JNC - Teacher Booker supply teacher bookings 03 02 26
Renfrewshire Council · 3 February 2026
Back to Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff — 3 February 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC Agenda Item .......... Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers To: Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers On: 3rd February 2026 Report by Joint Secretary (Management Side) Renfrewshire Council / Teacher Booker Supply Booking System Practice Updates: Multiple Jobs in Same School & Use of ‘Dates to be Determined’ Option 1. Purpose of Paper 1.1 This paper provides the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) with: • An overview of the agreed practice update relating to payment arrangements for supply teachers working multiple short jobs in the same school within a single week; and • A second practice update relating to the appropriate use of the ‘dates to be determined’ option within Teacher Booker (TB) when posting supply jobs. 1.2 Both updates have been developed following consultation with Teachers’ Unions and through review of system use across schools. 2. Background 2.1 Current Teacher Booker Arrangements 2.1.1 TB currently records a full day of supply work for teachers as 5.5 hours for 1– 2 day jobs. For jobs exceeding 2 days, the system automatically uplifts hours to 7 hours per day. 2.1.2 This uplift can be recognised only when days are contained within a single job request. 2.2 Issue Identified – Multiple Jobs in Same School 2.2.1 Supply teachers regularly undertake separate 1–2 day jobs within the same school during a single week. 2.2.2 When the combined total exceeds 2 days, they qualify for the 7-hour uplift; however:
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PUBLIC • TB cannot currently aggregate multiple jobs for uplift purposes; • Teachers entitled to uplift may only receive 5.5 hours unless manual intervention occurs. 2.2.3 A system development request has been submitted; no completion timeline is yet available. 2.3 System Limitation – Job Advertising with Fixed Dates 2.3.1 TB currently displays candidates only where availability covers the full start and end date range of a posted job. This limits responses and can prevent schools identifying workers able to cover part of the period. 2.3.2 The ‘dates to be determined’ option is therefore necessary in certain circumstances until system changes are implemented. 3. Summary of Agreed Practice Updates 3.1 Uplift for Multiple Jobs in Same School 3.1.1 Where a supply teacher works multiple 1–2 day jobs in the same school during a single week, and these total more than 2 days, the uplift to 7 hours must be applied. 3.1.2 Applies only within the same school (not across different schools). 3.1.3 Effective from Tuesday 6th January 2026. 3.2 Processing Arrangements Option 1 – Preferred • Schools create each job separately. • Approvers manually update hours from 5.5 to 7 per day prior to approval. Option 2 • Schools create one job covering all days worked via timesheet additions. • TB applies uplift automatically. • Reduced management information is a limitation. 3.3 Practice Update: Use of the ‘Dates to be Determined’ Option Following discussion with Teachers’ Unions and review of system usage, the following guidance has been agreed for the appropriate use of the ‘dates to be determined’ posting option in TB.
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PUBLIC 3.3.1 Appropriate Use of the Option The option may be used in the following circumstances: a) Posting a historic job Where it has not been possible to create or assign a job before the actual start date. b) Posting where actual start or end dates are unknown Examples include: • Maternity leave that may commence earlier than estimated. • Absences that extend beyond the originally reported duration. c) Posting when more than one supply worker may be required Used where cover across a period may need multiple workers. Note: When fixed dates are entered, TB currently filters candidates to those available for the entire date range. A development request to remove this restriction is pending. 3.3.2 Benefits of Using the ‘Dates to be Determined’ Option This option: • Allows the job to be visible to all candidates available for any of the intended dates. • Supports greater flexibility when availability varies. • Improves potential responses, particularly when “general cover” is selected rather than a specific subject 3.3.3 Assigning Candidates and Job Creation When candidates express interest: • Schools should confirm exact availability with applicants. • Only one candidate may be assigned per job. • If multiple workers are needed, schools must create additional job(s) and assign each candidate separately. • For the candidate assigned under the ‘dates to be determined’ job, schools must create a timesheet for the dates they will work to ensure correct payment.
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PUBLIC 4. Key Considerations 4.1 Both practice updates ensure alignment with conditions of service and support equitable treatment of supply teachers. 4.2 The ‘dates to be determined’ option improves the ability to source cover flexibly where availability fluctuates. 4.3 Manual adjustments remain necessary until TB system developments are delivered. 4.4 Maintaining clear audit trails remains essential, particularly where non-standard posting and approval processes are used. 5. Recommendations for JNC The JNC is invited to: 5.1 Note the practice update on uplift application for supply teachers working multiple jobs in the same school. 5.2 Note the practice update regarding the use of the ‘dates to be determined’ option. 5.3 Endorse implementation of both updates from 6 January 2026. 5.4 Support Option 1 as the preferred method for uplift processing due to audit and management information benefits. 5.5 Support continued engagement with Teacher Booker in relation to system development requests. 5.6 Agree to receive further monitoring updates as system enhancements progress.
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PUBLIC Appendix 1 Renfrewshire Council / Teacher Booker Supply Booking System Practice Update for Teachers Working Multiple Jobs in Same School Following discussion with the Teacher’s Unions, the following practice update has been agreed for Teachers working multiple jobs in the same school, over a one week period, that when combining the total number of days worked, exceeds 2 days. Based on this principle, the uplift from 5.5hrs per day to 7 hrs requires to be applied. The TB system is currently set up as 5.5 hrs for a full day’s work for supply Teachers. This is due to the rule that supply teachers will only get paid for 5.5 hrs for any 1-2 day jobs worked. The system has a calculation tool built in to automatically apply to uplift these hours to 7hrs per day, for any jobs over 2 days. For information, jobs over 2 days can be for either consecutive days or for example Mondays only over a 3 week period, as long the days are contained within the same job request. The system will automatically apply the uplift to 7 hrs per day. Based on the agreed change of practice, please find below an example showing a supply Teacher working multiple jobs, in the same school, over one week period, each separate job no more than 1 or 2 days:- School Job Dates Worked No. of Days Hours Paid Pre Practice Update Hours to Be Paid Post Practice Update Renfrewshire HS JOB- 12345 06/10/25 1 5.5 hrs 7 hrs * Renfrewshire HS JOB- 12346 07/10/25 1 5.5 hrs 7 hrs * Renfrewshire HS JOB- 12347 09/10/25- 10/10/25 2 5.5 hrs 14 hrs * * The Teacher Booker system is set up to recognise when one job has more than 2 days and automatically applies the uplift from 5.5 hrs to 7 hrs. However, it currently cannot recognise 3 individual jobs (all under 2 days), within the same school, when the days combined, exceeds 2 days, to then be able to apply the uplift automatically. A development request has been submitted to Teacher Booker however we do not have a timescale for when this work will be completed, if it is at all possible. Effective, Tuesday 6th January 2026, this updated practice should be implemented within schools. Using the examples above, there are 2 options to process the uplifted hours:- Option 1 (preferred) Poster should create 3 separate jobs, as this will provide more accurate management information i.e. reason code, dates worked, who cover is for etc. and the approver should then update the hours from 5.5 hrs to 7 hrs within the associated timesheets when approving them. Option 2 Poster creates the first job for one day’s work (6th Oct) and then the additional days worked on 7th, 9th and 10th Oct can be added to the 6th Oct timesheet. Using this option, will result in the uplift being applied automatically by the system, however, will not give you detailed management information, as you will only have one job created, not 3 separate jobs. Please note:- we have submitted a development request to TB, to add a free text box to the timesheet page. This will enable us to capture reasons for adding days to the timesheet outwith the original job dates, and this will also satisfy audit requirements. The likely timescale for completion is around Jan - Mar 2026.
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PUBLIC In addition, an exercise has been completed to review the hours worked for the period, ‘go live’ on 22nd April until 10th October 2025, to identify any supply teacher who worked multiple jobs, in the same school, and is due to be paid the uplift. This request has now been submitted to payroll for processing and was paid in the 27th November 2025 pay. A separate exercise will be completed for the period 21st October until 19th December 2025. This request will be submitted to payroll for processing and should be included within the 29th January 2026 pay. This updated practice does not include working multiple jobs, across different schools, in a one week period. Sylvia Easton Service Delivery Manager (Frontline Schools) December 2025
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PUBLIC Appendix 2 Renfrewshire Council / Teacher Booker Supply Booking System Practice Update for Using Dates to be Determined Option The ‘dates to be determined’ option can be used as per undernoted:- 1) Post a historic job – this option is available, when it hasn’t been possible to create a job and assign a worker in advance of the start date. 2) Post a job when you don’t know the actual start date (e.g. maternity leave pending where the planned date may start earlier), or the actual end date (e.g. covering an absence, when the duration extends longer than anticipated, from when absence was first reported). 3) Post a job and get no response, but you are aware the dates for the job could be covered by more than one supply worker *. * Currently, when posting a job with a start and end date, the system is set up to identify candidates only, that can cover the full range of dates listed in the job. Please note: a request has been sent to TB to change this. This is in their list of developments for future system changes. In the meantime, you can use the ‘dates to be determined’ option, as this will provide you with the option to send the job to all candidates who are available for either the full date range or just for some of the dates. If you select a subject e.g. geography, this will apply the filter, and therefore reduce the overall number of candidates. You may get a greater response, if you select ‘general cover’. Once candidates apply for the job, you can then liaise with them to determine the actual dates they can work. Please note: that only one candidate can be assigned to one job. If you chose more than one candidate to cover the date range, you would need to create an additional job(s) and assign the candidate(s) to the job(s). You can then use the actual dates they are going to work when creating the additional job(s). Please remember that for the candidate you assign to the original ‘dates to be determined’ job, you will need to create the timesheet for the days they will be working, to ensure they get paid. Sylvia Easton Service Delivery Manager (Frontline Schools) December 2025