Workforce and Organisational Development Report
Author: Ruth Davies, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development
Date: 6 February 2012 / Version: 1
Publication/ Distribution (on completion):
- Public Health Wales Executive Team
- Public Health Wales Board
- Public Health Wales Intranet
- Public Health Wales Internet
Purpose and Summary of Document:
The purpose of the paper is to provide the Board with an overview of the Public Health Wales workforce and an update on key workforce and OD issues.
Date of Formal Board Meeting: 21 February 2013
This paper is for:
Discussion
Decision
Information / X
Date: 6 February 2013 / Version: 1 / Page: 1 of 8
Public Health Wales / Workforce and OD Report- Formal Board
- Workforce Analysis
The key messages from an analysis of workforce metrics for the current year to date are as follows:
1.1Staff in Post:
As at 22 January 2013, Public Health Wales has 1327 directly employed staff, which equates to 1,151.49Full Time Equivalents (Contracted).
1.2Turnover:
The staff turnover rate for the period 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012 is 7.93% which is within an acceptable range.
1.3Sickness Absence:
The sickness absence rate for the period January 2012 to December 2012 is3.33%,the same as the comparable period last year. The annual sickness target set by the Welsh Government is 3.25%.
1.4VER Scheme:
One member of staff left the organisation on 4 January 2013 under the Voluntary Early Release Scheme. There are currently no further applications to be processed.
2.Current and Future Workforce Issues
2.1Partnership Forum
The last meeting of the Partnership Forum took placeon 31 January 2013. A joint task group is being established to implement the agreed recommendations from the recent review of employee relations and partnership working within Public Health Wales. Once these discussions are concluded we anticipate a Joint Negotiating Committee being set up and Partnership Forum meetings moving to a quarterly timescale.
2.2Joint Medical and Dental Negotiating Group
The Group met on 16 January 2013 and continue to discuss issues in relation to medical and dental staffing, including policy development and revalidation. The next meeting date is 4 March 2013.
2.3Workforce Pressures
A number of strategic workforce modernisation initiatives are continuing, which are being supported by the HR Team. These include:
Administration Review
The implementation phase of the Administration Review has been completed and all outstanding issues have now been resolved. The residual (new) posts have been advertised and appointed to. Formal project closure documents will be produced shortly and submitted to the project board for approval.
Public Health Development Directorate
A Project Steering Group has been set up with a project team below. HRare providing OD support and support team workforce matters to both the Steering Group and the Project Team.
Modernising Scientific Careers
Work has taken place to establish a Public Health Wales implementation group. The Modernising Scientific Careers management group have commenced work on scoping the future shape of the Health Care Scientific workforce, the Consultant Scientist workforce, development of an implementation action plan and impact assessment of the changes to work based training. Scientific Trainee Programme Recruitment and Workforce Information Task and Finish groups have been set up to support the project.
Harmonisation of On Call / Service Change
There is an urgent need to progress out of hours service change before the pay protection arrangements cease in June.
Laboratory Services Review
Within the laboratory service, there are a number of projects/initiatives in progress.
North Wales: The first implementation group for the Microbiology Review took place on 23 November 2012. The final paper will go to the Public Health Wales Board for sign off in February 2013. We anticipate a transfer of 20 staff to Public Health Wales from the Wrexham laboratoryby 1 April 2013. A subsequent re-design of services will follow.
South West Wales: The review report is finalisedand was submitted to Health Protection management on 23 November 2012. The recommendation was for a single site service for the future within the South West Wales area. Options are to be discussed with the Local Health Board and an action plan to be drafted. Public Health Wales have recently agreed to deliver a clinical service in Withybush and will move to transfer laboratory services from April 2013.
South East Wales Microbiology Modernisation Project: A number of options have been considered with agreement that the preferred option would be a single site. No decision has been made to date as to where this would be.
Work is ongoing in relation to Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening(all screeners took up post on 14 January 2013) and Digital Mammography(where it is felt that the radiography helpers establishment is currently correct but will be reviewed at the end of the first screening round and therefore the Digital Workforce subgroup has been stood down). Work is nearing completion for Reconfiguration of Laboratory Services – Cytology and Bowel.
Transfer of NLIAH Staff
Work is progressing to ensure the transfer of 51 NLIAH staff to Public Health Wales on 1 April 2013. The Chief Executive and members of the receiving project team attended a meeting with staff on 25 January; this event was well attended. Final TUPE letters have been agreed and were distributed during week commencing 28 January 2013.
The Public Health Wales receiving project team continue to meet regularly in the run up to the transfer in April. An HR surgery is operating, enabling NLIAH staff to access HR support on request.
2.4HR Team Development
A meeting took place with the HR team on 22 January to discuss a proposed new structure and model of working.
The proposed structure has focussed on creating the following:
•A strengthened and clear point of contact to interface with senior managers / Directors to work closely with them on their important strategic issues providing creative and business focussed solutions to people issues
•Resource regionally focussed on supporting case management (sickness absence / grievance / disciplinary cases) and T&C / contractual matters
•Dedicated support for Medical staffing
•Specialist ESR / Workforce data and analysis capability
•A centralised administration function which will include supporting ESR by ensuring the data is accurate and up to date.
•A new management post to oversee the HR services work with a focus on delivery, benchmarking performance and producing internal performance data.
The consultation period with the HR team will run until 19 February 2013. Managers and unions have also been asked to give their views on the proposed structureby the same date.
Recruitment, Payroll and Pension services are provided by the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership. Members of the Public Health Wales HR and Finance teams continue to meet with representatives of the shared services organisation on a bimonthly basis in order to discuss levels of service and to develop a set of Key Performance Indicators. A planned meeting between the Recruitment team and a group of managers from Public Health Wales who use the recruitment service regularly and who have expressed concerns about the service had to be postponed because of bad weather. We are currently seeking an alternative date.
2.5Implementation of Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and Oracle Learning Management (OLM) in Public Health Wales
The latest roll out of ESR and Employee Self Service has gone very well and a further cohort will receive access from 1 February 2013. It is envisaged that the final roll out should be completed by October 2013, which is well ahead of the original target date of April 2014.
There are continuing significant resource constraints within the HR and Learning and Development team which will affect further development and usage of self service.
2.6Changes to Disclosure and Barring
The next meeting of the Task and Finish Group is due to take place on 5 February and further information will be presented in the next report to the executive team.
2.7Equality and Diversity
It is envisaged that the roll out of Employee Self Service will assist with the organisation’s recording of equality and diversity statistics, as set out in the Equality Plan. As part of the series of tasks associated with the roll out, staff will be asked to access the equality field and to complete the confidential records attached.
2.8National update “Working Differently Working Together”
Tim Heywood from 1000 Lives plus and Sarah Hayes are both members of the Programme Board for “Working Differently Working Together” which is the work programme being put together on an all Wales basis to deliver the workforce and organisational development interventions in support of “Together for Health “. One workstreamis around Health and Wellbeing of the NHS Workforce and this is led by Debbie Morgan, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development at ABMU. Public Health Wales will support this work and Ruth Davies and Claire Barley have met with the project teamto discuss how best to offer support.
2.9NHS Staff Survey
A staff survey is being run across all ten NHS Wales organisations during early 2013. The questionnaire has been developed with assistance from Michael West (Professor of Organisational Psychology at Aston Business School) and will help organisations in measuring their progress in delivering Together for Health and “Working Differently Working Together”. The survey opened week commencing 21 January 2013 with everyone with an NHS email account being invited to complete the survey on-line. Those without an NHS email account will be provided with a paper copy but can complete the survey on-line should they choose to do so. We continue to encourage staff to participate.
Over 10% of Public Health Wales had participated by 1 February and regular reminders / encouragement will be ongoing until the survey closes.
- Learning, Development and OD
3.1Statutory Training
The graph below shows that latest compliance figures. The figures in some areas are decreasing due to a lack of training provisions i.e. Health & Safety. This is being reviewed and a satisfactory solution should be found soon.
A meeting with the Health & Safety Advisor for Public Health Wales is planned for beginning of April to review required competence for some Statutory and Mandatory training in order to inform procurement of suitable training. Professional Organisational Development we are also awaiting a risk assessment process to ascertain who should undertake which level of manual handling etc.
An implementation plan for the “Improving Quality Together” is currently being developed for Public Health Wales, together with a review and development of a plan for other mandatory training, e.g. health WRAP.
3.2Internal Learning and Development
POD has continued to offer a variety of internal learning and development opportunities, including: appraisal, minute taking, Understanding Change and Transition, negotiation and conflict, effective and persuasive writing, project management.
Brief Intervention / Every Contact Counts Workshop
The workshop planned for 23 January 2013 was cancelled due to the bad weather and a new date will be confirmed soon.
Foundation / Introductory Level to Public Health
Scoping work has commenced to revisit and update the business case to develop an introductory level course for public health.
Corporate Induction
Scoping work to review and consider the development of an all Public Health Wales corporate has commenced.
Learning and Development opportunities January to March 2013
An external training provider has been secured for Dignity at Work, Giving and Receiving Constructive Feedback and Stress Awareness/ Stress Management. Appraisal training is ongoing with approximately 100 people having participated to date.
Date: 6 February 2013 / Version: 1 / Page: 1 of 8