Article

TCS Network - one year on

Celebrating the first year of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (TCS) Network

27 June 2024

This page details the purpose of the NHS TCS Network, outlines some of the key achievements from the past twelve months and includes details on becoming a member.

In June 2023, we formed a new TCS Network which comprised of operational NHS HR and payroll practitioners. The aim of this group was to help ensure the service provision, advice and expertise provided to the service by NHS Employers was fit for purpose and covered both strategic and operational viewpoints.  

The group has now been established twelve months, with particular focus being put on establishing the group and understanding the needs of employers. The group has contributed to a number of NHS Staff Council and NHS Employer workstreams, and we look forward to progressing further workstreams and supporting the NHS Staff Council to ensure the employer voice is heard. 

Joining the network

If you are interested in joining the TCS Network, please complete this short expression of interest form.

  • By participating in the TCS Network, you will be influencing and informing on national guidance, negotiations and key deliverables, ensuring the operational HR viewpoint is accounted for. 

    There will be opportunities to build new relationships, network, share knowledge and information between trusts and regions and work alongside trade unions. 

    We expect that these experiences will also contribute significantly to your personal and professional development. 

    Our network meetings have standard agenda items which includes a national update following NHS Staff Council meetings, share and learn sessions, discussion topics and opportunities to connect and network with NHS colleagues. 

  • One of our standing items is a share and learn, where members bring their queries to the group to gain a better understanding of the application and interpretation of the handbook. Topics have included pay on promotion, redundancy qualification, pay point entry, and dignity at work. 

  • The network has played a part in feeding into guidance and resources to support ongoing work of NHS Employers. Such as the homeworking task and finish group, which contributed to further guidance to support Section 35: home and agile/hybrid working, the working time regulation task and finish group, which contributed to supporting guidance following Section 27 been amended to align with existing working time regulations for night workers. 

    Members also gave feedback to provide a national response to the government’s consultation on its proposal around retained EU employment law reforms on Working Time Regulations, holiday pay and TUPE. 

TCS Community Facebook group

In addition to the TCS Network, we also have our TCS community Facebook group which is a wider group open to all NHS HR and payroll professionals. This group is a safe place for you to connect and network with other NHS colleagues, ask for support and share your knowledge. NHS employers also use this to share our work and seek feedback and input from members.  

Join the Facebook group.