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Policies and Staff Governance

The policies below are a combination of HR and more general policies which affect the workforce.  Should you have any queries about these policies, please contact your manager, local HR team or local trade union representative.

  • HR Generalist – Employee Relations (Attendance Management, Disciplinary, Capability, Grievance, Dignity at Work), Work Life Balance (Maternity Leave, Paternity leave, Adoption/Fostering, Leave, Code of Conduct, Professional Registration, Staff Uniform and Dress etc;
  • Health and Safety – Moving and Handling, Radiation etc;
  • Medical and Dental – Medical Re-validation and Appraisal etc;
  • Staff Governance – iMatter, Staff Governance Committee etc.

Links to HR policies, Health & Safety policies, guidance documents and their associated forms can be found via the the sections below.

The Armed Forces Covenant

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to those individuals who currently serve, our Reservists and those veterans who are key members of our society by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.

The strong relationship between NHSGGC and the UK Armed Forces is greatly valued, with the Health Board already working to support employees who also are Reservists.

By signing the Covenant, NHSGGC pledged its commitment to supporting armed forces veterans, recognising the value they contribute and acknowledging that serving personnel and military families should be treated with fairness and respect.

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme

The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support members of our workforce who are part of the Armed Forces Community.

NHSGGC’s dedication to ensuring that all members of its workforce feel valued is evident, with a particular emphasis on supporting those who are part of the Armed Forces Community. The organisation’s communications and activities are carefully designed to celebrate and encourage this community, and we were delighted to be recognised for this work through achieving the Gold level in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

Are you a member of the Volunteer Reserve Forces or a Regular Reservist working in NHSGGC?

The regular training that the Reserve Forces undertake brings essential skills into the workplace such as leadership, communication, team working and organisational ability, which ultimately lead to improved performance in the workplace.

The Reserve Forces Training Policy is an established National NHS Scotland policy within our suite of workforce policies and we hope that we can be confident that all NHS Scotland employers are treating their staff who are members of the Reserve Forces equally.

If you want to find out more about what our reservists do, please watch the RAF Medical Reserves Employer Engagement Video.

To help us to ensure you are aware of the support that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde can offer, we would ask you to register with the Board Contact: Diana Hudson, Staff Experience Adviser, Diana.Hudson@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.

When registering, we ask that you complete the Reservists Registration Form and submit this to the Board Contact. By completing these details, we’re able to securely hold your contact details to update you on any changes to policy, process or any other information in relation to NHS Reserve Forces staff. Please get in touch with the Board Contact for a registration form.

Staff Governance is a term which describes the framework for managing employees inside NHS Scotland. The commitments surrounding the framework, are in place to ensure all staff have a positive experience at work, where they feel motivated and engaged with their role, team and the Board.

If you have any queries please contact the Staff Experience team: ggc.staffexperience@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

What does it mean?

Staff Governance is defined as: “a system of corporate accountability for the fair and effective management of all staff”.

It can be measured through assurance that the Standard commitments are being met, and this is assessed locally via the Staff Governance Committee of each Board.

Staff Governance Standard

The Staff Governance Standard sets out what each NHSScotland employer must achieve in order to continuously improve in relation to the fair and effective management of staff. Click on the links for more information.

There are 5 Staff Governance Standard commitments set out what staff can expect from their NHS Scotland Board, and they are that staff should be:

  • Well informed
  • Appropriately trained and developed
  • Involved in decisions
  • Treated fairly and consistently, with dignity and respect, in an environment where diversity is valued
  • Provided with a continuously improving and safe working environment, promoting the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and the wider community.

However, the Standard also sets out corresponding responsibilities for staff (at any level within the organisation). Staff should:

  • Keep themselves up to date with developments relevant to their job within the organisation
  • Commit to continuous personal and professional development
  • Adhere to the standards set by their regulatory bodies
  • Actively participate in discussions on issues that affect them either directly or via their trade union/professional organisation
  • Treat all staff, patients and service users with dignity and respect while valuing diversity
  • Ensure that their actions maintain and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff, patients, service users and carers.

These dual commitments are in place to ensure all staff have a positive experience at work, where they feel motivated and engaged with their role, team and the Board.

NHSGGC Staff Governance Committee assesses how well the Board is complying with these Standards.

Fair Work Framework

The Vision and Framework for Fair Work in Scotland, state that, by 2025, people in Scotland will have a world-leading working life where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and for society.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is committed to the Fair Work principles in order to deliver Scottish Government ambitions of a Fair Work Nation.

As a large public sector organisation, we work in partnership to align the Fair Work principles through commitment to the Staff Governance Standard, as well as a range of other activities and plans across the organisation including, the Procurement Strategy, Workforce Equality plans, Learning and Education activity, the Staff Health Strategy, Safety and Wellbeing plans, flexible and family friendly HR policies, and our Workforce Plan. Additionally, NHSGGC are proud to be a Living Wage Accredited employer.

Staff Governance Committee

The Staff Governance Committee (SGC) is a standing committee of each NHS Board which, together with the Clinical Governance Committee and Audit Committee, forms the full governance framework for NHS Boards. 

The purpose of the Staff Governance Committee is to provide assurance to the Board that NHSGGC meets its obligations in relation to Staff Governance under the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 and the Staff Governance Standard. The Staff Governance Committee is a Standing Committee of the Board.

The Committee ensures that structures and policies are in place to provide assurance that all staff are:

  • Well informed
  • Appropriately trained and developed
  • Involved in decisions
  • Treated fairly and consistently, with dignity and respect, in an environment where diversity is valued
  • Provided with a continuously improving and safe working environment, promoting the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and the wider community.

Each Health and Social Care Partnership, Acute Services and Corporate Directorate have their own Staff Governance arrangements and structure.

The Staff Governance Committee meets four times per year to review and as part of each Committee meeting, speakers provide assurance that structures, actions and processes are in place to meet the Standard.

The NHSGGC Staff Governance Committee is co-chaired by Ketki Miles (Non-Executive Director) and Ann Cameron-Burns (Employee Director).

Approved minutes of Staff Governance Committee meetings can be accessed via the NHSGGC Board papers page or by emailing ggc.staffexperience@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.

Further Information

The Staff Experience Team runs a programme of Collaborative Conversations Staff Engagement Sessions to hear more from staff about their staff experience.

Our recent programme of conversations was run with staff to test how we were using feedback from iMatter and Investors in People. At those Staff Engagement Sessions we asked staff for their input on what difference they’ve seen over the last year and what they think would make the biggest difference to their experience at work and the experience of colleagues.

The staff feedback was provided to the Investors in People Cluster groups to inform their improvement plans and help create a better workplace in all our areas.

The team is now working with local services and teams to identify key themes from the 2023 iMatter survey and following up with staff to better understand what improvements we can put in place.

If you have any queries please speak with your manager and you can also email ggc.staffexperience@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.

Staff experience takes account of a staff members full employment journey, from being a prospective candidate right up the point they leave an organisation.

As an employer, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) wants to ensure all staff have a positive experience at work, through:

  • Ensuring visibility of, and access to, the right people and the right information at the right times
  • Developing capability, inspire ownership, accountability and trust at all levels, and empowering the workforce
  • Ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion to continuously establish a fairer workplace for all
  • Creating and embedding two-way, feedback rich conversations throughout the organisation
  • Encouraging a culture of excellence, celebrate success, benchmark against world class standards.

The Staff Experience team work in a number of areas, to ensure NHSGGC staff to have the most positive experience. The key areas of work and contact details for the team are outlined below.

The Staff Experience Team 

Our Staff Experience team is committed to growing an inclusive organisation, where every employee is treated fairly and consistently, with dignity and respect. To get in touch, please email us at ggc.staffexperience@ggc.scot.nhs.uk 

The team consists of the following members and you can contact them via the buttons below:

Further Information

​iMatter is the NHS Scotland Staff Experience continuous improvement tool, developed nationally, and used within all NHSScotland Boards. 

iMatter is designed to help individuals, teams, Directorates, Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and Boards, understand and improve staff experience. This is a term used to describe the extent to which employees feel motivated, supported and cared for at work. It is reflected in levels of engagement, motivation and productivity.

The process is based on a staff engagement questionnaire which all staff are asked to respond to, which generates a Team Report. The team discusses the report and agrees the team strength along with up to 3 improvement actions. This improvement plan is captured on a team ‘Storyboard’ which the team then uses to monitor progress. The process is then completed annually.

Useful Information and Reports

National Staff Experience Reports

iMatter Supporting Documents

1. Action Planning

Please note, Actions Plans should be completed for all teams. The below documents are designed to support the Action Planning process, however please get in touch at iMatter@ggc.scot.nhs.uk if you require any further support.

2. Line Manager Support
3. Paper copies

Contact

For any questions, support or guidance regarding iMatter, or if you would like to share any iMatter success stories, please contact the iMatter mailbox at imatter@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

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