Scottish Workforce & Staff Governance Committee Friday 26 June 2009 Conference Room C, D & E, St Andrew s House Present: In attendance: Apologies: Ingrid Clayden SGHD (Chair) Michael Fuller Unite John Callaghan Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists Joyce Davidson - BMA Pat Dawson NHS Lothian David Forbes - Unison Anne Gent NHS Highland Lynne Khindria NHS Lanarkshire Sandra-Dee Mason - Unison Jackie Mitchell - RCM Mandy Robertson - Unison Elizabeth Stow Society of Radiographers Hugh Sweeney NHS Lanarkshire Mary Trivasse - GMB Dorothy Wright NHS NES John Boland Unite Gordon McKay - Unison Ian Reid NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Heather Johnstone SGHD (Minute taker) Alison Johnston SGHD Marilyn Barrett SGHD Ricky Verrall SGHD Karen Adams NHS NES Anne Campbell SGHD Lynne Anderson - DaW Peter Samuel University of Nottingham Nick Bacon University of Nottingham Helen Highley Bright Purpose Kim Walker Bright Purpose Chris Boring George Brechin Alison Graham Donald Harley Wai-yin Hatton Gordon Jamieson 1
Jacqui Jones Lillian Macer Pamela McLachlan Norman Provan Clare Ronald SWAG 1a. Welcome, Introductions and Apologies The Chair welcomed everyone and we all introduced ourselves. 1b. Minute The Minute was taken as accurate and there were no matters arising. 2 ACS Steering Group ACS project started in 2007. The project is looking at the learning needs of administrative and support staff. This is to encourage staff and to help them in there career progression. A consultation paper was issued last year. The project looked at the core skills that were required for each grade. They also looked for innovative ways that staff could continue learning. They also looked at Qualifications. This was encouraged by the members of SWAG. It was also recognised that staff can be spread thinly and some staff may work shifts, which made it difficult to access training. 3 Dignity at Work The project has been going since September 2008. Bulling should be dealt with at the time it happens and Positive Behaviours and respect should be encouraged by staff at all grades. A Communication toolkit is being developed and will be launched in September. Mediation is one way of dealing with Dignity at Work issues. Bright Purpose Consulting has won the contract to look at how Mediation is used within 2
NHSScotland. Mediation is a powerful tool in getting people back into a productive working relationship again. Bright Purpose will develop guidance and case studies for boards to use. They will be visiting a few boards to find out how they go about dealing with bulling and Harassment cases and will speak to some people who have gone through the procedures. After the visits there will be a report published on 3 September. They will also look at other options apart from Mediation. Engaging Leadership is a very important part of changing the culture of an organisation and leaders should exhibit positive behaviours. 4 - NHS Scotland Workforce re-design SWAG has been asked to look at the membership of the programme board. It was commented that the membership needs to be balanced. There are too many Scottish Government members. Partnership needs to be recognised and unions need to be represented. Workforce issues should be taken into account at the beginning of policy development. A copy of the final document will be circulated. RV to circulate final document 5 Working Well Challenge Fund SWAG Secretariat met in May to discuss the applications, which had been received for moneys from the Challenge Fund. 19 Projects were successful for projects on Violence against Staff, which came to 351K. 23 Projects were successful for projects on Working Well issues, which came to 657K. There will be some central work done on workplace stress. It was commented that some boards may find it difficult to use the money within 9 months and 12 months would be a more realistic timescale. 3
A list of boards that were successful in obtaining project money will be circulated. A bid by NHS Grampian will be discussed at the Secretariat meeting this afternoon. JD to circulate a list of successful bids 6 Force for Improvement Workplan There was a meeting on 12 May to discuss a forward plan for AFFI. The plan has been discussed at the Chief Executives meeting and at the NHS event on 16 June. There was a Key Questions paper, which was circulated to SWAG, and Marilyn Barrett has asked that any responses should be sent to her directly by the 17 July. All members to send responses to Marilyn by 17 July 7 KSF Implementation Progress Report Some Boards are reporting concerns around the practical issues of using e-ksf. There is a danger that ensuring things are recorded on the system will be more important than the actual staff discussion which takes place. Health Workforce Directorat will continue to work with boards to help support e- ksf implementation. 8 PAMSA Most Boards did not meet the target of 4% by 31 March 2009. PAMSA are organising workshops to be held at the end of this year. PAMSA are going to write out to the participating boards to get there feedback on the project. The is a special code on SWISS to mark absences as Pandemic flu this is to show how many staff are off ill with this illness so that absence rates can be compared year by year. 4
9 Pandemic Flu There has been a group set up and is being chaired by Steve Conway. Guidance will be completed by 31 July. There is a steering group looking at the issue of Vaccination. 10 NHS Scotland National Uniform The contract will be awarded on 21 July and the contract will commence on 1 December. 1 St and 2nd July of July there will be some staff trying on the uniform. A meeting will be set up between the new contractors and SWAG members 11 Any Other Business There was no other business Heather Johnstone Scottish Government Health Directorates 29 June 2009 5