Given the origins of the Forum, it is not surprising that the services it has developed hitherto have revolved around employment law, practice and procedures.

SFCF precedents for critical documents such as Senior Postholder contracts of employment are widely adopted as they are based on  best practice and an evolutionary approach to balancing the interests of the corporation and the individual.

A monthly bulletin covers issues relating to employment law, Sixth Form College conditions of service, pensions and other HR issues.  Employer Guides examine in detail relevant HR issues, such as redundancy, fixed term contracts and part-time staff.  Two or three free workshops each term  deal with relevant HR issues and there is also an annual employment law update.

A ‘helpline’ service by telephone, letter and email provides advice to individual colleges on specific employee relations problems and the interpretation and application of national agreements.  Ad hoc advisory circulars on other issues are distributed as they arise.   Brief surveys on a range of issues are conducted by e-mail.

The annual survey of the numbers and salaries of all staff provides comparative information on the pay levels for all staff in the sector.  And an annual survey looking at the working arrangements for teaching staff in Sixth Form College shares practices such as duration of the working day, set sizes and contact time, so that management can get a holistic view of preferred  practices.