Anyone reading this who knows anything about the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme (JES) will understand that it's a 'geeky' subject that can confuse and bamboozle you at every turn. I hope to spark your interest and leave you with food for thought because if you are a Band 6 Health Visitor you need to pay attention. 

Most jobs are matched to a profile and scored. The higher the score the higher the Band and yes ‘points do mean prizes,' because the higher the Band the higher the pay. 

The Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) updated standards for post registration programmes marks a shift in the educational expectations for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHN) to master's level (KTE Level 7). This shift has real implications for job banding and pay specifically for Health Visitors who have their own suite of profiles under JES.

The NHS JES underpins Agenda for Change and ensures that jobs are Banded fairly and consistently. It matches or evaluates jobs, not individuals and is based on the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. So, what does all this mean for Health Visitors? 

Following the NMC updated educational standards, the NHS Staff Council Job Evaluation Group reviewed the profiles for Health Visiting and made a significant decision. The Health Visitor (Band 6) and Team Manager (Band 7) profiles were put into an archive never to be used again. Only two profiles now exist for panels to match against: Health Visitor Specialist (Band 7) and Nursing/Health Visitor Specialist (Community Practice Teacher) (Band 7). Why? Having a master's level qualification (KTE Level 7) bumps the points for knowledge, training, and experience so high that the total job score would no longer fit in the Band 6 range.

There may be many Health Visitors who are already on Part 3 of the NMC register and don't have a master's level qualification. Don't worry that is taken care of and explained in the Job Evaluation Handbook, which says “If qualification requirements change over time, existing jobholders should be deemed to have achieved the new level through experience and on the job learning. ”Simply because the NMC Standards have changed doesn't mean individuals are ‘less qualified.’ 

This all sounds great doesn't it and quite straight forward, so I now need to be a party pooper with a cautionary note. Employers may evaluate rather than match Health Visitor roles as a Band 6. If they take this approach, conducting a full evaluation rather than matching, they will need to send the Job Analysis Questionnaire (JAQ) and other job information to the job evaluation group (JEG) as evidence. What would need to be clear is that a full evaluation was being carried out for genuine reasons and not a disingenuous attempt to manipulate the banding outcome.

A recognition that the educational and professional expectations for Health Visitors have shifted. The old profiles no longer reflect the reality of the role and quite right too. Whilst this has focused on Health Visitors, I hope that others on Part 3 of the NMC register have their ‘ears pricked up at this news.

RCN. Seeking a job evaluation: Advice for nursing staff and managers