Retention Charter action 3.3
Action 3.3: Provide access to retirement planning discussions at an early stage and support those retiring and returning to work.
Action 3.3 is part of Domain 3 of the RCPsych's Retention Charter for employers - which relates to creating a culture of belonging.
What stage is your organisation at?
Use this maturity matrix to assess what stage your organisation is at, in terms of Action 3.3.
- Protocols/policies are in place to support retirement planning including flexible retirement options and access to portfolio careers.
- Procedures are in place to support psychiatrists returning to work after retirement including the provision of information, resources, and appropriate training to ease their transition back into the workplace.
- The organisation clearly communicates the value of late career psychiatrists and appreciation of their experience, skills, and organisational memory, raising awareness of the desire to actively retain them.
- Medical managers proactively and routinely meet with staff heading towards retirement early on and discuss/explore their options.
- The organisation raises awareness of retirement planning policies and options on a regular basis at appropriate departmental meetings and training sessions.
- Mechanisms exist to promote organisational learning from exit interviews of people retiring.
- Formal careers advice talks/sessions, including pensions advice, are regularly facilitated for psychiatrists approaching retirement.
- The organisation enables people to continue developing their careers, in keeping with their expertise, experience and interests with appropriate access to formal leadership positions and non-patient-facing responsibilities for psychiatrists in in retire and return roles.
- There is evidence of innovative practice to support retirement planning and/or people returning to work following retirement such as ‘retire and return champions’.
Advice and recommendations
- Review existing retirement policies and ensure that there is sufficient flexibility within these to allow for a wide range of flexible retirement options including partial retirement (draw down), retire and return, step down, and wind down options.
- Identify staff approaching retirement and offer proactive and supportive conversations to discuss retirement flexibilities and how these can be applied on an individual basis. Options such as reducing PAs, SOAD and tribunal work can all be explored.
- Support staff who manage individuals or teams to have these retirement planning discussions by providing them with relevant training, information, and resources.
- Complete voluntary exit interviews for staff retiring and analyse key themes arising from these interviews to improve the staff experience.
- Collaborate with trade unions and external institutions to arrange careers talks and pensions advice sessions for psychiatrists planning to retire.
- Engage in discussions before a doctor retires on the role that they will be returning to under ‘retire and return’ options.
- Ensure sufficient flexibility and variety of roles for staff planning retirement, including career development opportunities and portfolio jobs plans encompassing leadership, education, and research opportunities in addition to clinical responsibilities.
- Provide a comprehensive set of resources for staff planning retirement, with all relevant information and links to external guidance and organisational support being collated together and easily accessible.
- Provide information on re-registration and appropriate training and support for Psychiatrists returning to work after retirement, including mandatory training and opportunities to refresh clinical competencies.
- Consider paying employer contributions to the employee on leaving the NHS pension scheme.
Links and resources
- The RCPsych has a dedicated webpage for retired members titled ‘New horizons’ which provides access to various information and resources
- NHS England have published guidance on retaining doctors in late stages of their careers including ten recommendations for systems and employers.
- NHS Employers have produced guidance on ‘flexible retirement’ and ‘using flexible retirement to support retention'.
- NHS Staff Council have additionally produced flexible retirement guidance including an overview of partial retirement, retire and return, step down, wind down, and early retirement reduction buy out options.
- NHS Employers have produced a downloadable poster which visually depicts the various retirement flexibilities in the NHS Pension Scheme.
- The BMA has produced guidance on returning to work after retirement.
- The GMC has compiled a document of frequently asked questions about revalidation for retired doctors and those preparing to retire.
Examples of good practice
Nottingham University Hospitals have created a ‘Late Careers Hub’ supporting late career health professionals across the Integrated Care System with online access to multiple resources, information, and videos.