to enable you to attend.  Any such ad-hoc changes to your working pattern requiring you to work a non-working day will be managed by you and your line manager.  In such instances you will informally agree a date to take off the additional time worked.  

Your request must be in writing to your line manager, who may take advice from HR.  Your request must;   

• be dated  
• specify the changes requested and the proposed date such changes should become effective  
• state whether a previous application has been made to Sport Wales and if so, when  

Considering the request   

• You will meet with your Line Manager to discuss your request, consider how it might be accommodated, and the benefits to both you and Sport Wales.    
• You may be accompanied at the meeting by a colleague or trade union representative.  
• Where the request can be approved without further consultation, a meeting may not be necessary.    
• Where a line manager feels it may not be possible to support a request they will need to seek advice from HR. The outcome of your request will be communicated to you within 2 months from the date of request.  

Outcome  

Sport Wales will endeavour to accommodate your request but will need to balance the requested change against business need. Your line manager will notify you with the outcome of your request within 2 months of the date of your request. Your request may either be:  

• fully accepted;  
• granted on a trial basis (no longer than 6 months);  
• an alternative arrangement may be proposed or,  
• the request may be declined     

If your request has been declined, Sport Wales will set out clear business grounds as to why the request cannot be accommodated and why such grounds apply to you.  

The following grounds may be adopted by Sport Wales in refusing a request:  

• it will cost the business too much;  
• there will be a negative effect on ability to meet business or customer demand;  
• work cannot be reorganised among other employees;  
• unable to recruit more employees;  
• there will be a negative effect on quality;  
• there will be a negative effect on performance;  
• there is not enough work for you to do  during the periods you are proposing to work; and/or  
• there are planned changes to the business, for example, an intention to reorganise or change the business and the request would not fit with these plans.   

If Sport Wales agrees to your request, you will be provided with written details of your new working pattern and the date upon which it will take effect.  The written details will form a change to your contract.  If your request has been accepted you must ensure that you update any calendars used to communicate your availability, for most people this will be Microsoft outlook calendar.  

Appeals  

If Sport Wales is unable to accommodate your request for a change in working arrangements, there is no legal right of appeal.  However, Sport Wales will allow an appeal for you to raise any procedural concerns or share any new information, for Sport Wales to review and change the decision if necessary.  Your appeal should be set out in writing and be addressed to the person stated in the letter which notifies you of the decision.  You should state the outcome that you are seeking from the appeal.  You will need to appeal within 5 days of receiving notification of the decision.  

An appeal meeting will then be arranged to take place within 2 months from the date of the original flexible working request.  The appeal will be heard by a manager at least one grade higher than the person who made the original decision. You may be accompanied at the appeal meeting by a colleague or Trade Union representative.  

Sport Wales will notify you of its appeal decision in writing within 2 months of the original request for flexible working.  If the appeal is upheld, then Sport Wales will write to you providing details of the new working pattern and the date it will take effect.  If the appeal is dismissed, then you will be provided with the grounds for that decision (appropriate to your grounds of appeal) and an explanation as to why these grounds apply.  

The time limits mentioned above may be varied either by agreement between you and Sport Wales (such agreement to be confirmed in writing specifying what period the extension relates to and the date the extension will end) or where the relevant Manager, Head or Director who will deal with your request, is absent due to annual leave or sickness leave. 

The object of flexi time is to give our employees a degree of freedom in arranging their working day consistent with Sport Wales operating at maximum efficiency.  Due to the nature of demands of work within Sport Wales there may be circumstances which would prevent the full flexibility envisaged by the Agreement.   

The concept of flexi time is reasonably simple.  It allows you to vary your working day and when you work your total contracted hours.  It allows you to take time off when you have accrued hours above your normal weekly hours.   

As Sport Wales has diverse roles, each department has varying needs, some may require an office presence from 9am to 4pm each weekday and others may not.  All staff are required to adhere to departmental arrangements which may require you to be present during a specified core part of the day but You may vary your hours outside core period provided that:-   

• the overall efficiency of the office and adequate cover is maintained; 
• the overall hours worked over the long term remains the same as your contracted hours. 

Standard hours at Sport Wales are 37 hours per week (excluding lunch breaks) and the standard working day is therefore 37 / 5 = 7.4 hours (7 hours 24 minutes).  A standard half day is 3.7 hours (3 hours 42 minutes). If your contracted hours are more or less than this your standard working day and standard half day will be different.  You should use the above calculation to establish your standard working day.   

Hours worked in excess of your contracted hours, and within the criteria of this policy, may be accrued as Flexi Time.  You are responsible for ensuring you work your contracted hours and adhere to the Working Time Directive in ensuring that no more than 48 hours a week are worked.  

As mentioned above, Sport Wales is a diverse organisation, each department has varying needs.  Your department may require cover for a period of time during the day, for example 9am am to 4pm.  In which case you will need to arrange within your department how this period of time will be covered.  You need to ensure that the hours you work meet the service needs, including cover arrangements.  

If you wish to take half a day or more as flexi leave, you must gain your manager’s agreement in advance, giving suitable notice.    

Subject to management agreement, up to two days flexi-leave may be used in this way in an accounting period.  It should be noted, however, that flexi-leave cannot be taken immediately following a period of sick leave unless a medical certificate of fitness to return to work is provided when flexi-leave is taken.  Where flexi-time is taken no time is added to the flexi-time record sheet.   

Employees may vary their times of arrival and departure.  Within your department there may be a set period of time during which you can accrue hours, for example, between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday, this is known as the bandwidth.  In other departments there may be no bandwidth.   If you chose to apply for flexi-time your manager will inform you if there is a bandwidth in place for your department.  

There will be a 4 week accounting period, the standard hours during the period being 148 (37 x 4).  At the beginning of each accounting period the procedure allows the carry forward of any excess or deficit from the previous period as an adjustment to the recorded hours for the new period.   

If the recorded hours are less than the standard hours for an accounting period then the deficit up to 15 hours (pro-rata for part timers) may be carried over and subtracted from the recorded hours for the next accounting period.  

An excess of recorded hours over standard hours up to 30 hours (pro-rata for part timers) may be carried over and added to the recorded hours for the next accounting period.   

Excess or deficit that exceeds this amount may be carried over at the approval of your line manager, however, you may lose excess if this is not approved  If you are approved to carry over an excess or deficit you must ensure that you have a plan to reduce your excess or deficit within the limits detailed above by the following accounting period.    

Credits will be recorded, if authorised, for absences such as:  

• Leave – annual, sick, special, or official holiday,   
• official duties away from the office,   
• time spent on training courses, day release, etc.   
• non-routine or emergency medical, dental and similar appointments which cannot be arranged outside of standard working hours   
• absence for industrial relations activities authorised under the terms of the Facilities Agreement   
• adverse weather conditions.  

Credits for a whole day will be recorded as your standard working day which for those on a 37 hour contract will be 7.4 hours (7 hours 24 minutes) and for half a day as 3.7 hours (3 hours 42 minutes).  

Overtime, as authorised by management, is separate from flexi-time and will continue to be recorded separately.   

Compensation for travelling time will be given in accordance with the relevant provisions of Sport Wales ’ Travel and Subsistence Policy.  The following rules will apply to employees on flexi time:-   

• For the purpose of applying the travelling time rules, travel on official duty, within your standard working day will count towards the flexible working hours total.   
• Travel on official duty outside your standard working day may also be treated as flexi time.  The start time and end time of travel will depend on the nature and length of travel.  If you are staying overnight your actual hours of work should be recorded.  

Please note that the above does not include your daily travel to and from work.  

All staff, with the exception of those in working a shift pattern or a fixed pattern of working, are eligible to apply.  

You may elect to work flexi-time by completing a contract variation form.  This will then need approval from your line manager who will  confirm whether there is a need to maintain office cover over a period of time (e.g. 9am to 4pm) or if there is a bandwidth over which time you can accrue hours (e.g. 7am and 7pm).  The HR department will then arrange formal confirmation. All employees transferring to a flexi time arrangement will be required to keep an individual record of their attendance and are responsible for ensuring this is accurate.     

If you join the flexi-time scheme, you may choose to opt out of the scheme, you must do this by requesting this in writing to your line manager.     

Your actual hours of work must be recorded using the flexi-time sheet provided by HR. You are responsible for ensuring this is an accurate record and informing your line manager of your total hours at the end of each period, for approval.     

Abuse of flexi time is considered to be a breach of the scheme and line managers should take every opportunity to prevent possible abuse.  Persistent or serious abuse should be reported to the HR department and may result in removal from the scheme and/or disciplinary action.   

Hybrid working is an informal flexible working arrangement which enables you to work from your contractual workplace, or one or more agreed remote working locations.  Your workplace will be detailed in your contract of employment.  This will either be Cardiff, Deeside or Llanelli.   

Sport Wales will endeavour to accommodate hybrid working. There will be a requirement for you to attend the workplace to accommodate the needs of the organisation.  The structure of hybrid working will vary from one person to the next, depending on their job role and requirements and are subject to agreement with your line manager.  

If you disagree with the levels of flexibility in hybrid working given to you and you are unable to reach a resolution with your line manager, you should raise this with your line manager’s manager.    

When based at a remote working location, you will be expected to comply with Sport Wales’ policies and procedures that apply to office-based employees, particularly with regard to data protection, confidentiality, and Health and Safety.  

Ensure that managers in their areas of responsibility are managing those working remotely in accordance with this policy and Sport Wales values.  

Resolve any issues or concerns raised regarding the implementation of this policy in their work areas  

In conjunction with Technology Solutions, consider any requests to remotely work from outside of the UK on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the principles outlined in this policy  

• Provide DSE risk assessments to be used by employees and reviewed by managers  
• Advise Managers and Leadership on the implementation and application of this policy, seeking to ensure consistency, as far as possible, allowing for differences in application according to operational need.  
• Review and update the policy in line with legislative changes and business requirements, in consultation with our recognised trade union  

• Determine hybrid working patterns with their team members, in accordance with the principles set out in this policy  
• In conjunction with Technology Solutions, ensure team members have the appropriate equipment to carry out their work from a remote working location  
• Support employees to identify and resolve any new pressures created by working from a remote working location   
• Reviewing approach to ensure arrangements are fit for purpose  
• Promptly address any concerns regarding operational output or availability arising from hybrid working arrangements with the member of staff with a view to reaching a mutually beneficial solution  

• Ensure a suitable working environment at your remote working location that enables you to carry out your role effectively  
• Continue to work the hours required by your contract of employment  
• Follow the relevant policies, guidelines, procedures, training and assessments  
• Ensure that you update any calendars used to communicate your availability, for most people this will be Microsoft outlook calendar.  
• Identify and seek to resolve any new pressures created by working from a remote working location  
• Maintain adequate broadband to ensure effective delivery of your work and contact with your line manager and colleagues  
• Exercise flexibility to meet the needs of our organisation  
• Inform your line manager if you wish to work remotely from a location outside of the UK  

Managers should work with their team members to determine what levels of flexibility are required on a case-by-case basis, and work to accommodate these as far as reasonably possible, without having a negative impact on the needs of the business or staff wellbeing.     

Managers should consider:  

• If there are core times that employees need to work together in person (for team meetings, development, wellbeing, or project work for example)  
• Whether there are any activities that can only be done at specific times from the workplace or a remote working location  
• How often should team members meet in person or remote working location  
• Whether work delivery is more effective in a face-to-face meeting or from a remote working location  
• If there are line management responsibilities for which the team would benefit from face-to-face contact.  
• If there are areas for individual development that would be more effectively addressed through face-to-face contact.  

You will normally work from your contractual workplace or one or more agreed working locations.  It is also possible to work from other locations, such as other public bodies with shared spaces, libraries, cafes and hubs. If you wish to work from a new location or are in doubt as to the suitability of the location, please discuss this with your line manager to consider other organisational policies relating to information and cyber security.   

Sport Wales does not support requests for you to work abroad for personal reasons. This is due to our specific responsibilities as an employer, including taxation, the right to work, and ensuring that the full contractual requirements of the role are met without exception.  

Domestic and caring commitments that may impact the working day must be kept separate under any remote working arrangements. Working remotely can support you in managing your caring responsibilities but should not substitute for them.  For example, if you have a nursery aged child, working remotely may enable you to pick your child up from nursery more quickly than if you were to work from a workplace but it would not be appropriate to care for your child in the day in substitute of alternative care arrangements.   

You should discuss any caring responsibilities you have and the impact on your working day with your manager to ensure there is a consistent approach, although there will be different arrangements in place for different employees and their needs. HR does not need to be informed of arrangements for those working remotely but can offer support or guidance.  

You are expected to comply fully with the terms of your manager’s agreement in relation to caring responsibilities and must inform line management of any changes. You should keep your calendar visible and updated so colleagues know when their peers are not available.  

Sport Wales will provide equipment required for you to work from your remote working location.  It is your responsibility to ensure that the equipment is well maintained on an on-going basis.  Equipment remains Sport Wales’ property and you must:  

• Ensure it is only used by you and only for the purposes for which we have provided it;  
• Take reasonable care of it and use it only in accordance with our ICT policies and procedures;   
• Keep equipment secure and safe when working or travelling between locations; and  
• Make it available for collection by Sport Wales or on our behalf when requested to do so.  

Computer equipment such as laptops, remote access security tokens and USB storage keys are available from Technology Solutions which allow access to Sport Wales’ network. Employees should request these items via Technology Solutions.  

Items such as a laptop riser, chair, desk and stationery items are available from Registry.   

Should you leave Sport Wales you will be required to return all equipment to Technology Solutions and Registry. Failure to return Sport Wales equipment will result in deduction from your final salary to recover costs.  

Sport Wales is not responsible for the associated costs of employees working from your remote working location, including the costs of heating, lighting, electricity, broadband internet.  

You are obliged to create a conducive work environment in compliance with the Health and Safety Policy of Sport Wales and to ensure there is adequate space for your work to be carried out safely, in accordance with our DSE requirements.  

Sport Wales is responsible for your safety at work.  However, you have the responsibility and obligations to take reasonable care not to harm yourself or others in carrying out your work. Sport Wales may need to check your remote working location for any Health and Safety purposes.   

If you travel on official business and begin the journey from your remote location, you are entitled only to claim the lesser of the actual cost of the journey, or the cost of the journey as if it started from your contracted workplace.  

Equipment and documents should only be accessible to the employee, and they should always be safeguarded at any location you work from.   

You are advised not to release your home address and/or personal telephone number to people other than employees.  You are also strongly advised not to meet partners or customers at home.   

You are responsible for the safekeeping and security of Sport Wales property whilst working from a remote location. Sport Wales is responsible for taking out and maintaining a valid policy of insurance covering any equipment we provide against fire, theft, loss, and damage throughout your employment. You shall not do, cause, or permit any act or omission which will invalidate the insurance policy, in accordance with our ICT Policy.  

You are unlikely to require changes to your home contents insurance or mortgage, but we advise that you seek confirmation from your providers.   

The eligibility and effectiveness of remote working arrangements is subject to monitoring and review by line managers.  Where issues have been identified, for example if there are performance concerns you may be required to attend the workplace more regularly to benefit from face-to-face training, support, or guidance.  The Line Manager should seek advice and guidance from HR if any problems arise. 

To apply for special leave, you will need to complete a special leave request form, available from the intranet. The request will be considered by your line manager, with advice from the HR team (where relevant).  The form should then be sent to HR for sign off.  All requests for special leave will be considered taking account of individual circumstances, equity and fairness.   

Employees’ responsibilities   

• Consider whether annual and/or flexi leave are more appropriate in the circumstances (except for jury service).  
• Be aware that requests for paid or unpaid time off may not always be granted.  

Managers’ responsibilities  

• Be aware of statutory rights to time off - for instance to participate in public duties or deal with emergencies involving dependants.  
• Consider all requests fairly and equitably against the needs of the business and what is reasonable in the circumstances  
• Consider whether any other form of leave is more appropriate (annual leave, flexi, TOIL or sickness)  

HR Responsibilities  

• Ensure this policy is maintained, up to date and complies with statutory provisions.  
• Oversee requests for special leave ensuring equity and fairness.  

Domestic emergency covers time off for situations that will be unforeseen or unexpected.  The interpretation of ‘domestic’ can be flexible. For example, this type of time off may be allowed if you have been a victim of crime, or fire or flood at your home.   

You will be given time off to attend to the emergency.  You will be paid for up to 1 working day domestic emergency leave per year.  Where paid leave has been exhausted, unpaid leave can be granted.  If there is a longer term need you should discuss this with your manager who will consider other options such as annual leave or flexible working.   

You have a statutory right to take a reasonable amount of time off work to deal with an unforeseen emergency involving a dependant.  

Dependants are husbands or wives, partners, children, parents, friends or family members who depend on you for care.  

Emergency for a dependent could be;  

• Illness of a dependant and the need to make care arrangements  
• Unexpected disruption or breakdown in care arrangements  
• An incident during a child’s school hours e.g. injury or suspension  

You have a statutory right to take unpaid time off to deal with the emergency.  Sport Wales will enhance this to provide you with up to 3 days paid dependants emergency leave per annum (pro rata for part time).    

Where paid leave has been exhausted, unpaid leave can be granted.  If there is a longer term need you should discuss this with your manager who will consider other options such as annual leave or flexible working.  

If you have caring responsibilities, you have a statutory right to take time off work.  Carer’s leave applies to someone who needs to provide or arrange care for a dependent who has:  

• A physical or mental illness or injury that means they’re expected to need care for more than 3 months  
• A disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010)  
• Care needs because of old age  

You have a statutory right to take unpaid time off for carer’s leave. Sport Wales will enhance this to provide up to 5 days full pay for this leave per annum (pro rata for part time). This can be taken in smaller amounts or a full block of 5 days, according to need.    

Where paid leave has been exhausted, unpaid leave can be granted.  If there is a longer term need you should discuss this with your manager who will consider other options such as annual leave or flexible working.  

You may be faced with difficult personal circumstances in the event of serious illness or death of a close relative. Sport Wales recognises that employees may need to take time away from work in these circumstances.  

Paid time off can be granted in the event of serious illness or the death of a dependent, close relative or person with whom you are in a close relationship. For example, a husband, wife, child, civil partner, partner, parent, sibling, grand-parent, parent-in-law or someone who has acted as a parent.   

The amount of paid time off for serious illness or family bereavement will depend on your circumstances and relationship with the deceased.  Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.    

Parents who suffer the death of a child (under 18 years old or stillborn after 24 weeks’ pregnancy) have the statutory right to at least 2 weeks paid special leave.  This time off is not limited to 2 weeks and will be extended on a case by case basis.   

You may be a foster carer or approved kindship carer and require flexibility to meet the needs of your fostered child or young person.  Paid time off can be granted if you are:   

• applying to become a foster carer   
• an approved foster carer and have a child in placement (or have had a child in placement for 75% of the previous twelve months)   
• an approved kinship carer   

You will be given paid time over a 12 month period, pro-rata if part time, as follows:   

• assessment and training prior to approval as a foster carer - up to three days   
• attendance at panel for approval – one day   
• child review meetings, annual foster carer review meeting, training – up to five days.   

Our flexible working, parental leave, emergency time off for dependents policies all apply to those 

If you are called upon to serve as a juror, become a member of a tribunal, or to appear in court and/or tribunal as a witness, you will be granted paid special leave for the whole period that you will be required to undertake such duty.   

If you receive a Summons for Jury Service, you should inform your line manager as soon as possible and provide a copy of the confirmation of jury service letter to your line manager as soon as you receive it.    

On any days you are not required at court, you are expected to attend work or work from home where possible.   

If you wish to undertake a qualification or other accredited development which would benefit you in your work, you may be granted paid special leave so you can attend tutorials and sit examinations.   

For further details please refer to the Long-Term Study policy in the Staff Handbook.  

Sport Wales will allow paid special leave for those participating in multi-sport, world standard international events, including the Olympics, World Class Competition, European and Commonwealth Games. To be considered for special leave, selection at full international level (not age group) will be required.  The period of special leave will cover travel to, and participation in the event.  

If you have been selected to act as an official for full representative multi-sport world standard international events you may be given paid special leave provided:  

• There is capacity to cover existing service commitments both during the event itself and any subsequent time off in lieu.  
• Attendance represents an agreed development opportunity.   
• Completion of requisite Governing Body or Olympic/Paralympic association administration.  

Special leave of up to the full period may be granted, but we reserve the right to deduct from your salary any payments made to you from promoters or governing bodies.   

If you have been selected to act as an official to support a sporting event that does not represent an agreed development opportunity, you may be given paid special leave up to half of the length of time required (with annual leave or unpaid leave covering the remaining)   

We appreciate that in adverse weather conditions you may be unable to get to your place of work.  In such circumstances you should work from home if this is possible.  If you are unable to work from home or travel to your place of work paid special leave may be granted to cover the period in which travel is not possible. There is an expectation that you will demonstrate how you were prevented from attending your place of work.   

If there is unexpected major disruption to public transport that prevents you from being able to work and it is not possible for you to work from home, and all alternative methods of transport such as cycling, use of a pool car or taxi have been explored you may be allowed paid special leave. If the major disruption to public transport is known in advance it may be more appropriate to use annual leave, if this is not possible unpaid special leave will be granted.  

You have a statutory right to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to carry out public duties e.g. school governor, magistrate or board member.  

Sport Wales supports individuals who want to contribute to the wider community. Therefore, special leave with pay will usually be allowed to enable you to carry out public duties. Sport Wales reserves the right to deduct from your salary any payments made to you from public bodies to carry out these duties.  

You should notify your line manager when you undertake public duties and provide as much notice as possible.  The amount of time that is ‘reasonable’ depends on what is necessary to fulfil the role, however this would usually not exceed more than 5 days per year.  

We will support you if you are a member of the Reserve Forces, in recognition of the valuable contribution that Reservists make to the nation’s defence and the personal and job related benefits that come from the additional skills gained.   

 We will provide paid special leave to assist you in undertaking your Reserves Forces training. If additional time off is needed, Sport Wales will, wherever possible, be flexible in granting annual leave or unpaid special leave. You are required to give as much notice as possible of all leave requirements for training purposes.   

Reservists are mobilised when called into full-time military service in support of military operations.  Special leave whilst mobilised is unpaid.  You will have no entitlement to annual leave and bank holidays whilst on mobilisation as a reservist.  

At the end of mobilisation, you should return to work within as soon as reasonably possible.  

Sport Wales recognises the commitment needed to volunteer and serve the community, while also developing valuable new skills and networks.  In recognition of this commitment and to encourage active community involvement, Sport Wales will provide paid time off.  The length of time will vary depending on the work involved but it is anticipated this would be no more than 5 days per year.  

Time off for surgery, treatment and recuperation that relates to a medical or psychological condition and is supported by a medical certificate, will be treated as sick leave in the same manner as any other medical appointment.  

In cases of elective surgery, annual leave should be taken in the first instance. In exceptional circumstances unpaid leave may be granted subject to operational needs. Elective surgery is surgery/procedures that is not considered to be medically necessary, including cosmetic surgery. Requests for time off for surgery, treatment and recuperation should follow the normal process for requesting annual leave. If such treatment results in you becoming unfit for work, e.g. due to infection or other complications, the sickness procedure would apply.  

If you are following a course of fertility treatment and have been employed by Sport Wales for more than one continuous year you will be eligible to apply for special leave for fertility treatment. This includes same-sex partners and single persons.   

Receiving treatment: Up to 5 days paid leave within a 12-month period to cover necessary treatment during a fertility treatment cycle.   

Partners: Up to 2 days paid leave within a 12-month period to cover necessary treatment and to provide support during a fertility treatment cycle.   

The 12-month period runs from the first day that leave is taken for the purposes of fertility treatment. If you become ill because of, or during infertility treatment and are unable to attend work, the sickness absence procedure would apply.  

You may apply to your manager for special leave with or without pay for other personal reasons not previously covered. Advice on applying for other special leave is available from the HR team. 

The following principles underpin how this procedure will work in practice; 

• All discipline matters will be dealt with in strictest confidence and information will only be disclosed to those employees who are involved in the case and those who need to know information to resolve the matter.  Any breach of this confidentiality may in itself be regarded as a disciplinary offence. 
• Informal measures to resolve minor instances of misconduct will be taken where appropriate before moving to the formal. 
• Potential disciplinary issues will be raised and dealt with promptly.  Neither employees nor management will unreasonably delay any part of the procedure.  If the employee is unable or unwilling to attend a disciplinary hearing, with good reason, this will be re-arranged once.  If the employee is unable to attend the re-arranged hearing, it may be held in their absence and a decision may be made on the evidence available. In this instance, the employee will be offered an opportunity to provide a written statement to be considered in their absence. 
• Any employee appointed to deal with the disciplinary case will have people management experience, be impartial and will receive appropriate support throughout from the HR team to ensure the policy and procedure is applied fairly and consistently. 
• The employee will be advised of the nature of the complaint or accusation against them and will be given the opportunity to state their case at a disciplinary hearing before any decision is made . 
• Employees will be provided with any written copies of evidence and relevant witness statements in advance of a disciplinary hearing. 
• No disciplinary action will be taken before the facts of the alleged misconduct have been established, on the balance of probabilities. 
• Employees will not normally be dismissed for a first breach of conduct standards except in the case of gross misconduct when the penalty may be dismissal without notice or pay in lieu of notice. 
• An employee will have one right to appeal against any disciplinary action taken against them. 
• During formal meetings, the employee who is the subject of  disciplinary matters has the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or recognised Trade Union representative. 
• If you or your companion require any adjustments to engage meaningfully with the process these will be considered and supported where possible. 
• Employees and /or anyone accompanying the employee, must not make electronic recordings of any meetings or hearings conducted under this procedure unless authorised by exception by the manager leading proceedings. 

Where applicable the organisation will inform the appropriate registered professional body of relevant disciplinary matters and refer relevant matters to the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) in relation to regulated activity. 

Informal stage – dealing with minor misconduct 

Informal action should be taken to address a first instance of minor misconduct.  The employee will be invited to attend an informal meeting with their line manager to discuss the concern. The line manager will seek to understand the reason for the shortfall, offering support where appropriate and ensure the employee understands conduct expectations going forward. A period of monitoring or regular reviews of progress may also be agreed, as appropriate to the circumstances. . This will be done promptly, and may be without notice. 

The employee will usually be advised that further instances of misconduct may result in the formal procedure being applied. 

Informal discussions with employees do not constitute formal disciplinary action and therefore the employee does not have a statutory right to be accompanied by a companion in such discussions.  However, the employee’s line manager may allow the employee to be accompanied should they request this. 

The line manager should follow up the meeting with a note to the employee, confirming the details of the discussion.  . The note will not form part of an employee’s formal disciplinary record, but it may be used in instances of further misconduct to determine whether a pattern of misconduct is emerging and to inform the appropriate subsequent action. 

Formal disciplinary procedure 

This procedure will usually be invoked in circumstances where: 

• Informal discussions have not resulted in the required improvement in conduct; or, 
• Misconduct is alleged to have taken place that warrants formal proceedings being instigated or, 
• Conduct remains unacceptable within the period specified in a previous warning; or, 
• Serious or gross misconduct is alleged to have taken place. 

The formal disciplinary procedure will only be initiated after discussion between the line manager and HR. 

During a disciplinary case, the employee may raise a grievance, using the Sport Wales  Grievance Policy.  Where this happens, dependent upon the details of the grievance, it may be appropriate to either suspend the disciplinary procedure for a short period until the grievance can be considered or to deal with both issues concurrently. Consideration might also be given, where possible, to bring in another manager to deal with the grievance. 

The manager handling the case must contact the HR team for procedural advice before continuing further. 

Sport Wales wants to provide a work environment that is open and supportive to those who seek advice and support.  Employees can seek advice from their line manager, HR team or Trade Union representative. 

Parties involved in a disciplinary matter may find the situation stressful or difficult and may want to talk things through in confidence with a professionally trained counsellor. Such support and counselling is available to Sport Wales employees through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This provides free, independent and confidential support. The EAP can be contacted via the details on Home. 

Where the employee may be facing formal disciplinary action, the line manager may decide that it is appropriate to transfer the employee to alternative/restricted duties or another post, until the procedure is concluded. 

In  serious cases, where there are no suitable alternatives, the employee may be suspended while investigation and any subsequent disciplinary procedure are undertaken. 

Suspension or variation of duties may be considered where one or several of the following circumstances apply: 

• In cases of alleged gross misconduct; 
• When relationships have broken down; 
• Where there are risks to property, reputation, or responsibilities to other parties; 
• Where there are reasonable grounds for concern that evidence has been, or may be, tampered with or destroyed, or witnesses influenced. 

Suspension does not indicate an assumption of guilt and is not considered to be disciplinary action.  While an employee is suspended, they will receive their full contractual pay. Such suspension or variation of duties will be confirmed in writing  and will be for as short a time as possible. 

If an employee is suspended, they will not usually be allowed to visit Sport Wales premises or have any contact with clients, customers, suppliers, contractors or staff unless authorised to do so. 

Where an employee returns to work after a period of suspension, their manager should offer support to ensure their smooth reintegration to the team. 

An abridged process may be appropriate in straightforward cases where the evidence is readily available, the facts of the case are not in dispute by the employee who is subject to the disciplinary process and the process could not result in a sanction more serious than a written warning (first or final). 

 Before pursuing the fast track process, the line manager should consult with HR. 

If the fast track process is considered to be appropriate, the line manager will meet with the individual whose conduct has caused concern and explain the process. The fast track process should only be used with the written agreement of the individual following consultation with them and with their full understanding.   

In fast track cases, rather than a full investigation, a simple fact-gathering exercise should take place which includes the following discipline procedure steps: 

• the allegations being put to the employee in writing, together with the evidence available 
• a meeting with the line manager (who will take the role of Decision Officer) where evidence will be presented and the employee will have an opportunity to present their case together with any mitigation (at this meeting the employee has the right to be accompanied by a trade union representative or work colleague) 
• after a brief adjournment to consider any mitigation presented, the line manager will advise the employee of the decision and follow this up in writing within 5 working days, including the employee’s right to appeal if a sanction is issued. 

The fast track process should be stopped by the line manager if at any time it becomes evident that the scope of the misconduct is broader and more complex than initially thought or the employee requests for a full investigation to be conducted. In such cases, the line manager should seek HR advice to consider the appointment of an independent Investigation Officer. 

The fast track process will never be used for misconduct cases which could result in dismissal. 

Where the evidence is not readily available, the facts are in dispute or the process could result in dismissal, a formal investigation should be commissioned. 

An Investigating Officer will be appointed, usually by HR.  In some instances, it may be necessary to appoint an Investigation Officer who is external, this could be due to capacity issues or for impartiality.  The Investigation Officer will receive HR advice and support throughout the process to ensure the policy and procedure is applied fairly and consistently.  The Investigating Officer will be impartial and not directly involved in the alleged disciplinary matter.  The employee should be fully informed when a formal investigation into their actions is instigated.  

The nature and the extent of the investigation will depend on the seriousness of the issue but in all cases, will be carried out without unreasonable delay.  As part of the investigation a written report will be prepared.  The written report will also conclude if there is a case to be answer based on the evidence of the investigation. 

The role of the Investigating Officer is to establish the essential facts of the matter and reach a conclusion on what did or did not happen, on the balance of probabilities.  In some cases, this will solely involve the collation of written and physical evidence.  However, this may also involve obtaining statements from relevant witnesses, which may require a meeting, or the witness may simply provide a statement or written responses to questions from the Investigation Officer.  Interview notes should be shared with the witness and they should be invited to confirm it is an accurate reflection of the discussion.  

Individuals identified as witnesses are expected to comply with the request of an Investigating Officer to provide any insight they have on the matter being investigated. If the individual has any concerns about acting as a witness, they should discuss them with the Investigating Officer or a member of the HR team so that their concerns can be addressed and mitigated where possible. 

It may be necessary for the employee who is subject to the process to attend an investigatory interview.  If such an interview is held, they will be informed in writing of the nature of the investigation and may be accompanied by a work colleague or trade union representative. The employee will be given enough notice of the meeting so that they have time to prepare. .  It may be necessary for HR to attend the meeting to advise on policy and procedure.  Notes will be taken during the meeting to capture the key points of the discussion.  These will be made available to the employee after the interview. 

If at any stage of the investigation, enquiries indicate that the employee’s alleged misconduct may constitute a criminal offence, the Investigating Officer must inform HR immediately. 

If the investigation report concludes that there is no case to answer, the employee will be informed.  Any witnesses will also be informed that the matter has been concluded.  That will be the end of the matter. The employee subject to the process will be given appropriate line management support to ensure a smooth transition out of the formal process. 

If the investigation recommends that there is a case to answer, a Disciplinary Officer will be appointed by HR. Their role is to chair and decide the outcome of the disciplinary hearing.  This person must not have had any prior involvement in the case and where possible, should be more senior than the employee who is alleged to have committed the misconduct.  The Disciplinary Officer will receive HR advice and support to ensure the policy and procedure are applied fairly and consistently. 

The employee will be invited to the hearing in writing and given five working days written notice of the arrangements for the hearing.  This notification will include: 

• the allegation(s), setting out the supporting facts and enclosing copies of any documentary evidence used to inform the report, including witness statements; The possible consequences of the hearing up to the most serious possible consequence; 
• the date, time and venue of the hearing; 
• a reminder of the right to be accompanied; 
• a reminder of the procedure to be followed; 
• notice of any witnesses to be called. 

The employee is required to confirm their attendance at the meeting to the Disciplinary Officer, provide details of any witnesses they wish to call, written statements they wish to submit, advise whether or not they will be accompanied at the meeting, and if so, by whom at least 2 days in advance of the hearing. 

The employee can ask for a hearing to be deferred for up to five working days if they or their chosen companion are unavailable at the time of the proposed hearing, provided the suggested alternative date/time is reasonable and is within five working days of the original hearing. 

If an employee is unwilling, or unable, to attend a hearing, the Disciplinary Officer and HR will need to consider all the facts and come to a reasonable decision on how to proceed. In certain circumstances there may be a need to consult Occupational Health. Where the employee is on sickness absence, advice should be sought from Occupational Health on whether the employee is fit to participate in the meeting, before issuing the letter. The employee will be made aware of this referral to Occupational Health and the reason for it. 

Where the employee is fit but unwilling to attend the proposed hearing or fails to attend the first scheduled meeting, they will be offered one alternative opportunity to attend. The employee will be informed of the re-arranged hearing and that if they are still unable to attend, they should submit any evidence they wish to be considered in their absence as a decision will be made at the re-arranged hearing on the basis of the evidence available.   The employee will be informed of the decision and the outcome of the disciplinary hearing in writing within five working days of the hearing. 

The purpose of the disciplinary hearing is to: 

• resolve any outstanding questions or disputes about the facts of the case, by discussing the evidence and supporting information and giving the employee the opportunity to comment; 
• give the employee the opportunity to respond to the allegations made against them; 
• give the employee the opportunity to explain any mitigating factors or special circumstances which should be taken into account; and, 
• provide the Disciplinary Officer with sufficient information and evidence on which to base a decision. 

No decision about the outcome of the hearing will be made until after all representations have been heard and considered. The hearing will be conducted by the Disciplinary Officer and a member of the HR team will be present to advise on procedural matters. 

The employee may bring a companion who may address the hearing, ask questions of witnesses and confer with the employee during the hearing.  This person can also seek an adjournment of proceedings to allow time to confer.  However, they do not have the right to answer questions on the employee’s behalf or to address the hearing if the employee does not wish it, or to prevent management from explaining their position. If the employee’s companion exceeds the limits of their role, causing unreasonable disruption to the hearing, they may be asked to leave. 

At the hearing, the case will be outlined, and witnesses may be called or other evidence presented which may include written statements in support of the allegations.  The employee will be expected to answer questions to clarify the issues and they may question or comment on the information presented. 

The employee will be invited to set our their case and address the allegations that have been made.  The employee may also ask questions or comment on any information, including that provided by witnesses.  If the employee wishes to present evidence, call relevant witnesses or present written witness statements this should be provided to the Disciplinary Officer at least 2 days before the meeting.   

If new facts emerge, the Disciplinary Officer may need to adjourn the meeting for further investigation and depending on the extent of additional investigation required, reconvene at a later date. 

At the end of the hearing the Disciplinary Officer will summarise the main points of discussion.  The employee or companion will also be given the opportunity to sum up. 

The Disciplinary Officer should adjourn the hearing to consider the representations made during the hearing before delivering their decision. The decision may be given in person, on the day after a brief adjournment or in writing, within 5 working days. Either way, the employee will receive written confirmation of the decision and rationale. 

The Disciplinary Officer will decide whether or not a disciplinary sanction, or any other action, is justified.  

If the Disciplinary Officer concludes that the allegation is not upheld, the employee will be informed in writing that no further action will be taken and that the matter has been concluded.  Any witnesses will also be informed that the matter has been concluded. 

Where some formal action is needed, in coming to a decision, it is important that the severity of the penalty or other action is proportionate to the degree of the misconduct committed, bearing in mind the need to act reasonably in all the circumstances. What action is reasonable or justified will depend on all the circumstances of the particular case.  The Disciplinary Officer will take advice from HR as appropriate in deciding on the appropriate action.  Consideration will be given to: 

• whether the rules of the organisation indicate what the likely penalty will be as a result of the particular misconduct (see examples at 19.3) 
• penalties imposed in similar cases, although each case will be considered on its own merits and any relevant circumstances will be taken into account 
• whether similar standards of other employees are acceptable, and that the employee is not being unfairly singled out 
• the employee’s current work and disciplinary record, including whether they are subject to any current warnings; their level of responsibility and length of service; whether any training, support or adjustments to the work might be needed in addition to, or instead of, a penalty Any special circumstances which might make it appropriate to adjust the severity of the penalty 

The decision will be confirmed in writing within 5 working days of the hearing.  The written notification will specify: 

• the aspects of the allegations which have been upheld; 
• what disciplinary sanction, if any, is being imposed; 
• the likely consequences of any further misconduct or timescale for improvement performance; and, 
• the timescale and process for lodging an appeal. 

In cases of dismissal, if the dismissal is a result of the failure to improve behaviour to the required level within the specified time period or an escalation of penalties, notice may be given or pay in lieu of notice.  In the case of gross misconduct, notice will not be given or paid in lieu of notice, dismissal is effective on the day the penalty is issued if delivered in person, or 3 days from the date the penalty letter is sent which must be sent by recorded delivery. 

Where allegations of misconduct are substantiated it is usual to give the employee a written warning.  A further act of misconduct or failure to improve conduct within a set period would normally result in a final written warning. 

If an employee’s first act of misconduct is sufficiently serious, it may be appropriate to move directly to a final written warning.  This might occur where the employee’s actions have had, or are liable to have a serious, or harmful impact on the organisation in some way. 

First Written Warning 

Depending on the circumstances, examples of behaviour which might result in a first written warning include, but are not limited to; 

• Single absence without authorisation and without good cause; 
• Minor timekeeping offences e.g. repeated arrival after start time or early departure time without good reason; 
• Personal telephone calls or personal use of the internet impacting on ability to perform duties; 
• Minor breaches of wellbeing, health and safety requirements; 
• Minor breaches of policy and procedure; and 
• Minor breaches of information security requirements; 

A warning will be given in writing setting out the nature of the misconduct, the change in behaviour required (within timescale), any action agreed by the line manager to aid improvement and the right of appeal. 

The employee will be told how long the warning will remain current and will be informed of the consequences of further misconduct within the set period following a warning. 

A copy of the warning will be kept on the employee’s HR record, but will be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after the specified period, usually 1 year, if satisfactory conduct is achieved and sustained. 

Final Written Warning 

If the offence is sufficiently serious, or if there is further misconduct during the currency of a prior warning, a final written warning may be given to the employee. 

Examples of behaviour which might result in a final written warning being issued include, but are not limited to; 

• Repeated or further unauthorised absence from work without good cause; 
• Persistent lateness or poor punctuality; 
• Breach of wellbeing, health and safety requirements; 
• Breach of information security and/or data protection requirements; 
• Unauthorised possession of potentially dangerous or noxious substances in work; 
• Serious breaches of trust and confidence; 
• Persistent breaches of flexible working time arrangements  
• Excessive use of telephones, internet and other office equipment such as printers for personal use; 
• Breaches of the ICT security policy; 
• Beaching procurement and financial procedures; and 
• Breaches of staff policies and procedures. 

A final warning will be given in writing setting out the nature of the misconduct, the change in behaviour required (within timescale), any action agreed by the line manager to aid improvement and the right of appeal.The employee will be told how long the warning will remain current and it will also warn that failure to improve may lead to dismissal and will detail the right of appeal. 

A copy of the  warning will be kept on the employee’s HR record, but will be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after the specified period, usually 1 year, subject to achieving and sustaining satisfactory conduct.  

Dismissal 

If there is further misconduct during the currency of a warning or a first instance of gross misconduct, dismissal may be appropriate. 

Dismissal decisions can only be taken by a Head of Department, and the employee will be provided with the decision in writing with reasons for dismissal, the date on which their employment will end, the relevant period of notice, if applicable, and their right of appeal. 

The employee will normally be dismissed in the following circumstances: 

• Where the misconduct is deemed to be gross misconduct (misconduct that is sufficiently serious as to destroy the essential mutual trust and confidence between the employee and Sport Wales); or, 
• If there is no satisfactory improvement within the period of a final written warning; or, 
• If further misconduct occurs during the currency of a final written warning; or 
• If there has been more than one offence at one time which accumulatively constitutes a more serious offence. 

Substantiated allegations of gross misconduct may be considered so serious or have such serious consequences that dismissal without notice for a first offence may be justified. However, a full and thorough investigation will always be carried out in cases of alleged gross misconduct and the employee will have the opportunity to provide representations at a hearing before dismissal is considered. 

Some examples of serious offences likely to be deemed gross misconduct and liable to result in dismissal include, but are not limited to: 

• Theft, fraud, deliberate falsification of records (including time sheets, flexi time records, and travel and subsistence claims); 
• Giving false information in any job application; 
• Physical violence or threatening behaviour; 
• Continuous unauthorised absence from work where contact has lapsed and efforts to re-establish contact have been exhausted without success; 
• Deliberate or reckless behaviour causing serious damage to property; 
• Serious harassment or bullying, including on social media; 
• Serious negligence which might cause unacceptable loss, damage or injury; 
• Serious or persistent insubordination; 
• Serious breach of wellbeing, health and safety requirements; 
• Serious breach of information security and data protection requirements; 
• Bringing the organisation into disrepute.  Some examples which include publicly criticising the organisation and / or leaking information in a way which damages the image and reputation of the organisation, including on social media; 
• Deliberate malpractice, deception or falsification of documents; 
• Acceptance of any bribe, inducement or reward for personal gain or for the benefit of a third party in return for an unauthorised act or transaction; 
• Acts of incitement or actual acts of discrimination on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, disability, age, religion or belief; and 
• Serious examples of the types of misconduct listed in the previous section ‘Final Written Warning’ may also be grounds for dismissal. 

An employee has one right of appeal against any disciplinary action taken against them. 

Appeals must be made in writing to the Appeals Officer within five working days of the notification of the outcome of the disciplinary hearing, clearly stating the grounds for appeal e.g. new evidence, failure to follow procedure, undue severity or inconsistency in the sanction. 

In most instances, the appeal will take the form of a review of the original decision where the Appeals Officer will examine the original decision-making process and the penalty given and decide, in light of any new evidence presented, whether these were reasonable. Occasionally, a full rehearing of the case, where the matters are considered completely anew, may be appropriate, for example, in the case of a complete failure to follow procedure during the original process or where there is considerable new evidence. The Appeals Officer should seek advice from HR on receipt of the appeal to decide which is appropriate. The Appellant should be informed of which route will be taken in their Appeal Hearing invite.   

The appeal will be dealt with impartially and will be heard by a manager who has had no prior involvement with the original disciplinary process, who will act as the Appeals Officer. Their contact details will be contained within the disciplinary outcome letter. HR will ensure that all relevant papers relating to previous disciplinary decisions and proceedings are made available to the Appeals Officer. 

The employee will be notified in writing and given details of an appeal hearing which will be held without unreasonable delay.  The notification will give five working days’ notice of the hearing and include: 

• The date, time and venue of the hearing 
• A reminder of the right to be accompanied 
• A reminder of the procedure to be followed including whether the appeal will be a review of the original decision or a complete rehearing 
• What action may be taken by the Appeals Officer 

The employee has the right to be accompanied to the appeal and  the same principles as set out as above will apply in relation to accepted companions, the role of the companion and confirmation of attendance at/rearrangement of the Hearing. 

If an employee is unwilling, or unable, to attend an appeal meeting it may be concluded that a decision will be made on the basis of the evidence available.  The employee will be informed where this is the case. 

The Appeal meeting will be conducted by the Appeals Officer, who will normally be the same grade as the Disciplinary Officer, or higher.  In some cases, where appropriate, this may be a Board Member.  A member of the HR team will attend the meeting to provide advice on procedural matters. 

The employee will explain the grounds for appeal and have an opportunity to comment on any new evidence. The Appeals Officer will ask questions to gain a fuller understanding of the appeal. 

If the employee raises any new matters in their appeal, it may be necessary to adjourn and carry out further investigation.  At the end of the meeting the Appeals Officer will summarise the main points of discussion.  The employee or companion will also be given an opportunity to sum up. 

The Appeals Officer should adjourn the hearing to consider the representations made during the hearing before delivering their decision. The decision may be given in person, on the day after a brief adjournment or in writing, within 5 working days. 

Either way, after the meeting the Appeals Officer will  confirm the  outcome of the appeal and the reason for the decision in writing within 5 working days of the meeting.  There will be no further right of appeal. 

Once the disciplinary process is complete, the Disciplinary Officer should share the lessons learnt from the process and outcome with relevant parties. 

 “Relevant parties” is likely to include the disciplinary subject’s Line Manager and any other manager who may be responsible for taking recommendations forward or monitoring improvements. 

Lessons learnt may relate to recommended departmental process changes or employee support requirements, in addition to any recommendations directly relating to the individual’s conduct. 

Responsible managers should review and take forward any recommendations without undue delay. 

The following principles under pin how this procedure will work in practice:  

• All discussions between individuals involved with the grievance will be handled in strict confidence.  Information and statements will only be shared with  those employees who are involved in the case and those who need to know information to resolve the matter.  An emphasis will be placed on informal approaches to addressing concerns.  Informal approaches will be exhausted before moving to the formal procedure unless an informal approach would be inappropriate, such as a case where the grievance allegations are substantial and serious.   
• Where appropriate, mediation should be considered as a way of resolving the grievance during the informal stage, and before progressing to the formal stage, but participation in the mediation process is voluntary.  
• In most instances, managers and their staff have a joint responsibility to work together to resolve issues early and informally before they escalate and become more difficult to resolve.   
• Grievances dealt with through this procedure may not always produce the outcome desired by the complainant.  However, effective application of the procedure should lead to all parties recognising that the outcome is fair, reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances.   
• Grievances should be raised as soon as is reasonably practicable. However, if a historic grievance is raised regarding an incident or issue you will need to provide valid grounds for the delay in raising this grievance and be aware that it may be more difficult to investigate.  
• Grievances will be progressed without as soon as is reasonably practicable.  
• No employee will be treated less favourably for raising a grievance, providing information as a witness or being the subject of a grievance. However, depending on the grievance findings, in some instances onward action under the Discipline or Performance Management policies may be required.   
• If an employee has difficulty at any stage of the grievance procedure because of a disability or because English is not their first language and they would prefer the grievance to be managed in Welsh, they should discuss the situation with their line manager or HR as soon as possible.  
• If you require any adjustments to engage meaningfully with the process these will be considered and supported where possible.  
• Raising a grievance that is known to be without foundation, or is in any other way vexatious or malicious or in bad faith may be regarded as a disciplinary offence, please see the disciplinary policy.   
• This Grievance Procedure should not be used to deal with complaints arising from the application of other policies and procedures that include an appeal mechanism e.g. Discipline, Performance Management or Attendance. If employees are dissatisfied with any action taken against them under such a procedure, they should submit an appeal under the relevant procedure.  
• In circumstances where an employee may have a grievance relating to bullying, harassment, victimisation or discrimination, the Anti-Bullying, Harassment, Victimisation and Discrimination Policy should be read in conjunction with this policy and procedure.   

Mediation may be considered as a way of resolving concerns at work at any stage of the informal or formal grievance procedure.  Mediation is a voluntary process where an independent mediator helps two or more people in dispute to attempt to reach an agreement.  Any agreement comes from those in dispute, not from the mediator.   

Participation in mediation is entirely voluntary, as all parties need to enter into it in an open-minded and constructive way for it to be effective in resolving disputes and conflict.    

Where mediation is accepted as the best way forward part way through the grievance procedure, the procedure will be suspended pending the outcome of mediation.   

If parties do not feel the dispute is fully resolved by mediation, they may decide to resume the grievance procedure.   

Further advice on mediation can be obtained from HR.  

Sport Wales wants to provide a work environment that is open and supportive to those who seek advice and support.  Employees can seek advice from their line manager, HR team or Trade Union representative.  

The parties involved in the grievance may find the situation stressful or difficult and may want to talk things through with a professionally trained counsellor. Such support and counselling is available to Sport Wales employees through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This provides free, independent and confidential support. The EAP can be contacted via the details on Home. 

Employees should aim to settle most disputes informally directly with the individual(s) concerned.  Where this is not possible employees should raise this as an informal grievance with their line manager or with another manager who is not connected with the grievance or HR.  The line manager may be available to discuss the matter straight away or if not, they will arrange to meet with the employee to discuss their concern without unreasonable delay.     

When discussing the concern, the manager and employee should focus on the facts of the situation and the impact this has had, and the employee should explain how they would like the matter to be resolved.  If appropriate, the manager may wish to discuss the matter with relevant parties to gather further information on how best to resolve the concern. If the matter cannot be resolved by the manager the employee speaks with initially, any information shared at this stage will be shared with the person appointed to progress the matter.     

The manager and employee should work together to come to a mutually acceptable resolution to the concern, bearing in mind that there may not be a perfect solution to the problem, and agreed actions may take time and may not happen immediately.   

In most cases, informal approaches to addressing grievances will be exhausted before moving to the formal procedure.   However, where this is not possible, an employee can raise the matter formally and without unreasonable delay with the HR team.   

Where an issue arises, which cannot be resolved informally, the employee should write to the HR Team stating the nature of the grievance.   

This should be done in writing indicating that it is a formal grievance and should set out the nature of the grievance in a clear and concise way, along with how the employee would like the matter to be resolved. This can be done in English or Welsh. The employee should expect the grievance to be dealt with fairly and without unreasonable delay. Written grievances will be placed on your personnel file along with a record of any decisions taken and any other notes or documents compiled during the grievance process.   

Upon receipt of a formal written grievance, a Hearing Officer will be appointed, which may not be the same person who received the grievance. There is no minimum grade for the Hearing Officer, however, where the grievance arises from the decision or actions of a colleague, the Hearing Officer will be at least one grade higher than the level of the employee who was responsible for those decisions or actions.  The Hearing Officer must not have had any prior involvement with the case.    

The Hearing Officer should write to the complainant inviting them to a Grievance Meeting to ensure they fully understand the complaint. The invite letter will provide the complainant with 5 working days' notice of the meeting and the right to be accompanied by either a work colleague or a recognised trade union representative.   

At all stages of the formal procedure the employee will have the statutory right to be accompanied by a companion. This can be a recognised trade union representative or work colleague. You should inform the person conducting the meeting of the identity of any companion at least two days before the meeting is held.   

Employees and their companions should make every effort to attend the meeting. The employee can ask for a hearing to be deferred for up to five working days if their chosen companion is unavailable at the time of the proposed meeting provided the suggested alternative date/time is reasonable and is within five working days of the original meeting.    

During the meeting the employee will be allowed to explain their grievance and how they think it should be resolved.  The aim of the meeting is to come to a mutually agreeable resolution through discussion and dialogue.    

The companion will be allowed to address the hearing; sum up the employee’s case and confer with the employee during the hearing. The companion does not however, have the right to answer questions on the employee’s behalf or address the hearing if the employee does not wish it. If the employee’s companion exceeds the limits of their role, causing unreasonable disruption to the hearing, they may be asked to leave.   

Depending on the nature of the grievance and the available evidence, the Hearing Officer may decide to adjourn the Grievance Meeting for an investigation to be conducted. The Hearing Officer may investigate the grievance themselves or appoint an alternative Investigation Officer.   In some instances, it may be necessary to appoint an Investigation Officer who is external, this could be due to capacity issues or for impartiality.   The amount of investigation required will depend on the nature of the allegations and will vary from case to case depending on the amount of investigation required, such as interviewing witnesses, accessing ICT records etc.   

An employee must co-operate fully and promptly in any investigation. This may include stating the names of any relevant witnesses, disclosing any relevant documents and attending interviews as part of the investigation.   

Individuals identified as witnesses are expected to comply with the request of an Hearing/Investigating Officer to provide any insight they have on the matter being investigated. If the individual has any concerns about acting as a witness, they should discuss them with the Hearing/Investigating Officer or a member of the HR team so that their concerns can be addressed and mitigated where possible.   

As soon as possible following the hearing and any subsequent adjournment, the Hearing Officer will communicate the outcome of the grievance in writing. The outcomes available to the Hearing Officer are:  

• To uphold the grievance;  
• To uphold elements of the grievance (partially uphold the grievance); or  
• Not to uphold the grievance  

Potential actions that arise from the grievance could be restorative, such as mediation, or training and development.  Actions could also include progression to disciplinary or performance improvement plan  

Decisions should be communicated to the employee, in writing, without unreasonable delay and will summarise the main point(s) of the discussion, the rationale for the decision, and, where appropriate, set out recommendations made to resolve the grievance as well as advising the employee of their right to appeal.  Any witnesses called as part of an investigation will be informed that the matter has been concluded and of any action that directly affects them.    

The collective grievance process will be used where:  

• A grievance is submitted in writing, with recognised trade union support, by two or more employees;  
• A grievance is submitted in writing by two or more employees and they elect one of them act as their main representative; or  
• Two or more employees independently raise separate written grievances on the same issue and the Hearing Officer, with advice from HR, determines that it is appropriate to address both grievances at once to ensure consistency.  

Where there is no recognised trade union representation, employees should nominate a spokesperson to lead the grievance for the group.   

A meeting will be arranged between the spokesperson or the trade union representative and the Hearing Officer to discuss the way forward. The Hearing Officer will determine whether investigation is required in order to deliver an outcome. Once any investigation is complete, the Hearing Officer will share the outcome in writing with the spokesperson.   

If the group disagrees with the outcome, they have one right to appeal. The appeal should be submitted by the spokesperson or trade union representative in writing to the Appeals Officer who will be independent from the original grievance process. The Appeals Officer will arrange to meet with the spokesperson or Trade Union Representative and follow the process detailed in the Appeals section of this policy.  

If an employee has raised a grievance as part of a collective grievance, they cannot then raise the same issues as an individual grievance.  

During a disciplinary case, the employee may raise a grievance, using the Sport Wales  Grievance Policy.  Where this happens, dependent upon the details of the grievance, it may be appropriate to either suspend the disciplinary procedure for a short period until the grievance can be considered or to deal with both issues concurrently. Consideration might also be given, where possible, to bring in another manager to deal with the grievance.  

The manager handling the case must contact the HR team for procedural advice before continuing further.   

Once the grievance process is complete, the Hearing Officer and/or Investigating Officer should share the lessons learnt from the process and outcome with relevant parties.   

“Relevant parties” may include the grievance subject, the subject’s line manager and any other manager who may be responsible for taking recommendations forward or monitoring the situation.  

Lessons learnt may relate to recommended departmental process changes or employee support requirements, in addition to any recommendations directly relating to the subject’s conduct where a grievance against an individual is upheld.    

Responsible managers should review and take forward any recommendations without undue delay.  

An employee who feels that their grievance has not been satisfactorily resolved has one right of appeal against the decision.   

Appeals should be made in writing to the Appeals Officer and should be submitted within five working days of the employee receiving notification of the initial outcome, stating clearly the grounds for appeal e.g. new evidence, failure to follow procedure or the original decision was unreasonable.   

In most instances, the appeal will take the form of a review of the original decision where the Appeals Officer will examine the original decision-making process and the penalty given and decide, in light of any new evidence presented, whether these were reasonable.   

Occasionally, a full rehearing of the case, where the matters are considered completely anew, may be appropriate. The Appeals Officer should seek advice from HR on receipt of the appeal to decide which is appropriate. The Appellant should be informed of which route will be taken in their Appeal Hearing invite.    

The employee will be notified in writing and given details of an appeal hearing which will be held without unreasonable delay.  The notification will give five working days’ notice of the hearing and include:  

• The date, time and venue of the hearing  
• A reminder of the right to be accompanied  
• A reminder of the procedure to be followed including whether the appeal will be a review of the original decision or a complete rehearing  
• What action may be taken by the Appeals Officer  

The employee has the right to be accompanied to the appeal and the same principles as set out in the Formal Procedure section of this policy will apply in relation to accepted companions, the role of the companion and confirmation of attendance at/rearrangement of the Hearing.  

The appeal will be dealt with impartially and the Appeals Officer will be someone who has not previously been involved in the case, normally at the same grade as the Grievance Officer, or higher.  In some cases, where appropriate, this may be a Board Member.  A member of the HR team will attend the meeting to provide advice on procedural matters.   

At the appeal hearing, the employee will explain the grounds for appeal and have an opportunity to comment on any new evidence. The Appeals Officer will ask questions to gain a fuller understanding of the appeal.  

If the employee raises any new matters in their appeal, it may be necessary to adjourn and carry out further investigation.    

At the end of the hearing the Appeals Officer will summarise the main points of discussion.  The employee or companion will also be given an opportunity to sum up. The Appeals Officer should adjourn the hearing to consider the representations made during the hearing before delivering their decision. The decision may be given in person, on the day after a brief adjournment or in writing, within 5 working days.   

Either way, after the hearing the Appeals Officer will confirm the outcome of the appeal and the reason(s) for the decision(s) in writing within 5 working days of the meeting.  This decision will be final.   

Where an employee who is leaving the organisation wishes to raise a grievance, they must make every effort to raise their complaint at the earliest opportunity to help ensure that the matter can be dealt with before they leave.   

Where an employee raises a complaint during their notice period and leaving insufficient time prior to their leaving date to follow the full process, or after they have already left the organisation, a modified approach may be applied.   

In these circumstances, an independent Officer will be appointed to review the complaint and undertake appropriate investigations. They will write to the ex-employee inviting them to provide any further comments on their complaint before deciding what level of investigation is required.   

The officer will then speak to any relevant parties and collect any other evidence before writing to the ex-employee with their findings and any recommendations made.   

Where the employee has already left the organisation when the outcome is delivered, there  will be no right of appeal.  

The following principles under pin how this procedure will work in practice: 

• Sport Wales will seek to provide a culture and environment where all employees can thrive. 
• Employees will have a clear understanding of the performance standards expected of them and specific objectives they are expected to meet within their role. 
• Open and continuous dialogue will be maintained between employees and their line managers to ensure a mutual understanding of expectations and the individualised support the employee needs to thrive. 
• The primary focus of performance and development will be to create a culture of continuous learning and improvement to support the achievement of organisational and personal development goals. 
• Uncharacteristic dips in performance will be addressed sympathetically and informal support will be provided to aid employee wellbeing and help the employee to return to their usual standard of performance. 
• More serious or persistent performance concerns will be addressed as soon as is reasonably practicable using the Performance Improvement Procedure. Neither employees nor management will unreasonably delay any part of the procedure.  
• Performance Improvement Plans should be viewed as an opportunity to improve performance rather than as a punishment. 
• Performance standards and objectives set should be reasonable, grade appropriate and achievable. 
• Employees have a responsibility to work with their Line Manager to take feedback on board and to identify steps they could take, with their manager’s support, to improve their performance. 
• Where there is no improvement after the implementation of an informal Performance Improvement Plan, the line manager will progress to the formal procedure. 
• During Performance improvement meetings, Line Managers should provide specific examples of where performance has fallen below expected standards. If the employee disagrees with their Line Manager’s assessment of their performance, they should provide evidence to support their position. Both parties should remain receptive to each other’s perspectives and should engage in constructive discussion to identify a way forward. 
• No formal action will be taken under the Performance Improvement Procedure where the employee has a disability or health condition which impacts their ability to meet expectations and reasonable adjustments have not yet been made. 
• Employees subject to formal proceedings have the right to be accompanied to formal meetings by either a recognised Trade Union representative or work colleague. 
• If you or your companion require any adjustments to engage meaningfully with the process these will be considered and supported where possible. If an employee is unable or unwilling to attend a Performance Improvement meeting, with good reason, it will be re-arranged once.  If the employee is unable to attend the re-arranged hearing, it may be held in their absence and a decision may be made on the evidence available. In this instance, the employee will be offered an opportunity to provide a written statement to be considered in their absence.   

Sport Wales promotes a person-centred approach to performance. This means that the approach to performance development support is continuous, flexible and adaptable to the  needs and preferences of the employee . 

The Performance Framework that supports this policy encourages one-to-one Regular Reflective Conversations between employees and their Line Managers. These conversations should be led by the employee in terms of their frequency and content but as a minimum, five key areas should be discussed during these conversations over the course of a year: 

• Objective-setting 
• Wellbeing 
• Continuous Personal Development Plan 
• Behaviours; and 
• Feedback. 

The focus should be on using these conversations to support the employee to be at their best. 

The Performance Framework contains a number of aids and templates to support these discussions. 

Sport Wales is committed to giving every employee the opportunity to reach their goals and potential. To this end, Sport Wales encourages its employees to consider learning and development opportunities which will support their performance in their current role and their career aspirations. 

Regular reflective conversations should be used to discuss learning and development needs in line with employee aspiration and organisation objectives. While every effort will be made to support employees to meet their development aspirations, it should be noted that Sport Wales’ development budget is finite and that first priority will need to be given to mandatory training courses.  It should also be noted that, for many circumstances, the more effective and best value route will be through informal training options, and these should be explored fully.  

In some instances, the HR & OD team may be able to design and deliver bespoke sessions to meet an identified team development need. Where a need is identified, managers should discuss the need with the HR & OD team to determine whether there is sufficient internal expertise and capacity to address the need or whether external support would be more appropriate.   

22.3.1. Long Term Study  

Sport Wales recognises that gaining qualifications is beneficial both for Sport Wales and for employees to reach their aspirations. Courses that last a full academic year or longer are considered long term. Sport Wales offers support for long term study which is clearly aligned to the roles and responsibilities of the employee. Long term study may be wholly or partly funded by Sport Wales, depending on the relevance to your role. Sport Wales offers time off to allow employees to attend classes or to complete study through distance learning. To help employees successfully achieve their qualification Sport Wales allows time off for study leave and attendance at exams, normally half a day for study leave and half a day to attend the exam.  

The above differs from development which has been initiated by Sport Wales such a Management and Leadership programme.  

Staff should identify the need for this type of training as part of their regular reflective conversations with their manager. Alternatively, the development may be identified at recruitment stage for an individual wishing to progress their career at Sport Wales. Employees should have successfully completed their probation period before applying for long term study support. On approval from your manager, the Application for Long Term Study Form should be completed and submitted to HR – this can be found in the HR section of the intranet.  

This procedure is designed to assist and encourage all employees to achieve and maintain appropriate standards of job performance.  The aim is to ensure consistent and fair treatment for all and to assist any employee who is considered to be experiencing difficulties in satisfactorily performing the duties required of their role. 

Concerns about under-performance should be addressed as soon as they arise. Before progressing any formal action under the performance improvement procedure, managers must ensure that all employees understand the required level of performance for their role and that they are given a reasonable opportunity to improve with informal support.  

Managers should always consult HR if they have any concerns relating to under-performance before starting the performance improvement procedure.  

Before undertaking formal performance improvement proceedings, managers should check whether there are any underlying reasons (either personal, domestic or professional) which may have contributed to the under-performance.  Managers should consider and explore, with the employee, realistic and viable support arrangements, such as temporary adjustments, staff development, on the job training or reinduction, which may assist the employee in reaching the required standard of performance.  

At all stages of this procedure the employee will be given the opportunity to share their own reflections on their performance and advise whether there are underlying causes for the problem that they need support with. If the employee has a disability or medical condition that is impacting their performance, management under the Health & Wellbeing Policy or the Sickness Absence Policy may be more appropriate. However, if all reasonable workplace adjustments are made and performance remains below an acceptable standard, it may be appropriate to return to management under the performance improvement procedure. 

If external factors (such as bereavement or domestic circumstances) have contributed to the reduced performance these will also be taken into consideration. Sport Wales will consider appropriate adjustments that would help the employee to attend work at a reasonable level and to carry out their work effectively.  

If the employee becomes absent for any reason e.g. sickness, maternity, special leave etc, the process will be paused whilst the employee is supported to transition back to work. 

Normally, the procedure will be followed in the order of the stages set out in this procedure, although it may be appropriate to skip the informal stage where serious performance issues have been identified.  

23.4.1. Informal Stage  

It is important to recognise that many issues requiring performance improvement can be resolved without moving to the formal stages of the performance improvement procedure.   

As soon as a concern is identified by the manager, they should arrange to meet with the employee to discuss these concerns on a one-to-one basis. This meeting will allow the manager an opportunity to explain the performance issues and areas of concern in detail and the impact this is having on the expected level of service. The employee will be given the opportunity to share their own reflections on their performance and advise whether there are underlying causes for the problem that they need support with.   

During the meeting, the manager will usually discuss the implementation of an informal Performance Improvement Plan (a template to support can be found in the Performance Framework) with the employee. They may have started to populate the plan prior to the meeting but they should discuss this with the employee in the meeting and invite their input before finalising. The plan will identify areas for improvement, steps that need to be taken, support required and an appropriate review period. Usually a plan will be in place for 1-3 months, depending on the amount of time that would be required to demonstrate improvement against the areas identified. 

The manager will also inform the employee that if they do not meet the objectives outlined within the plan within the agreed timescale, the formal stages of the procedure may be applied. 

23.4.2. Formal Stage  

The formal stage of the Performance Improvement Procedure include three stages;  

• First Stage  
• Second Stage  
• Final Stage  

At each stage there will be a Performance Improvement Meeting to discuss the ongoing performance issues and progress made by the employee against the concerns identified.  

At all formal stages of the performance improvement procedure the employee will have the right to be accompanied by a recognised trade union representative or work colleague. 

23.4.3. Stage 1 Meeting:  

Where a serious and persistent performance issue has been identified and it is not appropriate to deal with this at the informal stage of the procedure, or where the informal stage has not resolved the performance issues, a Performance Improvement Meeting will take place.  

The manager will invite the employee to the meeting in writing at a specified time and place advising the employee of their right to be accompanied by either a trade union representative or a work colleague. In the invite letter, the manager will outline the areas of concern and enclose copies of any documents they intend to discuss during the meeting. The letter will also invite the employee to bring any evidence they feel would support the conversation. The invite letter should outline that a written warning is a possible consequence of the meeting. 

During the meeting, the manager will explain the performance concerns they have observed, providing specific examples to illustrate. The employee will be given the opportunity to share their own reflections on their performance and advise whether there are underlying causes for the problem that they need support with.   

Following a stage 1 performance improvement meeting, if it is confirmed that performance has been unacceptable, a first written warning will be issued and a performance improvement plan (PIP) will be agreed and shared with the employee. If a PIP was created during an earlier stage of the process, the original plan may be used and built upon. The plan will detail: 

• Specific improvement expectations 
• Success criteria 
• Methods of achieving success 
• Support required; and 
• Review dates (usually 1-3 months) 

The manager will advise the employee that if they do not meet the objectives outlined within the plan within the agreed timescale, the formal process will progress to the second stage. 

The outcome of this meeting should be confirmed in writing within 5 working days of the meeting. A first stage warning will usually remain in place for 12 months from the date it is issued. The manager should discuss this with HR. 

Progress against the PIP should then be reviewed regularly. These meetings should be scheduled in advance and the discussion noted and shared with the employee after the meeting. The manager will review performance and offer appropriate advice, support and guidance throughout.   

Following completion of the review period, the manager should meet with the employee again to review the performance.  

The purpose of this meeting is to review progress that has been made since the first formal meeting to establish whether the performance issues identified previously have been resolved. If performance has improved to an acceptable standard, no further action will be taken but the employee will remain subject to the first written warning for the remainder of the period for which it was issued. During this period, they will have regular supportive and informal one-to-ones with their line manager to ensure they continue to be supported to maintain an appropriate level of performance. If at the end of the warning period, there have been no further performance dips, no further action will be taken and the warning will be disregarded for performance management purposes. 

If at the end of the stage 1 review period, a significant number of the elements of the improvement plan have been met but not all, it may be appropriate to extend the review period. 

If at the end of the stage 1 review period, performance has not improved to an acceptable standard, the manager should progress to stage 2. 

23.4.4. Stage 2 Meeting:  

If performance does not improve to an acceptable standard within the review period set at stage 1 or, if there is further evidence of under-performance after the stage 1 review period but while the first written warning is still active, the employee will be formally invited to a stage 2 meeting where a final written warning will be considered.  

The manager will invite the employee to the meeting in writing at a specified time and place advising the employee of their right to be accompanied by either a trade union representative or a work colleague. In the invite letter, the manager will outline the areas of concern and enclose copies of any documents they intend to discuss during the meeting. The letter will also invite the employee to bring any evidence they feel would support the conversation. The invite letter should outline that a final written warning is a possible consequence of the meeting. 

During the meeting, the manager will explain the performance concerns they have observed, providing specific examples to illustrate. The employee will be given the opportunity to share their own reflections on their performance and advise whether there are underlying causes for the problem that they need support with.   

Following a stage 2 performance improvement meeting, if it is confirmed that performance has been unacceptable, a final written warning will be issued and a performance improvement plan (PIP) will be agreed and shared with the employee. If a PIP was created during an earlier stage of the process, the original plan may be used and built upon. The plan will detail: 

• Specific improvement expectations 
• Success criteria 
• Methods of achieving success 
• Support required; and 
• Review dates (usually 1-3 months) 

The manager will advise the employee that if they do not meet the objectives outlined within the plan within the agreed timescale, the formal process will progress to the final stage. 

The outcome of this meeting should be confirmed in writing within 5 working days of the meeting. A final written warning will usually remain in place for 12 months from the date it is issued. 

Progress against the PIP should then be reviewed regularly. These meetings should be scheduled in advance and the discussion noted and shared with the employee after the meeting. The manager will review performance and offer appropriate advice, support and guidance throughout.   

Following completion of the review period, the manager should meet with the employee again to review the performance.  

The purpose of this meeting is to review progress that has been made since the stage 2 meeting to establish whether the performance issues identified previously have been resolved. If performance has improved to an acceptable standard, no further action will be taken but the employee will remain subject to the final written warning for the remainder of the period for which it was issued. During this period, they will have regular supportive and informal one-to-ones with their line manager to ensure they continue to be supported to maintain an appropriate level of performance. If at the end of the warning period, there have been no further performance dips, no further action will be taken and the warning will be disregarded for performance management purposes. 

If at the end of the stage 2 review period, a significant number of the elements of the improvement plan have been met but not all, it may be appropriate to extend the review period. 

If at the end of the stage 2 review period, performance has not improved to an acceptable standard, the manager should progress to the final stage. 

23.4.5. Final Meeting:  

If performance does not improve to an acceptable standard within the review period set at stage 2, or if there is further evidence of poor performance while the final written warning is still active, a final stage meeting will be held.  

Performance meetings which consider dismissal should be chaired by the Head of Department (or above, if appropriate) but the employee’s line manager will also be in attendance to provide an account of the performance issues and progress they have observed. HR will also be present to advise on policy and procedure. The employee will be invited to the meeting in writing at a specified time and place and advised of their right to be accompanied by either a trade union representative or a work colleague. The invite letter will outline the areas of concern and enclose copies of any documents they intend to discuss during the meeting. The letter will also invite the employee to bring any evidence they feel would support the conversation. The invite letter should outline that dismissal or redeployment are possible consequences of the meeting. 

During the meeting, the Chair will  ask the line manager to explain their understanding of the performance concerns observed, providing specific examples to illustrate . The employee will be given the opportunity to share their own reflections on their performance and advise whether there are underlying causes for the problem that they need support with.   

Following the Final Meeting, if it is confirmed that performance has remained unacceptable, possible outcomes include;   

• Dismissal 
• Extension of the final written warning and setting a further review period (this will only be appropriate in exceptional cases where it is considered that a substantial improvement is likely within a further review period); or 
• Demotion or lateral redeployment may be considered (again, in exceptional circumstances only, where the reason for underperformance is specifically related to the level of responsibility or specific responsibilities associated with the grade, where a suitable post at a more junior grade/different area is available and the employee agrees) 

Dismissal decisions can only be taken by a Head of Department, and the employee will be provided with the decision in writing within 5 working days of the meeting with reasons for dismissal, the date on which their employment will end, the relevant period of notice, and their right of appeal.  

Dismissal will normally be with notice or pay in lieu of notice, unless performance has been so negligent as to amount to gross misconduct in which case dismissal will be without notice or a payment in lieu of notice.  

23.4.6. Appeal  

An employee has one right of appeal against any formal action taken against them under each stage of the performance improvement procedure. 

Appeals must be made in writing to the Appeals Officer within five working days of the notification of the outcome of the Performance meeting, clearly stating the grounds for appeal e.g. new evidence, failure to follow procedure, undue severity or inconsistency in the sanction. 

In most instances, the appeal will take the form of a review of the original decision where the Appeals Officer will examine the original decision-making process and the penalty given and decide, in light of any new evidence presented, whether these were reasonable.  

Occasionally, a full rehearing of the case, where the matters are considered completely anew, may be appropriate. The Appeals Officer should seek advice from HR on receipt of the appeal to decide which is appropriate. The Appellant should be informed of which route will be taken in their Appeal Hearing invite.   

The appeal will be dealt with impartially and will be heard by a manager who has had no prior involvement with the original performance improvement process, who will act as the Appeals Officer. Their contact details will be contained within the Performance meeting outcome letter. HR will ensure that all relevant papers relating to previous performance improvement decisions and proceedings are made available to the Appeals Officer. 

The employee will be notified in writing and given details of an appeal hearing which will be held without unreasonable delay.  The notification will give five working days’ notice of the hearing and include: 

• The date, time and venue of the hearing 
• A reminder of the right to be accompanied 
• A reminder of the procedure to be followed including whether the appeal will be a review of the original decision or a complete rehearing 
• What action may be taken by the Appeals Officer 

If an employee is unwilling, or unable, to attend an appeal meeting it may be concluded that a decision will be made on the basis of the evidence available.  The employee will be informed where this is the case. 

The Appeal meeting will be conducted by the Appeals Officer, who will normally be the same grade as the manager who made the original decision, or higher. In some cases, where appropriate, this may be a Board Member.  A member of the HR team will attend the meeting to provide advice on procedural matters. 

The employee will explain the grounds for appeal and have an opportunity to comment on any new evidence. The Appeals Officer will ask questions to gain a fuller understanding of the appeal. 

If the employee raises any new matters in their appeal, it may be necessary to adjourn and carry out further investigation.   

At the end of the meeting the Appeals Officer will summarise the main points of discussion.  The employee or companion will also be given an opportunity to sum up. 

The Appeals Officer should adjourn the hearing to consider the representations made during the hearing before delivering their decision. The decision may be given in person, on the day, after a brief adjournment or in writing, within 5 working days.  

After the meeting, the Appeals Officer will confirm the outcome to the employee in writing, and the reason for the decision within 5 working days of the meeting.  There will be no further right of appeal. 

The following principles underpin how this procedure will work in practice: 

• All new employees will serve a probationary period of six months (unless otherwise agreed).  
• All employees will receive a formal induction, arranged by HR, to help them to understand the context within which they will be working. The formal induction will be supported by department specific training and development arranged by their line manager. 
• During their New Starter Review Period, employees will meet regularly with their line manager and a focus will be placed on ensuring they have every opportunity to thrive in their role. 
• New employees will have a clear understanding of the standards expected of them and specific objectives they are expected to meet within their role. 
• Open and continuous dialogue will be maintained between employees and their line managers to ensure a mutual understanding of expectations and the individualised support the employee needs to thrive.   
• Any concerns relating to performance, attendance or conduct during the New Starter Review period will be addressed promptly and appropriate support provided. 
• Employees have a responsibility to work with their Line Manager to take feedback on board and to identify steps they could take, with their manager’s support, to improve.   
• If the employee has a disability or medical condition that is impacting their performance or performance during the New Starter Review Period, management under the Health & Wellbeing Policy or the Absence Management Policy may be more appropriate. However, if all reasonable workplace adjustments are made and performance, attendance or conduct remains below the expected standard, it may be appropriate to return to management under the Probation procedure.   
• Performance, attendance and conduct are considered as a whole. Failure to meet required standards in one area or in any combination of areas may result in a written warning being given and/or dismissal at any stage during probation. 
• Employees subject to formal proceedings have the right to be accompanied to formal meetings by a companion, either a recognised Trade Union representative or a work colleague. 
• If the employee  or their companion require any adjustments to engage meaningfully with the process, these will be supported wherever possible. 
• If an employee is unable or unwilling to attend a formal meeting with good reason, it will be re-arranged once.  If the employee is unable to attend the re-arranged hearing, it may be held in their absence and a decision may be made on the evidence available. In this instance, the employee will be offered an opportunity to provide a written statement to be considered in their absence.   
• Sport Wales reserves the right to dismiss new starters at any point during the New Starter Review period or to extend the review period where it becomes obvious that the individual will not reach an acceptable standard within a reasonable timeframe. The employee will have one right of appeal. 

New starters and their manager should meet at least monthly to review progress against the objectives set towards the start of the New Starter Review period.  There will be a formal review at 3 months and a final review at 6 months. 

At each of these stages, the line manager will provide the new starter with thorough feedback about their performance to date, highlighting any areas for development and discussing any support needed to help the employee reach expectations. 

At each review, provided that the new starter is meeting the expectations required of them, it will be confirmed that they have successfully completed the 3 month/6 month review period. If they have successfully completed the 6 month review period, the new starter will be regarded as a substantive employee and will no longer be subject to probationary arrangements. 

Where concerns remain at the 6 month review meeting, about the new starter’s suitability for the role to which they were appointed, the New Starter Review period may be extended up to (but no longer than) 9 months. The review period should only be extended where there is evidence that with more time, the new starter is likely to be able to meet the required standard. A New Starter Review period extension will usually be accompanied by a written warning detailing the area for concern and the expected improvement. 

A written warning can be issued at any stage during the New Starter Review Period and managers should not wait until the 3 or 6 month Review Meeting to address a serious concern. 

If performance concerns arise, it is usually appropriate to initially address these informally and to agree a plan of support and improvement expectations. If informal support does not result in an acceptable level of improvement, the line manager will arrange a formal meeting to discuss the concern. This may naturally coincide with the date of the 3 or 6 month review meeting. 

If a new starter is absent from work during their New Starter Review period, the line manager should seek to understand the reason for the absence and provide support where appropriate. If attendance dips below an acceptable level (refer to the managing unsatisfactory attendance policy for indicators of unsatisfactory attendance and pro-rata indicators for the length of the New Starter Review period), the line manager will arrange a formal meeting to discuss the concern. This may naturally coincide with the date of the 3 or 6 month review meeting. 

If conduct concerns arise during the New Starter Review period, the guidance contained within the Disciplinary policy should be followed to determine how the concerns should be addressed. If, once an appropriate level of fact-finding has been conducted, allegations of misconduct are substantiated, the line manager will arrange a formal meeting to discuss the concern. This may naturally coincide with the date of the 3 or 6 month review meeting.  If the misconduct is sufficiently serious, it may merit dismissal for a first instance. 

Where a formal meeting is convened to discuss an issue arising with a new starter’s performance, attendance or conduct, the invite letter should provide: 

• 5 working days’ notice of the meeting 
• A reminder of the right to be accompanied 
• An outline of the concerns to be discussed 
• Copies of any documents the manager intends to discuss during the meeting 
• Forewarning that the meeting may result in a written warning (or dismissal where serious or gross misconduct is being considered). 

The manager will confirm the outcome of the meeting during the meeting after a brief adjournment, including any expectations for improvement. They will confirm the outcome in writing within 5 working days of the meeting. 

Performance, attendance and conduct are considered as a whole, and warnings issued for any concern during the New Starter Review will be referred to as a probation warning. The warning will remain live for the remainder of the New Starter Review period. If concerns persist or different concerns arise during the currency of the warning, a further formal meeting should be arranged where the outcome will usually be dismissal for failed probation. 

Formal probation meetings which consider dismissal should be chaired by the Head of Department (or above, if appropriate) but the employee’s line manager will also be in attendance to provide an account of the performance issues and progress they have observed. HR will also be present to advise on policy and procedure. The employee will be invited to the meeting in writing at a specified time and place with at least 5 working days’ notice and advised of their right to be accompanied by either a trade union representative or a work colleague. The invite letter will outline the areas of concern and enclose copies of any documents they intend to discuss during the meeting. The letter will also invite the employee to bring any evidence they feel would support the conversation. The invite letter should outline that dismissal is a possible consequence of the meeting. 

Where performance, attendance and/or conduct improve after a probation warning is issued and the employee successfully completes their New Starter Period, the probation warning will be disregarded for management purposes. However, any absences will remain on the employee record and will count towards any future consideration of formal unsatisfactory attendance action if attendance levels become unsatisfactory again within a 52 week rolling period. Any advice or improvement support given during the New Starter Review period may also be considered when determining the appropriate response to recurrent concerns after the New Starter Period is complete. 

Employees will have one right to appeal a probation warning or dismissal. 

Appeals must be made in writing to the Appeals Officer within five working days of the notification of the outcome of the formal meeting, clearly stating the grounds for appeal e.g. new evidence, failure to follow procedure, undue severity or inconsistency in the sanction. 

In most instances, the appeal will take the form of a review of the original decision where the Appeals Officer will examine the original decision-making process and the penalty given and decide, in light of any new evidence presented, whether these were reasonable.  

Occasionally, a full rehearing of the case, where the matters are considered completely anew, may be appropriate. The Appeals Officer should seek advice from HR on receipt of the appeal to decide which is appropriate. The Appellant should be informed of which route will be taken in their Appeal Hearing invite.   

The appeal will be dealt with impartially and will be heard by a manager who has had no prior involvement with the original performance improvement process, who will act as the Appeals Officer. Their contact details will be contained within the formal meeting outcome letter. HR will ensure that all relevant papers relating to previous probation decisions and proceedings are made available to the Appeals Officer. 

The employee will be notified in writing and given details of an appeal hearing which will be held without unreasonable delay.  The notification will give five working days’ notice of the hearing and include: 

• The date, time and venue of the hearing 
• A reminder of the right to be accompanied 
• A reminder of the procedure to be followed including whether the appeal will be a review of the original decision or a complete rehearing 
• What action may be taken by the Appeals Officer 

If an employee is unwilling, or unable, to attend an appeal meeting it may be concluded that a decision will be made on the basis of the evidence available.  The employee will be informed where this is the case. 

The Appeal meeting will be conducted by the Appeals Officer, who will normally be the same grade as the manager who made the original decision, or higher. In some cases, where appropriate, this may be a Board Member.  A member of the HR team will attend the meeting to provide advice on procedural matters. 

The employee will explain the grounds for appeal and have an opportunity to comment on any new evidence. The Appeals Officer will ask questions to gain a fuller understanding of the appeal. 

If the employee raises any new matters in their appeal, it may be necessary to adjourn and carry out further investigation.   

At the end of the meeting the Appeals Officer will summarise the main points of discussion.  The employee or companion will also be given an opportunity to sum up. 

The Appeals Officer should adjourn the hearing to consider the representations made during the hearing before delivering their decision. The decision may be given in person, on the day, after a brief adjournment or in writing, within 5 working days.  

After the meeting, the Appeals Officer will confirm the outcome to the employee in writing, and the reason for the decision within 5 working days of the meeting.  There will be no further right of appeal. 

Sport Wales recognises that social media can bring significant benefits to the organisation, particularly for building profile and relationships with stakeholders.   

The Sport Wales Communications team is responsible for the management of the official Social Media accounts. At the time of publishing, Sport Wales uses LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X as a means of engaging with the public by communicating the work we do and our central messages and responding to their queries.  

The content shared from our official accounts goes through a level of scrutiny to ensure that it reflects the organisation’s values, business plan priorities and adheres to our statutory duties e.g. Welsh language.   

You must not personally set up any social media platforms or feeds described as a Sport Wales account or a Sport Wales department account. If you have ideas for content, the Communications team would welcome a discussion with you.   

Sport Wales encourages open and two-way conversation with target audiences.     

If employees use social media with due care, it can be of real benefit to both the public and to Sport Wales. With this in mind, when sharing content on your own personal social media channels for work purposes, you should always aim to add value. Sport Wales’s reputation is made up in a large part by the behaviour of its employees and everything you publish can reflect on how we are perceived. If it helps you, your co-workers, our target audiences or our partners to perform well and solve problems; if it promotes our work or our organisational vision; and any potential negative/harmful consequences have been considered and mitigated against, then it is adding value. These principles also apply to giving consent to third parties to share content about Sport Wales activity.  

You are expected to exercise personal responsibility whenever you use social media for work purposes. This includes maintaining the trust of those with whom you are engaging. You should be sure that you are presenting accurate and respectful information and ensuring audiences are not misled.  It is important to understand what is recommended, expected and required when you discuss Sport Wales related topics. You should always consider whether the comments you are making are guided by knowledge and alignment with Sport Wales’s values and priorities and seek guidance from the Communications team where you are unsure.   

You may choose to share official Sport Wales social media posts. This helps to build the profile of sport in Wales and may help to add value to your work..   

If someone from the media or press contacts you about posts you’ve made using social media you should talk to your line manager before responding and the Communications team must be consulted.    

If you see inaccuracies articulated about Sport Wales by partners, journalists or other online voices, you should advise the Communications team  department that you have identified information that is inaccurate or could damage the reputation of the organisation.   

When sharing content online, be prepared for a two-way conversation – people are entitled to their own views. To avoid unnecessary or counterproductive arguments, make sure that what you say is factual and be prepared to disengage if conflict escalates and the discussion is no longer constructive.   You should talk to your line manager or seek advice from the communications team.  

When using social media for work purposes, it is essential that you follow copyright, data protection and safeguarding laws. For the organisation’s protection as well as your own, it is critical that you stay within the legal framework and be aware that libel, defamation, copyright, data protection and safeguarding laws apply. Always ask permission to publish or report on conversations that are private or internal to the organisation.  Confidential information must not be shared.  Be aware that content on social media websites may become subject to Freedom of Information requests.    

You also must adhere to the following principles, that are part of Sport Wales' family of Data Protection Policies:     

• We are all responsible for keeping records (see Data Protection Strategy)    
• All information created as part of your job role constitutes a Sport Wales record and is evidence of the organisation’s work and may be needed for reference by others in future. (see Information Classification Strategy)  
• All information is subject to a retention period, specifying how long it must be kept. (see Information Deletion and Destruction Strategy)  

If you fail to observe the guidance outlined in this section and this results in real or potential reputational damage to Sport Wales, action may be taken against you under the Disciplinary Procedure.  

These guidelines apply to all Sport Wales employees. However, there may be additional expectations or controls set by managers in each area of the organisation, based on the area’s function and specific responsibilities. Managers should not adopt an unnecessarily restrictive approach and should ensure that any special instructions are reasonable and explained clearly to staff.   

Managers should bear in mind impartiality, confidentiality, conflicts of interest and commercial sensitivity when setting expectations. In some cases, individuals may be dealing with matters which are so sensitive that rules may have to be set on what they can and cannot discuss on social media.  

You may wish to reference where you work on your personal social media profiles. If you decide to publicise where you work, or it is evident through your feed or reputation that you work for Sport Wales, you must  should also include a statement that the views you express or imply via likes, re-posts etc. do not necessarily reflect the views or values of Sport Wales e.g. 'Statements and opinions shared here are my own and are not those of my employer'. This is to help safeguard the integrity of the organisation if an employee inadvertently or deliberately posts something inappropriate or damaging to Sport Wales’ reputation.  

Even with a disclaimer, where there is a publicly apparent link between you and Sport Wales, you must be mindful of the appropriateness and potential impact of the things you choose to post about, or comment on  

Our code of conduct policy includes guidance in relation to personal political activity and you must make yourself aware of this and consider whether a comment or a post that you may wish to make could be perceived as political or controversial. You will need approval to undertake certain political activities because Sport Wales is politically neutral and answers to Senedd Cymru, nothing should be posted, liked or shared in a personal capacity which is likely to cause reputational difficulty, for the organisation, yourself, or any other employee. This would include any implication that the organisation has allowed political views to influence its decision making.  

You should not disclose financial, operational, strategic or any sensitive information regarding Sport Wales unless it has already been published. You should not share images of your desk screens or pictures of printed Sport Wales material unless it has already been published or is promotional material. Any messages that you write in a personal capacity on your social media channels must not:   

• Bring Sport Wales into disrepute;   
• Infer that Sport Wales has allowed political views to inappropriately influence its decision making   
• Disclose confidential information;   
• Do anything that could be construed as discriminatory towards any group or encourage the breaking of any laws   
• Inadvertently make other people's personal information public.   

In general, it is good practice for you to exercise caution when posting to your personal social networks. If you think an update or message might cause complaints or offence-or be otherwise unsuitable-you should not post it. If in doubt, leave it out.   

Any content contained in social media carries the risks of potential legal liability for the author arising from the accidental or deliberate infringement of laws including (but not limited to):   

• Defamation   
• Obscene or blasphemous material   
• Protection of children   
• Data protection   
• Discrimination/harassment, human rights   
• Confidential contract information   
• Copyright designs and patents, data protection and privacy   
• Computer crime e.g. Computer Misuse Act, Telecommunications Acts   
• Regulation of Investigatory Powers   
• Trademarks   
• Infringement of confidentiality agreements.   

If you do infringe a law this would usually result in a disciplinary investigation. Always remember that participation on line results in your comments being permanently available and open to being republished in other media.  

If you break the law using social media (for instance, by posting something defamatory), you will be personally responsible, and action may be taken against you under the Disciplinary Procedure.  

When engaging in social media use, for work or personal purposes, it is important to remember that once you share content publicly online, you are no longer in control of that content; it is susceptible to being republished by other parties and therefore, to become permanently available.  

Wherever a member of staff is invited to appear or comment in the media in a context related to  Sport Wales, the invitation must  be channelled through the Communications team.   The Communications Manager (in consultation with the Assistant Director of Communications, where appropriate), will consider the request, including any potential conflicts of interest and/or risk factors and decide who would be the most appropriate member of staff to make the appearance or comment. In some instances, a decision may be taken not to move forward with the appearance or comment if it is not considered to be in the best interests of Sport Wales. 

Where making an appearance or comment is considered to be ,appropriate the Communications team will take over liaison with the media and work with the relevant staff to ensure that the best spokesperson is identified, they are fully briefed and prepared.  

If, because of a particular personal expertise or interest not connected or linked to the work of Sport Wales, a member of staff is invited to appear or provide comment in the media, it is essential that the  Communications Manager is made aware.  Any reference to your role or employment at Sport Wales must be agreed upon by the Communications team prior to taking part or providing comment. 

Members of staff are encouraged to publicise the work of Sport Wales by writing topical articles which could be for online or printed on subjects related to the work of Sport Wales. Sport Wales recognises that it is important to provide individuals with reasonable scope to express their own ideas. However, to ensure that the position of Sport Wales is not prejudiced, all such articles must be discussed with the Communications team before any agreement is made on writing or publishing. The Communications team will work with staff to ensure that both priorities are met including consideration of whether the intended publication channel adheres to Sport Wales’s values and priorities and to assess any conflicts of interest or risk in content topic.  The article should also be: 

• submitted to the Chief Executive for comment and the internal subject matter lead (where relevant) for content sign-off; and 
• submitted to the Assistant Director of Communications or Communications Manager for final sign-off. 

Where appropriate, the Communications team may arrange for the article to be published in other relevant publications. 

There may be occasions where Sport Wales staff have the opportunity to write or contribute to publications that are not directly linked to their work at Sport Wales. Even in these instances, it may still be possible for material you produce or contribute to be linked with your employment at Sport Wales. As such, it is essential that the Communications team is made aware of any such contribution. Any reference to your role or employment at Sport Wales must be agreed upon by the Communications team prior to writing or publishing of the article. 

Members of staff considering writing a book on a subject related to the work of Sport Wales must advise the Communications Manager or Assistant Director of Communications who may consult with the Chief Executive Officer, and other appropriate individuals within the organisation.   Their connection with Sport Wales may be mentioned provided that, well in advance, the Chief Executive Officer approves an appropriately worded disclaimer, the author is prepared, if necessary, to submit a typescript of the book before proof copy stage and Sport Wales withholds the right to remove any inaccurate or misleading detail, or information that may bring the reputation of the organisation into disrepute. 

Members of staff considering writing a book on a subject matter not related to the work of Sport Wales should advise their line manager of such intention and make the Communications team aware of publishing plans. 

Any staff members writing a book or article are personally responsible for ensuring that they follow copyright and data protection laws. For the organisation’s protection as well as your own, it is critical that you stay within the legal framework and be aware that libel, defamation, copyright and data protection laws apply. 

This policy does not apply to raising grievances about an employee’s personal situation.  These types of concerns are covered by Sport Wales’ Grievance Procedures.  The Whistle-Blowing Policy is primarily concerned with where the interests of others or Sport Wales itself are at risk.  It may be difficult to decide whether a particular concern should be raised under the Whistle-Blowing Policy or under the Grievance Procedure, or under both.  If you have any doubt as to the correct route to follow, please consult the Head of Organisation Development for advice. 

The following principles under pin how this procedure will work in practice: 

• The objective of the Whistleblowing Policy is primarily to address concerns of wrongdoing where there is a public interest, which includes a risk to the public, staff, or the organisation itself. 
• In some instances, matters raised under the Whistleblowing policy would be more appropriately managed under the Grievance policy e.g. where the problem is personal to the person raising the complaint in relation to their employment. Where this is the case, the individual who raised the concern will be advised of this by their manager or HR and provided with guidance as to next steps.   
• Sport Wales recognises that it is in its best interests to foster a culture where employees feel safe to raise any concerns of malpractice or impropriety they have. Employees are encouraged to do so without delay. 
• Sport Wales will not tolerate whistleblowers being treated less favourably as a result of raising a concern under this policy in good faith. Sport Wales will consider any mistreatment of a whistleblower to be a serious breach of conduct standards and deal with it under the Disciplinary Policy. 
• Where the whistleblower requests it and where practicable, the whistleblower’s identity will be protected. 
• Where it is not possible to protect the whistleblower’s identity e.g. where they may be required to give evidence in court, the best way to proceed will be discussed with them. 
• If an employee would prefer to raise and discuss their concern in Welsh, they should request this of their Line Manager or HR without delay so this can be arranged. 
• If an employee raises a concern in good faith, but it is not substantiated by an investigation, they will not be subjected to any disadvantage. 
• However, if it is evident that an employee has raised a concern that is known to be without foundation, or is in any other way vexatious, malicious or in bad faith, this will be managed under the Disciplinary Policy. 

This policy should not be used to raise a concern about a problem that is personal to you in relation to your employment. These types of concerns are covered by Sport Wales’s Grievance policy.  

The Whistleblowing Policy provides a process through which to raise concerns, primarily where the interests of others or Sport Wales itself are at risk.  Qualifying disclosures are likely to fall into one of the following categories: 

• a crime has been committed or is likely to be committed; 
• the organisation has failed or is likely to fail to comply with a legal obligation; 
• a miscarriage of justice has or is likely to occur; 
• Sexual harassment, unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature, from employees or third parties, that violates someone’s dignity or creates intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment; 
• someone's health and safety has been or is likely to be compromised or endangered; and 
• the organisation is causing or is likely to cause damage to the environment. 

You can also blow the whistle if you become aware that someone is trying to conceal information about any of these issues. 

It may be difficult to decide whether a particular concern should be raised under the Whistleblowing Policy or under the Grievance Policy.  If you have any doubt as to the correct route to follow, please consult the HR & OD team for advice.  

If you have a concern that you feel should be raised under the Whistleblowing Policy, you should raise it with your Line Manager in the first instance. This can be done either verbally or in writing. However, after an initial discussion, you may be asked to express concerns in writing. You are encouraged to set out the context and history of your concern, providing as much detail as possible. If you wish for your disclosure to be treated in confidence, you should make this known at the outset of raising the concern. If it is not possible to protect your identity for any reason, this will be communicated to you and a discussion will be had about the best way to proceed. 

If, for any reason, you feel unable to raise the concern with your line manager, you should raise it with the Director responsible for your team or with the HR & OD Manager. 

If you feel unable, for any reason, to raise the concern with any of these parties or you feel these channels have been exhausted and you still have concerns, you should discuss it with the Chief Executive Officer. 

If you have brought your concerns to the attention of the Chief Executive Officer and you feel that they have unreasonably refused to act upon them, such concerns can be raised with the Chair of Sport Wales or Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. 

In the rare instance where an employee feels that, after exhausting the above process, acts of fraud or impropriety are being ignored or condoned, such concerns can be reported to Sport Wales’ sponsor department in Welsh Government. Employees undertaking such action should be confident that they have followed all internal processes prior to contacting Welsh Government.  

Sport Wales has also engaged a third-party platform, called Safecall, to provide the option for Whistleblowers to make anonymous reports under this policy. If you wish to make an anonymous report, you can do so by accessing the Safecall portal.  

There are three levels of anonymity that you can report under – named, semi-anonymous and anonymous. If you are happy for Sport Wales to know your identity and contact you directly regarding your concern, you can use the named option as an alternative to the process described at 27.4.  

If you are willing to be contacted about your report for any follow‑up information but do not want your identity shared with Sport Wales, the semi‑anonymous option allows you to provide your name and contact details to Safecall, only. If you select this option, you will receive notifications informing you when there have been updates to your report or when further information has been requested. You will also be given login details so that you can provide any information requested via the Safecall platform while remaining anonymous to Sport Wales.  

If you wish to remain entirely anonymous, you will be provided with login details to access updates to your report or requests for further information but you will not receive notifications that there have been updates. Therefore, it will be your responsibility to check for updates. If you do not respond to requests for additional information, and there is insufficient detail to adequately investigate, it may not be possible to progress your report. 

In some instances, concerns may be able to be resolved between you and the person to whom you disclosed the concern. However, the person to whom you made your disclosure may escalate it to another party in the organisation to determine appropriate next steps. 

Usually, the Director of Finance and Business Services will make an initial assessment – which may include a preliminary fact-finding exercise – of whether a formal internal investigation should be initiated. In some instances, they may assess that the matter should be reported to an external agency such as the police or to Audit Wales. This initial assessment should take no longer than five working days from the point the disclosure is made. 

If an internal investigation is determined to be the appropriate course of action, the Director of Finance and Business Services will appoint an investigating officer. The investigating officer will have had no prior involvement with the concern raised and will be a member of the Leadership Team. Where it is not appropriate to appoint an investigating officer from the Leadership Team, they may appoint a member of the Board. The investigating officer will contact you once they have been appointed to advise you of their role and – as far as it is appropriate to do so – how they intend to take it forward. 

The investigating officer will collect evidence to determine the veracity of the concern, this may include physical evidence and/or witness testimony. As the whistleblower, you may be invited to an interview to provide additional information. 

If the investigating officer feels there is a need to collect evidence via surveillance or monitoring without the subject’s knowledge, they must seek legal advice before proceeding. 

The investigation should be completed as soon as reasonably practicable. Once complete, the investigating officer will share their report, including a recommendation as to whether or not there is a case to answer, with the Director of Finance and Business Services (unless an alternative party has been determined to be the appropriate hearing authority) who will determine what, if any, onward action should be taken. 

At the conclusion of the investigation, subject to any legal restrictions, the Director of Finance and Business Services will provide you with information about the outcome of any investigations and/or proceedings.  

If, as a whistleblower, you are unhappy with the outcome of the investigation into your disclosure because you believe the investigation was flawed, you can request an internal review of the decision. 

Disagreement with an investigation outcome does not automatically provide a right to escalate to the internal review stage. Requests must be made on one of the following grounds: 

• That the decision and /or investigation was not carried out in accordance with relevant policy, regulations, legislation or other information published or communicated by Sport Wales; 
• That the decision was based on incomplete or inaccurate evidence, to the extent that it is reasonable to conclude that the decision may have been different if all evidence was considered; 
• That there was prejudice or bias by one or more decision maker; and 
• That the alleged wrongdoing is still happening. 

If there is evidence that one of these grounds applies, an internal review of the original decision will be undertaken by someone independent of the original decision and investigation. The internal review will normally be completed within 30 working days of the request being received and recommendations will be made. A written response will be provided to the whistleblower following its conclusion. This will include the decision to either uphold or revise the decision. 

Once the process is complete, it is good practice to reflect on lessons learnt. 

Where the disclosure related to fraud, a review will be undertaken by the Director of Finance and Business Services to assist Sport Wales with lessons learned.  The review will include: 

• A fundamental review of all systems and procedures in order to identify any other potential systems failures. 
• System changes, where identified, actioned immediately and staff notified of procedural updates which will be available via Sport Wales’ Intranet (KIT). 
• An annual report submitted to the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee of all investigations undertaken detailing outcomes and the lessons learned. 

For all other concerns, the investigating officer and/or the Director of Finance and Business Services should share the lessons learnt from the process and outcome with relevant parties. 

“Relevant parties” will include anyone who will be responsible for taking recommendations forward or monitoring improvements.  

Depending on the nature of the disclosure and outcome of the investigative process, lessons learnt may relate to recommended departmental process changes or recommendations relating to an individual or multiple individuals’ conduct or support requirements.  

Responsible managers should review and take forward any recommendations without undue delay. 

The following principles underpin how this procedure will work in practice: 

• All staff have the right to be treated with consideration, dignity and respect at work. 
• Any form of bullying, harassment, victimisation or discrimination is unacceptable, even if unintentional. 
• All individuals have a duty of care to practicably protect others from harm and should therefore endeavour to support colleagues who they observe being bullied, discriminated against, harassed or victimised. In practice, this may mean bringing it to the attention of their line manager, another appropriate manager or HR. 
• Employees who feel they have been bullied, discriminated against, harassed or victimised will be provided with help and support to raise a complaint and are encouraged to do so. 
• Employees accused of bullying, harassing, victimising or discriminating against a colleague will have the opportunity to respond to the complaint before any decisions are made about how to resolve the issue and will be able to access support to manage any associated worry or anxiety from their line manager and/or the Employee Assistance Programme. 
• Complaints will be resolved informally wherever possible which may include the provision of mediation or other external restorative approaches. 
• Where informal resolution is not possible or appropriate, the formal grievance procedure or disciplinary procedure, depending on the circumstances, will be used to deal with complaints of bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation. 
• Complaints will be dealt with promptly and progressed as quickly as possible whilst allowing for thorough investigation. 
• Proven instances of bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation will be addressed using the disciplinary procedure, normally being treated as gross misconduct which is likely to result in dismissal. 
• Should any third party be found to be bullying, discriminating against, harassing or victimising  a member of staff or any other third party, Sport Wales has the right, where possible, to remove the service or contract from the third party. 
• Confidentiality will be observed at all times by all parties and records of formal processes will be kept. 
• Sport Wales will provide education and guidance on the subject of bullying, harassment, victimisation and discrimination to all Sport Wales employees. 
• Sport Wales will continue to ensure that all our policies, practices and activities are free from discrimination. 

Bullying is unwanted behaviour from a person or group that is either: offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting; or an abuse or misuse of power that undermines, humiliates, or causes physical or emotional harm to someone. 

Bullying might be a regular pattern of behaviour or a one-off incident. It might happen face-to-face, on social media, in emails or calls. It might happen at work or in other work-related situations. Bullying may not always be obvious or noticed by others. 

It's possible someone might not know their behaviour is bullying. It can still be bullying even if they do not realise it or do not intend to bully someone. 

Examples of bullying at work could include: 

• constantly criticising someone's work 
• spreading malicious rumours about someone 
• constantly putting someone down in meetings 
• deliberately giving someone a heavier workload than everyone else 
• excluding someone from team social events 
• putting humiliating, offensive or threatening comments or photos on social media. 

Discrimination means treating someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic they possess. Discrimination could occur where one person is treated less favourably than another because of a protected characteristic or when a provision, criteria or practice in place creates a disproportionate disadvantage for a person with a protected characteristic compared to those who do not share that characteristic. This applies regardless of whether the individual identifies as having a protected characteristic or not and is extended by association to family members or friends.  Less favourable treatment can be anything that puts someone with a protected characteristic at a disadvantage, compared to someone who does not have that characteristic. 

Putting someone at a disadvantage might include: 

• excluding someone from opportunities or benefits 
• unnecessarily making it harder for someone to do their job 
• causing someone emotional distress 
• causing someone financial loss 

It can still be discrimination even if the less favourable treatment was not intended. 

Discrimination could be on the basis of any of the 9 protected characteristics: 

• age 
• disability 
• gender reassignment 
• marriage and civil partnership 
• pregnancy and maternity 
• race 
• religion or belief 
• sex 
• sexual orientation 

For the purposes of this procedure, ‘gender reassignment’ is inclusive of all gender identities, be that transgender, non-binary or intersex.  It is also inclusive of someone’s perceived gender identity or gender expression.  

We know that people can experience multiple forms of discrimination at the same time due to the overlap of different protected characteristics (e.g. race, gender and sexual orientation). This is known as intersectionality. The combination of these can lead to intensified or compounded forms of discrimination. We will ensure that all complaints are considered with full awareness of how overlapping characteristics may influence a person’s experience and they will not be at a disadvantage due to the complexity of their intersectionality. 

Hate crime is targeting someone because of their disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or being transgender.  This could include physical violence, sexual assault, verbal abuse, threats of violence, online abuse, damage to someone’s property or inciting or stirring up hatred.  It can still be a crime if there is a mistake about someone’s identify.  This is a criminal offence and should be reported to the police.  Internally, hate crimes will be handled in the same way as any other discrimination complaint. 

Harassment is defined as unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual.  Harassment may be an isolated occurrence or repetitive.  It can be harassment if the behaviour has one of these effects even if the effect was not intended or if the behaviour was intended to have one of these effects but didn’t. 

Harassment is when bullying or unwanted behaviour relates to any of the following protected characteristics: 

• age 
• disability 
• gender reassignment 
• race 
• religion or belief 
• sex 
• sexual orientation 

Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature. This type of harassment does not need to need to be related to a protected characteristic so someone who feels they have been sexually harassed does not need to show it was because of their sex or sexual orientation. 

Sexual harassment can be a one-off incident or an ongoing pattern of behaviour. It can happen in person or online. 

Examples of sexual harassment may include: 

• making sexual remarks about someone's body, clothing or appearance 
• asking questions about someone's sex life 
• telling sexually offensive jokes 
• making sexual comments or jokes about someone's sexual orientation or gender reassignment 
• displaying or sharing pornographic or sexual images, or other sexual content 
• touching someone against their will, for example hugging them 
• sexual assault or rape 

What some people might consider as joking, 'banter' or part of their workplace culture can still be sexual harassment. 

Sexual harassment is usually directed at an individual, but it's not always the case. Sometimes there can be a culture of behaviour that's not specifically aimed at one person – such as sharing sexual images. Someone could still make a complaint of sexual harassment in this situation. 

Victimisation is the less favourable treatment of someone because they have made or supported a complaint to do with a protected characteristic, or someone thinks they did. 

For example, your colleague makes a sexual harassment claim against your boss. After you give evidence as a witness to support their claim, your boss starts treating you unfairly. 

Executive 

The Executive team are responsible for upholding the principles of this policy and reducing risk of bullying, harassment, and victimisation at work.  This includes raising awareness of this policy amongst employees and overseeing appropriate implementation of this policy where instances arise.  

Managers 

Managers and supervisors have a duty to implement this policy and to make every effort to ensure that bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation do not occur, particularly in work areas for which they are responsible. Managers and supervisors have responsibility to address any incidents of bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation of which they are aware, or ought to be aware. 

If bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation does occur, they must effectively deal with the situation using the steps outlined in the next section. 

All Employees 

All employees are responsible for their own behaviour and are expected to behave in ways which encourage and contribute to a tolerant and inclusive working environment. We must all comply with this policy, and should ensure that our behaviour towards colleagues, partners, customers and suppliers does not cause offence, and could not in any way be considered to be bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation. 

We should make it clear that we find such behaviour unacceptable, and support colleagues suffering this treatment and who are considering making a complaint. 

If you think you have witnessed an act of bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation you should try to keep a record of when and where the behaviour occurred and the names of anyone else who may have witnessed it. This will be important when discussing the matter with the alleged perpetrator or if the matter were to be formally investigated. 

It is advisable to speak to the person you think has been bullied, discriminated against, harassed or victimised to ensure you have understood the exchange between them and the alleged perpetrator. If you still feel that bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation has occurred, you should discuss with the individual how they feel about the incident and whether they need any support. 

Incidents may be addressed either by speaking directly to those involved or raising the incident with a manager or member of the HR team to enable the organisation to deal with the matter. 

Failure to fulfil individual responsibilities under this policy may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal. 

We encourage staff to speak up regarding any instances of bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation whether directed toward them or a colleague. 

If you feel that you have been bullied, discriminated against, harassed or victimised you can seek support and advice from your manager, HR Team, a Trade Union representative of the Employee Assistance Programme. 

Informal Stage 

In some cases it may be possible to deal with matters informally. Sometimes people are not aware that their behaviour is unwelcome and an informal discussion can lead to greater understanding and an agreement that the behaviour will stop. 

If the working relationship is still reasonably positive you may feel able to speak to the person you believe is treating you unfairly or inappropriately directly to let them know how their behaviour has made you feel. 

Before speaking to the other person, it is important to identify the behaviours you are experiencing as unpleasant, or that you believe to fall within one of the definitions in section 33.1, with specific examples so that you can clearly communicate your concerns and to give the other person the opportunity to stop those behaviours. If this discussion fails to resolve the issue or it is too difficult or  uncomfortable to do this personally, you may request a supervisor or manager to speak with the alleged perpetrator on your behalf. 

Where you, or a manager, speak to an alleged perpetrator, this should be done with the intention of improving understanding and adjusting future behaviour.  You may wish to seek guidance from your manager, HR or a trusted colleague if you are unsure how to proceed. 

Formal Stage  

Where the informal stage does not resolve the issue, the formal grievance procedure or disciplinary procedure, depending on the circumstances, will be used to deal with complaints of bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation. 

Usually, it will be for the complainant to decide whether they would like the concern to be dealt with formally or informally, but some situations may be considered too serious to be dealt with informally. 

it is not substantiated by an investigation, they will not be subjected to any disadvantage. 

However, if it is evident that an employee has raised a concern that is known to be without foundation, or is in any other way vexatious, malicious or in bad faith, this will be managed under the Disciplinary Policy. 

HR should be consulted where an investigating officer believes this to be the case. 

It may be helpful to keep a note of any issues raised with you, your response and any remedial action you take, in case you need to refer to it if the complaint progresses further. If you have been told that your behaviour makes someone feel uncomfortable, you should stop it immediately. Even though your behaviour may seem innocent to you, it is important to consider its effects on others. If you are told that your behaviour has caused offence, you should consider the following important points: 

• Remember it is the other person’s experience of your behaviour that is important, not your intention nor the reaction you think they should have; 
• Listen carefully to the complaint and to the particular concerns expressed; 
• Stop the offending behaviour immediately and review the way you behave at work. The behaviour may have offended other colleagues who have not complained; 
• If you continue to bully, discriminate against, harass or victimise someone after their objection to your behaviour has been made known to you, the fact that you persisted will make the offence more serious if disciplinary action commences. 
• If you do not understand the complaint against you, you should seek support from your line manager, another appropriate manager or a HR representative. 
• If, after listening carefully to the complaint, you feel that the allegations are unjust or malicious, you should contact your line manager or a HR representative. 
• In some cases, you will be given the opportunity to engage in mediation with the complainant. If this is not offered and you feel that it may be helpful, you can suggest it. All parties would need to agree to engage in mediation in order for it to proceed. 
• If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of any attempts to resolve the complaint informally, you may ask for the allegations to be investigated formally so that a formal decision be made as to whether your actions meet the definition of bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation. 

You should seek advice and support from appropriate sources. This could be the HR Team, your line manager, a trade union representative or the Employee Assistance Programme.  

If the person you seek advice or support from is involved in the investigation, they will refer you to another source of help. 

Sport Wales acknowledges that its employees may suffer unacceptable behaviour by partners, suppliers and users of Sport Wales’s services, which also will not be tolerated. 

We will provide support to you if you are the victim of unacceptable behaviour by employees of partners, suppliers or a member of the public in the course of your employment. 

Sport Wales will not engage with or provide work for a contractor or agency worker who has been found to have bullied, discriminated against, harassed or victimised you. 

Complaints of bullying, harassment or victimisation made against individuals who work with Sport Wales on a secondment or on an agency contract will be referred to their substantive employer for investigation in line with their policies. 

To ensure this policy is effective, appropriate training will be provided so staff can perform their role sensitively and effectively.  

All staff are required to complete an e-learning diversity resource that covers bullying discrimination,  harassment and victimisation. 

All formal complaints of bullying, discrimination, harassment or victimisation resulting in formal action will be reported to and monitored by the Executive team and HR team.  

Our aim is to monitor the effectiveness of the policy and actions and as such we commit to collating data to identify any trends or patterns emerging.  

You are expected to carry out your role with dedication and commitment to the Sport Wales behaviours and in line with all Sport Wales policies. 

A high standard of conduct is expected of employees at all levels in line with the Nolan Principles 

Selflessness 

You should act solely in terms of the public interest.  

Integrity 

You should not place yourselves under any obligation to individuals or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence you in your work.  You must not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefit for yourself, your family, or your friends. You must declare and resolve any interests and relationships. 

Objectivity 

You must act and make decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias. 

Accountability 

You are accountable to the public for your decisions and actions and must submit yourself to scrutiny appropriate to ensure this. 

Openness 

You should act and take actions in an open and transparent manner.  Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for doing that. 

Honesty 

You should be truthful 

Leadership 

You should exhibit  these principles in your own behaviour and treat others with respect.  You should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs. 

Conflicts of interest are a normal and unavoidable part of decision-making and seeking to eliminate them is neither feasible nor desirable. At the same time, for all public bodies, it is essential to maintain public trust and confidence in the organisation and individuals. In such a relationship with the public, it is important for organisations to consider the perceived, and not solely the actual, conflicts that may be present. 

A conflict of interest is a set of circumstances that creates a risk that an individual’s ability to apply judgement or act in one role is, or could be, impaired or influenced by a secondary interest. It can occur in any situation where an individual or organisation can exploit a professional or official role for personal or other benefit. The perception of competing interests, impaired judgement or undue influence can also be a conflict of interest. 

If you are considering taking up an appointment where a potential conflict of interest may occur (such as sitting on the Board of a NGB), you should seek the permission of your line manager before entering into such an arrangement and ensure that you receive adequate advice on managing conflicts of interest. 

You will be required to declare interests as and when they occur or on a yearly basis, whichever is sooner.  Reporting of such conflicts of interest are the responsibility of the individual. If you have any doubts about whether a conflict of interest exists, please seek further advice from our Corporate Governance team. 

Internal 

A number of pieces of information can be described as both confidential and sensitive.  Such information should be protected very carefully.  This includes:  Disclosure and Barring checks, employment references, medical information, details relating to disciplinary events or bullying/harassment problems, etc. 

You should ensure you treat all internal confidential documentation sensitively. 

External 

Sport Wales’ documents and information acquired by any officer in the course of work with Sport Wales must be regarded as confidential to Sport Wales.  Clearly matters of general policy, once they have been agreed by Sport Wales, can be conveyed to anyone.  However, much of Sport Wales’ work is concerned with a one-to-one dialogue with individuals and bodies and must remain confidential to the two bodies told. 

Similarly, Sport Wales considers internal policy, administrative and financial matters, some of which eventually become formally agreed.  Discussions of these suggestions are confidential and are not to be conveyed to any third party until decisions have been reached.  These will be formally conveyed to those who should be told. 

As a public body Sport Wales is accountable to the general public.  Sport Wales also has to comply with the Code of Practice on access to Government information.  This does not mean, however, that anyone can ask to have sight or knowledge of any information which is held.    Before complying with requests for information, you should refer to Sport Wales’ Code of Practice which covers, among other things, items which should not be made available as well as providing details of the charging policy. 

The unauthorised divulgence of confidential information is a very serious matter, as is any refusal to supply information not restricted under the Freedom of Information Act. 

It is appreciated that, from time to time, it will not be clear whether or not information should reasonably be released.  In these circumstances you should consider the Code and/or consult the person to whom you are responsible. 

Disciplinary action could be taken against you if you divulge confidential information inappropriately. 

If you are bankrupt or declared bankrupt by a court of law they must report this fact as soon as practicable to their line manager and HR. Failure to disclose bankruptcy and insolvency will be considered an act of gross misconduct. 

There is no objection to you holding private investments.  If, however, a share-holding might raise a question of possible conflict with the interests of your department, you should consult your head of department about the desirability of acquiring it or retaining it. 

If you are arrested, cautioned, given or refused bail, or are convicted by a court of any criminal offence, you must report the fact to your head of department as soon as possible. Failure to inform will be considered as an act of gross misconduct. 

Sport Wales has a commitment to high legal, ethical and moral standards. Our Sport Wales’s Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy provides steps that must be taken where fraud or bribery is suspected or discovered.  This policy can be found in the Finance section of the intranet (FIN009_Fraud).  All Board members and employees are expected to follow the steps in this policy.  Any person who becomes aware of any fraud, bribery, corruption or other illegal act and does not follow this policy could be subject to disciplinary action. 

If you are approached with the offer of hospitality or a gift, in any way connected with your official duty, you should refer to our Hospitality and Gifts policy which can be found on our Intranet under Hospitality 

You may buy items of Government, including Sport Wales property which are on general public sale, i.e. pool cars, laptops etc,  unless 

• you have, because of your official position, been able to obtain special knowledge about the condition of the goods to be sold, or 
• you have had a decisive role associated with the disposal arrangements. 

Outside roles (such as being a board member of another organisation or a second job or small business) can be an important opportunity for personal development that can broaden and extend skills, support colleagues with additional roles and may benefit the organisation.  

It is important to note, that in line with the Sport Wales values and our ways of working that the intention will be to find ways to support further/personal development opportunities for you.  However, the needs and reputation of the organisation must take priority and any potential risks identified and managed.  

If you are considering taking on a secondary or voluntary role. You should inform your manager that you are considering a secondary or voluntary role   

If the secondary or voluntary role is related to a development need, your manager should discuss with the leadership team (or their connection into the leadership team) opportunities that may be available within the organisation (e.g. involvement in a work area/project, or leading a piece of relevant work etc)  

Any secondary or voluntary role should be unrelated to sport Wales’ work and of a type which could not legitimately be regarded as part of the service Sport Wales might provide. You should not at any time engage with any work or activity which would in any way impair or detract from Sport Wales interests, your ability to carry out your role or in a manner which may be inappropriate to your role. 

You will not be permitted to access to areas designated solely for Sport Wales employees to carry out private work. You will not be permitted to use other resources solely designated to Sport Wales employees such as laptops, printers, stationery, uniform.  

You may use publicly accessible areas at Sport Wales to carry out your activity; these must be booked as a customer rather than an employee. You will need to provide assurances such as insurance and qualifications certificates and may need to agree a conditions of use with your manager. 

Fees or payment for work which can legitimately be regarded as part of the services of Sport Wales must be made payable to Sport Wales.  Normally, staff will be expected to undertake such work as part of their Sport Wales duties.  

Any work undertaken, including paid or unpaid private work, should be in keeping with the character and good repute of Sport Wales and with the professional standing of the staff. 

Information acquired in the course of employment is the property of Sport Wales and can only be disclosed with the approval of the Chief Executive. 

Request for secondary or voluntary roles 

In some cases, you will simply be required to inform your manager of your secondary or voluntary role, however, in some cases approval will need to be sought.  If any of the following conditions apply you must submit a ‘Request for Secondary Work or Activity’ form which need approval from the relevant leadership team member for your department: 

• You will carry out the activity or work during your normal hours (including if you need to use special leave or annual leave) 
• You will be working over 48 hours per week (on average over a 12-week period) 
• You will be accessing Sport Wales publicly available facilities 
• The activity or work could legitimately be regarded as part of the service Sport Wales might provide i.e. same work and/or same customers/partners 
• There could be a conflict of interest, which includes conflicting with Sport Wales stance on issues or values, including political engagement or policy interests, or a role which may influence your judgement or actions at Sport Wales. 

If the role does not meet the above criteria to require a request form, you are still required to inform your manager of your secondary or voluntary role.  

When completing the request form, you should discuss your responses with your manager who will work with you to consider any risks and mitigations.  For example, a risk may be that the work or activity is with an organisation that has political engagement or overlap with Sport Wales policy interests, in this case a mitigation may be that you are required to ensure that any potential conflicts and activities that arise during the period of the secondary or voluntary role are highlighted with your manager to be discussed and managed. The outcome of this may be that you are unable to continue the secondary or voluntary role. 

Decision regarding secondary or voluntary roles 

Once the form is completed, your manager will decide whether to accept the request.  Your manager is required to discuss the decision with the Head of People and Culture and ideally one other Leadership Team members for guidance and to ensure consistency of application. 

Your manager will inform you of the outcome of your application and update the application request.  It is important to note that the decision whether to allow a secondary or voluntary role may be different for different people with seemingly the same request due to the factors outlined in the form that need to be considered. 

You should upload a copy of your application form to your cascade record under DOCUMENTS screen.  

If the request included a change to working hours or patterns you will need to refer to the flexible working policy.  If the request requires special leave you should refer to the special leave policy.   

Managing and reviewing secondary and voluntary roles 

You are responsible for putting in place any mitigations that have been agreed as part of the decision to approve the request.   

You are responsible to ensuring that any potential conflicts and/or changes to the conditions outlined above during the period of the secondary/volunteering role are reported to your manager.  This could result in mitigations being agreed but may result in you being unable to continue the secondary or voluntary role. 

A review date will be set —typically annually or sooner if situations mean that your responses on the form would change. It is your responsibility to submit a new review request. 

Employees should aim to present a positive and professional image of Sport Wales.  A common sense approach should be used to ensure appropriate clothing is worn depending on the nature of the task, meeting and environment you are in.  If you are unsure about which clothing is suitable please speak to your manager. 

If you are provided with a uniform, this should be worn, unless specific circumstances apply. 

For Sport Wales to work with Governments of different political complexions it is essential that the public should have confidence that Sport Wales acts correctly.  The intent of the rules governing political activities by Sport Wales staff is to allow them the greatest possible freedom to participate in public affairs without infringing this fundamental principle. 

You must ask the permission of your Head of Department if you want to engage in any of the following: 

• Holding office in a party political organisation 
• Being announced publicly as a candidate for election to a community council, a local authority, the UK Parliament or the Welsh Senedd. 
• Canvassing on behalf of a candidate for public office on behalf of a political party. 
• Taking part in any activity, role or work which may involve political engagement or overlap with Sport Wales policy interest. 

You should consider the appropriateness of engaging in the following activities depending on your role, if in doubt you should seek guidance from your line manager: 

• Speaking in public on matters of national or political controversy. 
• Expressing views on such matters in letters to the press or in books, articles, or leaflets. 

Approval may be granted subject to appropriate restrictions.  You must not take part in any political activity when on duty, or in uniform, or on official premises. 

You must ensure that all involvement in political activities does not affect your work for Sport Wales at any time over and above that agreed by your Head of Department. 

If you are given permission to take part in political activities, you should note that this can be withdrawn at any time and without prior notice if there is a change in relevant circumstances.  If permission is not given, a detailed explanation will be provided. 

For the avoidance of any doubt, this does not include Union activities as a Union representative. 

Sport Wales recognises the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union for the purposes of collective negotiation on issues relating to employment policies or terms and conditions, etc. 

When changes are made to policies or terms and conditions of employment, you will be advised, either through our usual staff communications channels either on the intranet or via email.  Depending on the change, you may be notified in writing, with an appropriate notice period provided (where relevant). 

You are bound by the UK Anti-Doping Rules; and you are required to cooperate with Code-compliant anti-doping investigations and proceedings; furthermore you need to support and cooperate fully with any UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) investigations when requested by Sport Wales or UKAD to do so. 

Sanctions/disciplinary actions will apply if: 

• You use Prohibited Substances or Prohibited Methods without valid justification and provide support to an Athlete within its jurisdiction; and 
• you delay or impede in any way, or fail or refuse (without compelling justification) to cooperate with, an anti-doping investigation or proceedings conducted by UKAD or any other relevant Anti-Doping Organisation. 

A DBS check will be conducted for positions involving close and regular contact with children or adults at risk, that are also included under the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) Regulations.  It will provide details of spent and unspent convictions, cautions and warnings. In addition, an enhanced check with the children/and or adults’ barred lists, may also be eligible if the regulations permit, which may then contain information from local police forces, and a check of whether individuals are registered on the children or adults’ barred lists. 

Posts will be confirmed as eligible for a DBS check by obtaining a DBS declaration from DBS checking service. 

Procedure 

If you occupy a role requiring a DBS check we will contact you to complete an online disclosure form.  You will be required to supply supporting documentation, which is then checked, countersigned and forwarded to the DBS by a member of the HR team who is a designated Counter-signatory. 

You will receive a copy of your DBS disclosure. HR will receive an email with the outcome of the check and records of dates and relevant information will be recorded confidentially. As the employer, we would contact the applicant to request a copy of their criminal disclosure certificate in order to determine their suitability for post.      

Retention 

Once a recruitment (or other relevant) decision has been made, Sport Wales will not keep full Disclosures for any longer than is absolutely necessary. However, HR will make a record of an individual’s disclosure record number, as well as the date of issue and date received.  This is necessary for us to demonstrate our obligations to DBS and ensure that checks are renewed every 3 years.  Sometimes, information may be required to be kept for longer periods to allow for the consideration and resolution of any disputes or complaints. If, in very exceptional circumstances, it is considered necessary to keep Disclosure information for longer, Sport Wales will consult with the DBS about this and will give full consideration to Data Protection before doing so. 

Commencing employment without Disclosure 

In some cases, the Disclosure report may not have been received by the time the employment is due to commence. If it is not possible to delay the start date, the individual will be able to commence employment, but only on a supervised basis for those aspects of the job involving contact with children or adults at risk, until such time as the Disclosure report is received. 

Criminal Incidents 

When a report is received which contains a criminal record, a decision will be made by a member of the Executive  Team, on what action to take as a result.  

Disclosure and Barring Reports - Renewals 

For those posts identified as requiring a DBS disclosure check, renewals will take place every three years.  Should any incidents arise which could affect your record within this period, you are required to advise HR immediately.  Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action. 

Sports Betting 

Legal and illegal betting on sports poses a risk to the integrity of sport through corrupt betting and associated activity from within and outside Sport Wales. With smart phones and tablet devices, access to the internet and online gambling sites etc, makes it easier to place bets on the outcome or of certain aspect(s) of an event.  Sport Wales is in a position of influence and is privy to information that could be used for private gain particularly through betting. This applies to employees, staff and workers and those appointed to represent Sport Wales. 

Sports betting activity has increased across all sports and disciplines. It is essential that such activity does not take place in a manner which has the potential to compromise the authenticity of sporting conduct and endeavour and the irregularity of results. 

Therefore, Sport Wales employees, contractors, other workers or students cannot: 

• bet on any sport for whom Sport Wales provides performance services, anywhere in the world; 
• ask someone to bet on your behalf on any sport above, anywhere in the world; 
• share any “Inside Information” with anyone including but not limited to your partner, civil partner, spouse, cohabitee or dependent children which could enable them to gain an advantage through corrupt betting activity 
• become involved in any other activity associated with corrupt betting which could reasonably be deemed as suspicious and detrimental to the image and reputation of Sport Wales or the sport in question. 

The following Acts Are Also Prohibited: 

• fixing a match or attempting to fix a match; 
• benefiting from a participant failing to perform; 
• soliciting, inducing, encouraging, offering a bribe (or attempting) to any other party to do any of the above offences; 
• receiving, seeking a bribe (or attempting to) in order to fix a match or attempt to fix a match; 
• destruction of evidence in relation to a potential breach; and 
• failing to report suspicions or approaches or disclosure of information. 

Criminal Offence of Cheating 

Section 42 of The Gambling Act 2005 has created a new offence of “cheating at gambling” which would include cheating in sports influenced by betting involvement. This may result in the imposition of severe penalties for individuals (fines and jail). We may refer any matter to the Gambling Commission for consideration of an investigation of the criminal offence of cheating at gambling. 

Inside Information 

The sharing of “Inside Information” by anyone captured by this policy is specifically prohibited by Sport Wales. 

 “Inside Information” means any information, which is not Publicly Known that would materially affect peoples’ expectations relating to the participation in, or the likely or actual outcome of a sporting competition or event. Such information includes, but is not limited to, factual information regarding the competitors, the conditions, tactical considerations, injuries, or any other aspect of the sporting competition or event. 

“Publicly Known” means any information that is already published as a matter of public record, able to be readily acquired by an interested member of the public, or disclosed according to the rules and regulations governing the relevant sporting competition or event. 

It is your responsibility to determine whether information which you have access to falls under the definition of “Inside information”. If you are unsure whether something constitutes a conflict of interest, please seek further advice from our Corporate Governance Team. 

You must ensure that you act consistently and regularly review what you are doing to ensure that your actions are fair, reasonable and consistent. 

You must be fully conversant with Sport Wales’ policies and must be extremely careful not to give misleading information or to raise unjustified expectations. 

Complaints from members of the public must be dealt with as quickly as possible with senior members of staff becoming involved immediately.  To this end the following reporting procedure must be used:- 

Sport Wales National Centre 

General staff of Facilities, Maintenance, Catering and Domestic, and Customer Services’ sections are to endeavour, if possible, to resolve the problem and thereafter to report, immediately, any complaint from members of the public to their section head.  Please refer to the Sport Wales National Centre complaints policy 

Sport Wales 

All staff will, in the first instance, report any complaint either directly from the complainant or from a solicitor, immediately to the Director of Finance and Business Services, who will appoint an investigating officer, if appropriate. 

This policy sets out Sport Wales’ approach to sickness absence.  The policy applies to those on permanent and fixed term contracts.  

Sport Wales recognises the benefits of staff health and wellbeing, this policy is aimed at managing sickness absence in a pro-active manner which caters to the needs of individuals.  

We are committed to providing high standards of service and delivery.  Regular attendance is essential to achieving this and you are expected to report for work in accordance with your contract.  If you feeling unwell but able to work from home, please speak to your line manager about this.  We recognise that there will be times when you become ill and are unable to work. You are not expected to work when you are unfit to do so.    

The following sections describe our policies and procedures on sickness absence and attendance management.   Where levels of sickness absence cause concern, managers will provide support and take appropriate steps to improve attendance, which may include formal action.  

Sport Wales will ensure that all line managers are aware of the sickness absence management procedures and are suitably supported by the HR team on dealing with such matters.   

Your line manager will treat your absence sensitively and fairly and support you returning to work.  Where appropriate, we will make adjustments to the working environment and job role in order to assist you on your return to work from sick leave or as a preventative measure.  

If there is any reason to believe that you have reported sick when you are fit to attend work, then our Disciplinary Procedure will be invoked, which may result in warnings or, in certain circumstances, dismissal.  

• Focus on early intervention and be proactive in addressing health issues  
• Support you to achieve a satisfactory level of attendance  
• Consider temporary workplace adjustments when members of their team are feeling unwell  
• Keep in regular contact with individuals who off work due to sickness  
• Monitor absences and deal with unsatisfactory attendance  

• Take reasonable steps to remain fit and healthy   
• Attend work on a regular basis and to the standard expected of you  
• Talk to your manager about health issues which may affect levels of attendance  
• If you are sick, keep your manager updated on your absence   
• Attend Occupational Health appointments if requested  

If you are not well enough to attend work, you must contact your line manager as soon as possible to let them know.  If your line manager is unavailable, you should contact another senior member of staff to ensure the message is received with as much notice as possible before you are expected in work.  If you are off for more than one-day, you will need to keep your manager updated on your absence and likely return date.   

If you do not contact your line manager your absence will be classed as unauthorised absence and we may try to contact you or your next of kin.  Unauthorised absences are unpaid and may result in the application of the disciplinary procedure.  

Your manager is responsible for recording your sickness absence on Cascade and carrying out a return-to-work interview when you return to work following sickness absence.  

If you are off work due to sickness absence you are expected to do your utmost to ensure your speedy return to work. You are trusted to act sensibly and honestly during any period of absence.  You should not participate in any activities which could aggravate the illness or injury or which could delay recovery.  

You are expected to maintain regular contact with your manager during your absence and co-operate with any requests for medical reports.   

If you do not follow these expectations this could result in the loss of Sport Wales sick pay and may also disqualify from receiving Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)  

If you fall sick during a pre-booked period of annual leave (excluding the Christmas office closure), you may request for the leave to be cancelled and re-credited to you. Normal procedures for reporting sickness absence will apply as sickness leave is unlikely to be applied in retrospect.  

Whilst annual leave should not be taken instead of sickness absence, you can choose to take annual leave during a period of long term sickness, or before you return to work, provided this period is not covered by a Fit Note  

If you’re off for more than one week via sickness, you will need to submit a statement of fitness to work (fit note). The GP will either advise that the employee is not fit for work or that they may be fit for work.  If you do not provide a Fit Note you will not qualify for sick pay and this absence may be regarded as unauthorised.  

If the GP advises that the employee may be fit for work, they will suggest ways of supporting the employee back to work on the fit note.   

Managers should give careful consideration to any advice from the GP that the employee may be fit for work with support to achieve a return to work.  A meeting should be arranged to meet with the employee to discuss the fit note and whether it would be possible to accommodate the support identified by the GP.   

If the support can be accommodated, they should agree with the employee a return-to-work date, any adjustments, monitoring arrangements and a date to review the temporary arrangement.   

If it is not possible to accommodate the GPs advice, this will be explained to the employee and a review date or return to work date will be agreed. In these circumstances the fit note will be regarded as if the advice had been ‘not fit for work’.  

Absence that lasts more than four consecutive weeks which arises from a medical condition, serious illness or injury is regarded as long-term absence.  

During long term absence, you will need to provide fit notes covering the period of absence and keep your line manager updated on the progress you are making and any prognosis you receive.  

A welfare meeting may be arranged to offer you help and support, to assist us in planning for your continued absence and to support your ability to return to work. The number of these review meetings will be dictated by your illness and your circumstances.   

It is likely that an occupational health referral will be made, depending on the nature of the absence.  Any advice or recommendations from the report will be discussed with you, your line manager and HR.    

Where absence continues and there is no indication of you being able to return to work in the near future a review meeting will be arranged which would include the Head of department or higher.  The purpose would be to review your absence and will take into account your condition, any progress made, the advice from GP or Occupational Health, likelihood of being able to return in the near future and if any adjustments that were feasible and reasonable could be made to facilitate a return within a reasonable timescale.  

If you are not able to return to work in the near future and there is nothing practical that can be done in terms of adjustments that would help bring the absence to an end, it may be decided to bring the employee’s contract to an end.  However, we will not dismiss any person with a terminal diagnosis because of their condition.  

If you are unable to return to your normal job, as far as is reasonably practicable, alternative roles will be considered. If you have a disability, we will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments to your job content, working conditions or environment which would help your return to work.  

Following each period of sickness, your manager will hold a return-to-work discussion to discuss the reasons for your absence, ensure you are fit for work and discuss whether any support is required on your return.  A record of this discussion will be kept on the HR system.  

If your line manager needs support and advice regarding your health and attendance, you will be asked to attend and appointment with our Occupational Health (OH) advisor who give specialist advice on preventing or resolving health problems that can affect your ability to attend work or do your job effectively.  

Advice from OH can be used to help plan for a phased return to work following long-term sickness or help plan adjustments to work needed as a result of illness/disability.  

In some circumstances Sport Wales may request a medical report from your own GP.  You will be asked to sign to consent the medical report being processed before any progress is made.  

If you are unable to carry out the normal duties of your post due to your illness, other temporary changes or arrangements may be considered to help support you return to work or as a preventative measure.  Such alternatives could include:  

• Altering duties  
• Shorter hours or a change to the hours you currently work  
• Making adjustments to the workplace (e.g. working from home)  
• Exploring the possibility of medical redeployment   

In some circumstances, a phased return to work is appropriate for employees returning from a period of long-term sickness absence. This will enable the employee to gradually build up their working hours and/or duties and settle back into their normal working pattern.  

Timescales for phased returns to work should be agreed in advance with your manager, with advice from OH, your GP, and/or the HR team, taking into account the needs of the service.  Duration and nature of phased returns will depend on individual circumstances.   

During the phased return to work, you will be paid full salary.  

You will not be paid occupational sick pay for any non-essential treatment (i.e. cosmetic), please see the Special Leave Policy for further guidance.    

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)  

Sport Wales will be responsible for the payment to you of SSP in accordance with statutory requirements. SSP will not be paid in addition to Occupational Sick Pay (OSP) and will be offset against any OSP paid to you.  

Occupational Sick Pay (OSP)  

Provided you have complied with the requirements above and any other sickness absence/reporting requirements specified by Sport Wales, you will continue to receive pay at your normal rate during any unavoidable absence through sickness or injury (whether continuous or intermittent) up to a maximum of six months full pay in any 12 month period, moving to six months half pay, subject to an overall maximum of 12 months on full or half pay in any period of four years.  

Unsatisfactory levels of attendance include:  

• a failure to follow the correct sickness procedure as per above  
• high levels of short-term absences (e.g. 6 occasions or more within a rolling 52 week period)  
• persistent levels of long-term absences which have an effect on the business (e.g. 10 working days or more in a rolling 52 week period)  
• patterns of absences, for example, regular Friday or Monday absences, absences after a Bank Holiday or before or after annual leave  
• patterns of absence using the rolling yearly basis in order to avoid unpaid absence  

If your absence results from a work-related injury, other work-related health problems or maternity related problems, these will not count towards the above.    

Should your level of absence become unsatisfactory, then the following procedure will be applied to ensure all staff are treated fairly and consistently.    

If your sickness absence is deemed as unsatisfactory, your line manager will meet with you informally to discuss why your absences are a cause for concern and to discuss necessary actions, such as considering a referral to Occupational Health or implementing reasonable adjustments that may be necessary in relation to disability or other medical condition.  It may be that advice from the HR team is required at this stage on how best to support you to maintain acceptable attendance.   

After the initial meeting, the manager will determine an appropriate review period, where levels of absence are monitored.  Failure to improve attendance levels within the agreed timescale will lead to the formal stages of the procedure being implemented.  

The formal stages of the attendance management procedure are characterised by three stages:  

• First Stage  
• Second Stage  
• Final Stage  

At each stage there will be a meeting to discuss the absences and seek to establish if there is an underlying cause that needs to be accommodated.  

The employee will be given written notice of the date, time and place of the meeting/s.    A member of the HR team will attend the meeting/s to provide advice on procedural matters.   Employees have the right to be accompanied to formal meetings. The chosen companion may be a fellow worker or a trade union representative.  

If the employee fails, without good reason, to attend a formal meeting, the meeting will take place, and a decision will be made, in their absence.  However, if the chosen representative of the employee is unavailable on the date of the meeting, the employee may request a delay, once, for up to five working days, to enable the chosen representative to attend.  

The first formal meeting will take place when no improvement is made following the informal meeting.  This meeting is chaired by the line manager.  During the meeting the manager will review sickness records, ask the employee what steps they are taking to help themselves improve their attendance and explore whether workplace adjustments are needed.    

If following the first formal meeting, there are no mitigating circumstances for high levels of absence, the line manager will issue a first written warning for high levels of absence levels.  This warning will set out a review period, during which the employee is expected to improve their levels of absence.  The length of the review period will be determined by the line manager but should be no longer than 6 months.  

Following completion of the review period, a meeting should take place to review the absence levels. If absence levels improve during the review period, no further action is needed.  The first written warning will remain active for 6 months from the start of the review period.  

If the required attendance level has not be met, the manager will hold a second formal meeting.  

The second formal meeting will take place either when attendance worsens within the review period or if no improvement is made to attendance following a first written warning and completion of the review period.  This meeting is chaired by the line manager.  During the meeting the manager will review sickness records, ask the employee what steps they are taking to help themselves improve their attendance and explore whether workplace adjustments are needed.    

If following the second formal meeting, there are no mitigating circumstances for high levels of absence, the line manager will issue a final written warning for high levels of absence levels.  This warning will set out a review period, during which the employee is expected to improve their levels of absence.  The length of the review period will be determined by the line manager but should be no longer than 6 months.  

Following completion of the review period, a meeting should take place to review the absence levels. If absence levels improve during the review period, no further action is needed.  The first written warning will remain active for 12 months from the start of the review period.  

If the required attendance level has not be met, the manager will hold a final formal meeting.  

The final formal meeting will take place either when attendance worsens within the review period or if when no improvement is made to attendance following a final written warning and completion of the review period.  The meeting is chaired by a Head of Department (or above, if appropriate).  During the meeting the manager will review sickness records, ask the employee what steps they are taking to help themselves improve their attendance and explore whether workplace adjustments are needed.    

Following the final meeting, if it is confirmed that attendance has continued to be unacceptable, the range of options include:  

• dismissal  
• extending an active final written warning and setting a further review period (this will only be appropriate in exceptional cases where it is considered that a substantial improvement is likely within a further review period)  

Dismissal decisions can only be taken by a Head of Department, and the employee will be provided with the decision in writing with reasons for dismissal, the date on which their employment will end, the relevant period of notice, if applicable, and their right of appeal.  

Dismissal will normally be with notice, or a payment in lieu of notice, unless attendance levels have been so negligent as to amount to gross misconduct in which case dismissal will be without notice or a payment in lieu of notice.  

If an employee wishes to challenge a decision under this procedure, they can appeal in writing, stating their full grounds of appeal, within one week of the date on which they were informed in writing of the original decision.  

If the appeal is against dismissal, the date on which dismissal takes effect will not be delayed pending the outcome of the appeal. However, if the appeal is successful the employee will be reinstated with no loss of continuity of employment or pay.  

The employee will be given written notice of the date, time and place of the appeal hearing.     

The appeal hearing will usually take the form of a review of the original decision in light of the procedure followed and any new information that may have arisen.   

The Appeal hearing will be conducted by the Appeal Officer, who will normally be the same grade as the manager.  In some cases, where appropriate, this may be a Board Member.  A member of the HR team will attend the meeting to provide advice on procedural matters.  The manager who made the original decision may also be asked to attend.  

A hearing may be adjourned if it is necessary to obtain further information or to give further consideration to matters discussed at the hearing. The employee will be given a reasonable opportunity to consider any new information obtained before a final decision is made.  

Following the appeal hearing, the manager who has heard the appeal may:  

• confirm the original decision  
• revoke the original decision  
• review the sanction  

The employee will be informed in writing of the final decision and there will be no further right of appeal. 

Any employee who has, or is aware of, any welfare problem, may report the situation to their line manager or the HR team, so that any appropriate action may be taken. This might involve work related or personal difficulties, bereavement, or domestic difficulties.  Any discussions will be in the strictest confidence.  

Sport Wales will reimburse you for the cost of an eyesight test if you are regular users of computer equipment or if your work involves driving.    

In addition to the cost of the eyesight test, Sport Wales will contribute up to £50.00 for the costs of spectacles or contact lenses where these are required ONLY for the use of VDUs/driving.  

All staff are advised that it is their responsibility to safeguard any personal items of value which they may be wearing, i.e. watches, jewellery etc., and it will be only in exceptional circumstances that Sport Wales will be prepared to consider any claim for compensation for such loss.  Normally, all items should be covered by personal insurance.  

If any work is being undertaken by members of staff which could lead to damage or loss of their personal possessions, such possessions should be removed before undertaking the task.  It is only in the circumstances of negligence by Sport Wales that any application for loss or damage can be considered.  

On very rare occasions legal action may be considered necessary to protect employees from third parties, when threats arise in the course of, and as a consequence of, their work for Sport Wales .    

If you have acted honestly, reasonably and in good faith, you will not have to meet out of your own personal resources any personal civil liability which is incurred in the execution, or purported execution, of your duties, unless you have acted recklessly.  

Any act of domestic violence or abuse is unacceptable and Sport Wales is committed to supporting any employee suffering from it.  

Domestic violence can be defined as “any form of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse which takes place within the context of a close relationship.  In most cases, the relationship will be between partners (married, cohabiting, or otherwise) or ex-partners”.  

The effects of domestic violence in the workplace can be:  

• Poorer job performance  
• Reduced job security and prospects  
• Poorer health for the victims, which can lead to loss of income due to sick leave  
• Loss of job and income  

This policy is aimed at providing support to victims of domestic violence.  Support is available in the following forms:  

• You can talk to your line manager, or the HR team.  Any conversations would be treated confidentially as far as possible.  By sharing the problem, you may feel a sense of relief.   
• You may claim Special Leave dependent upon your circumstances.   
• Your Manager may be able to make arrangements for you to use a meeting room so you can see a counsellor or other appropriate advisor at your workplace.    
• Your Manager may be able to vary your working arrangements on a temporary or permanent basis to help you resolve your difficulties.   
• You may agree with your manager what actions should be taken if the perpetrator contacts you at work.    
• Your Manager will be able to provide you with a list of organisations and contacts who are able to provide professional support to you.   
• Your Manager can agree a method of communication with you in case you are absent from work.  

If you confide in your manager, they will be able to take your circumstances into account when considering performance issues, such as sickness absence and drops in work performance.  Your manager can also try to ensure both yours and your colleagues’ health and safety is protected.  

Sport Wales is committed to putting in place measures to ensure employees are safe whilst working alone.  It is recognised that whilst many employees will spend a limited amount of time working “alone”, this policy covers lone workers who work by themselves without close or direct supervision or contact with other work colleagues.  Some examples are:  

• Working outside normal hours alone  
• Travelling to and from visits  
• Visiting people alone, e.g. at their home or in a remote location  
• Providing services to the public without contact with work colleagues  

Employer Responsibility  

Sport Wales is responsible for:  

• Ensuring that there are arrangements for identifying, evaluating and managing risk associated with lone working  
• Ensuring that there are arrangements for monitoring incidents linked to lone working and that the effectiveness of this policy is reviewed regularly  
• Providing adequate security and effective supervision for lone workers including protective barriers, providing communication systems and checks on lone workers where appropriate  

Manager and Supervisors Responsibility  

Managers and supervisors are responsible for:  

• Implementing this policy, making every effort to reduce the risk involved in lone working  
• Ensuring all employees are aware of the policy and that lone workers receive training to enable them to identify potential risk and take appropriate action  
• Identifying situations where employees work alone and conducting regular risk assessments  
• Devising and implementing safe working systems in relation to lone working to avoid or control risk where necessary  
• Putting in place appropriate arrangements for communicating with and tracking of lone workers, including procedures for when a lone worker return to base/contact is overdue  
• Ensuring that any incidents are reported, investigated and recorded  
• Considering the medical condition of the employee, using the risk assessment form  

Employee Responsibility  

Employees are responsible for:  

• Ensuring they are aware of and comply with the policy  
• Taking reasonable care of themselves and others affected by their actions  
• Reporting all incidents and potential dangers that may affect the health and safety of themselves or others and ask for guidance as appropriate  
• Taking part in training designed to meet the requirements of the policy  
• Ensuring they let other people know when and where they are likely to be working alone  
• Ensuring that work calendars are kept up to date to let people know arrival and departure times  

Guidance for Lone Working  

• Lone workers should ensure that whilst working alone they have access to others in the event of support being needed.    
• Sport Wales will cover the cost of mobile phone calls in an emergency situation.  
• It is good practice for lone workers to keep written details of where they are going, in case of an incident.  
• Lone workers must report incidents such as accidents and near misses, so appropriate monitoring can take place. 

It is the policy of Sport Wales that all our workplaces are smoke-free and that all employees and anyone else directly affected by the organisation have a right to be in a smoke-free environment. The policy shall be reviewed as necessary in line with legislation.  

Smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes and vaping is prohibited throughout the whole of Sport Wales’ operations with no exceptions. This includes company vehicles, company hire cars, or your own vehicle if you are using it for business purposes and carrying other employees.   

Smoking is only permitted in specific designated areas (for example, in Sport Wales National Centre this is in the rear car park in the designated smoking shelter) – out of view of the public. This policy applies to all employees, consultants, customers or members, visitors and sub-contractors.  

Employees who use designated smoking areas are restricted to take two 10-minute breaks per day.  Sport Wales shall provide receptacles for smokers to dispose of smoking waste in designated areas.  

For those employees wishing to quit smoking, the HR team are able to signpost areas of support.  

Overall responsibility for policy implementation and review rests with the Chief Executive Officer. This policy and its mandatory application will be communicated to all employees, sub-contractors, visitors, customers and interested parties.  

As part of the Sport Wales’ induction process, the HR department will inform new starters about this policy and show them where it is located within the staff handbook.  

Employees are responsible for informing any visitors, users, customers or sub-contractors about the policy and facilitating the implementation of the policy.  

Appropriate 'No smoking' signs will be clearly displayed at or near the entrances to the premises.  

Employees, visitors, users, customers or sub-contractors who go outside to smoke (including e-cigarettes and vaping) may smoke only in permitted areas (an example detailed above).  

An infringement of these rules by an employee may result in appropriate disciplinary action which will be dealt with in accordance with Sport Wales’ disciplinary procedure. Employees are also reminded that it is a criminal offence for employees to smoke in smoke-free areas, with fines of up to £200.  

Employers can be fined up to £2,500 if they don’t stop people smoking in the workplace or up to £1,000 if they don’t display ‘no smoking’ signs.  

Visitors, users, customers or sub-contractors who are smoking in smoke-free areas should be reminded of the no-smoking signs and asked to stop by any employee of Sport Wales. If a visitor, user, customer or sub-contractor continues to smoke, employees should explain that the visitor, user, customer or sub-contractor is committing a criminal offence and will not be served if he/she continues to do so.    

If the visitors, user, customer or sub-contractor still refuses to stop smoking, staff should ask him/her to leave the premises and, where relevant, direct him/her to where he/she can smoke.  As a last resort, Sport Wales’ procedure for dealing with illegal behaviour or failure of comply with Sport Wales’ rules on its premises will be used.  

Sport Wales aims to provide a safe and healthy working environment.  It recognises that this can be put at risk by those who inappropriately use alcohol or drugs to such an extent that it may affect their health, performance, conduct, relationships at work, or the safety of customers or visitors.  

Inappropriate use may include, but is not limited to: dependency; one-off incidents; patterns of incidents; substances taken during work time; and illegal substances being brought on-site.  Substances may include, but are not limited to: alcohol; illegal drugs; legal highs; prescription drugs; and solvents.  

All members of staff are responsible for ensuring that, when they present themselves for work, that they are not unfit due to the effects of alcohol or drugs.    

All line managers are responsible for looking out for the signs and symptoms of inappropriate use of alcohol or drugs, and for offering support, as described below.  

If a line manager is aware of, or suspects, an employee is unfit due to the effects of alcohol or drugs, they are responsible for advising the employee accordingly.  This may include sending the employee home from work, and therefore, as a duty of care to the employee, ensuring that they have travelled safely and responsibly.  Advice and assistance is available from the HR team to deal with any issues as they arise.  

The effects of alcohol or drugs at work can create serious health and safety risks, particularly in areas such as driving, using machinery or supervising activities.  Therefore, the following rules should be adhered to:  

• Do not come to work under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  
• Check with your doctor or pharmacist about the side-effects of prescribed medications.   
• Inform your line manager if you are on medication that could have side effects.  This will be treated in confidence, but it is important for your line manager to be aware in case of any issues.  
• Never drive, operate machinery or supervise activities if you are affected by alcohol or drugs.  
• Offer support and advice to colleagues who you suspect of suffering from alcohol or drug abuse.  Do not ‘protect’ them by keeping silent.  
• Seek assistance from your line manager.  

The signs of misuse are not always easy to spot, but below are some of the most common warning signs.   

• Increased absenteeism  
• Injuries   
• Unexplained need for money or financial problems.  
• Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired coordination  
• Dilation of pupils or erratic movements when following objects   
• Sudden weight loss or weight gain.  
• Deterioration of physical appearance and personal grooming habits.  
• Unusual smells on breath, body, or clothing.  
• Sudden change in friends, favourite hangouts, and hobbies.  
• Sudden mood swings, irritability, or angry outbursts.  
• Appears fearful, anxious, or paranoid, with no reason.  

If you feel you have a problem with alcohol and/or drugs, you should contact your GP for treatment and support, and make your line manager aware of the actions you have taken so additional support can be given.  The Employee Assistance Programme is also able to help with misuse issues.  

If poor performance, absenteeism, or problems with conduct are detected through observation or by normal disciplinary procedures, your line manager may be able to offer assistance if you have made him aware of the matter and the actions you are taking.   

Sport Wales will be supportive and positive in its approach to employees suffering from illness due to alcohol or drug use, and will assist in the provision of treatment to employees as far as is reasonably practicable.   

If you feel that you may benefit from additional external support, for alcohol or drug dependency, or relating to stressors that may contribute to inappropriate use of drugs or alcohol, this can be available from our Employee Assistance Programme.  

Sport Wales is also committed to supporting the prevention of the misuse of alcohol, drugs and other substances, through:  

• Raising awareness of the effects of alcohol, drugs and other substances  
• Providing information through leaflets and other materials to encourage people to think about their drinking habits  
• Promoting and supporting national campaigns around alcohol and drug awareness.  

Sport Wales will look to support you through alcohol or drug dependency. However, in certain circumstances it may be appropriate to invoke disciplinary or performance management measures:  

• If a disclosure of alcohol or drug dependency is made as a mitigating factor during any disciplinary or other formal action, the action may be suspended for an appropriate period to allow the individual to seek treatment and support, such as attendance at a rehabilitation programme, counselling, or other intervention.   
• If, because of alcohol or drug dependency, an employee behaves or undertakes their work in such a way as to endanger the health and safety of themselves or of others, prompt corrective action will be taken to prevent damage being done. In such situations, although the drug or alcohol dependency will be taken into account, the individual may still be sanctioned in relation to any consequential behavior where there are health and safety risks.  
• If you refuse to undergo treatment that may be considered necessary and/or appropriate, Sport Wales will monitor your work performance and may invoke the disciplinary procedure should this be deemed appropriate.   
• If you damage Sport Wales’ reputation as a result of your conduct outside of work as a result of the use or misuse of alcohol, drugs or other substances, you may be dismissed for gross misconduct.In the event that you must serve a custodial sentence for any offence relating to alcohol and/or drugs, Sport Wales reserves the right to dismiss you on the grounds that your contract of employment with Sport Wales has been frustrated, that you are incapable of performing your contractual duties, or gross misconduct.  If you are charged with any alcohol or drug related offences and Sport Wales has a reasonable belief that your suitability to carry out your job has been compromised, it may have grounds to dismiss you.Where you are required to drive as part of your employment but as a result of the use or misuse of alcohol and/or drugs (whether in the workplace or off-duty) you are banned from driving any vehicle, Sport Wales reserves the right to dismiss you.   
• Where evidence warrants, the police will be informed of illegal drug use or any activity or behaviour over which there are concerns as to its legality, such as having a drink-driving accident in a work vehicle.  

Sport Wales will always ensure that soft / non-alcoholic drinks are available at corporate functions.  However, Sport Wales accepts that there may be some corporate events and functions, such as award ceremonies, where employees may wish to drink alcohol.  The following guidelines have been established to protect both yourself and the organisation, and must be adhered to:  

• You are not permitted to drink alcohol if you are attending the function to be ‘on duty’ in a maintenance, operations or some other capacity that could affect the health and safety of others.  
• Even if you are not attending the event in a work capacity, you may still be acting as a representative of Sport Wales.  For example, where you have been invited to attend the function due to your role or contacts through Sport Wales.  If, through inappropriate use of alcohol, drugs or other substances, you damage Sport Wales’ reputation as a result of your conduct, you may be subject to disciplinary action including dismissal for gross misconduct.  
• If in doubt of your role or expectations during the event, please seek agreement from your line manager prior to the event that you are permitted to drink. 

The Health and Wellbeing policy expands upon Sport Wales’ Health and Safety and Sickness Absence policies, setting out how the organisation will promote the wellbeing of employees by:   

• Providing a safe and healthy working environment which promotes and supports the health and wellbeing of our staff  
• Establishing working arrangements where employees feel they can maintain a healthy work-life balance.  
• Fostering a culture of co-operation, trust and mutual respect where employees are treated fairly and supportively  
• Encouraging employees to live a healthy lifestyle  
• Raising awareness of the factors which can influence health and wellbeing  
• Supporting staff where they experience problems such as mental health issues, alcohol, drugs or substance misuse, as a first response  

The Executive and Senior Management Team will:  

• Support steps taken to develop a culture of co-operation, trust, and mutual respect within the organisation.   
• Champion good management practices, and the establishment of a work ethos within the organisation which promotes both physical and mental health and enables employees to maintain a good “work life balance”.  
• Promote effective communication and ensure that there are procedures in place for consulting and supporting employees on changes in the organisation.  
• Encourage initiatives and events that promote health and well-being.  

Managers and Supervisors will:  

• Treat individuals reporting to them with consideration and dignity and will promote a culture of mutual respect in the teams they manage.  They will not permit unacceptable behaviour and will take decisive action when issues are brought to their attention.  
• Ensure that there is good communication within their team and there are opportunities for individuals to raise concerns about their work, seeking advice from Human Resources at an early stage where concerns are raised.  
• Adhere to the sound management practices and appropriate behaviours  
• Attend training as appropriate to increase their awareness of the causes and effects of both physical and mental ill health.  
• Ensure that risk assessments are undertaken for roles or working practices that may give rise to physical or mental health ill-health.  
• Encourage their staff to participate in events and initiatives undertaken by Sport Wales to promote well-being and more effective working.  
• Take action in the interests of all their colleagues where performance by a member of staff may cause stress to their colleagues.  

Employees will:  

• Treat colleagues and all other persons with whom they interact during the course of their work with consideration, respect and dignity.   
• Support the organisation’s Health and Wellbeing Policy and co-operate with any initiatives and promotions to raise their own awareness of the causes and effects of good physical and mental wellbeing.  
• Raise concerns with their line manager if they feel there are work issues that are causing them stress and having a negative impact on their wellbeing.    
• Take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing by adopting healthy lifestyles.  
• Take responsibility for their own behaviours, to avoid increasing the risk of a stressful working environment for themselves and others.   

Human Resources will:  

• Ensure that the Health and Wellbeing Policy is reviewed and updated as appropriate.  
• Organise appropriate events and initiatives to promote good physical and mental health and wellbeing.    
• Ensure that suitable training and support is available for managers to support the health and wellbeing of their employees.   
• Ensure there are arrangements in place to support individuals experiencing stress or mental ill-health, including the provision of counselling and occupational health.  
• Collate management information which will enable the organisation to measure its performance in relation to staff health and wellbeing.  
• Seek the views of employees on the effectiveness of Sport Wales’ Health and Wellbeing Policy, communication, and initiatives.  
• Use appropriate external benchmarks, such as the Corporate Health Standard, to measure its performance in relation to health and wellbeing.  

Employee Assistance Programme  

The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a 24-hour a day telephone and online service which offers:  

• independent and confidential support  
• advice on a range of issues including health, debt, family problems and workplace difficulties  
• assistance for managers advising on how to help their employees manage stress and other issues  
• counselling.  

Occupational Health  

Your health, or the health of someone you manage, impacts well-being, performance and attendance. The Occupational Health Service (OH) can help with this by advising:  

• managers on preventing or resolving health-related problems   
• employees on managing their condition  
• on workplace adjustments.  

Workplace adjustments  

We will make reasonable workplace adjustments to elements of a job which places a disabled employee at a substantial disadvantage when compared to others.  Adjustments will be kept under review to ensure they remain effective.  

Sport Wales recognises that stress has a negative impact on employees’ well-being.  It also recognises that it can take many forms and so needs to be carefully analysed and addressed at an organisational level.   The causes of workplace stress and possible symptoms can be found here.  

Sport Wales is committed to promoting the health and well-being of its employees by minimising stress in the workplace.  Sport Wales recognises that people cope with pressures in different ways and have different abilities to cope. Proactive and supportive management can minimise the risk of stress.  

Role of managers  

Managers play a key role in supporting employees with stress.  There are a number of actions managers can take to do this including:  

• setting realistic objectives   
• delegating work appropriately  
• monitoring and reviewing individual and team workloads  
• providing employees with the right level of training, autonomy and control over their own work  
• being accessible and encouraging employees to be open if they feel under pressure  
• taking a consistent and fair approach to management   
• addressing problems as soon as they arise  
• encouraging employees to take their annual leave to help achieve a work/life balance  
• reminding employees to take time away from work and taking regular breaks.  

 Looking after yourself  

You can do a lot to help your own health and well-being.  Below are actions you can take to help with stress:  

• Find what helps you relax  
• Talk to someone  
• Discuss any work pressures with your manager  
• Understand the impact of what you eat and drink  
• Get active  
• Get enough sleep  

 Available Support  

If you feel unable to cope, you should advise your line manager of any difficulties that you are experiencing. Equally, if your line manager has reason to believe that you may be suffering with stress, they will request a meeting with you to discuss your concerns and complete a stress risk assessment.  

Mental health is as important as physical health.  Around one in four people will experience a mental health problem in any given year.   There are various mental health conditions ranging from common conditions like depression, anxiety and eating disorders to less common conditions like bipolar disorder, personality disorders and schizophrenia.    

It is important not to ignore your mental health.  

• Mental health problems can have a harmful effect on your physical health, emotions and mood.  
• Your mental health can also affect your relationships with family, friends and colleagues.  
• Mental health problems can lead you to take decisions which may not be in your best interests.  
• Mental health problems may affect your ability to complete normal day-to-day activities.  

 Role of managers  

Managers play a key role in supporting employees with their mental health.  There are a number of actions managers can take to do this including:  

• be approachable and listen to their concerns  
• make early referrals to Occupational Health  
• seek advice from the Employee Assistance Programme  
• identify and address work-related issues that might contribute to mental ill-health  
• encourage the employee to see their GP, if appropriate  
• consider if resilience training would benefit  
• create a stress reduction plan   
• consider a temporary reduction of workload   
• consider a temporary change of working pattern  

 Looking after yourself  

You should always be aware of your own mental health and understand how your actions can affect the mental health of others.  Steps to maintain your own mental well-being include:  

• speaking to someone you feel comfortable with, when you have any concerns  
• talking to your manager if your mental health is being affected by something in the workplace  
• understanding how the Employee Assistance Programme can help  
• knowing what support is available both in the workplace and outside.  

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries or pain in your joints, ligaments, muscles, and the structures that support limbs, neck and back MSD’s are the most common type of occupational ill health.  As well as the physical effect of MSDs, Sport Wales recognises that there is also a proven link between MSDs and mental health problems.  Further details of MSD’s can be found here.  

Role of managers  

Factors in the workplace can contribute to musculoskeletal problems. Managers are key to preventing these problems in the first place as well as helping employees manage these issues, when they do occur.   

Things you can do as a manager include:  

• understanding and acting on your health and safety duties  
• doing relevant health and safety training   
• talking to the employee to find out how the condition is affecting them  
• organising a Display Screen Equipment/workstation risk assessment   
• seeking Occupational Health advice  
• making the employee aware of other information and the support available to them   
• reminding the employee of their health and safety responsibilities  
• temporary or permanent changes to equipment and other aspects of the workspace.  

Looking after yourself  

There are several steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) including:  

• Get active  
• Maintain a balanced and healthy diet  
• Address risks in the workplace e.g. spills  
• Follow workplace procedures for manual handling and the use of Display Screen Equipment  
• Select the right equipment and setup  
• Take regular breaks, preferably before the onset of fatigue 

Sport Wales recognises that physical activity is essential for good health and contributes to positive well-being.  The workplace is an important setting in which people can increase their levels of activity to benefit their health and protect against illness.  

Physical activity helps people to manage stress, back pain, weight, and medical conditions.  Research shows that physically active employees report less illness and recover more quickly if they do fall ill.   

Employees engaged in physical activity initiatives have reported greater enjoyment of their work, improved concentration and mental alertness and improved cooperation and rapport with colleagues.  

 Our Commitments  

Sport Wales is committed to:  

• Promoting and encouraging employee participation in regular physical activity  
• Raising awareness of the benefits of physical activity  
• Providing information and resources on physical activity  

Available Support  

To encourage physical activity and wellbeing, Sport Wales will support employees through:  

• Providing access to sports facilities to its staff  
• Holding physical activity promotional events  
• Providing facilities for lunchtime activity groups   

To remove barriers and enable staff to be active in and around work, Sport Wales provides:  

• Flexible working hours for many employees to allow for physical activity before, during and after work  
• Incentives to staff who cycle to meetings, e.g. paying mileage  
• Safe storage racks for bicycles  
• Cycle to work scheme, offering hire purchase of cycling equipment through salary sacrifice  
• Showering and changing facilities  

Sport Wales recognises that good nutrition benefits the health and wellbeing of our employees.   

Our Commitments  

Sport Wales is committed to:  

• Promoting and encouraging employees to eat healthily while in the organisation  
• Raising awareness of the health-related benefits of good nutrition and the health risks of poor nutrition  
• Providing information and resources to educate employees concerning good nutrition. 

Available Support  

To encourage healthy eating, Sport Wales will endeavour to support employees through:  

• Providing unbiased information on good nutrition  
• Providing the opportunity where appropriate to eat healthily  

To remove barriers and enable staff to be eat healthily in and around work, Sport Wales will provide:  

• Promotional and motivational information encouraging employees to make healthy food choices  
• Healthy food choices through the catering departments at Sport Wales National Centre and Plas Menai National Outdoor Centre  
• Healthy options within vending machines, as appropriate  
• The opportunity to participate in events that promote healthy food choices  
• A source of drinking water for all staff and visitors. 

The Health and Wellbeing Policy will be reviewed periodically by Human Resources.  This review will involve an examination of the management data collated by Human Resources. 

Sport Wales is fully committed to the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion and following practices which are free from discrimination.   

Sport Wales will support any employee subject to discrimination either internally or from a third party. Sport Wales does not under any circumstances, tolerate any form of bullying, harassment, victimisation or discrimination, by or against its employees.   

We strive to tackle inequalities in sport and our working practices and want to ensure that those who have the desire to progress have the opportunity to do so. We want to see the customer, including our employees at the heart of our planning and decisions. But most of all we want everyone to feel accepted and be able to be themselves.   

Sport Wales’ Strategic Equality Plan was redesigned and updated in April 2024. We are now progressing toward completing the objectives and actions set out in the updated plan. The Plan aims to drive a cultural shift that embeds equality into the fabric of Sport Wales and ultimately sport across Wales.  

Here is a link to the Strategic Equality Plan (SEP).  

The Board (in particular the EDI committee ) is accountable for the compliance with equality legislation and the Social Partnership Duty. They are responsible for agreeing Sport Wales’ Strategic Equality Plan and undertaking a scrutiny role in relation to this.   

The Leadership Team are the strategic lead for equality, setting and leading equality objectives, embedding the Social Partnership Duty, and driving equality throughout the organisation.   

HR Team and EDI Manager will support the implementation and monitoring of this policy and offer guidance and training where needed.  

We all have a responsibility of behaving in a way that supports inclusiveness. We should always be mindful of the impact on others of what we say or do, and not to discriminate, harass or bully, or condone discrimination, harassment or bullying by others.   

Training and support will be available as required, e.g. within Induction, to ensure staff are aware of the application of equality and diversity at Sport Wales and their responsibilities within this. This will include updates on any relevant changes to the law or policy, including those affecting transgender rights, single-sex spaces, and the distinction between sex and gender reassignment protections.  

We are required by law not to discriminate against our employees and to recognise our legal obligations under, and to abide by, the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.   

Under Equality legislation it is unlawful to:   

• Discriminate directly against anyone and treat him/her less favourably than others on the grounds of the protected characteristics of: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion and belief (including lack of belief), sex and sexual orientation.   
• Discriminate indirectly against anyone by applying a criterion, provision or practice which disadvantages people with a protected characteristic on the grounds of: their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion and belief (including lack of belief), sex and sexual orientation, unless the person applying the provision can justify it as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.   
• Subject someone to harassment for reasons relating to age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion and belief (including lack of belief), sex and sexual orientation. This includes behaviour that an individual finds offensive on these grounds even if the behaviour is not directed at the individual. It also includes failure of an employer to take reasonable steps to protect an employee from persistent (3 occasions or more) third party harassment.   
• Victimise someone because they have made, or intend to make, a complaint or allegation or has given or intends to give evidence in relation to a complaint of discrimination in line with the Equality Act.   

Sport Wales is also subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires us to consider how to positively contribute to a fairer society by advancing equality and good relations in our day-to-day activities.  

Sport Wales is also subject to the Welsh Language Act and standards to ensure that Welsh and English are treated equally in the conduct of public service delivery in Wales.  

In addition, under the Socio-economic Duty we are legally required to consider how our strategic decisions can help reduce inequalities of outcome resulting from socio-economic disadvantage.  

Note: In line with the UK Supreme Court ruling in April 2025, we acknowledge that the protected characteristic of “sex” refers to biological sex. However, we continue to fully protect and support individuals under the characteristic of “gender reassignment” as defined by the Equality Act 2010, and we remain committed to an inclusive environment for all staff regardless of gender identity.  

The Equality Act 2010 refers to nine Protected Characteristics. We also recognise the Welsh language as a key part of identity and inclusion in Wales and our responsibility to reduce socio-economic disadvantage, as set out below:   

Age   

• ensure that people of all ages are treated with respect and dignity   
• ensure that people of all ages are given equal access to our employment, training, development and promotion opportunities   
• challenge discriminatory assumptions about younger and older people   

Disability   

• provide any reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled people have access to our services and employment opportunities   
• challenge discriminatory assumptions about disabled people   
• seek to continue to improve access to information by ensuring accessibility is maintained   

Sex (Biological)  

• Promote equality for women and men across employment, pay, and services.  
• Apply single-sex policies in compliance with legal requirements and with sensitivity to the needs of all staff.  
• Challenge sex-based discrimination and stereotypes.  
• Offer equal access for women and men to representation, services, employment, training and pay and encourage our partners, national governing bodies and suppliers to do the same.   

Gender Reassignment   

• provide support to prevent discrimination against transsexual people who have or who are about to undergo gender reassignment   
• Ensure our workplace is inclusive and free from transphobia.  
• Clarify the application of single-sex exceptions, ensuring lawful and fair treatment under current guidance.  

Pregnancy and Maternity   

• ensure that people are treated with respect and dignity and that a positive image is promoted regardless of pregnancy or maternity   
• challenge discriminatory assumptions about the pregnancy or maternity of our employees   
• ensure that no individual is disadvantaged and that we take account of the needs of our employees’ pregnancy or maternity   

Race/Ethnicity   

• challenge racism wherever it occurs   
• respond swiftly and sensitively to racist incidents   
• actively promote race equality   

Religion, Belief and Culture   

• ensure that employees’ religion or beliefs and related observances are respected and accommodated wherever possible   
• promote mutual respect while ensuring beliefs do not infringe on others' rights.  

Sexual Orientation   

• ensure that we take account of the needs of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals   
• promote positive images of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals   

Marriage and Civil Partnerships   

• ensure that people are treated with respect and dignity and that a positive image is promoted regardless of marriage or civil partnership;   
• challenge discriminatory assumptions about the marriage or civil partnership of our employees   
• ensure that no individual is disadvantaged and that we take account the needs of our employees’ marriage or civil partnership.   

Welsh Language   

• ensure that people are treated with respect and dignity and that a positive image is promoted regardless of language preference   
• challenge discriminatory assumptions about Welsh speakers   
• ensure that no individual is disadvantaged and that we take account the needs of our Welsh speakers   

Socio-Economic Disadvantage  

• embed the Duty in strategic decision-making  
• demonstrate due-regard in the decision-making process, not just procedural compliance  
• understand and address inequalities of outcome  
• engage with affected communities  

All members of staff are expected to be committed to the development of an inclusive working and operational culture and to raising concerns about unwanted or inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.   

Concerns can be raised, and complaints can be made whether you are personally affected by the unwanted actions or as a third-party witnessing bullying, harassment, victimisation and discrimination.   

Full information on how to raise a complaint can be found in the Grievance Policy  

Our Equality Duty report is produced annually and includes our diversity data and monitoring information.  If trends and patterns are found to be emerging, we will analyse these and use the data to evidence our future work to create an inclusive, equal and diverse Sport Wales.   The effectiveness of this policy is further monitored through staff surveys which focus on experienced behaviours.  

Analytical job evaluation is recognised as a sound basis on which to determine work of equal value, as covered in the Equal Pay Act now incorporated in the Equality Act 2010.  It therefore provides a means to ensure that equal value pay issues are addressed.  

Care has been taken in the design of JEGS to avoid bias. The main risk to achieving fairness and consistency in job evaluation is bias which can be introduced into the job evaluation process in various ways.  If job evaluation is to be effective and able to support a credible, acceptable grading/pay banding structure, all forms of bias must be avoided and the evaluator must concentrate on the role and its requirements. Good practice in job evaluation is about building protection against possible bias throughout the job evaluation process.  To achieve fairness and consistency at Sport Wales the following good practice is applied: 

• involving post-holders and/or line managers in completing relevant job information documents when roles are evaluated 
• using trained evaluators to offer assistance to post-holders to complete job information documents 
• ensuring that evaluators and panel members are trained in job evaluation 
• ensuring job evaluation panel members are representative of the workgroups being evaluated 
• either using a job description which follow the JEGS factors, or anonymous Job Analysis Form (JAF) or job profile before the post is scored by evaluators and/or panel members 
• involving trade union representatives to support post-holders through the process, if required 
• to ensure transparency, keeping records for each role evaluated including the reason for each factor assessment 
• ignoring the characteristics and qualities of the post-holder (for example gender, age and experience) and focussing on the role. 

It is likely that the majority of JEGS evaluations undertaken by departments will be paper-based. This process involves the following steps: 

• considering what information needs communicating to those involved including the trade unions 
• the evaluator obtaining an agreed job description or Job Analysis Form (JAF) where possible in discussion with both the post-holder and the manager 
• two evaluators scoring the anonymised job profile and then discussing any differences to reach an agreed scoring recommendation 
• the outcome being signed off and recorded by both evaluators 
• Paper-based evaluations should only be undertaken where the issues raised are likely to be straightforward. Where posts are likely to raise complex or disputed issues, a full evaluation should be undertaken. 

A full evaluation may be used when; 

• a new post is created and the grade is not obvious 
• an existing post changes significantly, raising doubts about the grade 
• posts are on the boundary of different grades 
• posts are subject to a grading review 
• a grading decision is disputed 

The full JEGS evaluation process involves the following steps: 

Collecting the evidence 

• considering what information needs communicating to those involved including the trade unions 
• where a job description is insufficient, a Job Analysis Form (JAF) will need to be completed by the post-holder or the line manager, in consultation with the post-holder.  Where there are multiple post holders the line manager should consult with a representative number. 
• Follow up questions and, if necessary, an interview of the post-holder carried out by a trained evaluator  

Scoring the post 

• the panel will consist of three trained evaluators, one of which is a trade union representative who will score the post using the JEGS software 
• the JAF, or job description if sufficient, will be considered by a job evaluation panel which discusses the job collectively and agrees an outcome 
• the total score and factor scores should be recorded, along with rationale, if necessary 

Where an evaluation decision has been taken on a post by a job evaluation panel, it is unlikely that there will be a case for reviewing that decision.  The post-holder should be informed about the decision.  However, there may be a need to review a full or paper-based evaluation where it appears that: 

• there has been a failure of process, for example, the relevant guidance has not been properly followed 
• significant new information or significant aspects of the post have not been taken into account when arriving at the evaluation outcome, or 
• some form of discrimination (unfair, biased or inconsistent treatment) has occurred in the way the evaluation was carried out. 

It may be possible to resolve some issues through informal discussion but where this does not resolve the situation, a more formal process may need to be followed. The post-holder would need to write to the HR team to explain their reason for requesting a review.  If the request is insufficient the post-holder will receive a written explanation as to why the request has been turned down.  If a review is agreed this might then involve: 

• a clear timetable with reasonable time limits so that everyone understands how long the process will take and when it will be completed 
• carrying out a full evaluation if the role has not already been fully evaluated 
• where the post has been fully evaluated, convening a further evaluation panel to review the scoring outcomes. This panel could include members of the original panel alongside new, independent members. 

The HR team will hold the library of job evaluations.  These are helpful when looking to identify roles for benchmarking and providing quality assurance. As a minimum, a record should be maintained which shows the following for all posts which have been evaluated: 

• the date of the evaluation 
• an anonymised job description/JAF 
• scores by factor 
• the finally agreed overall score 
• the evaluated pay band. 

In many cases, the characteristics of posts will change over a period of time, minor changes are unlikely to result in a grade change.  However, where there has been substantial change, managers have a lead responsibility for monitoring changes and referring the post for job evaluation where necessary. 

To make sure we’re attracting and recruiting the right people to support the direction and culture of the organisation, our values are embedded in all aspects of recruitment and selection.  These will be contained in all job descriptions and person specifications, be reflected in interview questioning, and continued through to induction, performance and development approaches. 

Prior to a vacancy being authorised, managers will consider all options to workforce planning for their department.  The HR team are available to support the planning process and identify opportunities and alternatives where replacement posts may not be possible. 

The recruitment and selection guide for managers gives further advice for recruiting managers. 

All posts must have an up-to-date job description/person specification.  The job description will describe duties, responsibilities and level of seniority associated with the post, while the person specification will describe the qualifications, knowledge, experience, skills and values required for the job. 

A job evaluation exercise will be carried out on all new jobs (not replacement posts), and in all cases where there has been a substantial change in the nature of the post since last evaluated.  

On some occasions it may be appropriate to advertise posts on an internal basis only.  This may be to encourage development opportunities and recognise and reward the skills of staff within the organisation.  This may also be required where there is the need to apply redeployment principles due to restructuring, and where skills are available within the existing workforce.  Depending on circumstances, internal only posts may be open to individuals employed on a casual or secondment basis, as well as to individuals on permanent or fixed term contracts.  Employees are asked to discuss any application with their line manager before applying for a position internally. 

On other occasions it may be considered necessary to advertise a vacancy both internally and externally concurrently.  For example, this may be required in order to widen the pool of potential candidates or where the skills required are not considered to be reflected within the current workforce. Internal candidates will still be eligible to apply for these vacancies but will compete with external candidates. 

The decision to advertise both internally and externally will be at the discretion of the recruiting manager, in discussion with the HR team.  

The HR team can advise on best practice advertising methods and associated costs. Recruiting managers will advise on industry specialist media or publications that they would like to utilise. 

All external vacancies will be promoted via our official social media channels. 

Our staff at Sport Wales are our biggest asset, and we demonstrate this through our commitment to developing a truly inclusive working environment within Sport Wales.  Our policies and procedures around recruitment and selection ensure that no job applicant receives unlawful less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, colour, disability, ethnic minority, parental or marital status, nationality, religious belief, social status and sexual preference. 

Job adverts will be placed strategically in order to guarantee the widest possible reach, ensuring accessibility and inclusiveness.  All job adverts outline Sport Wales’ commitment to equality, as does the information contained within our recruitment materials.  

All recruiting managers and participants involved in recruitment and selection will have received equality training.  Information and guidance will also be available from the HR team, outlining fair and robust procedures to eliminate any opportunities for discrimination. 

‘Blind’ shortlisting will take place for all vacancies, where applications are anonymised and all personal details are removed, before being seen by the shortlisting panel.  This helps ensure that processes for recruitment and selection will be free from discrimination and should not disadvantage any job applicant. 

We are a level 2 Disability Confident employer and offer interviews to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy, in line with the scheme. 

All candidates will have the opportunity to apply for a position in Welsh, currently on request.  Where an applicant expresses Welsh as their preferred language, the rest of the recruitment and selection process, including all correspondence and interviews, will be offered in Welsh. 

Shortlisting candidates for interview will consist of an assessment against the job description and person specification using their job application.  Shortlisting will be carried out by at least two people, one of which will be the Recruiting Manager for the post.  The HR team can advise on how best to assess and score candidates during shortlisting. 

The selection process will minimise bias. Therefore, no person who has a close personal relationship with a candidate should shortlist or be on the interview panel. 

All interviews will be conducted by a panel of a minimum of two people, one being the Recruiting Manager (Chair) and one being a member of the HR team.  Panels should contain no more than four individuals. 

The recruiting manager is responsible for developing the interview questions.  During interviews, all panel members will use this to make notes and score candidates.  Notes will need to be clear, fair and justifiable as they may be open to challenge. 

Interview questions should include a combination of technical (post specific) and value-based questions.  Interview questions should not be in any way discriminatory or unnecessarily intrusive. Interview question guidance is available for Recruiting Managers. 

There are a range of selection assessment methods that can be used alongside the traditional interview which will help the panel gain a greater insight into the candidate.  Common assessment types include presentations, psychometric testing, ability and aptitude tests.  Further guidance is available for Recruiting Managers. 

Following interview/assessment the recruiting manager will make appointment recommendations, clearly showing the reason for appointment or non-appointment.  

Candidates attending an interview will be reimbursed any reasonable expenses incurred. 

Once a decision has been made, direct offers of employment will be made by the Recruiting Manager.  

Feedback to unsuccessful candidates on their application and interview will only be provided on request to those short listed for interview.  Due to our practice of anonymised shortlisting we are unable to provide specific feedback to candidates who were unsuccessful at the shortlisting stage. 

If the second highest scoring candidate has scored high enough to be appointed, the recruiting manager has the option of adding this candidate to a reserve list.  The reserve list will be held for 6 months.  If a vacancy arises in that time, with the same job description, person specification and salary scale, the Recruiting Manager has the option to  offer the role to the applicant on the reserve list, with no need for a further interview. 

Records for successful candidates will be added to their personnel file upon commencement of employment.  All other documentation relating to the vacancy, including records of individual assessments will be kept for one year.  

The data equality and diversity data obtained through application processes will be used to monitor equality and diversity which is necessary to help us ensure we are meeting our equality obligations.  Information gathered on individual candidates will be treated as strictly confidential, and processed only privacy notice. 

All appointments will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references.  References will only be sought after an appointment offer has been accepted.  References for staff that are leaving, or have left, the organisation, should be provided in writing only.  They must be factual and objective, as they may be open to challenge.  Please refer the reference to the HR team to review before issuing, to protect Sport Wales’ interests. 

Sport Wales works with the Disclosure and Barring Service to enable safer recruitment decisions by identifying candidates who may be unsuitable for certain work, especially that involving close and regular contact with children or vulnerable adults.  Eligible posts will require a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and this will be made clear to applicants before any offer of employment is made. For further information, and full details of the procedure, please refer to the Sport Wales DBS Policy. 

A warm welcome to Sport Wales is crucial to help new starters settle into their new role and to ensure they have the knowledge and support they need to perform their role.  This begins before they join (onboarding) and continues throughout their first few months in post (induction). 

All appointments will be made subject to a probationary period of six calendar months.  After three and six months a review meeting will take place between the post holder and their line manager.  The probationary period can be extended by a further three months should the line manager consider this appropriate. 

Although most communication with candidates will now be automated via our online recruitment system, it is important to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. Therefore, candidates will still have access to contact details in case they have difficulty accessing or navigating the system or have any questions on the role. 

Employees that leave the organisation will be invited to attend an exit interview.  The information provided is useful in identifying trends, learning and development, and evaluating the effectiveness of HR policies and procedures. 

Any candidate who believes they have been treated unfairly or has a complaint about the recruitment process should contact the HR team outlining their concerns. 

Prior to confirming any redundancies, Sport Wales will take steps to explore all other alternatives that are suitable to maintain the needs of our organisation.  

Sport Wales will explore the following options (which are non-exhaustive):  

• Redeployment of employees to other suitable alternative work with retraining may be appropriate 
• recommending employees for vacancies arising in other departments within Sport Wales  
• where an employee or employees within Sport Wales possess appropriate experience and suitable skills, Sport Wales will look to them before seeking assistance from contractors, agency staff, or consultants 
• restricting recruitment 
• natural turnover  
• reduction in hours and/or pay (with agreement from employees)  
• reducing or eliminating overtime 
• non-renewal of fixed term employee contracts if Sport Wales has reasonable justification for so doing 
• consider voluntary redundancy (although Sport Wales reserves the right not to accept a volunteer if it has reasonable reasons for such refusal).  

Management  

• Produce restructuring proposal including rationale for restructuring.  
• Gain agreement from Board and/or Welsh Government, if appropriate.  
• Meet with employees affected as part of the consultation process.  
• Respond to employee consultation feedback.  
• Communicate outcomes decisions with wider team.  
• Confirm redundancies with those affected.  
• Act in accordance with this policy and guidance from HR.  
• Discuss suitable redeployment opportunities with staff ‘at risk’ of redundancy.  
• Support employees throughout the process.  
• Consider appeal requests (this will be considered by management not involved in the restructuring process)  

HR  

• Provide management with advice, support and planning throughout the restrucring exercise.  
• Ensure statutory consultation periods are adhered to.  
• Notifying the Trade Union at an early stage, where practicable, providing details of proposal before any consultation period  
• Attend consultation meeting with ‘at risk’ employees, if required  
• Liaise with management to identify suitable alternative employment opportunities for ‘at risk’ employees.   
• Along with line manager, support affected employees throughout the process  

Employees  

• Attend consultation and other meetings as required.  
• Providing written documents to assist in redeployment process, if applicable.  
• Submitting any requests for voluntary redundancy within the timeframe specified.  

Sport Wales is committed to the full involvement of employees and their representatives throughout any redundancy exercise and sufficient time will be allocated to ensure consultation is meaningful. To this end, Sport Wales will engage with the trade union/ employee’s to analyse any proposals submitted. Sport Wales will ensure, wherever possible, these submissions are incorporated into the process of handling the prospective redundancies.  

The aim of consultation is to give employees the opportunity to discuss the redundancy situation, share their views and to explore the possibility of alternative action.  Employees will have the opportunity to voice their concerns, feel a part of the process and be in a better position to make informed decisions.  

Consultation Process  

The consultation timings will reflect statutory provisions when handling potential redundancy situations.  These are 30 days for restructuring involving 20 to 99 redundancies and 45 days for over 99 redundancies.  Employees who are on leave, including maternity and sickness will be communicated with as soon as possible and protection will apply as appropriate.  

A period of consultation will begin for those highlighted as being at ‘risk’ of redundancy. Sport Wales will inform them of the following:   

• the reason(s) for the redundancy proposals 
• the proposed structure highlighting those roles at ‘risk’ of redundancy 
• the total number of employees affected 
• the proposed method of selecting the employees who may be redundant 
• the proposed method of carrying out the redundancies with due regard to any agreed procedure, including the period over which the redundancies are to take effect 
• the proposed method of calculating the amount of any redundancy payments.  

The Trade Union and/or employee representative will also be provided with this information.  

Consultation will be undertaken with a view to reaching agreement with the appropriate representatives (collective) and employees (individual). The information (mentioned above) will be discussed as well as ways in which redundancies can be avoided, how the number of employees to be made redundant can be reduced, and how the consequences of the redundancies may be mitigated.  Final decisions will not be made until employees and/or appropriate representatives have had the opportunity to respond to the proposals within a set time frame.  Where agreement cannot be reached, Sport Wales will explain why it cannot adopt the views put forward by the representatives or employees.   

In the event that notice of redundancy is served, the employee will be invited to discuss the decision with their manager or appropriate representative. During this meeting the employee will be notified of the timescales of redundancy in addition to any redundancy payment that may be available.   

Matching and Selection   

Sport Wales will consult with affected employees regarding the proposed new structure, including Job Description content.  Where there are changes to existing posts, a new Job Description and Grade will be provided, in some cases this will be an indicative grade and will be clearly communicated as such.     

Where there are changes to posts, Sport Wales will look to evidence which existing posts match the new post.  This will involve setting matching criteria by comparing the Job Description or Job Analysis Form with the new proposed post.  Matching will be completed by the relevant Director, Head of Service or Lead and will be verified independently by another Director, Head of Service or Lead.  Where there is a 70% or higher match the post holder(s) will be matched to the new post.  Where there are a higher number of matched post holders than the new structure requires, voluntary redundancy will be considered.  If a higher number of post holders remain, a selection interview/assessment will apply which would involve a scoring matrix, with the lowest scoring post holder(s) being selected for redundancy.  At this stage, if employees do not wish to take voluntary redundancy Sport Wales will look to avoid this by undertaking redeployment options as outlined below.  

Where there are no posts with a 70% or higher match, the post will be ringfenced (protected) for the displaced employee(s) who are within the relevant work area, with those of the relevant grade taking priority.  To determine suitability, an interview / assessment process will be used with a minimum selection criterion based on the requirements for the post and person specification.  Those who do not meet the minimum criteria, or score the lowest, will be selected for redundancy.  At this stage, if those eligible for redundancy payment do not wish to take voluntary redundancy, Sport Wales will look to avoid this by undertaking redeployment options as outlined below. If there is no successful candidate, then the post will be advertised internally and externally concurrently.  

If an employee is displaced as a result of their post being no longer required in the proposed structure, they will go into the redeployment pool.  They will also be able to apply for any other suitable vacancies in the organisation (which are not ringfenced).  Any employees who are displaced will have the opportunity to apply for posts at both a higher and lower grade if the post is not ringfenced or if the post is ringfenced but there are no successful applicants.  

There may be options for voluntary redundancy should expressions of interest be received. These will be reviewed on a case by case basis.  A key consideration will be if a volunteer will protect the position of another colleague at risk if they can then slot into the now vacant position.   

When a redundancy exercise is proposed, Sport Wales may take the initial step of inviting applications from all areas of the business for voluntary redundancy for a restricted period of time.   

The final decision on accepting a voluntary redundancy application will be made by a Sport Wales panel.  Employees must be aware that volunteering for redundancy will not necessarily lead to an approval of that application. Sport Wales may deem that the volunteer’s skills and capabilities are such that it would be detrimental to the Sport Wales’ future prospects if they were no longer available. In some cases, the cost of redundancy is prohibitive. In these circumstances, the application is likely to be denied.  

Any acceptance of an application for voluntary redundancy will be confirmed in writing and the individual invited to a meeting to discuss arrangements for the termination of their employment, including any entitlement to redundancy pay.  

To avoid redundancies, employees who are not matched to a suitable post or are unsuccessful in obtaining a suitable post will be able to enter the redeployment pool.  Sport Wales will provide employees with as much information as is possible about any alternative employment to enable employees to assess their suitability for the post before their contract of employment comes to an end.    

If suitable alternative employment can be found, both the employee and Sport Wales are entitled to suggest that re-employment take place over a trial period (for example, four weeks) and any such trial period will be written into the offer.  If either Sport Wales or the employee decide that the trial period is not working, Sport Wales and the employee will be entitled to consider the application of voluntary redundancy, unless the reason in question is unconnected to the new employment such as an incidence of gross misconduct. In addition, the employee will also have the option to remain in the redeployment pool for the remainder of their notice period.  

If Sport Wales offers the employee re-employment of a job that is of the same grading and skills, but the employee unreasonably rejects an offer of suitable alternative employment, there will be no entitlement to a redundancy payment. The same will apply in the event that the employee, having taken up the offer of the suitable alternative role, then resigns before the end of the trial period.  

Employees who are pregnant or have started maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave in the past 18 months will be given preference over other employees in the search for suitable alternative vacancies.   

Where there is more than one suitable applicant for a vacancy, Sport Wales will use a selection process akin to those used in a normal recruitment process, to allow for fair selection of the most suitable applicant.   

If the employee is re-employed by Sport Wales in any capacity within 12 months of leaving, the entitlement to compensation will no longer be applicable and the employee’s service will be treated as continuous for contractual purposes.  The employee will be required to repay the full compensation amount.  If the employee is employed by a body listed in the Local Government Modification Order after an interval of not more than 4 weeks, the employee’s existing continuity of employment will be recognised, however the full compensation amount will have to be repaid.      

Voluntary Redundancy will be applied as follows for employees who have over two years’ service:  

• 3 weeks’ pay per year of service, based on actual weekly pay (those aged over 55 and in the LGPS may have a pension strain as detailed below)  
• Payment capped at the equivalent of 18 months’ pay  
• Payment is also subject to any cap implemented by the government, e.g. introduction of £95,000 compensation payment cap   
• Contractual notice will apply.  All employees will be expected to work their notice period.    
• Those aged over 55 in the LGPS will have access to their unreduced pension.  Compensation payments will be adjusted to take account of any pension strain costs.  Any surplus compensation will be paid to the employee by Sport Wales.  
• As per HMRC rules, the first £30k of any compensation payment on termination of employment will be paid tax and NI free (subject to any other qualifying factors)  

Compulsory Redundancy will be applied as above with the following adjustments to the calculation of the compensation payment:  

• 2 weeks’ pay per year of service   
• Payment capped at the equivalent of 12 months’ pay  

Employees with under 2 years’ service, will not qualify for redundancy pay but will receive contractual notice.  

Employees will be entitled to appeal against their selection for redundancy.  Details of how to appeal will be contained in the confirmation of redundancy letter.    

Sport Wales recognises that a period of change brings uncertainty and unease.  We will offer employees and managers support and assistance through our counselling provider.  

Those who are under notice of redundancy will be offered financial advice, job seeking advice and funded training up to £1,000 from Sport Wales.  This funded training will be paid directly to training providers and can be used to cover the cost of any form of training that the employee may find useful to develop themselves.  

Employees may also be able to access ReAct funding of up to £1500 for retraining.  Employees will be given contact details to contact ReAct to discuss their eligibility.  This would be in addition to the £1000 funded by Sport Wales.  

Reasonable time off will be given to allow employees to look for another job, arrange training, attend interviews and seek information about alternative employment. 

You may choose to retire and draw on your pension any time after the age of 55.    

You may wish to consider working reduced hours as you near retirement age.  If applicable, please refer to the flexible working policy.  

Once you decide your retirement date you should have a discussion with your manager and provide notice as contained in your employment contract.    

Employees who are members of the Cardiff and the Vale Pension Fund can see their potential pension entitlement on the Cardiff and Vale Pensions website.  

Both the LGPS and Scottish Widows pension will have a minimum age at which you can draw pension.  If the benefit is drawn before retirement age, there may be a proportionate reduction in the amount payable.   

Once you confirm your planned retirement date with your manager, the HR team will write to you to confirm your retirement date, any outstanding annual leave, and detail any equipment that should be returned.  

You should try to take any outstanding annual leave before your last day. If, however, you are unable to do so you may receive payment for any outstanding leave.  

If you need support accessing your pension provider, please contact HR for guidance.