NHS Education for Scotland

Transcription

1 NES Item 7d September 2016 NES/16/71 (Enclosed) NHS Education for Scotland Board Paper Summary: Staff Governance Committee Minutes 1. Title of Paper Minutes of Staff Governance Committee meeting held on 28 July 2016: copy attached. 2. Author(s) of Paper Jennifer Allison, Committee Administrator 3. Purpose of Paper To receive the unconfirmed minutes of the Staff Governance Committee meeting. 4. Items for Noting Item 06 NES Workforce Plan The Committee ratified the plan and approved its publication on the NES website. Item 7 NES Workforce Projections The Committee endorsed with the projections returned to the Scottish Government. Item 8 Prevent Strategy NES Policy The Committee ratified the NES Prevent Policy. Item 9 Recording of Meetings The Committee ratified the inclusion of additional wording to the Information Governance and Management of Employee Conduct Policies in relation to recording of meetings. Item 10 Equality and Diversity Annual Report The Committee noted the final report including plans for improving the performance management approach. 5. Recommendations None. NES July 2016 JA 1

2 NHS Education for Scotland NES/SGC/16/24 STAFF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE Minutes of the Fifty-Third Meeting of the Staff Governance Committee, held on Thursday 28 th July 2016 at Westport 102, Edinburgh. Present: In attendance: Susan Douglas Scott, non-executive Board member (Chair) Susan Stewart, non-executive Board member (Via Teleconference) Andrew Tannahill, non-executive Board member (Via Teleconference) Liz Ford, non-executive Board member and Employee Director David Cunningham, BMA (Via Teleconference) Dorothy Wright, Director of Workforce/Executive Secretary Lindsay Burley, NES Chair Kristi Long, Equality and Diversity Advisor Jenn Allison, Committee Administrator 1. Chair s welcome and introduction The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. 2. Apologies for absence Apologies for absence were received from Caroline Lamb, Chief Executive. 3. Minutes of meeting held on 05 May 2016 (NES/SGC/16/15) The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as an accurate record, subject to agreed minor changes. Action: JA 4. Action list from meeting held on 05 May 2016 (NES/SGC/16/16) It was noted that all of the action points from the previous meeting had been completed or were in hand. Dorothy Wright noted that the NHSS Staff Survey Action Plan has been submitted to the Scottish Government and that feedback is expected in September. 5. Matters arising from the minutes There were no matters arising which did not appear elsewhere on the agenda. 1

3 6. NES Workforce Plan (NES/SGC/16/18) Dorothy Wright presented the Workforce Plan for review and ratification. The following points were raised/discussed: The publication of an annual workforce plan is a Scottish Government requirement- it is a public document that will be published on the NES internet by the end of August. The format and headings are a requirement of the relevant CEL. The strategic workforce objectives for NES were carried forward under the NES Strategic Framework There is no significant change to our objectives in this plan. The data included in the Workforce Plan meets statutory requirements to publish workforce equalities data. The workforce equalities data informs our equality impact assessments and helpful in developing mainstream reporting. It is also be used to develop actions for operational planning and strategic management. Members discussed the observations about staff in lower bands being under-represented in applications for continuing education funding and whether actions had been taken as proposed last year. Kristi noted that review of actions taken and patterns of data over time would be considered in a review of the Workforce Plan equality data over the past four years as part of NES's equality outcomes review, which will take place this autumn. The Workforce Plan is aligned with the People & OD Strategy , which expires in 2017 and will therefore be reviewed in Autumn Any refresh to the People & OD Strategy will be to ensure we remain aligned to deliver the final two years of the NES Strategy. Members congratulated the team for the excellent work in producing the plan. Subject to agreed amendments, the plan was ratified and approved for publication on the NES website. 7. NES Workforce Projections (NES/SGC/16/19) Dorothy Wright presented the Workforce Projections and Senior Management Reduction Target. The following points were noted/discussed: The requirement is to project staff in post and does not include vacancies. The out-turn figures at 31 March 2016 are wte staff in post. 2

4 NES is required to submit a one-year projection for Medical and Dental staff and a three-year projection for all other staff groups to the Scottish Government. Dorothy explained that around 60 members of staff will be re-coded from administration to the Nursing category following the introduction of Nursing Revalidation. Members noted the importance of collecting such data and were satisfied with the workforce projections returned to the Scottish Government and noted the final position with regard to the 25% senior management reduction target. 8. Prevent Strategy: NES Policy (NES/SGC/16/20) Kristi Long introduced the cover paper presenting an overview of the Prevent Strategy and NES progress to date, and draft policy, which was approved by the Executive Team in May 2016 and the Partnership Forum in July Prevent is part of a wider UK Government counter-terrorism strategy, led by the Home Office and supported by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government produced a model policy within the legal framework. The following points were discussed: Key staff will be required to undertake training in person. Judy Thompson, Director Psychology has provided senior corporate leadership for the development of the policy and it includes the process for raising concerns which will be centrally coordinated. This will help to ensure consistency and a measured and proportionate approach. It was noted that there may be other organisations/bodies involved in the process and this has been factored into the policy. Kristi Long noted the importance in taking a proportionate, measured and sensitive approach. It was also noted that in light of the recent vote to leave the EU, the context of documents may require to be changed in the future, and it was agreed that the policy should be reviewed periodically. Members were satisfied that a proportionate, measured and sensitive approach would be taken. Dorothy Wright and Kristi Long agreed to carefully consider the approach to communication and feed this back to Judy Thompson and the group that had developed the policy. /KL Subject to agreed amendments, members ratified the NES Prevent Policy. 3

5 9. Recording of Meetings (NES/SGC/16/21) Dorothy Wright presented the paper which provides updated information for all staff in relation to NES s position on the recording of meetings. The following points were raised/discussed: Staff will require express consent, where appropriate in writing, to record formal meetings and exchange of transcript and recordings of recorded meetings between NES and other organisations will be required. Wording has been added to NES Information Governance Policy and Management of Employee Conduct Policy in relation to recording of meetings. Consultation took place with staff side as well as Information Governance Officer, Frank Rankin. Members were advised that detail relating to storage and retention of recordings and transcripts is included within the Data Protection Policy. Members agreed the inclusion of additional wording to the Information Governance and Management of Employee Conduct Policies and noted that additions are important and helpful. 10. Equality and Diversity Annual Report 2015/16 (NES/SGC/16/22) Kristi Long introduced a paper providing information on the governance of NES s statutory equality duties and progress in delivering these duties. The paper also highlighted key strategic issues and areas identified for further development. The following points were raised/discussed: Progress on delivering equality actions, representing the milestones towards equality outcomes, is satisfactory. The need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of performance reporting has been identified. Kristi Long is working closely with Donald Cameron, Acting Associate Director of Planning, and his team to improve and streamline processes. The NES PEDLN supported a review of our approach to prioritisation and tracking for EQIAs which resulted in a priority list for with fewer priorities, and will enable more transparent governance. This will be supported by greater use of practical tools to enable staff to mainstream equality and diversity into their routine work with more measurable targets. The tools are based on evidence and have been developed on the basis of findings and recommendations from previous EQIAs of workforce policies and educational workstreams. It was agreed that further information relating to the actions identified from health inequalities workshops would be added. A number of other 4

6 amendments were also noted by Kristi Long. Action: KL The committee congratulated Kristi and her team on the report and noted the progress made on equality and diversity and plans for improving the performance management approach and noted the priority EQIA list. Subject to the agreed amendments members agreed internal publication of the final report. 11. Equality & Diversity Advisor Update Members discussed statistics suggesting a lower rate of disclosure and underrepresentation in relation to sexual orientation, as well as lower rate of disclosure for religion/belief. It was noted that this pattern is common across the public sector, although NES's disclosure rate compares well with other health boards. Kristi reported that the Scottish Government had established a support contract for NHSScotland with Stonewall Scotland on LGBT workforce equality and several Boards have volunteered as pilots to submit to the Stonewall Workforce Equality Index for 2016 and share learning with other Boards. Boards will have access to information, educational and promotional material from Stonewall, and Fiona MacKenzie from Scottish Government is currently working closely with Stonewall Scotland co-branding campaign material to encourage staff to disclose diversity information. It is anticipated that this will help NES to improve E&D statistics. Stonewall Scotland have good campaign resources and communications tools, which will be beneficial to Boards. Items for information 12. Staff Management Metrics Dorothy Wright introduced the metrics for the quarter January to March The following points were highlighted: NES has a relatively stable workforce and compares favourably with the national statistics. Statistics and the approach of engaging with staff regarding essential learning will be looked at going forward. This will be led by Tom Power on his return from paternity leave. Members noted the metrics for the quarter January to March

7 13. SAAT and Policy Tracker Dorothy Wright introduced the SAAT and Policy Tracker for information. It was noted that work around all policies listed in the tracker was in hand and that the only overdue policy is delayed due to PIN guideline development nationally. 14. imatter Update (NES/SGC/16/22) Dorothy Wright provided members with an imatter update. The following points were highlighted: During the period 1st January to June 2016, 85% of NES staff have responded (154 respondents out of 181 recipients) to the imatter questionnaire, which compares favourably with the national statistics. The next step is to focus on action planning, in particular in relation to performance management, objective setting and essential learning and substantive discussions will be taking place later in the year regarding this. It was noted that the harmonised job descriptions have now concluded their final consultation. Dorothy Wright explained that in an effort to move the conversation on from harmonised job descriptions, Caroline Lamb has recorded a podcast changing the focus to the setting of objectives which are more dynamic, reviewed at least once a year and linked to personal development planning. Dorothy Wright is looking at ways of highlighting to managers the importance of person specifications and the wording of job adverts Members noted the information provided regarding the implementation of imatter and agreed that further discussions should take place regarding building advocacy and embedding imatter in NES. There will be a substantive discussion with the Committee on imatter later in the year when further data is received. 15. Change Management Programme Board (CMPB) minutes The Committee noted the minutes of the CMPB meeting held on 06 June Dorothy Wright noted that consultation on phase one of the Organisational, Leadership and Workforce development change programme is progressing well and it is hoped that an appointment can be made to the Head of Organisational and Leadership Development in the very near future. This change is designed to better align with Scottish Government s strategic plans in relation to Talent and leadership at Board level. 6

8 16. Managing Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee (MHSWC) minutes: The Committee noted the minutes of the MHSWC meetings held on 06 April 2016 and 13 July, however it was noted that the most recent minutes were still in draft form. 17. Employment Tribunals There was nothing to report. 18. Any other business There were no further items of business for consideration. 19. Date and time of next meeting The next meeting will take place on Thursday 10 November 2016 at 10:45 in Westport. NES July 2016 JA/DW 7