NHS Highland Board
28 March 2017
Item 5.7
STAFF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
The Board is asked to:
· Note that the Staff Governance Committee met on Tuesday 14 February 2017 with attendance as noted below.
· Note the Assurance Report and agreed actions resulting from the review of the specific topics detailed below.
Present:Alasdair Lawton, Board Non-Executive Director (Chair)
Anne Gent, Director of Human Resources
Adam Palmer, Employee Director
Robin Creelman, Board Non-Executive Director (Videoconference)
In Attendance:
Gaye Boyd, Deputy Director of Human Resources
Pam Cremin, Head of Workforce Planning, Learning and Development and Staff Experience
Margaret MacRae, Staffside Representative
Melanie Newdick, Board Non-Executive Director
David Park, Director of Operations, IMFOU
Apologies:
Elspeth Caithness, Staffside Representative
Paul Simmons, Learning and Development Facilitator
AGENDA ITEMS
· Statutory and Mandatory Training
· Knowledge and Skills Framework (including National Developments) Update
· Staff Experience and iMatter Activity Update
· NHS Scotland Approach to Leadership Development and Talent Management in Scotland
· Values Based Recruitment - Update on Project Scoping
· NHSH Workforce Development Plan 2016/17 Rolling Action Plan Progress Report
· National Health and Social Care Workforce Planning: Discussion Document
· Workforce Report
· Band 1 Review Update
· National PIN Policy Update
· Everyone Matters Implementation Plan 2017-18
· Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance Committee – Highlights from SWAG Committee Meeting held on 18 January 2017
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 16 May 2017 in the Board Room, Assynt House, Inverness at 10.00am.
2
STAFF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE – ASSURANCE REPORT
Meeting on Tuesday 14 February 2017
1 / TOPIC: Welcome and Declarations of InterestIssues / Assurance / Actions
Do members have any interest to declare in relation to any Item on the agenda? / No declarations made. / Action: None
2 / TOPIC: Assurance Report from meeting held on 15th November 2016
Issues / Assurance / Actions
Any issues relating to accuracy of draft Assurance Report?
Need to update Action Plan / No matters raised / · Action Plan to continue to be updated – Committee Administrator
3 / TOPIC: Matters Arising – Review of Terms of Reference
Issues / Assurance / Actions
Any issues relating to the review of Terms of Reference? / 2 typing errors were noted as follows
· Page 19 bullet point 1 delete the word “employee” and replace with “employer”
· Page 20 second last sentence of Role and Remit section delete the word “employee” and replace with “employer”
It was further noted that a vacancy for a Non-Executive Director existed. / Action:
Terms of Reference to be submitted to Board for approval – Board Secretary
Filling of vacancy to be considered – Board Secretary
3 / TOPIC: Other Matters Arising not on the agenda
Issues / Assurance / Actions
Who has ownership of workforce agenda?
What is the progress on development of educational frameworks for key staff groups?
What is the update on Joy in Work
What is the update on whistle blowing? / AG advised that the human resource team lead on the workforce agenda but that engagement and accountability at operational level through the HHSCC in North Highland and the Argyll and Bute IJB is required.
PC advised that the development of Educational Frameworks are progressing well with a number completed. These Frameworks indicate the knowledge and skills individuals require for their roles. This work is overseen by the Education Governance Sub Group. A target date for completion for all staff groups of end April 2017 was noted though it was recognised that this is a significant piece of work and it is being progressed.
It was noted that work is progressing and consideration is being given for wider roll out to support staff experience continuous improvement.
It was noted that local systems require to be in place once national template is finalised.
R Creelman requested information as to whether whistle blowing tends to be an action of last resort and it was noted that this can be the case.
It was noted that some work on ‘Voicing Concerns’ had been started with Pat Tyrrell, with guidelines to be shared widely.
It was noted that ongoing work was taking place encouraging staff to speak up. / Action:
Work in progress - A Gent
Action
Progress report to next meeting – P Cremin
Action
Update to future meeting of Committee – P Cremin
Action
Details of numbers to be submitted to a future meeting – G Boyd
4.1 / TOPIC: Minutes of Meetings of the Highland Partnership Forum on 16th December 2016
Issues / Assurance / Actions
Any Issues arising from the Minutes? / It was noted that, further to a national directive, the policy has been amended with regard to uniform laundering, with only scrub suits and infectious uniforms being laundered by the Laundry from 1 February 2017.
This change had not been communicated to staff as fully as anticipated and some managers and staff had been unaware of the change. / Action:
· Arrangements to be made to ensure that staff have an adequate supply of uniforms and are aware of how to launder them.
4.2 / TOPIC: Assurance report from Meeting of Health and Safety Committee held on 3rd November, 2016
Issues / Assurance / Actions
Any Issues arising from the draft Minute? / Noted that Health & Safety Committee take responsibility for the staff governance standards in providing a safe and improved working environment. Any issues from Staff Governance Committee about that part of staff governance standard can be remitted back to Health & Safety Committee. / Action: None
4.3 / TOPIC: Abridged Minutes of Meetings of Remuneration Sub Committee held on 4th July and 22nd November 2016
Issues / Assurance / Actions
Any Issues arising from the draft Minute? / No matters raised. / Action: None
5.1 / TOPIC: Statutory and Mandatory Training
Issues / Assurance / Actions
What is the current position in relation to the provision and recording of Statutory and Mandatory training within NHSH and the actions taken to date? / PC advised that progress is being made on an RPIW into Statutory and Mandatory training. PC advised that although band 5 and band 2 nurse recruitment in Raigmore was in scope for the RPIW, it had highlighted ongoing issues around booking of statutory and mandatory training, staff being released as part of induction; and some managers being unaware of what specific training staff required.
AG reported that a high level value stream had been developed which identified the key challenges with Statutory and Mandatory Training. These included identification of training need, booking, access to Learn Pro and Face to Face training, recording of attendance, compliance and reporting.
PC advised that recruitment letters are currently being refined as part of the RPIW work to better identify training previously received and qualifications already held by new starts.
PC reported that data analysis had been undertaken which identifies staff group status in terms of the 6 Statutory and Mandatory Training that all staff should undertake from induction and during employment:
· Information Governance
· Safe Moving and Handling
· Preventing Violence and Aggression
· Fire Safety
· Equality and Human Rights
· Infection Control.
These reports have now been shared with the operational units and discussions are underway with training providers to agree targets and trajectory parameters for future monitoring and reporting.
AG commented that efforts are being made to simplify a complex procedure. She identified objectives as;
· Being clear what training new starts and staff already in post require.
· Being clear of planning of capacity in relation to demand
· Being clear how to organise schedules of training for staff and how to book people onto training
· Ensuring staff are released to attend face to face training events
· Improving recording of training undertaken and qualifications achieved
· Improving compliance reporting
PC advised that Paul Maber and Paul Simmons in the L&D Team have developed a tool to support managers to identify what Statutory and Mandatory training their staff have completed in Learnpro. This is currently being piloted by Public Health.
PC also reported that e-Health had achieved 100% compliance with Information Governance Learn Pro training through targeted effort.
The L&D team and recruitment team are considering a role that will support staff and managers with statutory and mandatory training compliance by following up new starts in induction and assisting with information about training requirements and linking these to PDP&R.
An audit of statutory and mandatory training is currently being scoped.
There was general discussion around various ideas to encourage training, with issues in accessing PCs and staff not being released for training highlighted. Protected time for statutory and mandatory training is allocated for all new staff and is built into ward establishments. MN advised that there had been discussions around a more risk based approach to training being taken, to enable prioritisation.
The meeting agreed that training compliance is a cultural issue throughout the organisation, with some areas achieving higher compliance rates and recording due to differing priorities and levels of understanding, about what is required within disciplines. It was recognised that commitment from both staff and management was needed to implement change, in taking responsibility to ensure training is delivered appropriately, and that the whole organisation needed to be working together on these issues.
A Palmer advised that a significant amount of time was being incorporated into training in South and Mid Care at Home service.
MN advised that at the Health & Safety Committee meeting it had been agreed to take a more risk based approach to training. Moving and Handling, fire safety and preventing violence and aggression for front line staff were noted as the most important from a risk perspective.
It was stressed that it is essential for both the individual and the manager to make a commitment to training and that individuals were required to take responsibility for their own training. It was stressed that this was an issue not just for learning and development but for the whole organisation. / Action:
Continue to progress all workstreams to improve compliance with Statutory and Mandatory Training – P Cremin
Action:
Extraction of reports on current compliance on the 6 key areas of training from LearnPro together with a trajectory to be submitted to May meeting of the Committee – P Cremin
Identify with managers and staff what training is required
Possibility of the identification of a coordinator role to be considered – Action – P Cremin
Agree parameters for risk based approach – P Cremin
Identify where we need to focus more effort and resource – Action – P Cremin
5.2 / TOPIC: Knowledge and Skills Framework Update (including National Developments)
Issues / Assurance / Actions
What is the current position in relation to KSF?
What factors have impacted on this figure?
What are the possible ways in which the situation can be improved?
What are the alternative systems? / PC spoke to the circulated report submitted by Paul Simmons highlighting that the percentage figure for reviews completed and signed off within the 2016-17 reporting period for non-bank staff was 15.78%, a drop from 18.95% for the comparative period in 2015-16
PC identified a number of factors had been confirmed by managers which had impacted upon the PDP&R process in the operational units, including service re-design and advised that once concluded, PDP’s for staff could be completed.
A letter in Alasdair Lawton’s name had been sent to operational units in November 2016 to encourage engagement and participation with KSF.
Opportunities for Improvement – work had taken place to rationalise KSF outlines to make it PDP&R process easier and less resource intensive for staff. The possibility of allowing staff to ‘complete on paper’ without submitting evidence and have this signed off during routine 1:1 meetings were also being considered. The aim was to simplify the KSF process.
Oracle Performance Management System (OPM) was due to replace eKSF on 31 March 2018, but will now not be ready for this deadline. It is being tested nationally and PC advised that a tool called Turas, which is already being used by junior doctors and dentists, is also being considered.
DP advised that he did not consider that eKSF was as burdensome as anticipated and but he welcomed the proposals outlines that would simplify the process.
It was noted that there was a national project board looking at KSF/Turas which was attended by Paul Maber and Alasdair Lawton expressed an interest in attending.
R Creelman stressed the importance of spreading the KSF work throughout the year and he questioned whether managers valued the process enough. There had been feedback some staff do feel valued by the process.
PC advised that some work was taking place with another NHS Board, testing out agreed work around simplifying the PDP&R process.
AP concluded that a decision needed to be made at a national level as to whether the current system was beneficial, or whether an alternative should be considered.
Staff engagement was highlighted as a necessity for any system to succeed, and for there to be realistic outcomes and expectations.
AG stressed that face to face conversations regarding individuals performance and training needs was critical and fundamental to good staff management. It was noted that eKSF had in some areas become disconnected from this requirement. She suggested alternative methods of recording and training to obtain more productive results. AG stated that in view of the national context around eKSF, NHS Highland should continue to pursue the programme but make some improvements.
DP suggested that clarity of outcome was needed, and that the current system should be maintained with a view to a realistic level of progression.
It was suggested that small tests of change could be applied in areas, and these could be assessed and, if successful, applied in other areas.
AG supported different ways of thinking and approaching these issues and it was stressed that operational managers were required to take more ownership of the situation. In addition it was noted that as part of the weekly wall walk managers were sighted on KSF performance with a view to focussing them on action that requires to be addressed. / ACTION: It was agreed to develop a plan to demonstrate progress and to bring this back to the next meeting. – P Cremin