APPROVED
NHS GRAMPIAN
Minute of the Staff Governance Committee
held on Tuesday, 15 November 2011 at 11.30 am
in Seminar Room, Summerfield House
Present:
Mike Scott, Board Member (Chair)
Gordon Stephen, Employee Director
David Anderson, Board Member
Richard Carey, Chief Executive
Linda Juroszek, Chair of ACF/Board Member
Dr Gillian Needham, Post Grad Medical Dean for North of Scotland
Laura McDonald, Staff Side Rep
John Brett, Head of Health & Safety
In Attendance:
Clare Ruxton, Deputy Director of HR
Lynn Marsland, Deputy Director of Strategic Change
Gerry Lawrie, Workforce Planning & Redesign Manager (for item 8.2)
Tom Heywood, L&D (for item 6.1)
Mary Innes
Item / Subject / Action /1. / Apologies
Apologies had been received Sandra-Dee Masson, Staff Side Rep, Kate Dean, Board Member, and Cllr Bill Howatson, Interim Chairman /
2. / Minute of Meeting 17 May 2011
Accepted as a true record. /
3. / Annual Review
It was felt that the Annual Review had gone well and the verbal feedback was positive, although still awaiting formal letter. The joint GAPF/APF session went well.
Prior to the review, NHSG were in receipt of negative feedback from the SG in relation to their SAAT return, although an apology was subsequently received. The formal response to our SAAT return was still awaited. /
4. / People Strategy – Performance Monitoring
The updated Performance Monitoring of the People Strategy was noted. The 3 year strategy would end in March 2012 and it had been agreed that this would be reviewed and developed in line with the H&C Framework. However, it was agreed to continue with the present plan until the new Director of Workforce was in place. /
/ 4.1 / Dates for Scoping of next People Strategy
Agreed to await appointment of new Director of Workforce before taking forward. /
5. / Corporate Health & Safety /
/ 5.1 / H&S Structure following PWC Report
Following the recommendations made by the PWC report, work had been carried out with senior stakeholders and a paper developed which was now with the Chief Operating Officer for consideration on how to take forward. The recommendations involved a couple of moves within NHSG and fitted in with PIN guidelines “Managing Health & Safety” in that H&S would take lead on V&A, Manual Handling and Driver Safety at Work. This paper, along with the proposed structure, to be discussed at a future meeting.
John announced that he would be leaving NHS Grampian in the new year. The Chair thanked him for his hard work for NHSG and wished him well in the future. It was confirmed that arrangements were being reviewed as to how he would be replaced. /
/ 5.2 / Overview of H&S Event 17 March 2011
An overview was given of the H&S Event held on 17 March to promote H&S and encourage more staff involvement from both a trade union and non-trade union perspective. A number of staff were recruited as members and reps following the event.
The event involved a rolling programme with drop in sessions and generated a lot of interest. Useful feedback was obtained from the questionnaires and work was ongoing on this. /
/ A question was raised in relation to WTR and how compliance was monitored. The focus was on staff who worked shift patterns and how to put indicators/measures in place to monitor them, e.g. make sure they have their breaks. There was a requirement that managers should record on DATIX if staff did not have their break. It was reported that the EPPMO team was carrying out an evaluation around the impact of the 12 hour shifts.
It was confirmed that issues concerning junior doctors specifically were a standing item on the BMA/LNC agenda and WTR monitoring was regularly discussed.. /
6. / Learning & Development /
/ 6.1 / L&D Update – Learning Zone Presentation – Thomas Heywood in attendance
Tom was welcomed to the meeting and gave a presentation on the new i.learn website which was being developed to replace the Learning Zone when Sharepoint goes live (the new NHSG intranet software) in January. The Committee thanked Tom for his presentation. /
/ 6.2 / KSF Update
KSF was now embedded in the organisation. The key areas of attention now were around the quality of the review process/feedback and objective setting. It was intended that the internal auditors, PWC, would support this process next year and was already on the PWC work-plan.
/ LM /
/ 6.3 / Careers in Transition
The review of the Careers in Transition pilot run by NHS Grampian which had been submitted to the Scottish Government was noted. Awaiting update nationally as to the next stage of this pilot.
Locally, courses had been very well received although recently a number had been cancelled. Courses would be planned in January to meet the demands arising from the VS scheme. It was noted that these courses helped with career moves both within and outwith the organisation.
It was highlighted that feedback from staff side organisations had also been very positive. /
/ 6.4 / Healthcare Support Workers
352 new members of staff had been recruited as Healthcare Support Workers with 62 signing off the code of conduct.
The next stage was rolling out to existing staff and work was ongoing on how to take this forward.
The issue of support for HCSW through required qualifications was raised by Lynn. It was becoming more apparent that managers and assessors were not providing sufficient quality support to HCSWs through qualifications such as VQs, Niche and HNCs. This had been an issue for a while but the NHSG VQ centre, run by Margaret Evans in PPDU, was now under threat of losing its centre status due to poor quality assessors. Margaret was now having to quality check everything which came through the centre. The problem would seem to be at middle manager level and Richard suggested that Lynn bring the issue to an Exec Team meeting for further discussion. / RC/LM /
/ 6.5 / Staff Handbook 2012
The final version is now with the printers. Every member of staff would receive a copy plus new members through the recruitment process and it would also be part of electronic induction. It was confirmed that the use of these would be evaluated. It was also confirmed that this was funded through Public Health monies and the full cost to be circulated to the Committee. / LM /
7. / Partnership & Staff Governance /
/ 7.1 / Staff Governance Action Plan
It was noted that this was ongoing and being monitored with regular updates coming to this Committee. . /
/ 7.2 / Report from GAPF
It was noted that Sharon Duncan had been elected as Employee Director as of 6 March 2012. It was also reported that it had been agreed to continue with the 5 full-time reps for a further year. A formal evaluation of the previous year would be carried out.
The forthcoming Industrial action was highlighted and it was confirmed the dialogue was ongoing between senior management and staff side to ensure patient safety would not be compromised on the day of action. /
/ 7.3 / Employee Director Election
Covered above. /
/ 7.4 / Industrial Action – 30 November 2011
Covered above. /
8. / Workforce Development & Redesign /
/ 8.1 / VS Update /
/ 8.1.1 / Current VS Scheme Update
Already discussed in Remuneration Committee. /
/ 8.1.2 / PWC Audit – VS Round 2 Final Report
This outcome of the audit was positive and very few recommended actions. One medium risk was around ensuring decisions was noted down in minutes in formal way. The other advisory risk was around a project plan. The current VS scheme had taken both these points on board. /
/ 8.2 / Workforce Planning (Gerry Lawrie in attendance) /
/ 8.2.1 / Workforce Plan – Action Plan
Gerry was welcomed to the meeting and highlighted the following from her report:
· There was now an intermediary e-learning package, workforce plans for those who did not participate last year, plus refresher updates.
· Integration of workforce planning and SAW progressing. Developing mechanisms for managers so that workforce information married with financial information and could be reported on a consistent basis
· Physicians Assistants – had been remitted to take on 7, work ongoing how to address some of the workforce issues regionally.
· Workforce Workload Tools – expectation of Boards to complete these tools for nurses/midwives. Benchmarking exercise to start soon. /
/ · Continue to be “green” light for ISD – trying to keep quality of our data as accurate as possible.
· Template developed for identifying learning and development needs
· Work ongoing to establish a Medical Locum Bank by developing consistency by establishing a group of medics who had been OHS checked, GMC registered, etc.
· In relation to SAW becoming part of workforce planning process – accepted a new process for challenge meetings which was built into workforce planning. /
/ 8.2.2 / Workforce Information Report
The information in the report was noted and showed that the picture was fairly consistent month on month, e.g.
· Absence rates – sitting at 4.1 in September
· Overall WTE – continuing to drop
· Turnover rate was higher but same pattern
· Vacancy management – vacancies dropped to average of 115 per month.
· Drop in number of disciplinary cases – 47 to 28 with one grievance. It was noted that these were the ones that had an outcome – there were many more in the system
Gerry was thanked for her update. /
/ 8.3 / Vacancy Management Update
This had already been discussed under workforce but it was noted that the vacancy management process still continued to be monitored. It was reported that at the Face2Face meetings many concerns were raised over the filling of vacancies and it was suggested that a review of the process should take place, with a report coming back to the next meeting.
In relation to the fact that WTE – actual versus funded – situation where WTE was higher than budgeted – it was confirmed that the budgeted number was marked down to the number that could be funded at the beginning of each financial year. / CR /
9. / Strategic Change & OD /
/ 9.1 / CSI Update
Much activity at operation low-level taking place due to lack of resources (only two people). However this activity was very targeted, focused and productive. Discussions ongoing around the development of a modernisation directorate, of which CSI would be part. /
/ 9.2 / Succession Planning Update
Development centres had been set up with 23 members of staff planned to attend in November, December and January. The process includes 360 feedback, psychometric testing and on-going coaching support. There was a problem however eliciting support from across the executive team and their direct reports for support for coaching. Richard would raise this again with the Exec team. / RC /
10. / Occupational Health /
/ 10.1 / Attendance Management
Already reported in workforce report. Sickness absence sitting at around 4%. A lot of work had been done around long term absence. More work required on improving short term absence – IAMs project had made a difference in pilot sites. /
/ 10.2 / Seasonal Flu
Numbers have doubled compared to last year – still being advertised. Process would be evaluated. /
11. / Corporate Risk Register /
/ 11.1 / SLA with NHS Orkney
Ongoing item. A productive meeting with Orkney Chair had been held and further discussions would be held with their Director of Finance. It was agreed to keep this on the agenda as a standing item. /
12. / For information
GAPF minute noted. /
13. / AOCB /
/ 13.1 / There had recently been issues with some areas of support for bariatric patients and it was clear that NHSG required a consistent strategy/procedure to be in place for all staff to follow. M&H would need to be involved along with other areas of the organisation such as Risk Management. John was asked to coordinate the development of this strategy. / JB /
/ 13.2 / It was reported that high level discussions about medical leadership through the recently introduced Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM) had taken place between Gillian and Lynn. It was agreed that they would take this forward, in particular for NHSG but also across Scotland. / GN/LM /
/ 13.3 / On behalf of the Committee, Mike thanked Gordon very much for his many years of input to staff governance and partnership and wished him all the best for the future. /
14. / Date of Next Meeting
The date of the next meeting is on 20 March 2012 at 11.30 am in the Seminar Room, Summerfield House. /
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