Policies and Staff Governance

Policies A to Z

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W

Adoption, Fostering and Kinship

Annual Leave Policy

Attendance Management

Adverse Weather Policy

Alcohol and Substance

Bullying and Harrassment
(Dignity at Work)

Breastfeeding
Policy

Business Travel Policy

Blended Working Guide

Code of Conduct for Staff

Conduct Policy

Career Break

Clinical Attachment Policy

Capability Policy

Corporate Use of Social Media Policy

Car Parking Policy

Dying to Work Charter Policy

Death in Service Policy

Equal Pay Statement

Equality, Diversity and Human Rights

Employment of Statutory
Registered Professionals

Employee Exit Process
Guidance and Policy

Flexible Working Policy

Fixed Term Contracts

Fair Warning Policy

Facilities Agreement Policy

Grievance

Gender Based Violence Policy

Home Working Policy

Injury Allowance Procedure and Guidance

Job Share Policy

Lone Working

Maternity Leave Policy

Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy

Menopause Policy

Medical and Dental Policies

Nursing and Midwifery Rostering Policy

New and Expectant Mothers

New Parent Support (Paternity) Leave

Parental leave Policy

Phased Return Guidance and Policy

Payroll Documentation Guidance

Personal Use of Social Media

Personal Relationships in the Workplace

Partnership Agreement Policy

Public Holidays

Reduced Working Year Policy

Social Media Policies

Shared Maternity/Shared Adoption Leave

Sickness Absence

Temporary Promotion to a Higher Pay Band

Time Off in Lieu (TOIL)

Uniform Policy

Whistleblowing Policy

Workplace Relationships Policy

Workforce Change Policy

Workforce Organisational Change Pay Protection

Work Time Regulations

Policy Families

Conduct and
Complaints

Equality, Diversity and Gender Based Policies

Family Leave and Work
Life Balance

Health and
Wellbeing

Illness and Injury
at Work

Registration, Education, Training and Clinical Attachment

Retirement and
Leaving Employment

Rostering, Job Share
and Uniform

Salary and
Payroll Related

Security and
Data Handling

Social Media and Personal Workplace Relationships

Trade Union and Professional Organisations

Travel and Car Parking

Health and Safety

Mental health problems are a common cause of long term sickness absence and have major resource implications for NHSGGC. Promoting positive mental health and wellbeing helps improve physical health, social inclusion and productivity
NHSGGC has a duty of care under our Staff Governance Standard to protect the mental health and wellbeing of our staff whilst they are at work. We are also committed to tackling disability discrimination, including discrimination relating to people who experience mental health problems.

Beyond our legal obligations, we promote good mental health and wellbeing by providing healthy working environments to help develop and nurture staff.

Policy

NHSGGC aim to promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of staff. A range of policies and practices exist to help us do this and this policy guidance brings these together for easy reference: Board Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy.

If you have any questions in relation to this policy please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit.

Attendance Management

The NHS Scotland Workforce Attendance Policy came into effect on the 1st March 2020. This policy aims to encourage and support employee attendance, where health impacts their ability to be at work.

The aim of Attendance Management is to help the Board make the most of the employee attendance by reducing both short and long-term absence through promoting positive attitudes to work and effectively working in partnerships with all parties to reduce employee absence to the minimum levels as possible. This policy ensures that NHSGGC adopt a fair, consistent and supportive approach to staff with health problems, resolving long term or on-going absences through the most appropriate means available and ensuring they provide a healthy and safe workplace.

Further information and supporting documentation can be found on the Attendance Policy Overview and Attendance: Roles & Responsibilities document.

COVID Special Leave will end on Sunday 31^st March 2024. Therefore, from 1^st April 2024 any employee absent due to COVID symptoms will be recorded as sick leave. Please see DL(2024)03 – Removal of Temporary COVID Special Leave for further information.

Managers can also access the Attendance – Managers Toolkit for guidance.

The introduction of the Workplace Adjustment Passport aims to support employees with a disability, health condition or diversity in the workplace to have a great experience at work. This can be used to support employees within their current workplace or when moving between departments and / or roles. This is in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Stress in the Workplace

Attendance Management – Glasgow City HSCP

Further guidance on attendance management specific to staff working in Glasgow City HSCP can be found here.

NHSGGC Menopause Policy

NHSGGC is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees and ensuring everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

The menopause is a natural process and for many can be positively managed through lifestyle adjustments. However, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recognises that for some the menopause is not always an easy transition. Some employees may need additional considerations to support and improve their experience at work.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is committed to supporting employees who are affected in any way by the menopause and to support and inform managers so that employees reporting issues are treated fairly and given appropriate support.

Once For Scotland Interim Menopause Policy

Phased Return Guidance

Phased Return Following Long Term Absence

Following long term absence the arrangements are that an employee who returns to work on a phased return as recommended by Occupational Health will be entitled to be paid for a period of up to 4 weeks at their normal contractual pay.

If the phased return needs to extend beyond 4 weeks, the employee will be expected to contribute any accrued annual leave. However, if an employee does not wish to use their annual leave they can opt to be paid according to the actual hours worked during the phased return period.

Phased returns should not normally last for periods of longer than 8 weeks.

Read the Phased Return to Work PDF

Smokefree

NHSGGC have a zero tolerance approach to smoking on all NHS grounds and premises. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all staff, patients and visitors.

Our Smokefree Policy aims to work towards a tobacco-free environment. This policy applies to all staff, patients and visitors.

NHSGGC Smokefree Policy

Adoption
52 weeks of Adoption Leave is available to eligible employees that are adopting a child/children to assist the family in adjusting to their new circumstances. Adoption Leave is applied for on eESS using employee self-service. If you do not have access to eESS, your line manager can submit your application on your behalf. Standard Operating Procedures can be found here.

To qualify for Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) an employee must have completed at least 26 weeks of continuous employment with their current NHS employer by the week they are matched with the child. For surrogacy arrangements, an employee must have completed at least 26 weeks of continuous employment with their current NHS employer by the 15th week before the baby’s due date.

An employee must also have average earnings above the lower earnings limit for National Insurance contributions during the 8 weeks before the end of the qualifying week.

To qualify for Occupational Adoption Pay (OAP) an employee must have 12 months of continuous service with one or more NHS employers the week the adoption agency matches them with a child or if applying via a surrogacy arrangement, 15th week before the baby’s due date.

Fostering
Fostering can be for varying lengths of time, from short term to long term fostering. NHS Scotland will adopt a flexible approach to this.

Employees should discuss their intention to foster with their manager as soon as possible to determine the appropriate level of support required. For very short-term fostering, the manager should consider providing time off under the Special Leave Policy. However, approval is not guaranteed. For longer-term fostering, the manager should consider providing time off under the arrangements for a career break.

Kinship
Employees should discuss Kinship arrangements with their manager as soon as possible to determine the appropriate level of support required. Employees who need time off should request this under the Special Leave Policy. However, approval is not guaranteed. Alternatively, an employee may consider time off under the arrangements for a career break.

The NHS Scotland Workforce Adoption, Fostering and Kinship Policy, including a guide for managers and a guide for employees can be found here.

Annual Leave

The Annual Leave Policy applies to all employees of NHS Scotland employed on Agenda for Change terms and conditions.

The aim of this policy is to provide a uniform and equitable approach to the calculation of annual leave and bank holiday entitlements which take into account the entitlements and arrangements defined under Agenda for Change.

The policy is to determine annual leave entitlement in hours not days for all staff regardless of whether the employee is full-time or part time. The benefit for all employees in calculating entitlement in hours is that this ensures equity for all by ensuring that staff who work variable hours/shifts do not receive either more or less leave than colleagues who work a standard pattern.

Starting/Leaving half way through the year

Entitlement to annual leave accrues from the date of commencement in post and entitlement in the first year is dependent on the number of days worked between the date of joining and before the end of the annual leave year. This can be calculated using the annual leave calculator.

All employees are entitled to public holidays from their start date that would fall on a normal working day, for example: employee starts on 12^th December, they will be entitled to take all Christmas and New Year public holidays if they would normally have been a working day.

For the first year, an employee will be entitled to public holidays as and when they fall regardless of how much they are entitled to.

Therefore, to calculate an employee’s annual leave and public holiday entitlement for a part year, the annual leave calculator should be used for the annual leave component. For public holidays, this would be the public holidays remaining until the end of the annual leave year. For example, a full time employee working Monday to Friday commences employment on 1^st September (no previous NHS experience) would be entitled to 118 hours annual leave. From 1^st September there would be 5 public holidays remaining which would equate to 37 hours, therefore the employee would have 155 entitlements for the part year.

The above would be similar if an employee left employment through the annual leave year.

Annual Leave Policy

Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish clarification on the application of this policy.

Annual Leave Calculator

Holiday calculators are provided to assist in the calculation of leave entitlements. This Annual leave calculator can also be used for Executive and Senior Managers. Staff on Term Time Contracts should continue to refer to the HR Support and Advice Unit for help in calculating Annual Leave. Departments are responsible for keeping the annual leave records of their own staff.

The Public Holiday element of the annual leave calculator should only be used for part-time employees (to calculate their pro rata entitlement). Full-time members of staff will be entitled to all public holidays which fall during the time of their employment.

The Public Holidays for 2024/25 are as follows:

Good Friday: 29^th March 2024
Easter Monday: 1^st April 2024
May Day Monday: 6^th May 2024
Autumn Monday: 30^th September 2024
Christmas Day: 25^th December 2024
Boxing Day: 26^th December 2024
New Year: 1^st January 2025
New Year: 2^nd January 2025

Please refer to Section 43 for staff who are either commencing/leaving the organisation as follows:

43. Staff who leave the employing organisation will receive their full annual leave entitlement per Table 2 for each day they have worked in the current leave year, less any annual leave taken plus any outstanding public holiday hours, i.e. for those hours still to be taken as a result of the employee working a public holiday.

Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish further information or clarification on annual leave entitlement and use of the calculator.

*Medical Staff are covered by separate terms and conditions and should refer to Medical Staffing for advice.

Blended Working

The Blended Working Guide can be found here.

Breastfeeding

NHS Scotland Workforce Breastfeeding Policy

NHS Scotland recognises that breastfeeding does not exclusively apply to employees who identify as women. For some, descriptors such as chestfeeding may be more appropriate, and in such cases, this policy applies.

The aim of the breastfeeding policy is to support and encourage employees who wish to continue to breastfeed or express milk in the workplace (including milk to be donated).

In line with the policy, managers should look to support employees on their return to work from maternity leave and where possible, provide the necessary breaks and resources for them to continue breastfeeding at work.

To provide support, it would be reasonable for the employee to request to change their working pattern or temporarily change their hours. If possible, necessary breaks and time off during working hours should be provided to allow the employee to breastfeed if their baby is cared for nearby, or to express milk.

Suitable facilities should be available for breastfeeding mothers and birthing parents as recommended by the Health and Safety Executive.

Areas for rest and expressing milk should be clean and warm with the following:

a low, comfortable chair and the facility to lie down
a lock or an arrangement to ensure privacy
handwashing facilities nearby
an electric point for an electric pump

Facilities for storing expressed milk must provide the following:

a clean area to store sterilising equipment
a dedicated and secure space for storing expressed milk at 2–4°C until the employee takes it home

If you are unsure about the availability of suitable area to allow an employee to breastfeed or store expressed milk, this should be discussed with your local Facilities Team.

The NHS Scotland Workforce Breastfeeding Policy, including a guide for managers and a guide for employees can be found here.

Career Break

By implementing the Career Break Policy NHS Scotland aims to create an environment that will allow all employees to utilise their skills, talents and expertise and thereby allow it to both recruit and retain a well motivated and committed workforce.

The purpose of the career break policy is to allow employees an opportunity to leave their employment on a long-term basis mainly to undertake further education or to fulfill domestic commitments. The policy is not intended to support people in taking up alternative paid employment.

The policy will enable employees to keep up to date during their career break and help them return to work at the end of the break.

Policy

NHS Scotland Workforce Career Break Policy

NHS Scotland Workforce Career Break Application Form

Should you require further advice please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit.

Guidance

What is a Career Break?

A career break allows employees an opportunity to leave their employment on a long-term basis mainly to undertake further education or to fulfil domestic commitments.

Am I entitled to apply for a Career Break?

So long as you have at least 12 months’ service with the NHS then you are eligible to apply for a career break. Applications will be considered on the merits of each individual case.

How much time off am I entitled to?

The minimum period for a career break is 6 months and the maximum period is five years. An employee may, however, make a number of breaks throughout their employment with the Board provided that the total periods of absence do not exceed five years.

How do I apply for a Career Break?

You should initially discuss your intention to apply for a Career Break with your line manager. An application should then be made, in writing, to your line manager at least 3 months before commencing the proposed career break. This timeframe can be waivered at the Manager’s discretion. If approved, your line manager will then issue you with an agreement detailing the terms and conditions of the career break and ensure a copy of this is sent to Payroll Department. Your line manager is also required to update your assignment status on eESS: Career Break

Return to Work Arrangements

Three months’ notice of an intention to return to work must be given to the line manager. While no guarantee of a return to a particular post can be given, every effort will be made to place individuals in posts of similar band, hours and responsibility to that held prior to the break, and will take into account the employee’s experience, achievements and qualifications.

Please refer to the full Career Break Policy for details on general terms and conditions of a Career Break and for information on SPPA contributions, lease cars, organisational change and sick and maternity leave.

Keeping records up to date

We need to know when you’re at work and when you have any type of time off. This is important to make sure we pay you correctly too.

Once a career break has been agreed this should be recorded on eESS via manager self service: Career Break Standard Operating Procedure

All managers should ensure that SSTS is updated correctly and payroll is informed, where SSTS is not available. The HR Support and Advice Unit can be contacted on 0141 278 2700 if you have any further questions or need advice on this policy area.

Line managers should ensure that a copy of the career break confirmation letter is sent to Payroll and that the employee’s assignment status is updated on eESS.

Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish to clarify the application of this template in conjunction with the policy and guidance associated with career breaks.

Flexible Working

NHS Scotland Workforce Flexible Work Location Policy

NHS Scotland Workforce Flexible Work Pattern Policy

All employees within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have a right to request flexible working from day one in post.

Successful applications will result in a permanent change to that employee’s terms and conditions of employment (unless otherwise agreed).

Non-acceptance of an application for flexible working can only be for valid and objective service/operational reasons and the line manager must, confirm these reasons in writing to the employee outlining their right of appeal.

Top Tips on using the POLICY…..

Only two flexible working application can be submitted within a 12 month period.
For successful applications the employee has no right to revert back to their previous working pattern.
The manager must arrange a meeting within 4 weeks of receipt of an application.

Should you have any questions in relation to this policy please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit.

Guidance

Am I entitled to make an application for Flexible Working?

Yes, if you are not an agency/bank worker and you have not made more than one application to work flexibly during the previous 12 months.

If I am eligible, what can I request?

You can submit an application for a change to the hours you work; a change to the times when you are required to work or a change to the place you are required to work. An acceptance of a request for flexible working will result in a permanent change to your terms and conditions of employment (unless otherwise agreed). You will have no right to revert back to the previous working pattern.

How do I make an application for Flexible Working?

All applications for flexible working must be made on the Flexible Working Application Form. The completed form should then be submitted to your line manager which will then be acknowledged in writing.

What happens next?

Your line manager will hold an initial meeting with you to discuss the application within 4 weeks of the date received. After the initial meeting your manager will inform you of their decision in writing. If the request is accepted, your line manager will confirm this in writing, specifying the new working pattern and the date from which it will take effect. Your line manager will also complete a Notification of Change Form for the Payroll Department.

Yes, there are two exemptions to this: the procedure for employees returning from maternity or adoption leave who wish to job share is described in the job share policy, and the procedure for introducing annualised hours described within the annualised hours guidance.

What if my application is unsuccessful?

Non-acceptance of an application for flexible working can only be for valid and objective service/operational reasons. Your line manager will confirm the reasons in writing to you following the initial meeting and will also provide details of the formal appeal procedure.

How do I appeal?

The employee will have a right to appeal within 14 calendar days of receipt of the written outcome of the request. When exercising this right, the employee must identify the reason for their appeal.

The appeal panel will be chaired by the next level of management and supported by an HR adviser who has not previously been involved in the process.

The appeal panel Chair will inform all parties of the arrangements for the hearing in writing no later than 14 calendar days before the hearing. The hearing and outcome must take place within 3 months of the application being submitted.

Am I entitled to be accompanied?

Yes, you are entitled to be accompanied by a trade union/professional organisation representative or accompanied by a fellow colleague, friend or relative not acting in a legal capacity at all stages of the process.

The HR Support and Advice Unit can be contacted on 0141 278 2700 if you have any further questions or need guidance on this policy area.

Tools and Templates

The HR Support and Advice Unit can be contacted on 0141 278 2700 if you have any further questions or need advice on this policy area.

The material contained in this section is management guidance, rather than guidance that has been agreed in partnership.

OfS Flexible Working Application Form

Home Working

The Board Home Working Policy is part of our work/life balance policies. This is where work is performed at or from home instead of at or from the Board’s premises for a significant proportion of the contractual working hours.

“Working from home” and “working at home” have specific definitions in the policy and operate in different ways. These options are desirable because they can provide greater flexibility for our staff and increase the scope to meet the Board’s commitment to equal opportunities.

In addition, we can broaden the traditional recruitment market and gain access to alternative labour markets allowing us to attract and retain staff.

There are also environmental advantages by avoiding unnecessary car journeys.

Top Tips on using the Homeworking Policy

Individuals working at home retain an NHSGGC base
Individuals working from home have their home as their office base
Suitability for home working will depend on the post
Home working must be approved by the line manager
Subject to regular review
Regular and effective communication between employee and line manager is paramount.
A home working risk assessment must be completed for everyone working from home
Same Employment Rights apply to home workers

Guidance

What is the guidance for working at home?

In order to compliment the Home Working Policy, guidance was created in partnership in September 2020, which is available to view here.

What are the benefits of Homeworking?

There are a number of reasons why homeworking and working at home
is desirable including:

• providing greater flexibility
• increasing scope to meet the Board’s commitment to equal
opportunities, (e.g. it may enable a person with disabilities to do a job they otherwise would not be able to do)
• reducing energy consumption and pollution from unnecessary car journeys
• attracting and retaining staff
• providing a working environment which allows work to be carried out effectively and efficiently

The HR Support and Advice Unit can be contacted on 0141 278 2700 if you have any further questions or need guidance on this policy area.

Maternity Leave

The purpose of the maternity leave policy is to detail the eligibility of employees to receive occupational NHS maternity pay. The policy details the eligibility criteria for the occupational scheme and the application process.

The policy also details the ability to return to work during maternity leave for KIT (Keeping in Touch) days if you would like to do so and the obligations on the employer to ensure an appropriate risk assessment is carried out to ensure your health and safety when pregnant and on your return.

More detailed guidance and frequently asked questions can be found under the guidance tab.

Update to Childcare Voucher Scheme

Application Process for Doctors and Dentists in Training

Doctors and Dentists in training with GGC currently on placement at another board – please use the link below to complete the paper application, this should be submitted to your placement board:

Maternity Leave Application Form

All other trainees who are working within GGC should apply through eESS (Employee Self Service).

Policy

NHS Scotland Workforce Maternity Policy

If you have any questions in relation to this policy please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit.

Update to Childcare Vouchers Scheme

Forms

The following documents can be downloaded as part of the maternity leave process –

eESS Maternity Standard Operating Procedure

Maternity Communication Checklist

Risk Assessment Form

Please contact the HRSAU for further information or clarification on their use.

Please note: Doctors and Dentists in training are required to complete a paper based application. Use the link below to locate and complete the application. This should then be passed to your placement board to process:

Maternity Leave Application Form

Maternity Leave Guidance

What is Maternity Leave?

Maternity Leave is a period of absence from work granted to a mother before and after the birth of her child.

Am I entitled to Maternity Leave?

An employee working full-time or part-time will be entitled to paid and unpaid maternity leave under the NHS contractual maternity pay scheme if:

You have twelve months continuous service with one or more NHS employers at the beginning of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth

You notify your employer in writing before the end of the 15th week before the expected date of childbirth (or if this is not possible, as soon as is reasonably practicable thereafter)

of your intention to take maternity leave
of the date you wish to start your maternity leave
that you intend to return to work with the same employer or other NHS employer for a minimum period of 3 months after your maternity leave has ended
provide a MATB1 form from your midwife or GP giving the expected date of childbirth

How much time off am I entitled to?

All employees will have the right to take 52 weeks of maternity leave. Please refer to the FAQ guide for details on pay entitlement related to length of service.

How do I apply for Maternity Leave?

In order to apply for maternity leave you must complete a maternity leave transaction through eESS employee self service. This will allow you to enter the dates for your maternity leave which will be submitted to the appropriate manager to approve the initial request which then progresses to HR Support and Advice Unit. One you have completed the maternity leave transaction you must provide your manager with your original MATB1 form before the end of the 15th week before the expected date of childbirth. There is a function on eESS to electronically attach the MATB1 form.

If you do not have an eESS ID due to not having a GGC email or access to GGC network then your manager can complete the maternity leave transaction on your behalf via manager self service.

Your paperwork will then be processed by HR and Payroll. You/ your manager will be able to view your maternity leave dates via eESS self service functions.

eESS Maternity Leave Standard Operating Procedures

What happens with my holiday entitlement?

Employees continue to accrue all their annual leave and public holidays as normal throughout the entirety of their maternity leave, it does not need to be recalculated.

For example, if a nurse took maternity leave from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 – i.e. a whole annual leave year – then they would return to work on 1 April 2020 with double their normal annual leave entitlement and 16 rather than 8 public holidays (still pro rata for part-time staff)*.

However, as early as possible between a manager being notified of an employee’s pregnancy and before that employee goes on maternity leave, the manager and employee need to discuss how best to plan to use this annual leave, pre- and post-maternity leave, including how much might need to be carried forward into a new annual leave year as it is not possible to take annual leave during maternity leave.

*Doctors and dentists have different annual leave years and entitlements than in the example above – please see Medical and Dental Policies – NHSGGC – however the principle of not losing any entitlement on account of maternity leave applies equally to all staff.

What are keeping in touch days?

Keeping in touch (KIT) days are intended to facilitate a smooth return to work for women returning from maternity leave.

An employee may work for up to a maximum of 10 KIT days without bringing her maternity leave to an end. Any KIT days will not extend the maternity leave period and will be paid at the employee’s basic daily rate.

It is important that the employer and employee have early discussion to plan and make arrangements for KIT days before the employee’s maternity leave takes place.

Please note: Employees who agree to work KIT days will not be paid for work done in addition to SMP. The statutory rules provide for payment at a rate no less than the weekly value of SMP for work done on a KIT day, so if you work 10 hours on a KIT day with a contractual payment of £190.00 you will not receive the £190.00 in addition to the weekly rate of SMP (£172.48 for 2023/2024) however since that exceeds the SMP rate you will be paid £190.00 instead of SMP. If you work 8 hours on a KIT day and the contractual payment is £80.00, you will receive £172.48 SMP which is higher than the contractual payment. Payment is made of the higher value only.

Return to Work Arrangements

Employees should be provided with information and support regarding return to work arrangements. These include:

The right to return to their job under the original contract on no less favourable conditions;
The right to request a return to work on flexible working arrangements;
The right to parental leave; and
Provision of support for mothers who wish to breastfeed after they return to work.

Not returning

On the occasion you notified your manager of your intention not to return to work with the same or different NHS employer, in accordance with the most recent NHS Circular: PCS(AFC)2019/7– if an employee fails to return within 15 months of the beginning of their maternity leave they will be liable to refund the whole of their maternity pay, less any Statutory Maternity Pay received.

Keeping records up to date

We need to know when you’re at work and when you have any type of time off. This is important to make sure we pay you correctly too.

All managers should ensure that SSTS is updated correctly and payroll is informed, where SSTS is not available.

The HR Support and Advice Unit can be contacted on 0141 278 2700 if you have any further questions or need advice on this policy area.

FAQs

Informing my employer

What Evidence Do I Need To Give My Employer?

If you are expecting a baby you will need to submit to your manager a MATB1 form or a letter from your midwife or doctor that confirms the week your baby is due. This week is called the Expected Week of Confinement or EWC.

When Should I Tell My Manager That I’m Expecting A Baby?

You should tell your manager as soon as possible but no later than 15 weeks before the EWC. You will receive a MATB1 from your midwife or GP once you are at least 20 weeks pregnant. To find the 15th week before the EWC, find the Sunday before the due date (unless your baby is due on a Sunday, in which case use the due date), and count back 15 weeks.

Will I Receive Written Confirmation from My Employer?

You will be able to view the details of your maternity dates via eESS employee self service.

If you are not entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), you will also be given a Form SMP1, which you should use to claim Maternity Allowance from Job Centre Plus.

My entitlements

Am I Allowed Time Off For Ante-Natal Care?

Yes, but you must provide evidence of appointments and give your Manager reasonable notice of your leave.

How Long Am I Entitled To Take Off Work for my Maternity Leave?

All pregnant employees are entitled to take up to 52 weeks’ statutory maternity leave (SML) around the birth of their child.

Am I Entitled To Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)?

Do you have at least 26 weeks service with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 15 weeks before your baby is due?

a) Yes, you will receive 39 weeks statutory maternity pay as long as you have at least 26 weeks continuous service with NHSGGC by the 15^th week before the week your baby is due and your average earnings exceed the Lower Earnings Level for National Insurance purposes (£123 per week for 2023/2024 tax year).

b) No, not if you are employed for less than 26 weeks prior to the 15^th week or your average earnings are less than the current Lower Earnings Level for National Insurance purposes.

c) If you are unsure if you qualify, the payroll department can advise you on this.

Do I accrue annual and public holiday hours whilst I am on Maternity Leave?

Yes, all employees on Maternity Leave will accrue both annual leave and public holiday hours.

With agreement from your line manager, these hours can be used either at the start of the leave, at the end or a combination of both.

Payments

SMP – What Is the current rate and the current Lower Earnings Level for National Insurance?

A3.1 The current rate of SMP is £172.48 per week (or 90% of an employee’s average weekly earnings before tax if lower than £172.48). You can find this at https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/pay.

To qualify for SMP you must have average earnings at least equal to the Lower Earnings Level for National Insurance purposes which is currently £123 per week. You can find this at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions.

How do I Calculate SMP?

The calculation period is the eight weeks, if you are paid weekly, up to and including the 15th week before your baby is due. If you are paid monthly, the calculation period is usually based on the last two monthly payments received before the end of the 15th week before your baby is due. To work out the weekly average if you are monthly paid, add up the pay on the payslips, divide by 2 , multiply by 12 and divide that number by 52. Pay can include holiday pay, bonuses, overtime, sick pay and any previous periods of SMP but not Maternity Allowance. National pay awards, usually effective from 1^st April, which fall due after the assessment period will result in the reassessment of SMP based on values derived from the increased salary. The revised SMP will be payable from the start of the maternity leave or from the effective date of the pay award (usually 1^st April), whichever is later.

What If I Am Not Entitled To Statutory Maternity Pay?

If you do not qualify for SMP, you may still be able to receive Maternity Allowance. If you are not entitled, an SMP1 form will be sent to your home address at the time your maternity leave application is processed. You should take this to the Department of Work and Pensions who in turn will advise you if you qualify for Maternity Allowance.

How Is Statutory Maternity Pay Paid?

You will receive your pay on your normal pay day. SMP is paid in complete weeks. If you are monthly paid, some months will have four weeks SMP and others will have five. The number of weeks is determined by the number of Saturdays in the month. Your pay slip will be sent to your home address from your department.

How Much Payment Will I Receive During Maternity Leave?

A3.5 The payment for Occupational and Statutory Maternity Pay run concurrently and the amount you will be paid depends on your entitlement to each.

a). If you are eligible for occupational maternity pay and SMP :

8 weeks @ full pay

18 weeks @ half pay + SMP (£172.48 effective from April 2023 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is less) provided the total receivable does not exceed full pay.

13 weeks @ SMP only (£172.48 effective from April 2023 or 90% of average weekly earnings which ever is less).

13 weeks @ no pay

b). If you are not eligible for occupational maternity pay but you do qualify for SMP :

6 weeks @ 90% of average weekly earnings.

33 weeks @ SMP only (£172.48 effective from April 2023) or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is less).

c). If you are eligible for occupational maternity pay but do not qualify for SMP :

8 weeks full pay less **Maternity Allowance

18 weeks half pay provided half pay plus **Maternity Allowance does not exceed full pay

13 weeks **Maternity Allowance

**Maternity Allowance is not paid by NHSGGC but by Dept of Work & Pensions

Note:

Generally, Maternity pay starts on a Sunday. It is paid out in whole weeks.

e.g. If you start your maternity leave on Sunday 6^th September 2015. you will receive:

5 days basic pay 1^st to 5^th September

3 weeks mat leave 6^th September to 26^th September

The 27^th to 30^th September is not a full week therefore it will be added to your October pay.

How is Occupational Maternity Pay Calculated?

OMP is calculated using your earnings in the same fixed pay periods described for the SMP calculation. National pay awards and annual increments which fall due after this assessment will result in a reassessment of OMP based on values derived from the increased salary. Revised OMP resulting from a national pay award or increment will be applied from the start of the maternity leave or from the effective date of the pay award/increment, whichever is later.

What If I Change My Contract After My OMP Earnings Have Been Assessed But Before I Commence Maternity Leave?

Any changes to your contract which take effect after the OMP earnings have been assessed will impact the OMP which you will receive. OMP will be recalculated to reflect contractual change to, for example, your grade, contracted hours or to the out of hours banding payment made to doctors in training. In some cases this reassessment will positively impact the level of OMP whereas in others the recalculation will produce a lesser value of OMP than the original calculation.

I Have Heard You Can Request That The Payments Are Given Evenly Instead Of Ending Up The Last Few Months With Very Little Income. How Does This Work?

Maternity Pay, by prior agreement with your employer, may be paid in a different way such as equal weekly values spread over the maternity leave period of up to 52 weeks. However, HMRC regulations state employees must receive at least 90% of their salary for the first 6 weeks of their maternity leave; therefore, equal payments cannot be applied to this period.

If you wish to apply for equal payments of your Occupational Maternity Pay, you can do so via section 18 of the Maternity Leave Application Form. This option, if selected, must be made prior to the commencement of your maternity leave and this cannot be changed afterwards.

I Am Currently Off Work On Maternity Leave And I Am Pregnant Again. How Will My Pay Be Calculated For This Second Period Of Maternity Leave?

Your entitlement to both Statutory and Occupational Maternity Pay are calculated on the payments received during the 8 week period prior to the Qualifying Week. If your earnings during that period have been reduced because you were receiving half pay or you were on unpaid maternity leave then OMP / SMP for the second period of leave will reflect these reduced earnings.

What Payment Will I Receive If I Do Not Intend to Return to Work?

The qualifying criteria for both OMP and SMP are the same whether you are returning to work or not. Therefore, providing you satisfy the qualifying conditions you will receive 6 weeks pay at 90% of your average weekly earnings followed by 33 weeks at the standard rate of SMP. These payments will be made on an ongoing basis and, if you are paid monthly, will be blocked into a number of weeks each month depending on the number of Saturdays in that month.

I Am Undecided Whether I Will Return to Work or Not – How Will I Be Paid?

You will be treated initially as if you do not intend to return to work and will be paid 6 weeks at 90% of average earnings followed by 33 weeks at the standard rate of SMP. If you subsequently decide to come back to work, and work for a minimum of three months, you will be paid the difference between what you have been paid under the leaver entitlement and the amount which would have been paid to you if you had declared your intention to return at the outset.

Sickness Absence during pregnancy

What If I Am Off Sick Prior To My Maternity Leave With An Illness That Is Not Connected To My Pregnancy?

If you are off work with a non-pregnancy related illness you will receive any sickness benefits that you are entitled to be paid up to the point of the notified date of maternity leave then SMP will commence.

What If I Am Off Sick Due To A Pregnancy Related Illness?

Any sickness benefit or SSP is paid up to the 4th week before the expected date of confinement. If you continue to be off sick after this period you will start Maternity Leave and will be paid SMP. Odd days of pregnancy related illness within the last 4 weeks before EDC may be disregarded and treated as sick leave if you wish to continue working.

After my baby is born

What Happens If My Baby Is Born Early?

If your baby is born prematurely or before the notified expected week of confinement all entitlements for maternity leave and pay are the same as if your baby were born full term. If your baby is born before the 11^th week of EDC and you have worked during that week, your maternity leave will start on your 1^st day of absence. If you have been off on certified sick, your maternity leave will commence the day after the birth.

My Baby Is In Hospital. Do I Need To Take Maternity Leave?

Yes it is a legal requirement that you take a minimum of 2 weeks immediately after the birth however the occupational scheme rules allow you to return to work and take the rest of your leave when your baby comes home by mutual agreement between you and your manager. However, if you choose to do this you will forfeit SMP at the lower rate for each week worked.

What Happens If My Baby Is Born Late?

If your baby is born late this does not affect the payment of SMP.

Fixed Term

I Have A Fixed Term Contract, What Am I Entitled To?

If your contract is due to end after the 11^th week before the EDC and you have 12 months continuous service your contract will be extended to allow you to receive 52 weeks leave including occupational and statutory maternity pay and 13 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. If you do not have 12 months continuous service you may still be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay if you have 26 weeks continuous employment at the qualifying week. If your contract is due to end prior to the 11^th week before the EDC you will not receive any occupational maternity pay from NHSGGC however you may still be entitled to SMP or maternity allowance. The Payroll Department will be able to confirm your entitlements.

Will I Be Able To Return To My Fixed Term Post?

There will be no right to return if your contract would have ended had your pregnancy and childbirth not occurred. Your contract will be terminated under the provisions of ending a fixed term contract at the end of your Maternity Leave.

Will I Be Required To Pay Back Any Occupational Maternity Pay I Received?

No, the repayment provisions will not apply if your contract would have ended had your pregnancy and childbirth not occurred.

I Have A Rotational Training Contract, will I be able to complete this?

If you are on a planned rotation of appointments with one or more NHS employer as part of an agreed programme of training, you will have the right to return to the same post or to the next planned post irrespective of whether your contract would otherwise have ended if pregnancy and childbirth had not occurred. In such circumstances, your contract will be extended to enable you to complete the agreed programme of training. Special rules apply if your rotation to another employer takes place between the 14^th and 11^th week before your baby is due which may see your entitlement to OMP being paid by your new employer and SMP being paid by your current employer.

Keeping In Touch

Will My Manager Keep In Touch With Me During My Maternity Leave?

Yes, Your line manager should keep in contact with you throughout the period of your confinement and maternity leave, providing information and support where required and a link to the workplace.

What Is The Purpose Of Keeping In Touch (KIT) Days?

KIT days facilitate the process of an employee and their manager keeping in touch during the maternity leave period and support the smooth return to work for the employee returning from maternity leave. Examples of when they may be used include Training/Development sessions, team meetings, service or policy updates or working a normal shift.

Do I Need To Use All 10 Available KIT Days During My Maternity Leave?

No. KIT days are optional. You may choose to work any number in agreement with your manager or indeed decide that you do not wish to work any KIT days during Maternity Leave. The payment rules for KIT days worked, up to a total of 10 days.

Can I Work More Than The 10 Available KIT Days During My Maternity Leave?

No. If you work an 11^th day, your maternity leave will come to an end.

Are There Any Periods During My Maternity Leave When I Am Not Able To utilise KIT Days?

You may not work by law during the two weeks immediately following the birth of your child.

I Understand That If I Only Use A KIT Day To Go Into Work For 2 Hours Training, This Will Count As Me Using 1 KIT Day. Does This Mean I Am Paid For 1 Days Work Or Only 2 Hours Work?

Any work done on any KIT day under your contract of employment will count as a whole (one) KIT day. Therefore, if you attend work for a 2 hour training session this will count as 1 KIT day.

How Should Any Hours Worked As A KIT Day Be Input And Recorded On SSTS To Ensure The Correct Payment?

Hours worked on a KIT day should be recorded as a roster note in SSTS and the detail will be passed automatically to Payroll where a manual calculation of the KIT payment will be performed. The roster note should describe the date and hours worked together with an indication of how many KIT days have been worked (including this latest KIT day) in the current maternity leave absence.

Will Any KIT Days Worked Extend The Maternity Leave Period?

No.

Do The KIT Days Have To Be Worked Consecutively?

No. This is not essential and the planned KIT days can be worked consecutively or not, as agreed between the employee and their manager.

Will I Be Paid Any Worked KIT Days In Addition To Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)?

No. Employees who agree to work KIT days will not be paid for work done in addition to SMP. The statutory rules provide for payment at a rate no less than the weekly value of SMP for work done on a KIT day, so if you work 10 hours on a KIT day with a contractual payment of £190.00 you will not receive the £190.00 in addition to the weekly rate of SMP (£172.48 from 6 April 2023) however since that exceeds the SMP rate you will be paid £190.00 instead of SMP. If you work 8 hours on a KIT day and the contractual payment is £80.00, you will receive £172.48 SMP which is higher than the contractual payment. Payment is made of the higher value only.

If I Work A KIT Day When Should I Expect To Receive Payment?

Payment will be made in the first pay bill run after input of the SSTS roster note.

What Happens If I Work More Than 1 KIT Day In A Week Or If I Work A Week Solely Made Up Of KIT Days?

he KIT days payment will be based on the total number of hours worked in that calendar week. The contractual payment for KIT days worked will be compared to the SMP value and the higher payment will be paid.

If I Am Entitled To Maternity Allowance Only And Not Eligible For SMP, How Will My Payment Be Calculated?

Payment for KIT days worked will be made for any amount greater than the weekly value of Maternity Allowance. If the KIT day calculation is less than the value of MA then no payment will be made.

Am I Allowed To Utilise KIT Days When On Unpaid Maternity Leave (Normally Weeks 40 To 52) If So How Will The Payment Be Calculated?

KIT days will be paid at the normal hourly rate as if the employee were at work.

What Impact Will Working A KIT Day Have On My Occupational Maternity Pay?

If the KIT day is worked between weeks 1 to 26 of maternity leave, the calculation will be based on the greater of :

payment for hours worked, or
payment for 1 day OMP (i.e. at full or half pay), or
Full week value of SMP

If the KIT day is worked between weeks 27 to 39 of maternity leave, the calculation will be based on the greater of :

payment for hours worked, or
Full week value of SMP

If the KIT day is worked between weeks 40 to 52 of maternity leave, the calculation will be based on

Payment for hours worked

I’m Still Breast Feeding, Will This Affect Me Working Keeping In Touch Days?

Your employer is required to complete a risk assessment of your working conditions and provide you with the required facilities including an area to rest and express milk and a dedicated storage space for storing expressed milk.

Returning to Work

What Is The Earliest Date I Can Return After The Birth Of My Baby?

The legal minimum period of maternity leave is 2 weeks after your baby is born.

What Is The Latest Date That I Can Return?

52 weeks after the start of the maternity leave however, this may be extended by local agreement in exceptional circumstances.

Do I Have To Give Notice To Return?

Only if you wish to return earlier than your original return date, in which case you must give 28 days notice of your return.

What If My Circumstances Change And I Am Unable To Return To Work?

You will be asked to repay the full amount of Occupational Maternity Pay received less 6 weeks at 90% of OMP. Arrangements can be made with the Payroll Department to repay the sum owed in reasonable instalments to avoid unnecessary hardship.

Will I Be Given Support To Continue Breastfeeding On My Return To Work?

Yes, We aim to support and encourage mothers who wish to breastfeed after they return to work. If you wish to continue breastfeeding your child when you return to work you should arrange to meet your line manager to discuss the provisions required. This meeting will need to take place at least four weeks before you plan to return to discuss working arrangements, which will allow you to continue to breastfeed.

As a result we may need to change your working pattern temporarily in order to support you and this should be discussed with your line manager prior to your return. Where practicable, time off during working hours will be provided to allow you to breastfeed if your baby is cared for nearby, or to express milk.

Please refer to Board Breastfeeding Policy for more information.

New Parent Support (Paternity)

NHS Scotland Workforce New Parent Support Policy

An employee is entitled to take up to 2 weeks of new parent support leave if they are the biological father of the child, or the spouse or civil partner, partner, or nominated carer of a mother who gives birth to a child.

An employee will also be entitled if they are the intended parent on the birth of a child through a surrogacy arrangement or if they are adoptive parents where a child is matched or newly placed with them for adoption. Either adoptive parent may take new parent support leave while the other parent can take adoption leave.

From 6th April 2024 employees will be entitled to take their 2 week entitlement either as a single block or as two separate weeks of leave. This must be taken within 12 months from the date the child is born, placed for adoption or arrives in the UK in the case of overseas adoptions.

Only one period of new parent support leave and pay is available when there are multiple births, such as twins.

To qualify for Statutory Paternity Pay an employee must have completed at least 26 weeks of continuous employment with their current NHS employer at the end of the 15th week before the expected week or childbirth or the end of the week the adoption agency notifies them of a match. In the case of overseas adoptions, it is the date the child arrives in the UK or when the employee wants their pay to start.

An employee must also have average earnings above the lower earnings limit for National Insurance contributions during the 8 weeks before the end of the qualifying week.

To qualify for Occupational Paternity Pay an employee must have 12 months of continuous service with one or more NHS employer before they take their leave.

Partners must give 15 weeks’ notice from the expected week of childbirth of their intention to take New Parent Support Leave and 4 weeks’ notice of the exact dates of their leave.

The NHS Scotland Workforce New Parent Support Policy, including a guide for managers and a guide for employees can be found here.

Parental Leave

NHS Scotland Workforce Parental Leave Policy

The Parental Leave Policy is one of the Work-Life Balance Policies which allows our staff to balance family and work commitments and spend time with their children.

To be eligible to parental leave an employee must:

have 12 months of continuous service with one or more NHS employers
have or expect to have responsibility for a child (to have responsibility for a child, the employee must be the biological or adoptive parent)
be taking leave to spend time or otherwise care for the child

Employees are entitled to 18 weeks of leave for each child under 18. For NHS Scotland employees, the first 4 weeks is paid leave. Pay will be as if at work and will reflect contractual hours. The remaining 14 weeks are unpaid.

Employees will be asked for evidence of entitlement when they make their first request for leave for a child. This will be in the form of a birth or adoption certificate.

The paid element must be taken before the child’s 14th birthday or 18th birthday for an adopted child or a child with a disability.

Employees usually take parental leave in weekly blocks.

If an individual changes employer, the entitlement balance is not restored to 18 weeks. The individual should notify their new employer of any parental leave and pay already taken.

An employee should request parental leave giving at least 3 weeks notice before the start of the leave using the Parental Leave form.

If an employee is requesting to take more than 4 weeks of leave in a continuous block, they should normally give their manager 2 months’ notice. However, if the manager is able to support the leave with less notice, it should be accommodated.

The NHS Scotland Workforce Parental Leave Policy, including a guide for managers and a guide for employees can be found here.

Public Holidays

The Public Holidays for 2023/24 are as follows:

Good Friday: 7^th April 2023
Easter Monday: 10^th April 2023
May Day Monday: 1^st May 2023
King’s Coronation: 8^th May 2023
Autumn Monday: 25^th September 2023
Christmas Day: 25^th December 2023
Boxing Day: 26^th December 2023
New Year: 1^st January 2024
New Year: 2^nd January 2024

The Public Holidays for 2024/25 are as follows:

Good Friday: 29^th March 2024
Easter Monday: 1^st April 2024
May Day Monday: 6^th May 2024
Autumn Monday: 30^th September 2024
Christmas Day: 25^th December 2024
Boxing Day: 26^th December 2024
New Year: 1^st January 2025
New Year: 2^nd January 2025

Please see further information regarding Good Friday Public Holiday (29^th March 2024) for Leave Year 2024/2025 here.

Reduced Working Year

Board Reduced Working Year Policy.

The purpose of this policy is to promote flexible working practices and to define one of these, the reduced working years. Most commonly the reduced working year is utilised as a term time arrangement where the duties of the post are carried out during school terms.

The policy details how a reduced working year contract would work in practice.

Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you have any questions in relation to this policy.

Guidance

What is a reduced working year?

A reduced working year can take a number of forms. One of the most common examples is term time working. This is a formal agreement whereby the duties and responsibilities of a post are carried out (either full-time or part-time) during school terms. The salary of the post is reduced proportionately to the hours worked by the employee. However, these principles would apply regardless of whether a reduced working year contract is explicitly linked to school terms or not.

What are benefits of a reduced working year?

A reduced working year provides the opportunity for employees to work during certain periods of the year while maintaining their career prospects and personal development. It allows employees to remain on a permanent contract and gives them unpaid leave during school holidays.

Am I entitled to submit an application?

Yes, an application to request a reduced working year contract is open to all employees as well as prospective employees, no matter what level in the organisation. Where posts are not considered to be suitable for a reduced working year contract, a full explanation will be given by the line manager.

How do I submit an application?

You should complete a Flexible Working Application form and submit it directly to your line manager.

The HR Support and Advice Unit can be contacted on 0141 278 2700 if you have any further questions or need guidance on this policy area.

Shared Maternity Leave/Shared Adoption Leave

The Shared Maternity and Shared Adoption Policy outlines the procedure employees must use to request shared maternity and shared adoption leave. It also details their statutory and contractual rights and pay arrangements.

The Once for Scotland Workforce Shared Maternity and Shared Adoption Policy and application forms can be found here. Completed forms should be sent to the HR Admin Team via the HR Portal.

Special Leave

NHS Scotland Workforce Special Leave Policy

NHSGGC understands that employees need to balance the demands of work requirements with domestic responsibilities. Whilst each employee is responsible for ensuring appropriate care mechanisms are in place to meet their personal responsibilities, NHS GG&C may assist in circumstances where arrangements have unavoidably broken down and time off work is required.

Our Special Leave Policy explains how time off from work is managed, for situations such as to deal with domestic emergencies, the serious illness or death of a partner, family member or relative, close friend or colleague or for short term carer’s leave.

Special Leave is also used for time off for public duties such as jury service, member of a public body such as Children’s Panel or training days with Volunteer Forces.

Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you require further advice.

There is a separate Reserve Forces Training and Mobilisation Policy

Why It’s Important

Staff engagement is a critical factor that can significantly improve the success and impact of your team. This webpage provides essential information on why staff engagement is important and some practical resources for managers to draw on to make this real in your team.

Benefits of Staff Engagement

Engaged employees tend to be more motivated and committed to their work. When employees are engaged, they are more likely to put in discretionary effort, go above and beyond their job responsibilities, and find innovative solutions to challenges. This increased productivity can lead to better overall performance and improved bottom-line results for your organisation.

Staff engagement plays a vital role in reducing turnover rates. Engaged employees feel a stronger sense of loyalty and connection to the organisation. They are more likely to stay with the company for the long term, reducing recruitment and training costs associated with high turnover. Additionally, a stable workforce leads to greater continuity, knowledge retention, and a stronger team dynamic.

Improve Organisational Culture: Staff engagement contributes to a positive organisational culture. When employees feel valued, respected, and involved, it creates a supportive work environment where collaboration, trust, and open communication thrive. This positive culture promotes teamwork, employee satisfaction, and a sense of belonging, leading to higher morale and overall well-being within the workplace.

Enhance the Patient Experience: Engaged employees have a direct impact on the experience of our patients, customers and others we provide services to. When employees are enthusiastic about their work and genuinely care about the success of the organisation, it reflects in their interactions with patients and other end users. Engaged staff members are more likely to deliver exceptional service and build stronger relationships. On that basis, good staff engagement is a great way to bring the NHSGGC values to life with your team.

Foster Innovation: A culture of staff engagement fosters creativity and innovation. Engaged employees feel empowered to share their ideas, provide feedback, and contribute to problem-solving. By encouraging and valuing employee input, managers can tap into a diverse range of perspectives and harness the collective intelligence of the team. This collaborative environment nurtures innovation and continuous improvement.

Staff engagement is a crucial element for any successful organisation. By prioritising staff engagement, managers can unlock numerous benefits such as increased productivity, improved retention rates, a positive organisational culture, enhanced customer satisfaction, and a fostered environment for innovation. Remember, engaged employees are more likely to go the extra mile and contribute to the overall success and growth of the company.

Current Staff Engagement Resources and Frameworks

Understanding what is in place currently, and what you, as managers, already do to engage your team, is the first step. The information below showcases a few examples of the tools already available to you:

• Team meetings / huddles
• One to Ones
• Personal Development Planning and Review discussions
• Core Brief/ Team Brief/ local newsletters
• Use of MS Teams
• Collaborative Conversations
• iMatter action planning

Below, we’ve outlined further resources, guidance and practical support, which will help you to create a more engaged, motivated, and person-centred team that will ultimately drive forward a positive staff experience.

Further Resources

For further resources on staff engagement, we recommend exploring the following links: –

Internal Resources

Managers’ Guide

Click here to view our “Equality Law: A Manager’s Guide to Getting it Right” document.

Personal Development Planning and Review

Click here to view information relating to Personal Development Planning and Review.

iMatter: Staff Experience Success Stories

Click here to view the Staff Experience Success Stories page which provide examples of how action planning discussions can influence improvement going forward.

How to Run Engaging Improvement Sessions

Click here to view our iMatter page, where you can access information for action planning as a team and as a line manager.

Learn-pro Modules

LP CPD: Coaching and mentoring – learnPro NHS – Homepage (learnprouk.com)

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External guidance/information

Jos de Jong: The power of staff engagement

In this talk, Jos de Jong shares his insights on how to create engagement with staff. He talks about the importance of creating a sense of purpose, providing opportunities for growth, and building trust.

Dan Ariely: What makes us feel good about our work?

In this talk, Dan Ariely argues that people thrive more from a sense of purpose and progress than from happiness. He shares insights on how leaders can create an environment where workers care about what they do and feel cared about in return. Click the link below to view the talk.

Dan Ariely: What makes us feel good about our work? | TED Talk

Practical tools

How to Run Engaging Online Sessions

Click here to view useful links / QR Codes to YouTube videos covering the following topics:

Creating a poll in advance of a MS Teams meeting starting
Creation and use of whiteboards within MS Teams
How to create MS Forms
How to set up and manage breakout rooms in MS Teams
Setting up and using Google Jamboards
How to use Mentimeter

How to Run Local Staff Surveys

The Knowledge Services Team can help with running Staff Surveys – they recommend and can provide training on Webropol for this.

Standards of Business Conduct

The NHSGGC Standards of Business Conduct are based around the Standards of Business Conduct for NHS Staff contained in NHS Circular MEL (1994) 48 and updated to reflect the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Act 2000 and the Bribery Act 2010. The Standards of Business Conduct aim to embed ethical standards into the organisation by ensuring that all staff:

Do not seek to advantage or further their private business or other interests, in the course of their official duties.
Safeguard the interest of patients at all times;
Remain impartial and honest in the conduct of their business;
Use the public funds entrusted to them to the best advantage of the service, always ensuring value for money;
Do not abuse their official position for personal gain or to benefit their family and/or friends;

Whistleblowing

Whistleblowing Policy

From 1 April 2021, the new National Whistleblowing Standards were implemented and formed the Once for Scotland Whistleblowing Policy.

The National Whistleblowing Standards are available at https://inwo.spso.org.uk/national-whistleblowing-standards

Guidance

How to raise whistleblowing concerns

Recording Whistleblowing Complaints

Bullying and Harassment

Policy and Supporting Documentation

The NHS Scotland Workforce Bullying and Harassment Policy provides a process to ensure that concerns about standards of conduct, inappropriate behaviour or wilful misconduct are managed in a fair, consistent and timely manner.

The purpose of this policy is to support dignity and respect at work and to help foster a positive and dignified workplace culture. The policy describes the courses of action open to members of staff who experience unacceptable or inappropriate behaviour but also how, as an organisation we aim to minimise the incidents of such behaviour occurring in the first place.

For all bullying and harassment claims please use the above link to access the policy and extensive supporting documentation including the Workforce Investigation Process. Please also see links to Bullying and Harassment Factsheet and Confidential Contacts.

To obtain HR Support for the Workforce Investigation Process, please complete the Request to Initiate HR Support.

Mediation

NHS Scotland Workforce policies also provide a guide to supportive conversations and mediation.

Mediation can enable you to improve your working relationship with colleagues and help both parties find the best way forward.

Mediation can be used at any stage of conflict as long as any formal proceedings have been put on hold. Typically it is more effective the earlier on that it is used. However, there may also be situations in which formal proceedings have already taken place where mediation can be invaluable as a way to repair working relationships.

Bullying and Harassment FAQs

What does the Bullying and Harassment policy mean for me?

Everyone has a role to play to ensure we have workplaces where we treat each other with dignity and respect. You should use the launch of this new policy to speak with your colleagues and line manager about the way you work together; to discuss whether people are clear about what is acceptable or not acceptable, including the way you speak to each other, and how you deal with issues. If you have encountered disrespectful behaviour from a colleague, use the new policy to have the confidence to speak up and give feedback.

What resources are available for me to develop confidence and skills to have a difficult conversation or give feedback?

You can build this into your PDP discussion with your Line Manager and get support for this. There are resources available on Staffnet, FTFT online under ‘Our culture’, in particular Hints and Tips for Giving Feedback. You could discuss with a Learning & Education Advisor or an Organisational Development Advisor to see what development options may be available to you. You can also contact the free and confidential Employee Counselling Service if you need advice about tackling a difficult issue that you are experiencing.

What is disrespectful behaviour?

Disrespectful behaviour is defined as “Rude or discourteous behaviour that causes the receiver to feel belittled or insulted or to have their reputation damaged. If left unchecked it creates an uncomfortable or even hostile work environment and could develop into bullying and harassment. Examples include use of demeaning or offensive language, shouting, openly disregarding other’s views, frequent interrupting, being deceptive or manipulative, gossiping behind another’s back (including online), being disruptive or not making a full contribution in the workplace to the detriment of colleagues”.

How is disrespectful behaviour different from bullying and harassment?

Disrespectful behaviour refers to rude or discourteous behaviour that occurs more randomly where the target is not specifically sought out to be the focus of repeated behaviour. Disrespectful behaviour can even be unintentional, hence the reason that it’s better handled one to one between yourselves or locally by your Line Manager.

Bullying is deliberate and repeated targeting of an individual over a period of time.

Harassment is defined legally as unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic, for example a persons sex, race or sexual orientation, and may either be persistent or an isolated incident.

Allegations of bullying or harassment should be taken directly to your Line Manager (if the issue involves your Line Manager then their Manager should be approached). Such allegations are viewed extremely seriously and will be thoroughly investigated, potentially leading to disciplinary action against the individual(s) involved.

How do I know that there won’t be repercussions from raising concerns about disrespectful behaviour?

If you have taken the step to discuss the issue one to one with the colleague and the situation remains unsatisfactory or becomes worse, then you must discuss the issue with your Line Manager (or the next-in-line manager if the issue involves your immediate Line Manager). The Bullying and Harassment policy formalises a manager’s obligation to listen, discuss and explore the nature of such an issue with you and the need to take steps to resolve it.

If you experience any negative repercussions for raising the issue, this may be deemed to be victimisation. This is defined as detriment suffered by a member of staff as a result of issues or allegations they have raised in good faith, or because they have participated in an associated process, for example as a witness. This is viewed extremely seriously, leading to disciplinary action against the individual if there is evidence of this.

What is Mediation and how might it help if I seem to be having an unfixable issue with a colleague.

Mediation is where an impartial third party, the mediator, helps two or more people in dispute to attempt to reach an agreement. Any agreement comes from those in dispute, not from the mediator. The mediator is not there to judge, to say one person is right and the other wrong, or to tell those involved in the mediation what they should do. The mediator is in charge of the process of seeking to resolve the problem but not in charge of the outcome. In this regard Mediation can be an extremely helpful process, but it is not the first resort. You should always try to first resolve difficulties with a colleague on a one to one basis or by allowing your manager to attempt resolution. If this fails then your Line Manager can arrange for mediation via your local HR Advisor.

Hate Crime

NHSGGC has a comprehensive workforce policy framework designed to protect against bullying and harassment and uphold dignity and respect and the Hate Crime Protocol and Guidance offers support for people who perceive they have been victims or have witnessed a Hate Incident. These tools need to be used and observed incident must be reported to a manager and a Datix report completed.

There’s no room for complacency. If you see it or hear it, please report it, and help make NHSGGC a better place to work for everyone.

Conduct

Policy and Supporting Documentation

The NHS Scotland Workforce Conduct Policy provides a process to ensure that concerns about standards of conduct, inappropriate behaviour or wilful misconduct are managed in a fair, consistent and timely manner. This applies to employees and workers, including back, agency and sessional workers. It does not apply when reviewing the professional conduct or competence of medical or dental staff.

For all conduct cases please use the above link to access the policy and extensive supporting documentation including the Workforce Investigation Process.

To obtain HR Support for the Workforce Investigation Process, please complete the Request to Initiate HR Support.

PVG Referral Pathway

Guidance and the Referral Pathway flowchart on PVG and the Duty to refer.

Guidance on PVG and Duty to Refer

PVG Referral Pathway

The PVG referral form can be downloaded via the following link (see ‘How to send a referral’ section):

MyGov Scotland PVG Referral Form

Contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you require further information or clarification.

Grievance

Policy and Supporting Documentation

The NHS Scotland Workforce Grievance Policy provides a process to ensure that concerns about standards of conduct, inappropriate behaviour or wilful misconduct are managed in a fair, consistent and timely manner.

For all grievance cases please use the above link to access the policy and extensive supporting documentation including the Workforce Investigation Process.

To obtain HR Support for the Workforce Investigation Process, please complete the Request to Initiate HR Support.

Staff Engagement Form (SEF) – digital SEF should be completed and submitted to the eESS Support Team via the HR Connect Portal
- Employee completes Sections 1 – 11
- Employee completes Sections 1 – 11
Notification of Change (NOC)
- Manager completes changes via eESS Manager Self Service
Termination Form
- Manager completes termination via eESS Manager Self Service
- End employment termination (where employee only holds one position)
- Assignment termination (where employee holds multiple positions)

Documentation

Temporary Promotion to a Higher Pay Band – Guidance for Managers

The Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions Handbook paragraph 6.32 states:

“Individuals may be moved into a higher pay band where it is necessary to fill a post on a temporary basis when a vacancy is unfilled, but being advertised, or the post is being held open for someone who is due to return, e.g. from long-term sickness absence, maternity leave, or from extended training”.

Please see below Management Guidance for staff who receive a temporary promotion to a higher band:

Management Guidance

Secondments

The Secondment Policy is accessible to all employees within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and applies when an employee wishes to undertake a temporary move (secondment) to another organisation, or to a different post within this organisation, for a defined period of time. There is no automatic right to a secondment, however, no application will be unreasonably refused.

Secondments offer the opportunity for individuals to develop new skills or enhance existing skills but should also be mutually beneficial to the Organisation. The policy sets out guidance on types of secondment, suitable opportunities and arrangements as well as defining roles and responsibilities within the secondment process.

Top Tips on using the Policy……..

Discussions should take place between employee and current manager before an application for secondment is made.
Secondments vary in length but usually last between 3 months and 2 years.
A secondment agreement, signed by the relevant parties, should be in place prior to the secondment commencing.
Employees and their substantive manager are mutually responsible for ensuring they keep in touch during the secondment.

Clear arrangements for return at the end of secondment should be set out and detailed in the secondment agreement.

Policy

Board Secondments Policy.

If you have any questions in relation to this policy please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit.

Secondments Guidance

What is a Secondment?

A secondment is a “temporary loan of an employee to another organisation, or to a different part/post of the same organisation, for a specific purpose and for a specific time, to the mutual benefit of employees and NHS Scotland generally.”

Who is entitled to request a Secondment?

All employees within NHSGGC will have equal access to the Secondment Policy in compliance with relevant legislation and no application for secondment will be unreasonably refused.

Are there different types of Secondment?

There are a number of different types of secondment which are as follows:

Internal secondment within NHSGGC
Internal secondment within NHSScotland
External secondment (e.g. to Scottish Government, local authority, trade unions, professional organisations and the voluntary sector).

How do I apply for a Secondment?

Secondment opportunities may arise through a variety of circumstances, but should ordinarily be advertised in line with the normal recruitment process. Employees must ensure that authorisation has been provided by their Accountable Manager prior to accepting a secondment opportunity.

How long can I request a Secondment for?

Secondments vary in length, usually between three months and two years, depending upon the circumstances.

What is a Secondment Agreement?

If the request for secondment has been agreed the approving manager will ensure that, prior to commencement of a secondment, the appropriate secondment agreement has been completed which will take into account the main following points:

Clear reasons for the secondment.
Clear agreement on the start and finish dates.
If employee’s substantive role may be unavailable for their return, then this must be understood and agreed prior to the commencement of the secondment, or at the time of any subsequent proposed extension or at the time of organisational change.
That the employee fully understands any terms and conditions implications.
Training needs during and following a period of secondment.
Arrangements for appraisal/PDP&R completion during the secondment.
Relevant statutory requirements for maintenance of professional registration.
Arrangements to keep in touch with the Secondee on a regular basis and to consult them on any proposed changes to their substantive post during the term of the secondment.
Clear arrangements for return of the Secondee to their substantive post or a suitable alternative.

Please refer to the full Secondment Policy for details on terms and conditions, and roles and responsibilities of a secondment.

Keeping records up to date

We need to know when you’re at work and when you have any type of time off. This is important to make sure we pay you correctly too.

All managers should ensure that SSTS is updated correctly and payroll is informed, where SSTS is not available.

The HR Support and Advice Unit can be contacted on 0141 278 2700 if you have any further questions or need advice on this policy area.

Secondments Tools and Templates

If the request for secondment has been agreed, the approving manager will ensure that, prior to commencement of a secondment, the appropriate secondment agreement has been completed which will take into account the main following points:

Clear reasons for the secondment.
Clear agreement on the start and finish dates.
If employee’s substantive role may be unavailable for their return, then this must be understood and agreed prior to the commencement of the secondment, or at the time of any subsequent proposed extension or at the time of organisational change.
That the employee fully understands any terms and conditions implications.
Training needs during and following a period of secondment.
Arrangements for appraisal/PDP&R completion during the secondment.
Relevant statutory requirements for maintenance of professional registration.
Arrangements to keep in touch with the Secondee on a regular basis and to consult them on any proposed changes to their substantive post during the term of the secondment.
Clear arrangements for return of the Secondee to their substantive post or a suitable alternative.

External secondment agreements can be more complex and therefore if required, managers should seek advice from their local HR Manager.

Secondment Template Letters

The Dying to Work Campaign was setup by a trade union member who received a terminal illness diagnosis and went on to try and ensure support for others in the workplace. The name was established by the campaign and supported by the TUC. You can see more of how it came about and those supporting through the link below.

The Dying to Work Campaign | Dying to Work

Sadly, some of our staff are diagnosed with a terminal illness during their working lives. It is therefore vital that as an employer we work to try and remove any additional stress and worry.

The Dying to Work Charter was adopted by NHSScotland in March 2021, and endorsed by NHSGGC Chief Executive and Employee Director. It sets out an agreed way in which our staff will be supported, protected and guided throughout their employment, following a terminal diagnosis.

We will ensure that staff with life-limiting illness are not dismissed because of their condition unless leaving would benefit them, for instance to release a pension. We will provide job and financial security at a time of considerable personal stress and uncertainty and provide support and understanding.

The Charter is about choice. It’s about giving staff options on how they want to proceed at work and also provides guidance for Managers on how they can best support their staff.

NHSGGC Dying to Work Charter

Guidance for Line Managers

Injury Allowance Procedure and Guidance

This section provides procedure, guidance and associated documentation for injury allowance. Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish clarification on this procedure or any further advice.

Procedure

Injury Allowance Procedure
Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish clarification on this procedure.

Guidance

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff who are injured or become ill due to their NHS employment may qualify for Injury Allowance if their pay is reduced as a result of their health problems.

Eligibility is dependent on certain conditions being met. Details on this and how to apply can be found in the Board’s Injury Allowance Procedure.

Further information is also available in the Injury Allowance Guidance for Employees.

Injury Allowance Guidance For Employees

Flowchart

Flowchart

Tools and Templates

Workforce Strategy 2021-2025

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is an organisation which is renowned for modern high-quality patient care and progressive medicine. It is therefore vital that we continue to attract and nurture the most talented and public service focused people, both locally and from around the world and achieve our ambition of ‘Growing our Great Community’.

Our Workforce Strategy 2021-2025 sets out how we will achieve this and develop NHSGGC under our corporate objective of ‘Better Workplace’.

Our current and future employees are our greatest strength and this Strategy describes the foundations, framework, support and opportunities which underpin our four workforce pillars.

Health and Wellbeing
Learning
Leaders
Recruitment and Retention

In order to achieve the ambitions outlined within the Workforce Strategy 2021-2025, a suite of supporting strategies and plans have been developed to operationalise the actions contained within the Strategy.

Staff Health Strategy 2023-2025

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde continues to prioritise the health and wellbeing of our workforce. Our current and future staff are our greatest strength and this Strategy underpins the Board’s Workforce Strategy and reflects our aspirations to be a Better Workplace.

The focus of the Staff Health Strategy 2023-2025 has moved towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and support to staff to improve their wellbeing as new challenges arise. We have a strong foundation to build upon as evidenced by the many initiatives that have been introduced and embedded, including the Active Staff Programme, provision of Mental Health Support and the ongoing rollout of Peer Support. None of this is possible without the help and support of local teams across the organisation and Staff Partnership colleagues. Our staff equalities forums and the Staff Health Working Groups in Acute Services and our six Health and Social Care Partnerships also have a key role to play in delivering the actions which will flow from our strategic intent.

Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Strategy 2022-2025

Engaging internal communications and high levels of employee engagement are crucial to continually developing our aim of being a better workplace. This underpins all our NHSGGC’s Workforce Strategy actions.

The Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Strategy sets out how we will do this, by supporting all our 40,000 employees to have a strong sense of purpose, connection, contribution and commitment to our organisation.

Safety Health and Wellbeing Culture Framework

The Safety Health and Wellbeing Culture Framework roadmap outlines how we will improve the culture within NHSGGC, using an agreed set of Safety Health and Wellbeing (SHaW) standards.

The NHSGGC Chief Executive and Employee Director have reinforced their joint commitment to improving the safety, health and wellbeing culture within NHSGGC, through the development of the SHaW Framework.

All staff have a responsibility for safety, health and wellbeing within NHSGGC. A set of guidance documents outlined the roles and responsibilities for employees, managers and directors.

Workforce Plan 2022-2025

Each year NHSGGC is required by the Scottish Government to develop and publish a workforce plan which sets out the strategic direction for workforce development and the resulting changes to our workforce over the next year and beyond.

The NHSGGC Workforce Plan is developed using the NHS Scotland six steps methodology and the NHS Careers Framework. Both of these workforce models enable us to take a coherent view of the workforce across all job families and sub-groups. The Career Framework in particular is a useful tool for modelling and implementing workforce change and we are promoting and encouraging the use of this tool in NHSGGC.

Local workforce planning activity is managed within the Acute Services Division and within the Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs). In addition, there are workforce plans which focus on cross sector issues and plans based on service delivery models.

The workforce implications of service change and redesign are also set out in NHSGGC’s financial and service plans at Board and Divisional/HSCP level. These workforce implications highlight any planned recruitment activity and are further analysed in the project implementation documents (PIDs) which are prepared to support any significant service change and which set out the financial, workforce and equality impacts of any proposed changes.

All of the above workforce information is analysed and summarised by the workforce planners in order to develop the annual NHSGGC Workforce Plan.

Recruitment and Attraction Plan 2022-2025

The vision for the Recruitment and Attraction Plan 2022-2025 is to establish ourselves as a great employer and seen as an Employer of Choice.

To help us achieve this vision, we have three ambitions:

Attract, retain and value the most skilled, diverse and talented people from our local communities and around the world, proving we are a world-class public sector organisation.

Empower our Human Resources and Organisational Development workforce to deliver a digitally-enabled world-class recruitment and onboarding service for our future talent that is inclusive and person-centred.

Ensure use of high-quality data to drive forward workforce planning and recruitment initiatives as we strive to be a world-class public service.

Our Recruitment and Attraction Plan sets out how we will achieve these ambitions, ensures recruitment and selection is inclusive and attracts candidates from diverse backgrounds, and develops NHSGGC under our corporate objective of ‘Better Workplace’.

Workforce Equality Action Plan

The Board Workforce Equality Group (WEG) aims to further develop NHSGGC as an inclusive organisation that engages with staff across all aspects of employment, in a way that reaches to the core of our organisational values and meets and exceeds our legal requirements as an equal opportunities employer. The WEG is responsible for the NHSGGC Workforce Equality Plan. The group includes representatives from the Staff Disability Forum, the Black and Minority Ethnic Staff Network, the LGBT+ Forum, staff-side, Human Resources and the Equality and Human Rights Team.

The key ambitions and outcomes for the Workforce Equality Action Plan 2020-2024 are:

Our staff are treated fairly and consistently, with dignity and respect, in an environment where diversity is valued.
Our data collection is legally compliant and is used to improve equality and diversity of our workforce.
We can demonstrate that we are an exemplar employer by participating in recognised equality frameworks and charters.
We have taken all the actions in our control to reduce equal pay gaps by sex, disability and ethnicity.
Staff from equality groups are fully engaged in contributing to the Workforce Equality Group.

National workforce strategies

The NHSGGC Workforce Strategy 2021-2025 has been supported, driven, shaped and complemented by a suite of national workforce strategies aimed at Scotland’s health and social care workforce.

Health and social care: national workforce strategy

The Health and social care: national workforce strategy (published by the Scottish Government) sets out the Scottish Government’s vision for the health and social care workforce.

It supports their tripartite ambition of recovery, growth and transformation of their workforce and the actions they will take to achieve their vision and ambition.

Health and social care delivery plan

The Health and social care delivery plan sets out the Scottish Government’s programme to further enhance health and social care services. Working so the people of Scotland can live longer, healthier lives at home or in a homely setting and they have a health and social care system that:

is integrated;
focuses on prevention, anticipation and supported self-management;
will make day-case treatment the norm, where hospital treatment is required and cannot be provided in a community setting;
focuses on care being provided to the highest standards of quality and safety, whatever the setting, with the person at the centre of all decisions; and
ensures people get back into their home or community environment as soon as appropriate, with minimal risk of re-admission.

Previous strategies

Previous strategies and plans supporting the Workforce Strategy can be accessed below

Staff Health Strategy 2021-2023

NHSGGC has been and continues to be very mindful of the need to ensure we maximise all our efforts to ensure we can support the health and wellbeing of our workforce.

Our current and future staff are our greatest strength and this strategy underpins the Board’s Workforce Strategy and reflects our aspirations to Grow Our Great Community.

In order to ensure we are best placed to reflect and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as deliver our corporate objectives and transformation ambitions we need to ensure that our workforce are supported to deliver the changes we need to make. We recognise that our staff need time to recover and reflect on the impact of the pandemic on their mental health and wellbeing and whilst Mental Health was one of our top priorities in our previous strategy it is a key component of our ambitions for our Staff Health Strategy for 2021-2023.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has a range of ways that we listen to staff and use their feedback to improve our services to patients and to make NHSGGC a better place to work. Key mechanisms include iMatter, Investors in People, via Area and Local Partnership Forums and through team meetings, one-to-ones and other engagement activities with leaders and managers locally.

You can read below examples of how staff feedback from our annual iMatter staff satisfaction survey has been used to inform improvements across teams, services, Directorates and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Advance Nurse Practitioner Team – East Dunbartonshire HSCP

The Advance Nurse Practitioner (ANP) team in East Dunbartonshire HSCP, is a small of team of 6, supporting GP clinics as well as carrying out home visits, all across the Partnership. During our most recent iMatter action planning discussion, we reflected on the agile nature of our roles, and the need for lots of equipment to be transported when out and about at home visits.

We didn’t have a space to call our own for storing equipment, or dedicated desk space, as we’re fully agile. This means that equipment is often stored in our cars as we go back and forth to homes and clinics, which is not ideal for staff as we’re already taking other things, such as our laptops, out and about, so it’s a lot to consider for each trip.

So, we had a discussion with the Facilities Manager at Kirkintilloch Health & Care Centre to see what we could do to improve our experience.

Amazingly, we’ve secured a large double cupboard at the Centre, which is solely for our team, and we can easily access it to pick up just the bits and pieces we need, and store the rest. This is only a small thing but has gone a long way to making the team feel that they are valued, visible and that their needs are being met by the HSCP.

We’re now working with colleagues to look at ways we can use the space at Milngavie Health Clinic too, ensuring that our team can continue to have the same successful, positive experience, across all our sites.

Clyde Sector

Across the Clyde sector, we have seen real benefits of using feedback from iMatter to improve our staff’s experience. The big improvements in iMatter outcomes throughout 2022 demonstrate this, with an increased response to the questionnaire, an improved Employee Engagement score and a 7% increase in action planning.

We achieved this in a range of different ways. We took action before and during the questionnaire stage, to discuss iMatter at key management and partnership meetings, embedding it in business as usual. IMatter is always a key part of our thinking around how we engage with our workforce and use their experiences to improve services and make Clyde Sector a better workplace.

Alongside this, we shared ‘top tips’ during the team confirmation stage to ensure managers felt supported with each step, and staff were aware of the range of ways they could respond, to maximise participation. Maintaining a good working relationship with the iMatter team in HR meant we could quickly identify and resolve any action needed to support teams.

Once we received our results, we quickly shared the information with staff, managers and partnership colleagues, and ensured two-way communication was at the heart of improvement.

We now hold weekly partnership calls in Clyde sector to discuss emerging and live issues to identify solutions together. We’ve also introduced HR ‘Walk rounds’ across all three sites, meaning there are regular opportunities to meet with staff, be visible and discuss any concerns. Similarly, the Senior Charge Nurse (SCN) engagement sessions with senior management give staff the opportunity to discuss ways of improving services, staff morale, health and wellbeing. These allow us to hear directly from staff about how we shape support and drive improvement on an ongoing basis.

In addition to this, Partnership colleagues and HR now have access to daily safety briefings for all sites to keep everyone informed on hospital pressures and staffing. This means that appropriate action and support is given efficiently and based on feedback.

Taking this approach has achieved some really positive outcomes this year, leading to positive action, and we look to replicate and build on this into 2023, to realise continuous improvement for our staff.

Counselling Team (Human Resources and Organisational Development)

Our team always finds the feedback from iMatter a really useful tool to create discussions about how we do more for our staff and also for our clients. This year, the report has allowed us to identify service improvements that we think will deliver excellent performance.

Initially during COVID we were keen to explore the experience of clients using the counselling service, particularly as we moved from face to face to telephone appointments. We did this through a short survey, which we circulated to clients. The feedback was positive, and gave us reassurance that we were still providing a supportive and person-centre service during COVID.

As we moved into 2022 and back to more face to face consultations, our team suggested we expand the survey to allow us to explore ways in which we could celebrate great work, review the service we provide and identify any opportunities for improvement.

This has been going really well, and at our team meetings we always allocate time to look at the feedback together. The comments from the responses we get helps us to build a picture of progress and improvement themes. The information we gather also supports our accreditation with Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service (SEQOHS) standards, the benchmark for occupational health services.

One particular benefit of this approach has been helping us to celebrate the successes of the team through the positive experiences of our clients. When we see really great comments in relation to the service provided by an individual staff member, this is highlighted at the team meetings, as well as at TURAS review discussions.

In the team, we’ve used the iMatter process to help keep us on track when it comes to our commitment to positive staff engagement, celebrating success and working as a team. We know that doing this has really helped us to continue to deliver a great service for the people using our service.

COVID Safety and Wellbeing Engagement in Estates and Facilities

Like all services across NHS, the COVID pandemic raised a number of significant challenge for us in Estates and Facilities. One of those challenges was that guidance, including changes to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Safety instructions, was changing on a regular basis. For us, there was no reliable way to ensure that this information was appropriately circulated across all of our staff because of limited IT access for many staff in our service and the limitations on in-person meetings.

This meant that we were struggling to ensure that the staff on the floor were getting key information timeously, including COVID safety information and resources to support and improve staff wellbeing.

As a consequence, the Senior Management Team and partnership colleagues worked together to identify the best ways to get this essential information to staff reliably. This took the form of a Team Brief, which was initially issued on a weekly basis, and which we now issue on a monthly basis. We developed this based on the positive feedback and the recognition of an ongoing need for supportive engagement and communication with staff.

The detailed Brief is shared verbally with all staff, along with being circulated electronically and displayed on staff noticeboards. This very simple approach has been welcomed by staff, and has been adopted by others throughout the organisation too.

William Hunter, Deputy Director (Facilities & Corporate), says “there has been a positive response to this brief. In very difficult circumstances, we have been able to increase direct communication with our staff, including the provision of key work, wellbeing and safety related information, which I know that staff have found very reassuring and supportive.”

We can see from our 2022 iMatter results that one of the areas which saw the biggest improvement from 2021, was in relation to well-being support from line managers. In addition, improvements were seen around the themes of role clarity, effective team working and seeing the value and contribution made by the roles that staff hold.

This improved engagement and communication with staff, really focussing on well-being and experiences at work, has made a positive impact amongst teams, which we’ll continue to build on and celebrate.

East Renfrewshire HSCP

We were delighted with the iMatter results in East Renfrewshire HSCP, where we saw an increase in response rates and action planning engagement, whilst also maintaining a really positive engagement score.

We were particularly pleased to see that we’d had good feedback from staff against the iMatter wellbeing questions. This was due to the big effort we’ve made in the HSCP in ensuring staff are aware of the wide range of options available to them to support good mental health and overall wellbeing at work.

One way we’ve been showcasing our wellbeing activity is through our regular Staff Wellbeing newsletter with targeted articles on key issues e.g. alcohol awareness, stress at work, financial advice. These kept staff updated on any upcoming classes and sessions, as well as providing access to information and resources which covered a wide range of topics.

During the summer months, we rolled out a programme under our “Summer of Wellness” brand. Creating this brand allowed us to bring together a whole range of opportunities for staff in one place, including yoga, fitness classes, 121 wellbeing conversations etc. The uptake for these was fantastic and feedback from staff was extremely positive. We’re now building on that success and are rolling out a new “Winter of Wellness” programme during November and December.

Something that really helped us maintain the focus on wellbeing over this period has been our newly appointed Wellbeing Officer, Gerry Mitchell, who has led on promoting and improving the mental health and physical wellbeing of our workforce.

Gerry says:

“My role as Health and Wellbeing Lead Officer has been to build a proactive and preventative wellbeing offer across the HSCP for all our staff.

“It’s important for staff to have access to resources that supports holistic wellbeing, with a particular focus on mitigating the effects of work-related stress.

“Recent years have been particularly challenging for health and social care staff and volunteers. During this time, it has been more important than ever that we continue to offer an effective and sustainable approach to staff/volunteer wellbeing so that they feel valued and supported at work.”

Gerry Mitchell, Health and Wellbeing Lead Officer East Renfrewshire HSCP

Accordion item 1

Hybrid Working in the Clinical Governance Support Unit

Our 2022 iMatter report showed some really encouraging results, and we were particularly delighted to see positive outcomes relating to engagement, well-being support and leadership. We always aim to apply a person-centred, continuous improvement approach, which focuses on our staff’s experience, as we know this has a positive impact on the work we do.

That person centred approach could clearly be seen through our recent implementation of hybrid working. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) introduced a Blended Working Guide early in 2022, to support staff to work flexibly and to provide a healthy work and life balance.

The Clinical Governance Support Unit (CGSU) implemented this approach across all teams during Spring/Summer 2022. To do this, working together with staff, we developed a project plan with six key steps for implementation:

Planning – Engagement – Assessment – Pre-implementation – Implementation – Evaluation

A key part of our plan was working with staff to develop an Etiquette Guide. This provided some key principles and supporting guidance and aimed to give consistency to staff in terms of how hybrid working would actually work in our team.

Almost as soon as we had implemented the approach, we held a short workshop at the CGSU Team Session, to gather feedback from staff on their initial experience of hybrid working. Feedback showed us that staff liked the flexibility to choose when it’s appropriate to work from home and when to be working on site. The staff told us they continue to see the benefit of meeting together in person where it’s appropriate. We were really pleased to hear that they found the room booking system really clear and easy to access, allowing them to arrange all the practical requirements when coming into the office.

To keep the focus on staff having a positive experience, we also sought improvement themes from staff, and have taken these forward quickly. An ongoing evaluation is planned on a quarterly basis to continue engagement with staff and determine if the actions are resulting in real improvements, and to consider if there are any new actions we need to take forward.

Pharmacy Services

Hear from Gail Caldwell, Director of Pharmacy for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, talking about the Pharmacy Strategy, which focusses on a culture of empowerment and enablement for all their staff.

Click below to hear more:

Pharmacy Services

Pharmacy Services Celebrates Staff Successes and the Employee Voice

Pharmacy Services celebrated their staff awards on Wednesday 20^th of March at the Teaching and Learning Centre, QEUH. While the event was themed around the many successes of our staff, the event also recognised the challenges along the way, a theme reflected by our keynote speaker, Cor Hutton.

“As a pharmacy team, what makes us strong are our people, and our people know how things can change and improve, we are always looking for ways to obtain feedback and empower our teams to make local changes that makes it better for them and our patients.” Andrea Healey, Business Performance & Review Manager, Pharmacy Services

One way Pharmacy Services do this is through the annual iMatter survey. The team has always had a high engagement rate and one they are keen to continue. They took the opportunity to promote iMatter at their staff awards, including highlighting the improvements made locally based on the annual staff feedback. To support the event, the NHSGGC Staff Experience team were on hand to share good practice and give out a pen or two!!

“We were thrilled to be invited along to be able to promote the upcoming iMatter questionnaire at the Pharmacy Services staff awards, and engage with staff at this exciting event. Moreover, it allowed us to encourage colleagues to consider staff experience more widely, and understand how iMatter can be an important enabler for person-centred discussions that explore and improve the experience of everyone at work” Diana Hudson, Staff Experience Adviser and Sabine Bunte, Staff Experience Assistant

Alongside iMatter, the event also showcased the Peer Support service:

“Delighted to have attended the awards ceremony representing Peer support and as part of the Pharmacy Culture Collaborative Group. Peer support simply put is to look after oneself and others and this was very much to the fore in our pharmacy ‘family’ awards ceremony. Our speakers at the event spoke with compassion, empathy and a steadfast commitment to our health service and the patients we serve. It was a privilege to be part of the day and hear the amazing testimony of Dr Corrine Hutton” Donald MacPhail, Controlled Drug Inspection Officer and Peer Supporter NHSGGC

The 2024 iMatter Survey starts from 13 May 2024 and you can find out more information about how to get the best of this for your team on our iMatter page or by contacting the iMatter team on iMatter@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

If you have a positive Staff Experience or Engagement story you would like to share, please get in touch with the team at iMatter@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

If you want to know more about the range of ways NHSGGC has in place to engage and communicate with staff, you can read our Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Strategy on HR Connect.

Action Planning Stories

During the Action Planning phase of iMatter, we want to share some of the ways in which teams have approached this discussion and how they have used iMatter to support key activity over the next 12 months. Below you’ll see details of stories shared via StaffNet.

Complex Trauma Pathway team

We hear from Lesley Hunter – Nurse Team Lead within the Complex Trauma Pathway team (Specialist Children’s Services), who talks about their approach to iMatter action planning:

“As a team we utilise our business meeting and team away days to discuss and review our iMatter report each year. These take place in June and November so work well in relation to the timing of the reports and allow for a six-monthly review. Following the completed reports, I review the comments and we discuss as a team the outcome and consider what our focus is for the year.

The focus is often on service development i.e. what we do well and need to focus on for our patients in the next year, as well as team cohesion and wellbeing/staff retention. From this, I write it up and we agree it finally as a team.

The pathway is a small team where the ongoing clinical task of working with young people, families with traumatic histories and experiences can be emotionally taxing, therefore team wellbeing, supervision and peer support needs to be central to what we do. The iMatter process allows us to look at this more specifically as a service.”

The most important bit of iMatter is the discussion you now have in your team based on the feedback. This is your chance to discuss and agree as a team how you want to work together to make things better. Please visit HR Connect for more information.

Primary Care Dental Services

This week, we hear from Karen Gallacher, Clinical Services Manager within Primary Care Dental Services:

“Looking at the action planning process with a new team has made me reflect on a number of matters, most significantly that I was, in recent years, part of this team and now, due to promotion, I am in a leadership position with the team and would look to maximise the benefits of the iMatter process.

In the past, in the team I previously led, we would have added iMatter to the agenda of group meetings and had a round table discussion to review our report, looking at what areas we should celebrate and those areas we should seek to develop further.

My previous team were predominantly involved in the management of clinical dental care, therefore would focus their efforts on analysing how to improve patient care while supporting the needs of staff. My new team involves health improvement managers, clinical managers and support services to the wider dental community.

As a consequence of being an original member of the above named group it was easy to identify the commitment of my colleagues to examine our report at our monthly operational meeting and to develop an action plan that would support learning, communication and, as an area for further discussion, review of equality and diversity issues to ensure that we are inclusive as we have a multi-disciplinary roles and responsibilities.

As a result, we will now have iMatter as a standing item on our agenda (an approach I used in my previous position) and ensure that all members have an opportunity to review and reflect on our action plan to support success as we move forward this year.”

The most important part of iMatter is the discussion you now have in your team based on the feedback. This is your chance to discuss and agree as a team how you want to work together to make things better. Please visit HR Connect for more information.

North AHP Team Leads

This week, we hear from Alison Leiper, Interim Chief AHP:

“The North AHP Team Lead group discussed the iMatter report and action plan at one of our monthly team meetings. We set aside approximately 1 hour to discuss the report and to decide on our action plan going forward.

As a group we have started to meet again in person rather than via Teams and we all agreed that this face to face approach led to better engagement, interaction and discussion. We started the process by reviewing this year’s iMatter report as well as looking at the previous year. This gave us some indication of where we have made changes that have had a positive impact and the areas we need to focus on going forward.

We recognised that we hadn’t achieved everything we had hoped to do last year and this led to a very open, honest and meaningful conversation about the reasons why and more importantly what we need to do differently this year. With this in mind our action plan focused on what are our priorities and what we can realistically achieve.

One of our actions concentrated on improving engagement between AHP Team Leads and North senior leader’s team, therefore to support this, we’ve planned a lunch, hosted by Team leads, inviting along members of the North SLT. This will allow an opportunity to provide more information on the key role of the AHP within each clinical area, and help promote the AHP role more generally.”

On this page

Adverse Weather

Please find attached Interim National Arrangements for Adverse Weather. This has been designed to ensure that in periods of adverse weather NHS Scotland adopts an approach that is consistent at a national level, ensuring that fair and equitable treatment is prioritised and that we remain able to effectively deliver essential services. The guidance has been developed in partnership with NHS Scotland through consultation between Scottish Government Officials, NHS Scotland employers and Trade Unions.

Interim National Arrangements Covering Disruption to Work as a Result of Adverse Weather

The Adverse Weather Policy applies to all employees of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde including Bank staff.

Please also review GGC supplementary guidance for employees regarding Adverse Weather.
Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish clarification on the application of this policy.

Business Travel

NHSGGC is committed to reducing the financial and environmental impact arising from its business travel. Where possible, the aim of this policy is to encourage employees to reduce unnecessary travel and encourage the use of more sustainable forms of transport. However, the Board recognises that sometimes there is no alternative to using a car for business travel and this policy is not intended to impede business travel where it is required nor to restrict car use where it is the most appropriate mode of transport for business purposes. Neither is this policy intended to be applied to the detriment of those employees with restricted mobility. This policy applies to all staff employed by NHSGGC.

Top Tips on using the Business Travel Policy…….

Before undertaking any journey, staff should consider the Business Travel Hierarchy.
Reflect on the need to travel for business purposes.
Walking and cycling are healthy, sustainable and very low cost travel options. Staff should be encouraged to consider alternative travel options if their role can facilitate this approach.
Bus, train and SPT subway travel provide an alternative to car-based business travel for short, medium and long distances.
Many car trips could be avoided if staff coordinated travel plans and shared cars, for example, when attending the same meeting. An additional mileage rate for each passenger is paid.

Policy

Business Travel Policy
Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish clarification on the use or application of this policy.

Car Parking

Car Parking on Hospital Sites

This policy outlines the arrangements for car parking on hospital sites. These arrangements are designed to balance the needs of staff, patients and visitors and ensure car parks continue to be fairly and effectively managed.

The policy details arrangements for visitor and patient parking, staff with parking permits and other staff parking.

Board Car Parking Policy

Policy

Board Car Parking Policy
Please contact the HR Support and Advice Unit if you wish clarification on the application of this policy.