iMatter Health & Social Care Staff Experience Survey 2024

My Organisation

Results are aggregated for each question presented under the heading ‘My Organisation’, where Organisation refers to and includes both the relevant NHS Board and Health & Social Care Partnership(s).

Seven of the nine components in ‘My Organisation’ have declined by 1 point from last year. ‘I understand how my role contributes to the goals of the organisation’ remains the highest score and is unchanged at 83.

The lowest scores across all components, are in ‘I feel Board Members responsible for the wider organisation are sufficiently visible’¹³ (55) and ‘I feel involved in decisions relating to my organisation’ (55), both have declined by 1 point from 2023.

Boards

Full Board data is included in the iMatter 2024 Data file^[12].

While overall there has been either no change or a decline of 1 point in My Organisation scores, there are larger differences among individual Boards.

Boards with the largest declines are:

• Healthcare Improvement Scotland, where several ratings have declined:
  • ‘I have confidence and trust in Board members who are responsible for my organisation’ and ‘I feel sufficiently involved in decisions relating to my organisation’ have both declined by 10 points from 2023 to 62 and 54, respectively.
  • ‘I would recommend my organisation as a good place to work’ has declined by 9 points to 72.
  • The decline of 8 points in ‘I feel my organisation cares about my health and wellbeing’ to 71 is also of concern.
• Three components have declined by 3 points in NHS Grampian:
  • ‘I feel that board members who are responsible for my organisation are sufficiently visible’ declined from 59 in 2023 to 56 in 2024.
  • ‘I feel sufficiently involved in decisions relating to my organisation’ also declined from 59 in 2023 to 56 in 2024.
  • ‘I have confidence and trust in Board members who are responsible for my organisation’ declined from 64 in 2023 to 61 in 2024.
• NHS Education for Scotland has also seen declines of 3 points in three components:
  • ‘I feel my organisation cares about my health and wellbeing,’ declined from 84 in 2023 to 81 in 2024.
  • ‘I am confident performance is managed well within my organisation’ declined from 74 in 2023 to 71 in 2024.
  • ‘I would recommend my organisation as a good place to work’ declined from 87 in 2023 to 84 in 2024.

Several Boards have improved their scores in My Organisation, the largest being;

• Public Health Scotland where all components have increased by at least 2 points. The largest improvement is in ‘I feel that board members who are responsible for my organisation are sufficiently visible’ which is up 6 points from 2023. ‘I have confidence and trust in Board members who are responsible for my organisation’ has increased by 5 points.

Public Health Scotland

“We have introduced ‘All staff conversations’ with the Chief Exec, focused on particular areas of work or specific issues within the organisation. We also had the first all PHS staff conference which was greatly attended and a really positive experience.

Board members made a commitment to join staff in staff events and we have also included a programme of staff attending Board meetings to see how the Board operates.”

• NHS Orkney has achieved the greatest improvement of all My Organisation components across all Boards with an increase of 8 points in ‘I feel that board members who are responsible for my organisation are sufficiently visible’, from 53 in 2023 to 61 in 2024.
• ‘I have confidence and trust in Board members who are responsible for my organisation’ and ‘I feel sufficiently involved in decisions relating to my organisation’ have both increased by 4 points in NHS Orkney. The iMatter team there provided the following feedback on actions that have been taken to improve scores relating board members:

NHS Orkney iMatter Team

“Board walkarounds were introduced in May 2023 to improve the visibility of Board members and to ensure staff across the organisation felt heard and relationships strengthened. Feedback is shared with staff covering, what teams are proud of, what we learnt, support needed, items for escalation.

This new approach was introduced in response to staff feedback, notably following low iMatter staff survey scores for Board visibility and specifically to recognise that as Board members we would find it helpful to gain an insight/deeper understanding into the work of our teams/different area of work.

The Board walkarounds are part of a wider package of changes that took place in 2023/24 to further improve staff engagement, Board visibility and organisational culture.”

• NHS 24 have improved all scores within My Organisation. The largest increases are in ‘I feel my organisation cares about my health and wellbeing,’ ‘I am confident performance is managed well within my organisation’ and ‘I would recommend my organisation as a good place to work’ all up for 4 points from 2023. NHS 24 have provided details of the actions that have contributed to these score increases:

NHS 24 iMatter Team

“I feel my organisation cares about my health and wellbeing.

• The implementation of the ‘Our Culture Matters’ programme, alongside the ‘Our Wellbeing Matters’ strategy and the rollout of Culture and Values Workshops.
• Regular planned promotion of wellbeing resources in a multi-layered way throughout the year, building active and passive consumption and increasing awareness of what’s on offer to support our staff.
• Ongoing commitment for all members of staff to receive a regular 1:1 with their line manager to support discussions on individual health and wellbeing and monitor welfare.
• The appointment of a Wellbeing Manager has been key to ensuring the effective implementation of wellbeing initiatives and promoting a more engaged and healthier workforce

I am confident performance is managed well within my organisation.

• Re-invigoration of the Appraisal process within NHS 24 to review performance and to set work and learning goals for the coming period.
• Support and resources for managers, including continued policy training and the implementation of lessons learned.
• An appraisal hub created to provide access to resources along with training for individual teams as necessary.

I would recommend my organisation as a good place to work.

• The launch of the Leadership Development Programme, featuring ‘Leading with Courage’ and ‘Leading for Impact,’ has created a more positive and motivating work environment, reinforcing our commitment to making NHS 24 a great place to work.
• The introduction of Mentor24 has fostered skill development and career growth by connecting employees with seasoned mentors who provide valuable guidance and support.
• The Staff Experience Groups established in centres, coupled with regular Culture and Wellbeing pulse surveys of all staff allow rich feedback and insights into staff experience at work, enabling learning and identification of continuous improvement, built on staff voice.
• The redesign of our end to end recruitment process which ensures values are embedded from the beginning and that the process of onboarding starts pre application and ends after 12 months. A key part of this is the 3, 6 and 9 month check ins that are carried out to ensure staff are settling in well and any issues are picked up and addressed quickly.”

Two Team Stories from NHS Golden Jubilee focus on cross-team collaboration and may have contributed to the 1p increase in the Board’s score for ‘I get the help and support I need from other teams and services within the organisation to do my job’ from 70 in 2023 to 71 this year.

NHS Golden Jubilee Nursing for Heart, Lung and Diagnostic Services (HLDS) and National Elective Services (NES) teams demonstrate the value of cross-team working and the importance of ‘staff feeling they get the help and support they need from other teams and services within the organisation to do their job:

NHS Golden Jubilee HLDS and NES Teams

“Our iMatter story actually covers more than one team but really highlights the benefit of working together.

We took inspiration from our Senior Charge Nurses who had already recognised the value in both directorates coming together at ‘away days’ and decided to put something similar in place for our Clinical Nurse Managers.

As well as using these sessions to discuss pertinent local and national issues, we saw them as a great opportunity to share learning, discuss ideas and really get to know each other better. The content and format of the meetings are driven by the group members, who, in pairs, take it in turn to organise the session.

The honesty and openness in the room bore testament to the great bond and trust we have built across our teams.”

Multiple Theatres Nursing Teams in NHS Gold Jubilee have worked together on workshops to support staff and ensure effective team work:

NHS Golden Jubilee Theatres Nursing Teams

“As NHS Golden Jubilee progressed with its ambitious plans to open a new surgical centre and redesigned Outpatient Department, we recognised that the development of our workforce also needed significant investment – both for our existing staff and the anticipated 500 new recruits for the new surgical centre. We wanted to create the foundations for positive team work.

We collaborated with colleagues from Learning and Organisational Development to design and deliver facilitated development sessions to support effective functioning for teams involved in the expansion. For the Nursing teams within Theatres, this meant all nurses had the opportunity to attend a three-hour workshop focussing on self-care, wellbeing and effective team working.

We collaborated with colleagues from Learning and Organisational Development to design and deliver facilitated development sessions to support effective functioning for teams involved in the expansion. For the Nursing teams within Theatres, this meant all nurses had the opportunity to attend a three-hour workshop focussing on self-care, wellbeing and effective team working.”

A story from NHS Grampian Finance, Procurement and Performance Directorate also focuses on the importance of cross team collaboration. Like many other stories it references the long-term commitment to continued progress:

NHS Grampian, Finance, Procurement and Performance Directorate

“As the newly appointed Service Director of the Finance, Procurement & Performance Directorate at NHS Grampian, the Directorate faced the challenge of integrating 3 distinct teams into a cohesive unit. Our iMatter survey results showed promise, with a 90% response rate and an overall experience score of 8.1 out of 10. However, the services recognised areas for improvement, particularly in training, information sharing, and our working environment.

To address these challenges, we implemented several strategies. The Director of Finance began spending time in different office locations, shadowing colleagues to understand their roles better. We held an away day focused on team integration and our service vision. To improve training, we are exploring additional support for trainees, considering apprenticeship opportunities, and reviving our CPD programme.

Communication has been key. We issue regular updates via our team's channels, keeping staff informed about Board discussions. We've held all-staff meetings to discuss important issues like our office move and hybrid working arrangements.

Our journey is ongoing, but we are confident that with continued focus on staff governance, we will build a stronger, more integrated team ready to support NHS Grampian's future plans.”

NHS 24 have focused on improving board member visibility and strengthening confidence and trust:

NHS 24

“Over the past year, significant steps have been taken to improve board member visibility and strengthen confidence and trust. These efforts have been reflected in the latest iMatter Workforce results, where the percentage of the Workforce team who feel that board members responsible for the organisation are sufficiently visible increased by 7%, and confidence and trust in board members improved by 3% on previous year.

To enhance visibility, board members were invited to team meetings, allowing staff to showcase their work, and board members to better understand the challenges and successes of different teams across the directorate.

Further efforts to foster engagement included opportunities for staff to both observe Staff Governance Committee meetings and to present their work where appropriate. These collective initiatives have not only increased board member visibility but also promoted a deeper understanding of how individuals fit and contribute to the wider organisation. Staff Governance development sessions provided platforms for staff to highlight key areas of work and gain valuable insights into the roles and responsibilities of board members.”

Staff Groupings

Local Authority staff score higher for all components of My Organisation. The biggest differences are confidence in

• I am confident performance is managed well within my organisation with Local Authority staff scoring 5 points higher (67) than NHSScotland staff (62)
• I feel my organisation cares about my health and wellbeing with Local Authority staff scoring 4 points higher (74) than NHSScotland staff (70)

Details of scores for each of the individual Staff Groupings within NHSScotland and Local Authority are included within the iMatter 2024 Data files^[13]. There is considerable variation in scores across Staff Groupings across the My Organisation components.