Health and social care - staff experience: report 2021

Ministerial Foreword for Staff Experience Report 2021

Every single person working in health and social care has been remarkable throughout the pandemic, providing exemplary care in the most trying circumstances, saving lives, protecting our NHS and delivering vital services that local communities rely upon. I am deeply grateful for your continued compassion, commitment, and professionalism. I am mindful that the pandemic is not yet over, and that COVID-19 and other pressures will continue to impact the NHS and Health and Social Care Partnerships.

We welcome the return of the full iMatter Continuous Improvement Model, with 22 Health Boards and 28 Health and Social Care Partnerships in Scotland taking part.

I am encouraged that so many staff have taken the time to share their experience. Sharing individual reflections through iMatter is a great opportunity for staff to ensure their insights are captured and acknowledged, helping influence and shape initiatives to enhance staff experience going forward. I would like to personally thank each and every one of you who responded and for adding your voice, every voice matters.

The 2021 Staff Experience Report has highlighted the continued change and upheaval faced by staff. It has also documented the ongoing personal struggles that many staff have faced through the last year as a result of COVID-19, and the impact that these have had on you as individuals.

The lived staff experience documented in this, and previous reports, directly influence ongoing and future work, informing direction and focus. An example being the National Wellbeing Programme including dedicated hub and helpline, which seeks to embed wellbeing into everyone's working lives. This is supported by our National Leadership Development Programme focused on creating compassionate, inclusive leaders who convey and nurture a positive culture where all staff can thrive. We have also seen the creation of the national Ethnic Minority Forum and additional demographic questions in iMatter which will inform policy to support equality work across protected characteristics. Additionally, the recently launched Respect campaign seeks to support staff at risk of violent and aggressive behaviour in the workplace, further promoting safety and wellbeing of staff.

I would like to offer a further sincere thank you to all staff across Health and Social Care. You have demonstrated time and time again your incredible commitment to delivering a first-class service and capacity for compassionate care through the most difficult of times. Each and every one of you should feel proud of what you have accomplished.

Once again, thank you for helping to shape our way forward and I strongly encourage everyone to continue to use their voice by participating in future surveys as we begin our journey into 2022