We collect feedback from colleagues in a variety of ways including the annual National Staff Survey, national Quarterly Pulse Surveys and also through less structured methods including listening events and social media polls.
Our annual staff engagement cycle enables us to plan these activities and provide a clear timeline for action plans and feedback to colleagues focused on what actions have been taken as a result of the feedback they have taken the time to give.
Based on feedback we received from engaging with colleagues this year we have focused on the following areas from an organisational perspective:
- Staffing and recruitment. We have recruited over 300 additional people in the last year, with a focus on international recruitment and apprenticeship programmes.
- Pay and cost of living. We have uplifted all clinical band 2 staff to band 3, as well as a full review of staff benefits and partnering with companies such as Stagecoach to offer discounted bus fares.
- Career development. We have increased the number of apprenticeship opportunities, with clear system-wide career pathways for various roles.
- Burn out. The staff wellbeing service have offered trust wide workshops addressing the issue of burn out.
Staff Survey
The official NHS annual staff survey results were released in March 2024, and we’ve shared some of the highlights below which show how we compare to other mental health and learning disability trusts nationally.
People promise element or survey theme | LPFT score 2023 survey |
We are compassionate and inclusive | 7.91 |
We are recognised and rewarded | 6.90 |
We each have a voice that counts | 7.23 |
We are safe and healthy | Not reported due to national data quality issue |
We are always learning | 6.04 |
We work flexibly | 7.19 |
We are a team | 7.47 |
Staff engagement | 7.41 |
Morale | 6.59 |
Indicators (People Promise elements and themes) | 2021/22 Trust score | 2021/22 benchmarking score | 2022/23 Trust score | 2022/23 benchmarking score | 2023/24 Trust score | 2023/24 benchmarking score |
We are compassionate and inclusive | 7.84 | 7.52 | 7.77 | 7.54 | 7.91 | 7.58 |
We are recognised and rewarded | 6.78 | 6.35 | 6.55 | 6.29 | 6.90 | 6.41 |
We each have a voice that counts | 7.32 | 6.99 | 7.13 | 6.97 | 7.23 | 7.01 |
We are safe and healthy | 6.54 | 6.22 | 6.38 | 6.24 | - | - |
We are always learning | 6.03 | 5.64 | 5.86 | 5.72 | 6.04 | 5.93 |
We work flexibly | 6.91 | 6.71 | 6.84 | 6.75 | 7.19 | 6.84 |
We are a team | 7.34 | 7.03 | 7.20 | 7.05 | 7.41 | 7.11 |
Staff engagement | 7.35 | 7.03 | 7.20 | 7.05 | 7.41 | 7.11 |
Morale | 6.52 | 6.02 | 6.24 | 6.04 | 6.59 | 6.17 |
Our response and highlights
Our response
2021 | 2022 | 2023 (current year) | 2023 benchmarking group (trust average) |
64% | 53% | 59% | 52% |
We were delighted to see a 6% increase in last year’s response rate which equates to approximately 160 more colleague voices being heard this year.
Highlights
Strengths | Improvements to make |
Recognition | Colleagues experiencing discrimination, harassment/bullying and physical violence |
Working as a team | Numbers of colleagues receiving an appraisal |
Care of patients/service users is the Trust’s top priority | |
Recommend LPFT as a place to work or receive care |
Engagement on the survey results
This year, we will continue to organise our engagement activity through priority themes identified from the staff survey results, this will take place on an organisational level for those themes that applied across the organisation and more locally within divisions to understand areas of strength and what could be better for colleagues working specifically in the each of the clinical divisions, as well as our corporate colleagues.
The introduction of new data tools assist in further understanding the staff survey results and has enabled us to drill down where significant improvements have been made compared to last year and where scores have most declined, to be able to target support more effectively.
Our trustwide staff engagement this year will focus around:
- A refresh of our Trust values and behaviours to align with the new Trust Strategy
- Belonging
- Appraisal process
We will continue to work with teams to encourage engagement and promote the importance of hearing their views. A targeted piece of work will focus on ‘we did together’ to demonstrate action that has been taken from the specific feedback the trust has received as in order for colleagues to see the importance and value of completing the survey.
Wider staff engagement and wellbeing this year
Flexible working
We have continued to review our flexible working offer and achieved Timewise accreditation in recognition of the work achieved so far.
We are now developing relevant action plans to progress this further and embed flexible working across the Trust for all our staff.
We have also implemented a successful team rostering pilot improving how we roster colleagues shifts and have plans to roll this out further across more ward-based teams.
Staff networks
We engaged staff our eight staff networks of REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage), MAPLE (Mental And Physical Lived Experience), Neurodiversity, LGBTQ+, Women’s, Men’s, DAISIES (Domestic Abuse) and Working Carers who help us represent the view of our staff when developing plans to improve their experience of work.
Psychological and physical wellbeing support
We have continued our commitment to supporting colleagues with their physical and psychological wellbeing and continue to do this through our in-house Staff Wellbeing Service and Wellbeing Champions.
- Our Staff Wellbeing Service support staff networks, delivery of various workshops and support sessions, bespoke team support and away days, psychological debriefs and reflective spaces for colleagues following critical incidents.
- Our in-house psychological service offers a confidential stepped care model of psychological care to our staff, with treatment delivered based on NICE guidelines for anxiety and depression. Colleagues can self refer and we also support management referrals.
- Our employment support pathway supports colleagues who are absent from work, or those significantly struggling to maintain work. It aims to offer immediate support within five working days of referral, followed by a further assessment from an occupational therapist. This assessment considers specific work factors in conjunction with any health-related issues impacting on the person and will be carried out in collaboration with the person, their manager (as appropriate), Human Resources and other professionals involved in the staff member’s care.
- Our in-house physiotherapy clinic delivers hands on treatment, care and advice to colleagues experiencing musculoskeletal problems. This is strengthened by our contracts for treatment with private physiotherapy clinics across the county.