OUR PEOPLE PLAN 2022– 2027

In this issue of Heartbeat, we speak to our Chief People Officer, Frieza Mahmood about the launch of the People Plan and how it will address the issues you have raised in our staff surveys.

The People Plan was approved by our Board in January and sets out how we will deliver on our People objective - to cultivate and sustain happy, productive and engaged staff.

Our new People Plan supports that strategic objective by focussing on improving staff satisfaction and experience in order to support a positive organisational culture to thrive.

Frieza told us more: “The People Plan is really about the things that matter to everyone who works in our organisation. Every time you give us feedback via the national staff surveys or the quarterly Pulse surveys,

Staff Survey Results

The NHS Staff survey results were released earlier in March – thank you to everyone who took the time to give their feedback.

The response rate for our organisation was broadly comparable to previous years with over 2,800 responses. We would love to increase the number of responses substantially to ensure we are hearing the representative voice of all of our colleagues.

While the results continued to show we need to take significant action to improve staff satisfaction, we did see an improvement in how colleagues view their line managers. For the first time, we saw an improvement in all the line manager questions.

My we genuinely listen and take the time to understand what your views really mean.

“This plan is a very detailed commitment about what we will do to give you a great experience as a member of our team here at SWB.

“For instance, there are a number of elements linked to development as a direct effort to support our staff in having the tools they need to do their job well and accelerate their career in the Trust. There is also an important focus on key areas such as fairness which can result in poor staff experience if not consistently managed well. We want to make SWB a great place to work – we want you to develop and grow your career with us. We also want members of our communities to choose us an employer and establish a long-term career in our organisation.

“Essentially we want you to be able to be proud to work for us and recommend SWB as a great place to work and receive care.”

"This is a very positive development and shows that we are making progress toward the achievement of our objectives. The line manager’s role is a significant one and the new People Plan has an important focus on development for line managers. This is on the basis that they have a substantial impact on how staff feel about work on a day-today basis. So, it is essential that we continue our focus in this area,” added Frieza.

“I’d like to thank line managers for everything they are doing to support their teams particularly in the challenging times we continue to face and encourage them to ask for help where needed, so that we can continue to listen to and be responsive to what our staff need.”

“This year we are launching our leadership framework which focusses on our values (Ambition – Respect – Compassion) which you helped coproduce. The framework will encompass compassionate leadership and leading in a safe environment (both physically and psychologically).”

Personal development is also a focus this year. In the staff survey, 87 per cent of respondents said they had a personal development review (PDR) in the past year but disappointingly, very few found it to be of use.

Frieza told us: “The PDR process over the last few years during the pandemic has been shortened to focus predominantly on staff wellbeing and we believe managers have struggled to complete this process despite streamlining it. We are also aware of concerns about the extent to which the PDR timescales impact how meaningful the process is, in reality. As a result of the survey feedback we are reviewing our whole PDR process and cycle to address this and better align it to the values and strategic objectives for the Trust.

“It is important that PDRs are meaningful for staff and managers. I would also urge staff to think about what they want from the process before having a conversation with their manager.

• What are your aspirations?

• Do you have training needs?

• What would you like to achieve in your role?

“I have said this many times, but our annual training budget is not very well utilised. That funding has been set aside for you and your personal development so please make use of it.”

Frieza also stressed that the People Plan will aim to tackle issues around equality, diversity and inclusion.

“The most successful organisations are those that embrace the opportunity that difference can bring,” she said. We all have different experiences and it is those experiences that can really make SWB a great place to work.

This is an example of what colleagues said when asked about the quality of their PDR.

“Unfortunately, not everyone has a great experience in our organisation. The People Plan will look at our internal processes as we introduce a just and learning culture, along with other factors relating to practices that are fundamental to tackling the issues people are going through.

"We see line managers as being essential in the delivery of this, but colleagues also have an important supporting role. I would urge anyone who observes unfair practice to please call it out.”