Probation policy and procedure

October 2025

Introduction

Lancashire County Council (LCC) is committed to supporting new employees to fulfil the requirements of their role and meet our expectations of values and behaviours.

We operate probation periods for all new employees. We recognise that starting a new job can be challenging and are committed to ensuring that you are given every opportunity to succeed in your role. This means providing you with support in the early weeks so you know how you're doing and any questions or concerns can be addressed quickly. We know it can be a little daunting starting in a new role with a new organisation, so the probationary period is all about helping you to settle in and find your feet.

As a new colleague, a probationary period gives you the chance to get a good understanding of your role and what’s expected of you - and also to make sure you get the training and support you need to do your job well.

It also gives your manager a way to assess how you’re doing so they can help you get up to speed in the role.

Our Disciplinary, and Performance Improvement and Attendance policies and procedures only apply when you have successfully completed your probation period. Whilst you are on probation all aspects of conduct and performance are subject to this policy and procedure. Attendance will be managed in accordance with the principles of the Attendance policy.

This policy does not form part of your contract of employment, and we reserve the right to amend or withdraw it at any time.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees on LCC terms and conditions, excluding teaching and non-teaching staff employed by schools and employees who transferred to the council in accordance with TUPE regulations and who remain on their previous terms and conditions of employment.

It does not apply to internal appointments within LCC (except in situations specified below), casuals, workers, contractors, consultants or any self-employed individuals working for the organisation.

Separate probation arrangements apply to children’s residential roles and this also applies to someone who has successfully completed their probationary period in a “non-children’s residential” role with us who then takes up a children’s residential post. You should refer to Monitor Residential Childcare Probation arrangements for further information.

Responsibilities

You will

Participate and engage within the probation period and review meetings.
Demonstrate your skills, knowledge and experience.
Be proactive in accessing training and development as part of the induction process.
Be proactive in seeking clarity and asking for help/support from your manager.

Your manager will

Set out clearly the standards expected of you.
Take a supportive approach to managing probation periods, holding regular review meetings with you at appropriate intervals during the probation period.
Provide training, support and tools to enable you to develop and perform in your role.
Monitor your performance, attendance and conduct and be proactive in managing any concerns.
Provide regular feedback and discuss any concerns with you promptly.
Document all probation review meetings using the probation record
Manage probation periods in accordance with this policy.

People Services will

Provide support and guidance to managers on the implementation and application of this policy.
Regularly review and update this policy.

Your probation period

Your contract of employment will specify whether your employment is subject to a probation period, its length and any conditions attached to it.

Internal appointments

If you are offered a new role within the council and have previously successfully completed a probation period, you will not be subject to a further probation period unless you are moving into a children's residential post.

Your manager will meet with you regularly to support you in your new role with us. The purpose of this is to provide you with feedback on your performance and discuss any support or development that you may require in this initial period in your new role.

Any performance or attendance issues that cannot be resolved informally within these discussions will be managed in line with the Performance Improvement or Attendance policies and procedures.

Fixed-term and temporary contracts

If you are employed on a fixed-term, temporary contract or as an apprentice, you are subject to a probation period.

If your fixed-term contract is shorter than the length of probation period, the probation period will be for the length of time you are employed. For example, if your fixed-term contract is for three months your probation period will be for three months. If your fixed-term contract is extended, the probation period will be extended in line with that, but for no longer than a total of six months.

If you are made permanent in your temporary role, we will recognise the temporary service in the post as contributing towards the probation period.

Induction

We want you to settle in and get to know the council as quickly as possible - so everyone who joins us will have an induction within their probationary period.

Arrangements for induction vary across different services and your manager will talk to you about the plans for your induction, the Directorate/Service and location you work in, your team and your role.

There’ll be a range of different materials and experiences available to help you become familiar with us and our ways of working.

Training/development

Some roles and services have specific training/development periods or programmes for new starters which need to be successfully completed as well as the probationary period. Your manager will tell you if this applies to you and explain how it fits in with your probationary period review process.

Probation plan

At the start of your employment, your manager will discuss with you a probation plan setting out:

Your job role requirements in line with your job description and, if applicable, professional standards;
The objectives that you will be expected to meet;
Any support or reasonable adjustments you may require;
The training that will be provided to you; and
Our expectations in terms of behaviours and conduct.

Your manager will also seek feedback from you on how you are finding your role and employment with us and document the discussion in the probation record.

Review meetings

Throughout your probation period, your manager will monitor your performance and progress and provide you with feedback during regular review meetings. You should expect at least three review meetings.

In addition to these review meetings, your manager will check in with you regularly to ensure that you understand what you need to do, provide you with feedback, discuss any concerns promptly and check that you are receiving and engaging with support.

Within the review meeting your manager will discuss the following with you:

Your progress in meeting the job role requirements in line with your job description and, if applicable, professional standards.
Your progress in meeting the probation objectives, determining whether you have fully met, partially met or not met the objectives at that point.
The expectations of you as an employee and how you are meeting these.

Within this meeting you will have the opportunity to discuss:

How you are finding your role and employment with us.
Any support or reasonable adjustments you feel you may need to help you perform in your role and meet the requirements of the probation period.
How you feel you could develop in your role.
Whether or not you agree with your manager's evaluation of your progress to date.

Your manager will provide you with clear examples and may amend or add to the probation objectives where they have been met or partially met.

Where there are concerns with your progress in meeting the objectives and requirements of the probation period, your manager will explore any specific support to help you improve. You should take this opportunity to highlight any support that you feel would be beneficial.

Managers will discuss any concerns with you at the earliest opportunity and, if appropriate, probation review meetings will be brought forwards.

Where there are significant concerns, managers may refer you to a probation hearing at any point during the probation period and should not wait until the end of the probation period to raise them with you.

Managers will document the review meetings using the probation record.

Final review meeting

Your manager will meet with you before your probation period concludes to discuss your progress with you in achieving the set objectives, your overall performance, attendance and conduct throughout your probation period.

Your manager will then conclude whether you have fully met, or partially met the probation objectives set, complete the probation record form recorded on Fusion and share this with you after the meeting.

Successful completion of probation period

Following the end of probation meeting you will receive a copy of the probation record document and, where you have been successful in meeting the objectives, your manager will confirm this verbally to you and in writing.

Failure to meet performance expectations

If your manager feels that satisfactory progress has not been made during your probation, you will be informed of this in the invitation to the final review meeting. The letter will set out sufficient information and examples of why your manager believes your performance has fallen short of an acceptable standard and explain the possible outcomes of the meeting.

The outcome of the meeting may be a decision to:

confirm the successful completion of your probation period;
extend your probation period where there has not been sufficient time to assess your performance and your manager has reasonable belief that the objectives can be met within the extension; or
invite you to a probation hearing if your manager considers that further support or training is unlikely to lead to a satisfactory standard of performance.

At the meeting, you will be given an opportunity to ask questions and comment on your probation period.

The outcome will be confirmed to you in writing, following the final review meeting, explaining how the decision was reached.

Extending your probation period

The decision to extend your probation period will be entirely at our discretion. This may be in circumstances where your performance has not been entirely satisfactory, but we consider that an extension may lead to an improvement, or where you have been absent from the workplace for an extended period during the probation period.

If an extension to your probation period is agreed, your manager will write to you setting out:

the length of the extension and the date on which the extended period of probation will end;
the reason for the extension and, if the reason is poor performance, details of how and why your performance has fallen short of your objectives;
the objectives that you are required to achieve by the end of the extended period of probation; and
any support, for example further training, that will be provided to you during the extended period of probation.

Probation periods will not be extended by any longer than three months, except in exceptional circumstances such as long-term absence due to maternity, adoption, shared parental leave or ill-health.

Any extension will be agreed and arranged before your original probation period ends.

Final review following extension

Before the end of any agreed period of extension, your manager will meet with you to conduct a final review of your performance during the extension period.

If your manager feels that satisfactory progress has not been made during the extended period of your probation, you will be informed in the invitation to the final review of extension meeting. The letter will set out sufficient information and examples of why your manager believes your performance has fallen short of an acceptable standard and explain the possible outcomes of the meeting.

At the meeting, you will be given an opportunity to ask questions and comment on your probation period.

The outcome of the meeting may be a decision to:

confirm the completion of your probation period where your manager is satisfied with your performance; or
invite you to a probation hearing if your manager considers that further support or training is unlikely to lead to a satisfactory standard of performance.

You should be aware that we will not extend a period of probation more than once unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The outcome of the meeting will be confirmed to you in writing, following the final review of extension meeting, explaining the grounds on which the decision was reached.

Probation hearing

Where there are concerns that you have not met the requirements of the probation period, your manager will invite you to a probation hearing. This hearing may be chaired by an independent senior manager or manager at Grade 12 and above (where authorised by their respective Head of Service under the Scheme of Delegation)

You will be given at least five working days' notice of the hearing and have the right to be accompanied at the meeting by a work colleague, trade union representative or an official employed by a trade union. If your companion is unavailable on the proposed date, you may suggest an alternative date within five working days of the original. If you do not attend the re-arranged hearing, a decision may be made in your absence.

The hearing will review the management of your probation period to date. If your manager is not chairing the hearing they will present a summary to the hearing chair if necessary.

Within the hearing you will have the opportunity to respond to the points presented by your manager and question the content of the probation record.

The outcome of the hearing may be:

Confirmation in post
Extension of the probation period (where no previous extension has been applied)
Termination of your contract of employment on the grounds that you have failed to pass your probation period

The outcome will be confirmed to you in writing. If your contract is terminated, you will be advised of your right to appeal against the decision in the outcome letter.

Appeal

You have the right to appeal against the decision to terminate your contract during your probation period.

If you intend to appeal, you must submit your grounds for appeal in writing to the manager named in the formal probation hearing outcome letter within five working days of receipt of the outcome letter. It is important that you set out the grounds of your appeal so that the manager considering it can consider them at the appeal hearing.

The appeal will be heard by a senior manager who has not been directly involved in the process to date.

The senior manager will invite you to an appeal hearing, which will normally be held within 20 working days of receipt of your appeal. If it is not possible to achieve this timeframe, this will be explained to you and the date will be confirmed.

You will be notified of the appeal hearing in writing and given at least five working days' notice. You have the right to be accompanied at the meeting by a work colleague, trade union representative or an official employed by a trade union. If your companion is unavailable on the proposed date, you may suggest an alternative date within five working days of the original. If you do not attend the re-arranged hearing, a decision may be made in your absence.

The appeal hearing is your opportunity to talk through your grounds of appeal, but it is not a repeat of the formal probation hearing. The senior manager hearing the appeal will consider evidence presented at the original hearing which is relevant to the grounds of appeal or any new information relating to your probation that could have had a bearing on the outcome but was not available at the time.

Following the hearing, the senior manager will notify you in writing of their final decision without unreasonable delay. This decision is final and there will be no further right of appeal.

Managing performance within probation

Your manager will provide clear and constructive feedback on your performance throughout your probation period.

Where there are concerns of underperformance, your manager will meet with you to discuss this, the reasons why and any support that may help you in improving. Where there is no or insufficient improvement within a reasonable timeframe your manager may refer your case to a probation hearing at any point within your probation period.

Managing attendance within probation

During your probation period you should follow our absence reporting procedures and your manager will manage any absence in accordance with principles of the Attendance policy and procedure. Your manager will seek advice from their People Business Partner in these circumstances and may, if appropriate request medical advice or discuss reasonable adjustments with you.

Where there are significant concerns with attendance levels within the probation period, your manager may refer your case to a probation hearing at any point within your probation period.

Any sickness absence within your probation period will count towards triggers for attendance management purposes following the successful completion of your probation period.

Where there is a substantial amount of absence due to sickness, disability or family related leave during the probation period your manager may, dependent on where you are in the probation period, consider extending it to ensure there is sufficient time to review your ability to meet its requirements and to ensure, where appropriate that reasonable adjustments have been implemented and support, such as Occupational Health, offered.

Managing conduct within probation

Your conduct will be reviewed as part of your probation review meetings with your manager.

Where allegations of misconduct are highlighted, your manager will meet with you promptly to discuss these with you and to give you the opportunity to respond. In cases where, following this discussion, your manager still has concerns with your conduct and there is evidence to support the allegations a probation hearing will be arranged to determine the most appropriate outcome. In cases involving allegations of serious misconduct, you may be asked to remain away from the workplace on full pay until a probation hearing is arranged.

Other procedural matters

Disability/underlying health conditions

If you have a disability or underlying health condition, appropriate support mechanisms will be accommodated wherever practicable. You should highlight any requirements or concerns to your manager at the earliest opportunity, or your manager may raise any concerns they have observed that may be addressed with reasonable adjustments with you. All requests for reasonable adjustments will be sympathetically considered on a case-by-case basis, considering any medical evidence as appropriate.

Period of notice during probation period

The appropriate periods of notice to be given by either party when termination of employment occurs during a probation period are as follows:

The minimum period of notice to be given by us will be a period of not less than one week.
The minimum period of notice to be given by you will be the ordinary period from one pay period to the next, for example one month.

Grievances

In the event you raise a grievance at any point during the probation process we will consider the most appropriate way to respond to your complaint. Where the issues are intrinsically linked to your probation, it may be appropriate for the points to be raised informally in the first instance or within the probation process (such as at a probation hearing) with your manager or a suitable alternative manager. Your manager should seek advice from their People Business Partner in these circumstances.

Data protection

We process any personal data collected during the probation period in accordance with our data protection policy. We will record only the personal information required and keep the information only for as long as necessary.

Available support

If you have any questions about this policy or the procedure, please speak to your manager or AskHR on 01772 535355. If managers need advice they can contact their People Business Partner.

If at any point you need additional support the Employee Assistance helpline is available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. They can be contacted on 0800 0542 301 or online at www.employeeassistance.org.uk using the access code lccsupport.

You may wish to access our employee health and wellbeing resources and/or contact your trade union if you are a member. You can also reach out to our various support networks.