Survey shows local NHS staff have a happy work life balance

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For the third year in a row a survey has shown that NHS staff who work for the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield have a better work life balance than colleagues in similar organisations across the country.

As part of the National 2007 NHS Staff Survey, staff across the country were asked what they think about their working life, which included questions about work life balance, team working, job satisfaction, training, management and supervision, violence and health and safety.

The results, published today, are based on the views of 55% of staff surveyed within the Trust, who took time out of their busy jobs to say how they feel.

South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust results were compared to similar organisations across the country and came out in the top 20% for the following areas:

  • Quality of work life balance – with 72% saying they can use flexible working options
  • Work pressure felt by staff – with only 14% saying they will leave the Trust if they found another job
  • Percentage of staff experiencing work related stress – 93% said they had access to occupational health services and 76% knew how to access staff counselling services
  • Work pressure felt by staff – with 74% of staff saying they know what their work responsibilities are, an increase of 7% since last year
  • Percentage of staff having health and safety training – 81% of staff had recently received health and safety training

  • Percentage of staff suffering work related injury – only 8% had suffered work related injury, which has reduced from previous years
  • Staff perceptions of effective Trust action towards harassment and violence – with 88% of staff knowing how to report any incidents

However, there were some results that indicate a need for improvement, such as:

  • 50% of staff at the Trust said they had received an appraisal in the last 12 months, this is lower than the national average although the Trust’s percentage has increased since last year
  • 84% of staff who had been appraised had personal development plans, this was lower than the national average of 88%
  • 25% of staff had experienced physical violence from patients and relatives.

However, staff’s perception of how the Trust responds to such issues is above the national average.

Speaking about the results of the survey, Alan Davis, Director of Human Resources and Workforce Development for the Trust said, "I’m delighted that once again staff at the South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust feel they have a good work life balance. The survey allows us to see where we are doing well alongside which areas need to improve and I look forward to working with staff to make further improvements to their working lives."

He continues, "The survey particularly highlights the importance of good team work, with 86% of Trust staff saying that their team works together effectively to achieve objectives and 77% are happy with the support they get from their colleagues and manager. It is this sense of teamwork that the Trust, and the NHS, is built upon. NHS staff are rightly proud of their roles and the difference they can make to the lives of local people who use our services. As we progress towards becoming a Foundation Trust, accountability to local people will increase and staff will also have a greater say in how the Trust is run for the benefit of everyone."

Survey shows local NHS staff have a happy work life balance

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