People Promise Progress

Our People Promise priority actions

Key actions and progress so far

Welcome Message

The People Promise is made up of seven commitments and provides a consistent way of showing what we're doing to improve your experience at work. We have been listening, and in May 2022, developed six priority actions, using your feedback from the 2021 staff survey and what you said would make the most difference to you. Each priority action is led by an Executive Director. Some things will take time to feel a difference, but we're working hard to deliver these improvements. The purpose of this document is to update you on our progress and to be honest where things have proven more challenging, together with next steps.

Paul Jones

Chief People Officer, NNUH

NNUH Staff Council

Our newly formed Staff Council has 60 members, representing a wide range of job roles across all divisions. Discussions to date include potential support options for staff over the winter period, developing our new Leadership Standards, flexible working, shaping our organisational culture and our travel to work options.

The Council will play a key part in shaping our future actions, reviewing and considering your feedback through our staff survey results.

Staff Council member Alex Hannah, Cromer Directorate PA/Support Services Manager says, "I'm enjoying being part of the Council and we've had positive, constructive discussions with a real feeling of being listened to and actions followed up. "

Recruiting to our vacancies

New staff recruited

Since January 2022, we've welcomed 120 Registered Professionals and 270 Healthcare Assistants and a further 60 international colleagues will join us in the coming months.

We're improving the time it takes to hire new colleagues, which has come down from 80 days to under 55 days. However, there's more to do, to reduce this further to 38 days.

We've also introduced career conversations for students and staff, held open day events to attract new staff to join NNUH and are using recruitment incentives for hard to fill posts.

More of you are

staying

The number of staff staying to continue their career at NNUH is growing. Turnover has stabilised during Autumn 2022 which provides additional staff for our teams, but we need to improve further with our target being 10% by end March 2023.

We've introduced a new Stay Conversation for all staff. If you're thinking of leaving, please use this to tell us what might help make you stay so we can see how we can make this happen.

Our new educational roles, B3 HCA posts and a "First 100 Days" programme have all provided structured support for HCA colleagues and the retention of HCAs has improved over the last 6 months.

Improving staff facilities

Refurbishing staff rest areas

We've audited rest areas across our sites to prioritise refurbishments. Eight areas will be refurbished by end of March 2023, with Theatres and Delivery Suite already completed (shown below) and work now underway in the Mortuary.

Colour palettes and furnishings have been agreed following discussions with staff and £20,000 has been provided by the N&N Hospital charity for additional furniture and equipment.

Emma Jarvis, from the project team says, “I’m delighted to be supporting this work, creating bright, modern spaces for staff to take their break. Our audit found very outdated furniture and equipment and it's vital we continue updating facilities to support staff wellbeing.”

Travel to Work options

Revised travel to work options are currently being consulted with staff. This includes:

a possible park and ride option at Thickthorn additional cycle racks and changing facilities

Your responses will be taken forward, with implementation from April 2023. In the meantime, an additional 200 additional car parking permits have been offered to staff.

Electric vehicle charging points have also been installed, to provide facilities for the increasing number of e-vehicles our staff are using.

Management support and apreciation

Support at ward level

You wanted greater support at ward level and across the hospital so managers better understood your concerns.

A programme of visits is underway by senior leaders and Board Directors, which will increase to weekly over the winter months and we're working with our Staff Council to identify further support that might be helpful.

We've had feedback that you've found the visits helpful and you can request a visit by emailing Peoplepromise@nnuh.nhs.uk

New appraisal process

We've launched a new Personal Development Review (PDR) process for a more meaningful discussion with your manager and includes a wellbeing conversation and any career ambitions you may have. Early feedback is that you prefer the new format and enables a more valuable conversation.

Anna Wordley, Lead Specialist Screening Practitioner says, “The new PDR allows for reflection, review of achievements, commitments to the next 12 months, learning needs to support and for manager feedback. Being new into role, it allowed us to document my priorities, with timelines my manager agrees to which is really helpful.”

Claudia Andone, Assistant Practitioner likes the layout of the new form saying, "It's concise and structured and makes easy transition from the previous PDR as where you were, where you are and where you would like to be."

Staff Nurse Jade Whatley says she found the PDR an effective tool for personal reflection and personal growth and also opens discussion and a acknowledgement on mental wellbeing, which the previous appraisal did not.

Your wellbeing Health and wellness

Support and Restore Days, together with a series of "Winter Wellbeing Evenings" with a range of topics are available to the end of March 2023 for you to book onto.

Schwartz Rounds, a nationally recognised reflection based programme will re commence in January 2023, having trained additional facilitators.

Our team of Professional Nurse Associates (PNAs) increases to 30 from February 2023, with an Allied Health Professional equivalent role planned. Our PNAs provide a range of confidential support, from personal support and reflection following a complex case, career advice, revalidation, flexible working or any other concern you may have.

Scan here for the full range of wellbeing support available.

Reducing "in-shift" moves

You told us how much you dislike moving areas at short notice. We've reduced "In shift" moves by 54% from the January 2022 highpoint and 1300 fewer moves between April-October 2022 compared to last year. We've also introduced "sister wards" within specialties to better support colleagues where moves are unavoidable.

Financial wellbeing

54% improvement

Rising costs of living impact many colleagues.

We've created a booklet with a range of information and support, available via the QR code below. Following a successful event in August outside the Benjamin Gooch, our second on-site Expo is planned for 11th January 2023 bringing together a range of benefit providers and sources of help and support, such as MoneyHelper and Citizens Advice.

Adressing poor behaviours

No Excuse for Abuse

We've launched our "No Excuse for Abuse" campaign, in partnership with Norfolk Police. This highlights the consequences of abusing our staff, including prosecutions. This is supported by a Protocol to Withdraw Care, where patients consistently behave unacceptably to colleagues.

Our Dignity at Work policy is also being reviewed, to better address bullying behaviours. Our confidential Speak Up service can also advise and signpost to sources of help.

Erika Denton, Medical Director and Executive Lead for this workstream says, " Disrespectful or bullying behaviour is unacceptable and should have no place in our Trust.

Please tell us if you experience this, as you will be supported in doing so."

Divisional and team actions

Divisional teams met with staff in areas reporting high levels of bullying or feeling unable to Speak Up, with staff saying they felt listened to as a result. Additional wellbeing and speak-up drop-in support has been put in place in high pressure areas, we're working to improve the experience of our overseas colleagues, and have divisional and student experience groups to enable local actions.

Investing in line managers

Our "Licence to Lead", is a programme for all NNUH managers. Investing in leadership training is vital to ensure a consistent approach to managing people, in line with our PRIDE values.

Our target is for 500 managers to complete their Licence by end of March 2023 and more than 2000 managers have already enrolled on the programme.

Flexible Working

New flexible working policy

Our new approach to flexible working launched in October 2022, with a new policy supported by a series of Open Conversations, manager briefings and information.

We aim to "say yes" to flexible working wherever it's possible to do so. A new divisional oversight process has been established to ensure greater equity in decisions and see if any barriers can be overcome.

Use your NHS pension to work flexibly

A range of options are available to draw all or part of your pension benefits and continue working at NNUH. Free pensions webinars are available each month with information and support, and we have an Alternate Reward Policy for colleagues adversely impacted by lifetime allowances.