EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS GROUPPSU

Minutes of the Meeting Held on 9 June 2004

Beardmore Hotel, Clydebank

Present:

Chris McIntosh – (Chair)

Tom Hart – ForthValley NHS Board

Dougie Lockhart–Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board

Hugh Sweeney – Lanarkshire NHS Board

Edwina Cameron – Borders NHS Board

Pat McGlone – The StateHospital

Gus Gordon – Grampian NHS Board

John Callaghan – Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board

Bill Goudie – Greater Glasgow NHS Board

Mandy Robertson – Argyll & Clyde NHS Board

Bert Bruce –NHS 24

Mary Flora Conner – NHS Health

Sharon Duncan – Partnership Support Unit

In attendance:Susie Watson – PSU (Minutes)

  1. Apologies

Simon Fevre – Fife NHS Board

Eddie Egan – Lothian NHS Board

Kathleen Pye – Orkney NHS Board

Malcolm Valentine – NHS Education

Morag Nicolson – Western Isles NHS Board.

Aileen Stewart – National Services Scotland (CSA)

2.Minute of Previous Meeting

Omission: It had been agreed that John Callaghan would represent Employee Directors at PIN Board meetings.

Matters arising:

  • Item 3 Contribution to Strategic Agenda

It was agreed to draw a line under this topic as it appears on almost every agenda. The group are united on the principle that staff governance issues are universal and that Employee Director functions within national groups are imperative.

There was a query about the proliferation of new groups, but Sharon Duncan reported that any new groups formed would be sub-groups, and the Employee Directors would be informed through their representatives on the SPF and HRFforums. Sharon will check the SPF/HRF minutes to confirm this.

Action: Sharon Duncan

  • Item 4 Shared Services

No update available as the Shared Services group meets 10 June. The group will report to the SPF.

  • Item 7 Staff Survey

The Staff Governance draft is ongoing and awaiting Royal Assent. Regional events are planned for autumn and it is hoped that this will facilitate a September/October survey next year.

Concerns were expressed over Boards’ views of remuneration committees being sub-groups of staff governance committees, and that remuneration committees vary in executive/non-executive membership. It was advised that Paragraph 219 of Rebuilding Our National Health Service states the case clearly and that the revised Standard also clarifies this issue.

Other items discussed included

what form the report to the Staff Governance committee takes

possible replication of work due to healthcare governance and staff governance overlap, and which of these reports to the audit committee?

could the Revised Standard link more closely to the SAAT?

the need to revise the survey and shorten it in the process. Hugh Sweeney agreed to collate comments on the structure of the survey .

Action: Hugh Sweeney

It was also agreed that the minutes of the Staff Governance Working group should be circulated to Employee Directors. Susie Watson will look into the possibility of having these posted on the PSU website, but will issue these electronically in the interim.

Action: PSU

  • Item 8 Promoting Partnership Working and Staff Governance

The consensus from discussion was that there is still a lack of partnership working.

  • Item 10 Accountability Reviews

The group queried whether Accountability Reviews should involve the Employee Directors. The SPF is now to be involved in the fullAccountability Review process, with access to the relevant paperwork. There are inconsistencies across systems and clarity is needed, possibly by setting a minimum representation with flexibility at Board level. Sharon Duncan agreed to explore this issue and report back to the group.

Action: Sharon Duncan

There is at present a mapping exercise taking place. Members queried in which capacity they would be represented, as an Employee Director or as a Board Member? Will the mapping information be circulated? PSU will explore this issue

Action: PSU

  1. Ongoing Development
  • Training for Employee Directors

Sharon Duncan reported that a training event for new Employee Directors will take place on 20/21 September. The event is to be held at the Beardmore Hotel, Clydebank and will be a two-day residential course involving an overnight stay. A copy of the programme was circulated, and Sharon will send an electronic version to the group. It was noted that developing leadership would be included in these training events, and that areas not covered at previous events should be minuted.

Action: Sharon Duncan

  • Workforce Planning

Nobody from the Scottish Executive has been available to date to address the group on Workforce Planning, but Annie Ingram of WFP North will deliver a presentation at the meeting on 17 November.

  • Joint Futures

Dorothy Elsey will make a presentation on Joint Futures at the next meeting on 15 September.

  • Performance Management

Sharon will try to identify suitable speakers on the subject and invite them to attend either of the September or November meetings. The group decided that the preferred format would be two speakers, e.g. Alistair Brown followed by a talk from a working Performance Manager.

The group also thought it would be beneficial to invite someone from an audit background to speak about governance. It was suggested that an approach be made to Professor Robert Black on the basis of his Scottish Audit Forum work.

A suitable speaker on the subject of political skills has still to be identified.

Action: Sharon Duncan

  • Database repository

It is proposed to create a central repository with tools posted on the PSU website. This would contain information about APF events and hold details of recommended speakers,appropriate subjects, sessions, outcomes and programmes etc. Such information would be retained for around 18 months and then removed as more current items were submitted. The older information would be archived and retained by PSU. The group were asked to submit appropriate items to Susie Watson who will collate the information and explore the management of such a system.

Action: Susie Watson

  • Regional Planning

Mark Butler is leading a programme of a dozen Workforce Strategy roadshows which have generated enormous interest outwith the NHS.

  1. Regional meetings

John Callaghan updated the group on the PIN Board. Three regional events are being held with a view to consult on recruitment and management.

PIN guidelines are currently under review, with the guideline on personal development deferred until November. An Employee Director nomination for the new Induction PIN. The group readily accepted Gus Gordon’s offer to be involved with this PIN as he is involved in the induction process in his own Board.

The Diversity Task Force, of which Dougie Lockhart is the co-chair, are now members of the PIN Board.

Feedback on how Boards cascade PINs down through the organisation and how they are implemented is being sought. Claire Brennan is writing to Boards to ask for examples of good practice and Employee Directors are asked to promote this as a staff governance issue.

  1. Election Process of Employee Directors

Sharon Duncan is looking for recommendations to take back to SPF/HRF on the process for ratification, as a protocol is needed from the original process. It was proposed to hold one meeting to discuss the issue. Points for discussion would include

a system using a sub-group of the SPF consisting of 3 Employee Director regional representatives, 1 staff side and 1 management side member of SPF/HRF

who should the sub-group report back to? EDs or the SPF?

issues surrounding the single transferable vote

guidance for deviations in the systems

agreement surrounding the joint staffside chair of APFs

a de-selection process as well as a selection process

the need to address recognition of non-progression during a 4-year term (see next item)

The consensus was that, whatever system is proposed, it should be backed by EDs as a group

  1. Reintegration of Employee Directors – Development Needs

The group found the level of support for reintegration disappointing. The consensus was that the Secondment PIN needs to be strengthened or added on to, and that appointment as an Employee Director should be treated as extended secondment. There is no explicit recognition of skills gathered or of development made. This makes it difficult to attach grades, pay etc. and to evaluate as part of a PDP. The group would like the issue highlighted to the PIN Board. Suggestions for possible solutions included a handover package; partnership being included as a core competency in PDPs; and overlaps in EDs to allow time to train to go back to their jobs. It was agreed that the topic should be taken to the HRF (possibly through SPRIG as a sub-group, or alternatively through the PSU), but taking care not to let this be seen as a self-interest issue.

  1. AOCB
  • Targets were set in the turnaround of paperwork. Minutes of meetings are to be issued within 10 working days of meetings, and agendas for meeting are to be issued one month prior to the relevant meetings. It is vital, therefore, that EDs submit agenda items early on in the process.

Action: PSU

  • PSU stated that Claire Brennan, Diane Murray and Sharon Duncan are happy to support Regional Groups.
  • The group asked if they could have representation at the planning meetings for the SPF/HRF conferences. They would like combined conferences to be held every 6 months, rather than separate events.
  • The group were reminded of the forthcoming OHSSIG Conference which will take place on 29 September. Themes will include Needlestick and Projects.
  • EDs want speakers at conferences to be given a clear brief to avoid offending attendees.

The dates of the next two meetings will be Wednesday 15 September and Wednesday 17 November, starting at 10.00 a.m. The meetings will be held at the Beardmore Hotel, Clydebank. Please note that the group should make their own accommodation arrangements if they wish to stay overnight at the hotel prior to the meetings, but that we can reserve them a seat at dinner if they wish.

Susie Watson

Partnership Support Unit

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