Survey shows local specialist NHS Trust is a good place to work
The results of a national NHS survey has revealed that staff in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield who work for South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust believe that it is a good place to work, compared with similar organisations across the country.
As part of the National 2008 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 65% 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: • Making a difference to service users – with 92% of those surveyed agreeing their role makes a difference, including 100% of staff from corporate services (eg finance, HR, performance and complaints) • Having an interesting job – 83% agreed that their job is interesting • Recommending the Trust as a place to work – 59% of staff said they would, which is 10% higher than the national average • Equal opportunities for career progression – 91% of staff believe the Trust acts fairly regardless of ethnic background, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or age, including 100% of occupational therapists and 95% of staff in non-clinical roles. • Work pressure felt by staff – staff were asked to assess the extent to which they feel there is adequate time, equipment and staffing to do their job. The Trust’s score is in the top 20% of organisations in the country and the score has increased since last years survey • Trust commitment to work life balance – again, the Trust’s score was statistically higher than other similar organisations, with staff believing the Trust helps them find a good balance between their work and home life • Learning and development – 84% have received training, learning and development in the last year, including 88% in health and safety training, with 50% agreeing there are good opportunities to develop their potential • Staff experiencing work-related stress – Not only is the Trust’s score of 31% lower than the national average but it has also reduced by 4% from the previous year. Nurses were the highest staff group reporting stress, followed by non-clinical corporate service staff. • Percentage of staff experiencing harassment or bullying from other staff – 12% is significantly below the national average for similar organisations and there has been a 5% decrease from last year • Percentage of staff reporting errors, near misses or incidents – 100% of staff surveyed who had witnessed any incidents had reported, enabling the Trust to learn from these incidents • Job satisfaction and intention to leave– Staff were asked about recognition for good work, support from colleagues, how valued they feel and the opportunity to use their skills. The Trust’s score was higher than other similar organisations, as well as the score for staff who were considering leaving their job at the Trust
However, there were some results that indicate a need for improvement, such as: ? 49% of staff at the Trust said they had agreed a personal development plan as part of their appraisal, although this has increased from 40% last year ? 61% of staff said they had had a performance development review in the previous 12 months, although this has seen an increase of 10% from the previous year ? 20% of staff had experienced physical violence from patients and relatives. However, staff’s perception of how the Trust responds to such issues is the same as 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 our staff have a high opinion of their employer. We work hard to be an employer of choice for local people and ensure our staff feel valued with excellent opportunities for learning and development. The national NHS staff survey allows us to see where we are doing well alongside which areas need to improve. I am particularly pleased that the vast majority of our staff, no matter what role they work in, feel like they are making a difference to lives of people who use our services. The Trust’s mission is to help people with mental health problems and learning disabilities to live life to the full. Our committed and dedicated workforce breathe life into this organisational mission every day."