Annual Report 2006-2007: Our Staff
The Trust's staff are its most precious resource. They work tirelessly, often above and beyond the call of duty, to provide high quality patient care.
The annual staff awards ceremony proved a great success, with particular tributes to long-standing volunteers who support the work of staff across the Trust.
Tight controls have been in place regarding staff recruitment and the Trust has been successful in its recruitment in most staff groups. Turnover of staff has remained constant at around 14%.
The Trust currently offers subsidised places for staff within the two on-site nurseries at Watford and St Albans. A Salary Sacrifice Scheme has just been approved by the Inland Revenue enabling users to benefit from tax savings on these fees. This scheme is an alternative to the Childcare Voucher Scheme where staff are able to save money on any type of childcare fees. Staff also have access to an Emergency Nanny who can be called out when regular childcare has broken down, and discounts and limited subsidies are available in local holiday playschemes. All staff going on maternity leave receive individual support with regard to their entitlements and their return to work, and regular childcare information sessions are held across all sites.
Following detailed research with staff, in January the Board endorsed a comprehensive internal communications strategy, designed to deliver effective two-way communication of the Trust’s vision and to increase awareness of what is expected of staff, and where energy should be focused to meet goals. This includes a monthly team briefing, the development of a communications review group and a review of the intranet. The Trust also has an active Joint Consultative Committee which meets monthly.
A Staff Support Pack will shortly be available detailing all sources of support that staff can access in relation to their work. The Electronic Staff Record (ESR) System went live in the Trust in September 2006 following 10 months of hard work in preparation for implementation. ESR is a single, national integrated payroll and HR system, replacing 29 payroll systems and 38 HR systems across every NHS organisation in the country. ESR will be a hugely valuable asset for the Trust, making better quality information readily available, preventing duplication of data input and allowing staff to move across to new employers within the NHS family with their existing records. The operational costs of ESR are being met by the Department of Health until April 2008.
The Trust provides in-house Occupational Health services, which are available to all staff and which are supplemented by a confidential counselling service.
The Trust is committed not only to ensuring that all of its services are accessible, appropriate and fair, but also to recruiting a diverse workforce, matching the diversity of the local population and being capable of understanding the needs and culture of patients within the communities it serves. The Trust aims to maintain a balance between the needs and well being of the organisation, its employees, the community and its stakeholders, committed to treating everyone with respect and dignity and to delivering equality of opportunity for all staff, patients and other service users.
In 2005 the Trust published an Equalities Framework that incorporates our Race Equality Scheme and Action Plan, and in 2006 the Disability Equality Scheme and Action Plan was published. The Trust is now developing a Gender Equality Scheme and Action Plan, which will be published over the coming months. In November 2006 the Trust was re-assessed in connection with the Disability 'Two Ticks' Symbol. The Disability Symbol is a sign that the Trust has a commitment to meeting the needs of disabled employees.
