NGSU Rapport Issue 98

rapport The Nationwide Group Staff Union magazine

Issue 98

Spring 2022

NGSU CONFERENCE Your priorities are our priorities

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2 98 SPRING 22

Getting our message out there If there’s one thing I want to do in my time as President it’s improve how we communicate about the great work we do on behalf of you, the members. That’s why I’m really glad that we’re already creating the short videos and webinars that I promised when I told conference last October that we were about to ‘go all Hollywood’.

As I said at the time, I don’t mean making films about NGSU’s work that are full of highspeed car chases, caped superheroes or well-dressed spies hanging out of helicopters (although that does have a certain appeal!).

What I’m talking about is using the technology we all have at our fingertips now to spread the word about all the great and important things we do for all our members who rely on us, both now and in the future.

We made our debut with my Christmas video message (complete with Christmas elf hat!), which I made to thank all our members for their support and all our reps for their hard work throughout the challenging year that was 2021. We followed that up with our first webinar in January featuring Barry Murphy, the Vice-President, NEC member Karol Kubik from Bournemouth and me again – no hats this time, though, just Barry’s magnificent beard!

I’m really chuffed that we’re already making good on that conference pledge, because I’m a great believer in doing what you say you’re going to do. We’ve got to get better at getting our message out there especially right now, when we know more change is on the way in the business.

So we are geared up to support people through whatever comes, just as we always have been. And we’ll continue to do all we can to save jobs, improve pay, influence change for the better and prevent miscarriages of justice at work, just as we always have.

I’m firmly of the view that some things are worth shouting about and with some things, you can get a better outcome by working with the

business behind the scenes. Of course, that means you won’t always see what we’re doing, when we’re doing it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not happening! And yes, we always try to avoid megaphone diplomacy.

But we always stand up for what is right.

That’s what we do, every single day.

One thing is clear: the more members we have, the more power we have to effect change. So who do you know who’d be interested in being part of making that happen?

There’s never been a more important time.

Nic Sellars President

rapport Spring 2022

NGSU Middleton Farmhouse, 37 Main Road, Middleton Cheney, Banbury, Oxon OX17 2QT Tel: 01295 710767 Fax: 01295 712580 ngsu@ngsu.org.uk www.ngsu.org.uk NationwideGroupStaffUnion We use bitly URLs to convert long web addresses into shorter ones throughout the magazine.

To avoid single-use plastics, we use a biodegradable polywrap produced from potato starch.

THREE WAYS TO KEEP IN TOUCH Union Mail Union Mail is our monthly newsletter for NGSU members, which keeps everyone up to date with developments on pay and conditions at Nationwide, special offers and news from the union and full details of all the winners in our subscription draw.

For the last few months, we’ve been sending it out as an email rather than as a document intended to go up on noticeboards.

So if you haven’t been receiving your copy in your inbox, check your junk or spam folders to see if your email programme has been routing NGSU messages there.

The best way to prevent that from happening is to add our email address, ngsu@ngsu.org.uk, to your

contacts / safe sender list.

If there’s no sign of Union Mail in your spam folder, it could be that we don’t have your up-to-date personal email address.

You can either log in to your NGSU website account and update your email address there; or we can do that for you from the NGSU office – simply get in touch using our email address, ngsu@ngsu.org.uk.

The third possibility is that at some point you opted out of receiving emails from us. If you’d like to opt back in, email us at ngsu@ngsu.org.uk.

If you’ve done all that, and are still not receiving Union Mail, please email us and we’ll try to sort things out.

MORE INFO

NGSU Forum The NGSU Forum on our website enables members to exchange views on almost any topic they’re interested in.

By reading all the posts, the NGS U team has often been able to take the points raised into conversatio ns with the Society, to gain further clar ity or to seek a change in approa ch.

As we’re just a small team, we can’t respond to every post – but mos t of the time, a fellow Forumite is able to provide any information sou ght!

You can join the Forum via the ‘Contact Us’ menu on our web site.

All we ask is that you observe the House Rules, which you can read by clicking on the Help and Hou se Rules link on the Forum homepa ge.

l You can catch up with Union Mail by logging in on our website, where you can find all back issues via the News menu.

Your NGSU rep You can raise any issue about working for Nationwide with your NGSU Representative. They can then take the matter to their next reps’ meeting to discuss it there.

And if the reps can’t resolve your issue at their meeting, they can take your concerns to the National Executive Committee and the Union Negotiating Team.

NGSU reps cover all parts of the business throughout the country.

To find out who your rep is, log on to our website, click on the ‘Help At Work’ dropdown menu and select ‘Who’s My Rep’.

4 98 SPRING 22

The NGSU Charitable Fund exists to help charities undertake their vital work.

Is there a good cause you’d like us to support?

Offering a helping hand

I

f there’s a charity close to your heart that you’d like your union to support, you can ask the National Executive Committee (NEC) to look into making a donation from the Charitable Fund.

The Fund has recently made donations to national organisations like the children’s charity NSPCC, the homelessness charity Crisis and the food bank network run by The Trussell Trust, as well as contributions to international humanitarian aid efforts coordinated by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

One of the high-profile national organisations the Fund supported last year was Guide Dogs, the charity that helps blind and partially sighted adults and children.

NGSU rep Amy Simmons suggested the donation after discovering that a Nationwide member in the branch she was managing was fundraising by running the London Landmarks Half-Marathon last summer.

The London Landmarks Half Marathon route starts on Pall Mall and finishes by Downing Street, in between passing historical sites such as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Bank of England and the Tower of London

The NEC agrees how much money to set aside for the Charitable Reserve at the start of every year. A sub-group then considers all requests that come in in detail, before making recommendations to the whole NEC. Priority is generally given to requests that come directly from members and from the Disasters Emergency Committee. This helps ensure that large-scale campaigns that attract major media coverage at times of crisis don’t completely overshadow smaller charities dear to the heart of members.

as well as more recent additions to the skyline including the Gherkin, the Shard and the London Eye. “Sarah’s one of our regular members – she comes in a lot and is loved by everyone – and when she told us she was doing the halfmarathon, we put up her fundraising poster in the branch,” Amy says.

“Then I happened to attend a union meeting where people were talking about how the NGSU Charitable Fund helps people, and I hadn’t heard about that, so I contacted Nic Sellars and submitted a case.”

Amy says it felt lovely to be able to help such a well-loved member. “Sarah has been coming in since I started 11 years ago and she means a lot to all of us,” she says.

Because Covid restrictions were still in place last summer when Amy heard that the Fund would be making the donation, she told Sarah the good news on the street outside the branch.

“It was really emotional: I hadn’t told Sarah about applying for it because I didn’t want to get her hopes up so she wasn’t expecting it and was close to tears,” Amy says.

“She said she was overwhelmed with gratitude, which was really

“After completing the race last August, Sarah came into the branch to show off her T-shirt and runner’s medal” nice to hear, and a couple of other customers who overheard us said, ‘Oh wow, that’s really amazing’ as well!”

After completing the race last August, Sarah came into the branch to show off her T-shirt and runner’s medal.

As well as helping well-known national charities like Guide Dogs, the Charitable Fund also supports smaller organisations such as SPRING, the Bournemouth-based charity that helps parents and families whose babies have died during pregnancy or shortly after birth.

It’s been a cause dear to National Regional Officer Louise Chissell ever since her son died 23 weeks into her pregnancy in 2015.

Based in St. Mary’s Maternity Unit at Poole Hospital, SPRING

If you would like the Fund to consider a donation to a charity you support, please email NGSU President Nic Sellars at ngsu@ngsu.org.uk

covers Bournemouth, Poole and the surrounding area.

“They have a specific suite at the back of the maternity unit with its own entrance and two private rooms, which means you’re not in the main delivery suite,” Louise explains.

“My husband could stay with me once they removed the hospital bed and there was no pressure – it was, ‘Stay as long as you need, however long that is’.”

As well as offering bereavement counselling and peer support sessions facilitated by qualified counsellors, SPRING provides bereaved parents and relatives with memory boxes that help them remember the babies they have lost.

The Charitable Fund paid for 500 special keyrings, which SPRING includes in the memory boxes.

They all feature a centre that can be popped out and left with the baby, while the parents hold on to the rest.

“Things like this are so important because when you lose a baby in pregnancy or soon after birth, you don’t have a lot of memories,” Louise says.

“These little things where you can put something with the baby and keep something with you make all the difference to build those memories from what you’ve got.”

Recognising the enormous value of all the support SPRING can offer, Louise joined the charity’s steering group in 2019 and is now vice-chair, so she herself didn’t take part in the NEC vote that approved the Fund’s donation.

“It was the chair of the charity who wrote to ask for the donation and I wasn’t involved in the voting but everyone else on the NEC felt it was a good cause worth supporting,” Louise says.

6 98 SPRING 22

Helping you get back to work Occupational Health can provide valuable insights that help both employees and managers.

P

icture this. You’ve been hit by a health issue that’s involved you in a lot of absence from work. But your manager is supportive and wants you to take the steps you need to fully recover. So far, so good.

But then your recovery takes longer than you or your GP / consultant originally expected.

Which is when Occupational Health might get involved.

NGSU members shouldn’t feel alarmed if someone suggests speaking to Occupational Health, according to Assistant General Secretary Rob Goldspink.

“An Occupational Health referral should not be taken to mean anything untoward is happening: their role is to support managers to support employees,” Rob says.

Occupational Health specialise in understanding the impact a medical condition might have on work – and also the impact that work might have on a condition.

Because they know the environment and nature of work at Nationwide, they may be able to suggest changes to ways of working that will help to get you back into work, or working more, or more productively – to the benefit of everyone.

Sometimes these suggestions are temporary. But Occupational

Nationwide’s Employee Guide to the Occupational Health Service: https://bit. ly/3rPPOha

Health are also well-placed to propose the kind of longer-term adjustments that are best captured in an Adjustments Passport, which contains clear descriptions of the agreed adjustments and the rationale behind them.

As well as acting as a reminder to you and your manager about what has been agreed and why, the Passport also saves you from going back to square one if a new manager takes over while the adjustments remain in place.

Occupational Health are not specialists in every potential condition, and are unlikely to have the skills and experience that your consultant has used to assess and treat you.

But their knowledge of what working at Nationwide involves means they may well be able to offer insights that help people rebuild their capacity for work while recovering from health issues.

“In general, we encourage members to recognise the potential value that a discussion with Occupational Health may provide,” Rob says.

“Of course, if a member has concerns about what’s happening in their own particular case, they should contact the union for advice and support.”

The right direction This is the story behind the union’s striking new logo.

T

he new NGSU logo was created through a creative collaboration between Individual Cases Officer (ICO) Mairi Jones and graphic designer Hannah Miller.

Mairi originally started out in design and print before taking a career break to start her family.

But although she switched to financial services when she returned to work, Mairi never stopped designing as and when she could. “I’d always done a bit of design work for friends and family who were starting their own business and needed some support with that,” she says.

When Tim Rose took over as general secretary, he began looking into a new logo as part of an overhaul of the union’s communications, and asked Mairi if she could come up with something more modern and adaptable, knowing her background in design.

“When I started doodling on a piece of paper, the arrowhead came quite quickly and I liked that because it suggested movement and forward thinking and moving in the same direction,” Mairi says.

Mairi then translated her ideas into digital form using industry standard package Adobe Illustrator, with which she created initial designs for the new logo plus different variations incorporating the union’s full name and campaign priorities

Above: the 50th anniversary of the NGSU logo and below the LGBTQ+ version of the arrowhead

such as breast cancer awareness.

That’s when Tim brought Hannah on board. As well as working on Rapport since 2004, Hannah has designed a huge range of union publications in her career and is regularly called on by the TUC and some of its biggest affiliates, including UNISON and Unite, to make their publications look approachable and engaging.

Hannah thought Mairi’s new design very much fulfilled the brief. “I loved the idea of the arrow – I didn’t think I could improve on that but I could tweak it so that it would work well wherever it was going to be used,” Hannah says.

“With a logo, it’s about stripping it down to its bare bones, only having what is absolutely necessary – that’s my philosophy.”

With this year marking NGSU’s 50th anniversary, Hannah’s also created the new 50th anniversary version of the logo that has already been appearing on the union’s monthly email newsletters since the turn of the year.

For Mairi, it feels great to see her work now helping NGSU spread the word about the power of union membership.

“I feel quite proud of the work I’ve done and I think it has freshened everything as it needed to do,” she says.

8 98 SPRING 22

Listening to your concerns The 2021 National Conference met the challenges of going virtual to set the union’s priorities for the next two years.

W

hen NGSU began organising its 2021 National Conference at the beginning of last year, the country remained in lockdown, only 2 million people had been vaccinated against Covid and no-one knew where we’d be by the autumn.

So the National Executive

Committee (NEC) opted for a virtual conference this time round, rather than risk the potentially disastrous consequences of bringing together 120-plus people from across the country for a face-to-face event.

Former President Bev Cubbon threw herself into the challenge of working

Y

M been through CONFERENCE mental illness to the point NGSU President – chaired conference of attempting suicide and come One of the benefits of a virtual back from it. That was one of conference was that we could the most powerful and emotive reach a much wider audience, presentations I’ve ever seen. which gave us the chance I’m really grateful that we to take our message much You were able to put that out there further, which is one of the things I’m can watch highlights ofbecause the I have no doubt it would have trying to achieve during my term of office conference on touched and helped a lot of people.

– improve our communications. And we’re the TUC YouTube When Bev and I had a chat to them continuing to use the technology that’schannel: https:// afterwards to say thank you, they said, bit.ly/3gYZ7W8 available to us now – I hope you’ve seen ‘We just sow seeds’. But I think people like that we’ve just produced our first webinar. that do much more than that – they make I’d been anxious about doing my President’s a difference to people’s lives and even address but it went much better than I save lives by acknowledging what people anticipated. I didn’t stutter, I didn’t shake, go through, making them realise they are I didn’t fall apart in the middle of it. So it not alone, and you can get through the was a great learning experience and proves toughest of times – even if it doesn’t feel that when you push yourself, you can like it when you are in that moment. actually do more than you think you can.

Overall, we delivered a good strong We had some great wellbeing presenters conference, with some brilliant messages including Clarke and Carrie Carlisle – a and some brilliant speakers. real authentic talk from somebody who’s

Nic Sellars

IT’S YOUR

UNION

with the technical team to establish what would be possible for the NGSU. Bev also took charge of finding a stimulating set of guest speakers and booking senior figures from the Society, including Chief Executive Joe Garner, to speak to, and answer questions from, members watching.

Despite the technical and time constraints of the virtual model, the NEC was determined that Representatives would still be able to discuss members’ concerns.

That’s why it decided to present a refreshed suite of policy statements for consideration, which Representatives could debate in their regional groups and then report back to the national meeting.

Looking back, Assistant General Secretary Rob Goldspink believes the conference met many of the NEC’s aspirations. “Technically, the conference ran very smoothly, with the guest speakers and most of the hosts able to interact with each other and address members,” he says.

“The speakers from Nationwide tackled a wide range of questions while the external speakers on diversity and mental wellbeing pretty much stole the show, with engaging, humorous and moving presentations that everyone who watched them was able to taking something from.”

But there were lessons to be learned, Rob says. “To be honest, the Representatives’ debate part of Conference didn’t work quite as we’d hoped – we’ve definitely heard that feedback and are taking that into account in our thinking about future events.”

However, the feedback from both members and Representatives who watched and / or took part has been overwhelmingly positive, he points out.

Jean Morgan

MY

CON National Regional Of FERE ficer – third time at conferen NCE ce , hosted a Q&A session Conference is our memb ers’ opportunity to have a voice, which is really importan t right now because the re’s a lot of people who do n’t feel they do have a voi ce with all the changes coming down the line.

So, the fact that this time the conference wa s virtual was absolutely fantastic, as this gave more NGSU members an op portunity to speak up, through the chance to put a qu estion to people direct ly through the chat functio n during a session or thr ough someone like myself as a National Regional Offi cer.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to put questions to Ma ndy Beech and Gareth Franks. I was supposed to do that with another NRO colleague, but she had tech issues, so it ended up just being me . It was a huge privilege to be able to put some very pertinent question s from our members to two of our senior leaders.

Another benefit of confe rence being virtual is that it gave more memb ers and non-members the chance to find out what we’re doing by watching the proceedings online or catching up later on the NGSU website. Kelly, one of my colleagues who works in the branch I ma nage in Dorset, was ab le to watch the conference on her day off – and as she’s a member but not a rep , she wouldn’t have be en able to attend if the co nference had been a fac eto-face event. And as she’s told me that she ’s still drawing after the wellbe ing session with Sam Alle n!

The whole conference was brilliant – I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

“All in all, the Conference was a positive experience with some learning points – an outcome we’d have been thrilled to think we could achieve back in the early months of 2021!” Rob says. continued overleaf ➤

10 98 SPRING 22 continued from page 9

MY

Karol Kubik National Executive Officer – first time at conference, co-hosted a session When I started at Nationwide four years ago, someone from the union came to do a talk for new starters and I decided to join then and there. Trade unions have always been close to my heart: both of my Polish grandparents were in the Solidarity trade union movement in the 1980s, which helped bring about free and fair elections in Poland and end communist rule there in 1989.

I became an NGSU rep in October 2019, so the timing meant I just missed out on going to conference then because all the arrangements had already been made. But hearing about it afterwards and talking to some of the other reps in Bournemouth where I’m based, it seemed like a really amazing event.

So I was really excited to go for it this time.

With Louise Chissell, I got to co-host one of the sessions with James Domm, from Branch

& Workplace Development, CONFERENCE and Graeme Burns, who’s the senior relationship manager between the Society and the Union. To do something like that, with your membership watching and friends from work watching, that was really enjoyable.

Clark Carlisle and his wife Carrie delivered an amazing talk about his struggles with mental health and depression. To hear him talk and see his passion for life – that was one of the standout talks for me.

And I think a lot of people related to that because of our experiences in Covid – I know I did. And the Act of Drawing wellbeing activity by Sam Allen, the artist and illustrator, was really refreshing and really relaxing – I really enjoyed that too.

It was an amazing three days and, if this one is anything to go by, conference will be even better when – hopefully – we’re all able to be together again.

Decisions in brief 1 Reward policy Nationwide should continue to recognise the importance of collective bargaining on pay, which should remain central to the development of reward policies.

Pay and benefit arrangements should be transparent and fair to all employees, and Nationwide should publish meaningful data on gender and ethnicity pay, gathered through regular equal pay audits, and develop relevant action plans.

2 Equality through inclusion and diversity NGSU will monitor Nationwide’s progress against its stated goals on inclusion and diversity and encourage

Members who missed any of the sessions can catch up with them on the Conference pages of the NGSU website: https://bit. ly/36hxIg5

additional action where needed.

The union will ensure inclusion and diversity criteria are included and acted on in all consultation and negotiation with the Society, focussing on equality and fairness in recruitment, progression, reward and recognition of performance.

3 Health and safety and wellbeing NGSU will appoint, train, assess and accredit as many safety reps as are required; work with Nationwide to ensure it meets its legal responsibility to provide safe working environments; develop the expertise for health and safety inspections and risk assessments in dynamic working environments; and continue to lobby the Society about decisive action on verbal and aggressive behaviour by customers.

Never too early to ask for help

on drinking binges, ga mble recklessly or get hooked on computer games.

Clarke and Carrie Ca shared their insights rlisle It was when his first wif e on mental health was experiencing postnatal Being well is more imp depression in 2010 tha ortant t than feeling happy, for he began to research the mer professional footballer condition – and realise Clarke Carlisle told d that conference in a movin he had been going through g meditation on living something very similar with depression he sha for the past decade. red with his wife Carrie But while his GP confi .

“Happiness is an emoti rmed the diagnosis, on, it comes Clarke didn’t initially tak and goes,” Clarke said. e the medication on “Wellness means offer. He thought at the I am able to feel, mana time that he was ge and respond being prescribed a ‘ha constructively to all em pp y pill’ rather than otions.” something that could reClarke’s troubles starte balance the impact d after a of trauma on the chem potentially career-endin istry of the brain. g injury during Retiring from football wa a London derby betwe s far from en Queen’s Park smooth and he made Rangers and Fulham 21 an oth er attempt years ago. on his life in Decembe Fearing he might be for r 2014. It was ced out of the game when he was recoverin that meant everything g from that that to him, Clarke began he started taking anti-dep drinking heavily while rec ressants. overing from surgery, Married to his second and his sense of self be wif e, Carrie, after gan to come unstuck. a whirlwind romance in “I was conditioned to kee 2017, Clarke p everything continued to struggle un in. ‘Don’t tell anyone.’ til one day he And if something left the house after writing is going on, you preten her a note that d that it isn’t. That made clear he intended was my conditioning,” to end his life. he recalled.

Prevented from hurting “And I brought that into himself by two this situation, go od Samaritans, he spen into this trauma, where t 23 days in a I thought that psychiatric ward until he my very identity had be wa s well enough to en taken away come home. But his illn – without football I wa ess had sent Carrie s nothing.” into a crisis of her own That sense of worthles – which led her to sness became loo k into her own issues wit so unbearable that he h the help of tried to take his talking therapy and an own life, and he was on ti-anxiety medication. ly saved because “Clark’s crisis has helpe his girlfriend happened d me grow as a to drop by his person – helped me de flat and got him to hosp al with my own stuff ital in time. that I’d been carrying aro After two years’ physioth und for years but erapy, Clarke be cause it never got me returned to play for QP to crisis point I R, before transferring to just thought it was okay, Leeds United, then Wa ” Carrie said. tford and then Burnley.

Her message to everyo But his mental health co ne experiencing ntinued to suffer me ntal health distress wa and every few months s simple: “It’s never he would disappear too early to ask for a littl e bit of help.”

4 Working arrangements and resourcing NGSU will regularly review staffing levels and guarding against unreasonable workload on individuals; embrace flexible working; ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally, especially around

reasonable adjustments; consider employees’ wellbeing; and actively work to ensure inclusion.

5 Performance management Performance management should enable an individual’s professional continued overleaf ➤

12 98 SPRING 22 continued from page 11

development, with assessments focussing on delivering objectives to meet future business needs.

Where performance management is linked to disciplinary action, reward or career progression, sickness absence should not count against individual performance; part-time workers and people from diverse backgrounds should not be disadvantaged; evaluations should fully reflect an individual’s ‘whole of role’ performance; and an adequate and effective appeals process must be in place.

6 Training and development All employees should be able to access development opportunities so they can develop their careers and learn new skills. Training should enable employees to perform to expected standards and be delivered in a timely fashion and in formats that accommodate a variety of learning styles.

7 Climate change and a greener economy NGSU supports the development of a greener economy and a sustainable approach to work that reduces the carbon footprint at Nationwide sites and for employees working from home.

The union will adopt environmentally-friendly policies including using recycled products; reducing energy and water consumption; and managing union travel.

8 Mutuality NGSU endorse the Society’s commitment to remaining a mutual organisation for the benefit of its members, believing that the benefits of mutuality should extend

Bev Cubbon

M

Y Individual Cases Offi CON cer FERE – conference organise r NCE We starte rtedd org organ anisin isinggthe confe the coren nfece renab ceouab t aou yea t ar bear ye forbe e itfor too e kit pla tooce k pla butce most of the bu t mowo st rk of go the t do wone rk in the last do go sixne moinnth the s. Th lasere t sixwas so mu mo nthch s. Th to ere do in wathe s so last fewch mu weto eks dotha intthe I walas s tak t few en off ek we mys Ind thaivid t I wa ualsCa tak ses en Offimy off cer Ind (ICO) ividdu uatie l Ca s to ses cofinc Of ce en r tra (ICte O)on duco tienfe s to rence.

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I’m organising the ne xt conference in Octob er 2023 at the moment but we think that will be back to face-to-face – that’s what we’re hoping, an yway.

to opportunities for employees to share in Nationwide’s success and the preservation of jobs in communities across the UK.

Going green The union’s new Green Advisory Group is on a mission to make Nationwide’s workplaces more sustainable.

W

hen General Secretary Tim Rose encouraged members to form a new Green Advisory Group at National Conference last year, National Executive Officer Matt Stanley was keen to get involved from the get-go.

“I have two young boys and my 10-year-old has started asking difficult questions, like, ‘Why do we throw this stuff away? or ‘Why aren’t there more electric cars?’” Matt says.

“Having a young family does put things in context in terms of what’s the world going to be like when they’re my age.”

The seven members of the group, who come from all parts of the business, meet virtually once a month to develop green initiatives that have the potential to significantly improve sustainability at Nationwide.

“While the Society is doing good work in terms of trying to influence government policy and providing green products for members, we’re trying to fill the gap in terms of enabling employees to work in more sustainable environments and more sustainable ways,” Matt says.

Concretely, that means encouraging the Society to improve recycling facilities at admin centres; provide free electric car charging at Nationwide premises; and financially support employees working from home to instal solar panels or improve home insulation.

Above all, the group wants

To find out more about the work of the Green Advisory Group, email Matt: Matthew.Stanley@ nationwide.co.uk

the Society to draw up a green impact assessment for every initiative, to ensure it takes every opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint and reduce waste.

As well as working closely with the Society – and the response has been positive from all departments, Matt says – the group is also keen to help the NGSU take effective action of its own to tackle the climate emergency.

“I think it’s important that we practise what we preach,” says Matt, who is starting a secondment with the union this summer. “We’ll be looking at the union’s working practices and ensuring that the union is as green an employer as it can be.”

The group is also keen that the union appoints green reps to promote the green agenda in the workplace.

While the group has already received useful feedback from union members about issues they’d like to see prioritised, Matt is keen to involve as many members as possible.

“If members have any ideas about how the Society could help make their working environment more sustainable, more environmentallyfriendly – whether that’s a branch or a call centre or at home – then we’d really like to hear them,” Matt says.

“The last two years have shown that everyone’s working environment is quite different, quite unique, so it would be really interesting to hear from a wide variety of people about their challenges and their solutions as well.”

14 98 SPRING 22

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GSU members looking for legal advice on issues outside work can approach Slater & Gordon, the solicitors’ firm that helps us support members with the legal aspects of some workplace cases.

That means you can call the Legal Advice Helpline for advice every day of the year, to get help with issues such as: l problems arising out of the sale of goods or supply of services (e.g., faulty products, contract disputes) l small debts and credit problems l housing and property matters l questions relating to wills and administration of estates l family and divorce problems involving children, family assets and other related matters.

The initial contact is free of charge, although if it turns out that more comprehensive support is required, a fee may be payable for that service.

You have access to a range of legal document templates via Slater & Gordon’s website – and a system to help you complete them online.

The documents include draft letters to complain about being charged more for a car service than you were originally told, and a model agreement for the sale of a motor vehicle to a private buyer that makes sure you’re fully protected.

Call the NGSU Legal Advice Helpline (members only) 0800 916 9063 Lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can also download guides to a range of issues, covering family law, medical negligence, or wills and probate.

Slater & Gordon also have an online system you can use to draft your will online – and if you don’t need assistance from a lawyer, the service is absolutely free! Even if you do need support, there’s a 20 per cent discount on the will service.

For all the legal documents, make sure to enter the discount code you’ll find on our website to get the special deal for NGSU members!

And if you’ve been hurt in an accident which wasn’t your fault, the NGSU Personal Injury Legal Scheme could help you get compensation at no cost to yourself – whereas most high street legal firms are likely to charge as much as 25 per cent of any compensation you receive.

If it’s a road traffic accident, unfortunately, a change in the law in 2021 means that the scheme is only able to assist pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists, or anyone who is under 18 years old at the time of the incident.

All the information you need is on the NGSU website – using theAbse Member menu, Leo & CohenBenefits Walkers Union Solicitors Cyfreithwyr select the Legal Services from Slater & Gordon option.

Protecting people with long Covid There’s still a lot we don’t know about long Covid. But it’s definitely a disabling condition to live with.

T

he pandemic was only a few months old when the idea took hold that contracting Covid meant only one of two things: either a week or two of something like flu or something so serious that you risked ending up on a ventilator in hospital or worse.

But what about all the people whose symptoms are somewhere in between those two ends of the spectrum?

Even back in June 2020, thousands of people were already struggling with the intense exhaustion, muscle and joint pain, shortness of breath and other deeply debilitating symptoms that characterise long Covid eight, 10 or 12 weeks after first succumbing to the virus.

Many of them previously healthy, relatively young people who often seemed to start recovering only to relapse just as badly.

The numbers have only increased as the pandemic has worn on.

There are now roughly 1.5 million people (or 2.4 per cent of the UK population) living with long Covid.

And 45 per cent of them (685,000 people) have been suffering from the condition for at least 12 months.

While anyone can be affected by long Covid, five groups are especially at risk: l people aged 35 to 59 years​

Please get in touch if you are concerned about any aspect of the easing of restrictions is impacting on you at work. We continue to work closely with Nationwide and can ensure issues are being considered thoroughly and consistently. You can call us on 01295 710767, email us at ngsu@ ngsu.org.uk, or use the webchat facility on our website, https://ngsu.org.uk.

l women l people living in the most deprived areas l disabled people or those with existing health conditions l people working in health, social care​ or education.

The lack of knowledge in society at large puts people with long Covid at greater risk of discrimination and disbelief, although there are currently 15 government-funded research studies underway across the UK designed to help us better understand the condition.

The TUC is arguing for long Covid to be classified as a disability under the 2010 Equality Act, which would do a great deal to protect workers with the condition.

It also argues that the 45 per cent of people who have been experiencing long Covid for more than a year should already be protected by the provisions of the Act, since it covers any physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and adverse effect on someone’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities over 12 months or more.

NGSU agrees, and would like to see all employers recognise long Covid as a long-term condition that is likely to amount to a disability.

16 98 SPRING 22

Meeting the challenge of change NGSU General Secretary Tim Rose gets together with Mandy Beech, Nationwide’s Member Experience Director – Retail Distribution & Servicing, to raise the key issues from the recent union survey of members in the branch network.

Last summer, NGSU asked Civica to conduct a survey of members working in the branch network. Thank you to everyone who took part, because the results have helped us shape our approach to a whole range of issues we’ve spoken about with the Society ever since – and continue to do so.

In October, Mandy Beech and Gareth Franks joined the Union’s National Conference to speak about some of their plans for the future and respond to NGSU members’ questions. Inevitably, there simply wasn’t enough time to cover everything that came up, so Mandy agreed to talk to Tim to deal with some of the points that we hadn’t been able to get to on the day – and to see how thinking has developed in the months since then.

Tim: Mandy, it would be great to start by asking what is on your – and your leadership team’s – mind?

Mandy: Our colleagues continue to be so resilient and I can’t thank them enough for everything they do to support our members and each other.

Right now, we’re ensuring that we start the new financial year as we mean to go on, after focussing on delivering everything that we set out to do before finishing the financial year just gone – although, in many ways, you should never really be ‘done’, as we are always looking at things that need to be improved for our team members, as well as members.

We have a number of technology developments coming out of Hassle-free Money such as Amazon Connect for improved member call handling; increasing automation in key journeys such as account closures; ISA journey improvements to improve the member experience and improvements to the app, which will support more digital journeys for simple transactions.

We’re also continuing to deliver

IT’S YOUR

UNION

our Future of Legendary Service (FLS) strategy, which means multi-skilling our teams to help members in more ways than we’ve ever been able to before.

Tim: The main issue we hear from branch members is about resourcing levels. It has been a challenging time throughout the pandemic, with Covid absences and shielding, and now we’re seeing branch colleagues moving to new opportunities, both within Nationwide and externally. And with some roles falling away, most recently Personal Banking Managers (PBMs), it seems that resources are very stretched, with some reporting working at minimum levels. What plans are in place to ensure that branch teams are sufficient?

Mandy: It’s been challenging for our teams, both in branch and contact centre and digital services, and I’m so proud about how our teams have leaned into it, in particular with some of the technology issues. I know it was hard for the teams but what I saw was everyone pulling together to help one another and, of course, our members.

We have seen higher attrition than we have before and there’s a combination of factors that have led to that, such as people being able to work from home and the wider external job market being more buoyant.

A key area for us to focus on here are clearly defined career paths. This is our number one reason for people moving from Retail Distribution and Servicing (RD&S). But we’re facing into it. We’ve made the recruitment process faster, while also making it easier for our hiring managers to recruit.

We are also looking at how we advertise our vacancies and where we advertise, which includes initiatives such as QR codes in branches that allow people to access a list of live vacancies and we’re piloting a way of recording the reasons behind minimum resourcing.

Tim: What measures are being taken to support wellbeing?

Mandy: I want to assure all our colleagues that we take wellbeing very seriously and I’m listening. The aim of the monitoring and recording we’re doing on minimum resource will help us to understand where the pinchpoints are and do something about it.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to focus on your own wellbeing, taking time away when you can get it. Wellbeing is also central to your performance conversations and there’s a range of support available. I urge colleagues to please speak up if anyone has any issues.

Tim: Our survey results suggest that some branch colleagues are worried about speaking up and sharing concerns and that feedback channels, such as Pulse, aren’t anonymous. What reassurance can you give that it is safe to speak?

Mandy: Two-way dialogue is continued overleaf ➤

18 98 SPRING 22 continued from page 17

so important to me: this means giving colleagues the space and tools to speak up. We’ve refreshed Colleague Voice (you can find it on the intranet by searching ‘Colleague Voice’), which brings together View to the Beech, Pulse, View from the Beech and Colleague Collective – all channels that are available for colleagues to speak out.

We’re making changes to how we’re reporting on feedback via Pulse and while results are anonymous, we’ve made improvements by removing the date stamps as well as looking at changes to how results are uploaded to continue to strengthen this for our colleagues, helping us to focus on what’s been said and not who said it.

Everyone should have the opportunity to complete the survey in private and, although not mandatory, the data we get is invaluable with helping us shape the future and tackle the things that are on your mind.

Tim: Reward also featured in our survey and is a still a hot topic – particularly as branch teams are supporting other work – calls / complaints – and are taking on multi-skilled roles.

Are there plans to review pay?

Mandy: Multi-skilling our colleagues to help support the wider membership and Society is key to our FLS strategy. We’ve had a positive response from colleagues who’ve been able to learn new skills

“I want to assure all our colleagues that we take wellbeing very seriously and I’m listening”

(for example, the introduction of our new member contact platform using Amazon Connect has seen huge support and positivity from our colleagues, making it easier to take member calls in branch).

I’d like to stress that learning new skills is not about ‘taking on more’, more as widening skill sets to be able to help members in a variety of ways. Having said that, we recognise that a review of our Reward structure is required to ensure it’s fair and aligns with a multi-skilled working environment.

Tim: At the time of our survey, there was some uncertainty about the future of FLS. Since then, we’ve seen the multi-skilled branches pilot – is this likely to be the future operating model for these and other branches?

Mandy: A lot has happened with FLS since the survey, notwithstanding 50 branches successfully trialling multi-skilled activity, closing their doors one, two or three days a week to serve members either over the phone or via digital messaging.

I’m pleased to say that the trial was a success – there may well be some minor changes that we will wish to make but we will provide more detail on this in the coming weeks. Largely though, there’s a lot to be proud of – huge thanks to everyone for their feedback.

And let’s not forget, FLS isn’t just about multi-skilled branches (the branches that partially close to support members). The roll-out of Amazon Connect has enabled all branches to become multi-skilled and take member calls in branch.

We’ve also delivered iPads into all branches to support digital journeys, while also improving journeys for members who need more help and us to do it for them. We continue to

IT’S YOUR

UNION

evolve our PBM skill set in Nationwide Now and will continue to roll out multi-skilled training to contact centre and digital services over the year.

Tim: Training is key to enabling multiskilling; with the resourcing challenges, finding time to complete training can be difficult. Are there plans to provide additional time and support?

Mandy: We’ve listened a lot to our colleagues who have gone through the FLS Learning Journey, including those in the trial branches.

It’s helped inform our training plan going forward – for example, for future multi-skilled branches, we’ve agreed that the branches will close to conduct their training, which will help with resourcing and to embed the learning. For our contact centre colleagues, we’ve created shorter, bite-size modules that are easier to work through.

Tim: The Branch Promise (to leave no town or city currently served by the Society without a branch) extends to January 2023 – what’s the plan after then?

Mandy: Having a presence on the high street is key to our service proposition and that’s why we’re working on ways to make sure we can keep them there, hence multi-skilling. There is a team working on the next steps for the Branch Promise and as soon as we have more details, we will share them.

We’re very grateful to Mandy for taking the time to address members’ questions both at Conference and in this discussion.

The limitations on space in Rapport prevent us from covering absolutely everything that was raised, of course. So we’ve opted for a fair spread of topics instead.

It’s clear from what Mandy says that there will continue to be a

“Having a presence on the high street is key to our service proposition and that’s why we’re working on ways to make sure we can keep them there” lot for the Union to be talking to the Society about for the foreseeable future – and we know that these are topics that our members in the branch network have strong feelings about.

Sadly, some of the issues raised are taking a long time to resolve – we constantly stress the importance of ensuring that the challenges in recruitment are tackled with vigour, as resourcing difficulties continue to take their toll on members in the network across the country.

It’s clear from her answers that Mandy recognises the importance of getting recruitment right but we know that members will be wanting to see that commitment turn into additional team members in their own branches as quickly as possible.

As always, hearing from our members – through our network of representatives, or directly to the Union’s offices – helps us to ensure that those topics are addressed.

Inevitably, on most issues, members have a variety of views, sometimes diametrically opposed; so it’s unlikely that the outcomes will always please every single member. But we do take account of all the feedback we receive, so if you have a view, let us know.

20 98 SPRING 22

You can reach your goals With 35 years’ experience in financial services and qualifications in coaching and mentoring, Julia Phippard could be just the right person to help you reach your personal or professional goals.

S

ince leaving Nationwide last summer, Julia Phippard has set up her own coaching and mentoring business to offer the same kind of support to other people that she enjoyed over her 35-year career in financial services.

“I’ve had a fantastic career and people have invested in me along the way,” she says. “I’ve had some inspirational mentors and the privilege of my own executive coach when I was at Lloyds.”

When Julia joined Nationwide in 2012, after 26 years at Lloyds Banking Group, one of the key figures in her own development would turn out to be Tony Prestedge (then the Director of Group Operations).

Since Tony was keen to build more of a coaching leadership style at the time, he offered four members of his senior team, including Julia, the chance to complete a Professional Diploma in Coach-Mentoring.

Gaining that qualification was already helping her to think about her own development in a different way when her father, who had been a towering influence on whole career, died in 2015.

“When I was younger, my dad pushed me all the way,” Julia recalls.

If you’re interested in how coaching or mentoring could help you, Julia is happy to chat to any NGSU members who want to find out more.

You can book a free 30-minute meeting with no obligation by emailing: julia@ hannoblue.com Julia is also offering a 20 per cent discount on her usual individual rate to NGSU members.

“He asked me, ‘When are you going to be a director?’ when I was 18!”

So his death inevitably led her to ponder what her next move would be without him. If she focused on what she really wanted to do instead of trying to please anyone else, what would that be?

It was witnessing how bereavement counselling was helping her mother adjust to life without her husband that helped Julia identify her next move.

“Seeing the impact of counselling on my mum made me think, ‘Counselling is what I want to do – and I can do it alongside coaching and mentoring”,” Julia says.

When her mother, too, died in 2018, by the end of that year Julia had enrolled on a counselling course at New College in Swindon and is currently in her final six months of a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling with the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB).

The counselling work is wholly in line with some of her deepest-held beliefs. “I’ve always been someone who likes to help people – it’s part of my value and belief system that we should give back,” she says.

By the time redundancy began to loom last year, Julia was clear what she wanted to do next: set up her own coaching and mentoring business (she will also be offering counselling once she completes her qualification).

“What I’ve got is the rare combination of 35 years’ corporate experience behind me, as a woman in a senior executive role who can be a great role model, along with a professional coaching qualification and counselling qualifications,” she says.

“This allows me to work with clients at a very personal level as well as in a professional development context.”

For Julia, mentoring, coaching and counselling are all different ways of helping people. “With mentoring, you can teach people things but coaching is more powerful – as I’ve learned myself, the power of change comes from within,” she explains.

“Sometimes you just need a little help to initiate that change.”

As a coach/mentor, Julia works with clients in support of their personal and professional goals. “I work in areas such as self-analysis, problemsolving, career planning, influencing, stakeholder management, leadership presence and team working.” she says.

“I’ve helped clients with their individual personal and professional transitions and, at an organisational level, to improve team performance and company results.”

For Julia, counselling is just the next step on the journey. “It’s so rewarding to help people with life problems and mental health problems, like anxiety and depression.”

As well working with private clients, Julia volunteers as a mentor with the 30% Club, which aims to boost female representation at board level, and Mission INCLUDE, which is helping

“It’s so rewarding to help people with life problems and mental health problems, like anxiety and depression”

You can read more about her work on her website, where you can read some of the testimonials clients have written about the changes they’ve made in their lives through working with Julia: www.hannoblue. com

more global majority business people progress onto company boards. She is also part of Reed’s Women in Technology Mentoring Programme.

When someone gets in touch about coach/mentoring, Julia will always set up a ‘discovery’ meeting so they get the chance to discuss what they are looking for and if they feel she is the best person to work with them.

When they decide to go ahead, they agree a timetable, usually around six hourly sessions, at monthly intervals.

Clients reflect and process things in-between these meetings, which can include reading recommended articles and books or reflecting on the process in a journal. Occasionally Julia’s client undertake profile tests as part of the process of raising self-awareness.

“I’m really trying to tune into the person and find out what it is they’re looking for, that sometimes they might not even realise,” she says.

One recent client, for example, came to Julia saying that she was looking for a Senior Business Analyst role at work. But through the course of her sessions, she realised that she wanted a better work-life balance.

That insight led her to buying a house so she could live independently of her family – and she’s also secured the analyst role she was interested in originally.

“She hasn’t just got what she wanted from a goal perspective – she’s gone on a whole journey with her life,” Julia says.

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You could win thousands of pounds by entering the union’s monthly draw – just as Richard Shovlar from Nationwide House did in April, when his draw number came up first.

With around 30,000 draw entries a month, the odds are much better than the National Lottery! Each entry costs just £1 and you can enter up to 10 times each month.

Every month 75 per cent of the draw pool is returned to members as prizes and 25 per cent is retained to help meet the running costs of the union and keep our subscriptions low for members.

To enter, or to increase your number of chances, please complete and return an NGSU Monthly Draw Form, which you can download from: https://bit. ly/3gwoRXO

rapport Spring 2022

Editorial board Nic Sellars (President), Rob Goldspink (Assistant General Secretary) Editorial Martin Moriarty martinmoriarty@mac.com Design & production The Design Mill www.the-design-mill.co.uk Printed in the UK Banbury Litho www.banburylitho.co.uk

You can find out if you have won on the NGSU website: https://ngsu.org.uk/draw-results-2022/

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Call: 020 8610 9811 Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm