Agenda item

Report of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board.

Mish Irvine, Acting ICB Chief People Officer, Gemma Treanor, Head of ICS People, Alex Brett, MPFT Chief People Officer, Paul Draycott, Chief People Officer NSCHT, Sophie Storr, Senior People Business Partner for Workforce Transformation at UHNM, Kay Myatt, Deputy Chief People Officer UHNM and Lorna Clarson, Deputy Chief Medical Officer from Primary Care presented the ICS People/ and Workforce to the Committee.

The Committee were provided with the context of current operating environment across the ICS relating to Activity, Workforce and Finance. The Committee were updated around the ICS Workforce progress and were advised that since September 2022:

·         Turnover Rate had reduced by 1.7% (10%)

·         Sickness Absence Rate had reduced by 0.8% (5.2%)

·         Mandatory Training had increased by 1.8% (94.2%)

·         AFC Appraisal Rate had increased by 8.1% (84.1%)

·         Medical Appraisal Rate had reduced by 13.8% (74.4%)

The Committee were advised that of the future focus of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Workforce Plan Delivery around Train, Retain and Reform.

It was reported that there was an “Aiming Higher and Higher” Workforce Summit held in October 2023 which had 118 people participate from across the ICS and wider partners to pose and the workforce challenges and solutions.

It was reported that each organisation had their own strategies and priorities which were aligned to the ICS Workforce Plan. A summary of MPFT, NSCHT, Primary Care and UHNM was shared with the Committee. 

The Committee noted the following comments and responses to questions:

·         The Escalation Surge Plan had replaced the Winter Plan due to the difficultly in predicting surges throughout the year. The Committee were assured that the ICS were well prepared for the next three to six months and there was a workforce plan in place.

·         Retaining staff was more cost efficient than recruitment and so a number of retention officers had been recruited and were aligned to each trust across the ICS. These officers would speak to the workforce and seek their views of what the organisation could do differently.

·         Staff surveys and pulse checks were done throughout the year, these surveys were anonymous. The key themes from staff surveys were around flexible working and stress. There was a systemwide programme for emotional wellbeing on offer to all staff.

·         Investigations for why the Medical Appraisal Rate had reduced by 13.8% were ongoing. It was reported that there was a long-term plan to focus on medical and dental training and clinical educational activity.

·         There was a three pillar to work journey programme, targeting young people through schools and colleges then onto virtual work experience and then apprenticeships. There were also apprenticeships available for people of all ages. There was also an outreach approach to recruit from the seldom heard communities.

·         200 Nurses from India had been recruited at the UHNM over the last two years. The Committee requested to receive current figures of international recruitment.

·         Relating to abuse of staff it was reported that across the ICS there was a zero-tolerance approach in place and the system worked with the workforce to identify areas where there were a number of specific incidents. It was reported that the thresholds of abuse were being reviewed, however the organisations would support staff if they wished to involve the police.  The Committee requested to receive the data of incidents of violence towards staff.

·         There were leadership development programmes in place for managers across the system. The Committee requested a list of all the leadership programmes and requested metrics around learning and development and employee engagement be included.

·         Virtual work experience was launched in 2022 and were now re-running the virtual work experience.

·         There were challenges in engagement with General Practices relating to workforce data due to their individual pressures. It was reported that there was a retention coordinator within primary care who was working with General Practices to develop the workforce survey and encourage uptake in the survey. The Committee requested to receive an update on this as part of the General Practice report due at Committee in January 2024.

·         There were a number of percentages in the report not alongside figures and the Committee requested to receive the figures.

·         Salary issues had been raised as part of the staff surveys however the ICS was bound by national terms and conditions. It was reported that retention data had highlighted that salary was not always the reason as to why staff had left the organisation and was more relating to flexible working arrangements.

Resolved – That (a) the report be received, and the Committee comments be noted.

(b) the Committee receive:

·         Current international recruitment data.

·         Data around incidents of violence towards staff.

·         A full list of leadership development programmes and metrics around learning and development and employee engagement.

·         The figures in the presentation which were shared at Committee as a percentage.