Elaine was elected by fellow Trade Union colleagues as Staff Side Partnership Lead on 1st September 2020 for a 4 year term.
Elaine joined the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board over 40 years ago as a Biomedical Scientist specialising in Microbiology and has been active a Trade Union steward for Unite the Union for over for over 25 years.
Elaine would assert that we should Assume Nothing and Question Everything!
Kirstin started her administrative career in NHS Forth Valley before joining NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as Personal Assistant to the Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, a post held for 15 years. Kirstin commenced her post as the Area Partnership Forum (APF) Administrator in January 2022 and is the first point of contact for the Employee Director’s Office. Kirstin is the Administrator for the Area Partnership Forum and the Area Joint Trade Unions and Professional Organisations Committee (JOC).
Amanda joined NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board in 2001 as an Occupational Therapist. She has been a BAOT trade union steward since 2006.
Amanda was appointed the role of joint Staff Side Partnership Lead from 4th September 2022 until September 2026; she was elected by her fellow joint trade union colleagues.
Amanda’s main focus is on building excellent working relationships with the 14 trade unions, delivering meaningful representation on behalf the 14 trade unions at Board level and supporting the Employee Director.
“Clinical Supervision provides nurses with space to reflect on and discuss aspects of their role that are motivating and inspiring them, and also those elements that are frustrating or concerning them. Nurses and their supervisors can then jointly work through how the former can be promoted and the latter addressed” (Scottish Government, 2017).
NHS Education for Scotland short animation giving an overview of clinical supervision
What is restorative clinical supervision?
The restorative model of clinical supervision is recognised as an approach to support reflective practice that can help build practitioners’ resilience by focusing on the individual’s (supervisee’s) experience, aiming to sustain their wellbeing and their motivation at work.
This is achieved through guided reflection, exploratory questioning and supportive challenge, enabling a focus on action planning and goal setting. Restorative clinical supervision offers practitioners the opportunity to regularly discuss the positive aspects of their work which is as important as exploring those issues they find more challenging (NHS Education for Scotland, 2021).
Why is restorative clinical supervision important?
Restorative clinical supervision is considered essential to support the nursing and midwifery workforce with the emotional challenges of their role, develop their reflective capabilities, and enable them to address professional challenges in new and innovative ways, thus contributing towards a healthy workplace culture (NHS Education for Scotland, 2022).
Why is clinical supervision important?
NHS Scotland is committed to enabling the nursing and midwifery workforce access to regular clinical supervision and support. This includes non-registered staff such as health and care support workers.
This commitment is required to ensure that safe, effective and high-quality person-centred care is provided to patients and support families and carers. In line with the Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland’s vision (Scottish Government, 2017), the aspiration is for all nurses and midwives to participate in clinical supervision appropriate to their role by 2030.
We recommend that all practitioners preparing to participate in restorative clinical supervision as supervisees, undertake Clinical supervision unit 1: fundamentals of supervision. Unit 1 is designed to provide you with an introduction to clinical supervision; what it is, the purpose, processes and potential benefits.
How do I become a clinical supervisor?
One of the ways in which to develop the skills to become a clinical supervisor is to participate in the Clinical Supervisor Preparation Programme. This programme is managed and facilitated by the practice education team in collaboration with the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Nursing and Midwifery Practice Educators.
The programme will offer you an opportunity to participate in a programme using a blended learning approach which builds on the theoretical foundation provided by the self-directed online learning units. Completion of the units is undertaken in conjunction with the online skills development workshops. The programme will also provide you with an opportunity to practice and develop the knowledge and skills for the role of clinical supervisor.
What is the programme structure?
Participants are asked to engage with and complete the four self-directed online learning units (approx. 6hrs). They can be accessed on TURAS Learn and are part of the NES Clinical supervision resource. You will then be offered five facilitated skills development workshops accessed using MS Teams (approx.11hrs) or two in person study days held centrally within the board area.
How do I apply for the clinical supervisor preparation programme?
The enrolment process is managed and facilitated by the PE team. There is a current timetable for this year and the programme runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Participants are requested to choose a cohort when booking for example, all Tuesdays or all Wednesdays. The enrolment form has a list of all the cohort dates and times you should complete this with your preferred dates.
Sexual Harassment, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence Against Women (VAW) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) are a breach of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) Code of Conduct and carry disciplinary action.
Our Commitment to an Equally Safe Workspace
It is everyone’s duty to tackle sexual harassment at work and ensure we have no tolerance for this in our culture. NHSGGC has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment in all its forms.
The NHSGGC Cut It Out programme and our aim to achieve the Equally Safe at Work (ESaW) accreditation strengthens our plans, policies, and approaches to prevent Violence Against Women (VAW), all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and inequality in the workplace.
Through these programmes, we aim to:
Tackle sexual harassment and Violence Against Women (VAW)
Address inequalities and advance gender equality in the workplace
Prevent Gender-Based Violence (GBV) both in our organisation and the wider community
Ensure all staff feel “safe, supported and empowered” to report harassment, VAW or other inappropriate behaviours
Build trust, confidence, and knowledge so staff know their concerns will be dealt with appropriately when reported, and;
Ensure managers are equipped to deal with issues that are raised.
Harassment is unwanted conduct relating to a protected characteristic (such as age, disability, race, sex, or sexual orientation) which violates an individual’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. It may also relate to other personal characteristics like trans identities, weight, or social status.
Examples of Sexual Harassment include:
Offensive jokes, banter and comments
Ostracising or “freezing out”, ignoring and staring
Patronising comments and remarks
Mimicking
Use of derogatory terms
Inappropriate personal questions or comments
Belittling or patronising comments or nicknames
Assault or other non-accidental physical contact, including disability aids
The display, sending or sharing of offensive letters, publications, objects, images or sounds
Graffiti
Offensive comments about appearance or clothing
Suggestions that sexual favours may further a career or that refusal may hinder it (e.g., regarding promotions or salary).
Deliberate and consistent behaviours which demonstrate a non-acceptance of aspects relating to protected or personal characteristics, for example, failure to use requested gender pronoun for a transitioning individual
Our Explicit Stance: Zero-Tolerance, the Code of Conduct and Once for Scotland Policies
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) have a zero-tolerance policy towards Violence Against Women (VAW), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), sexism, misogyny, and sexual harassment.
These behaviours are a direct breach of the NHSGGC Code of Conduct and our organisational values of Care and Compassion, Dignity and Respect, Openness, Honesty and Responsibility, and Quality and Teamwork.
We deal with these reported instances seriously and consistently. Any form of harassment or bullying, including sexual harassment, will be treated as misconduct or gross misconduct and handled under the NHS Scotland Workforce Conduct Policy and the Bullying and Harassment Policy.
Any such conduct will be addressed immediately via the Code of Conduct and the appropriate Once for Scotland policies. Please ensure you are familiar with these linked documents:
Special Leave for Victims of Gender-Based Violence
The Cut it Out/ESaW Programme Board has approved an Explicit Statement on Special Leave for staff who are victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including domestic abuse, sexual harassment, stalking, and sexual violence.
This statement, part of the “Once for Scotland Special Leave Policy,” ensures that affected staff can take time off to seek support, attend appointments, and take steps toward their safety and recovery. This is a key part of our goal to foster a safe and inclusive workplace.
Flexible Working and Our Equality Goals
A major part of our commitment to gender equality is helping staff achieve a healthy work-life balance. Flexible working is actively promoted across NHSGGC because it:
Addresses inequality and helps create a fairer workplace environment
Supports safety: We recognise that a colleague may wish to apply for flexible working because they are experiencing Violence Against Women (VAW) or Gender Based Violence (GBV)
Reduces stress and supports those with caring responsibilities
If you have experienced or are witnessing sexual harassment, it is vital that you feel able to come forward and access the right support. Support and advice are available to any member of staff who has experienced harassment: Here
Your Privacy and Confidentiality
If you are affected by harassment, VAW or GBV, you will be treated with compassion and discretion:
Need-to-Know Basis: Information is only shared with those who absolutely need it to keep you safe or manage an investigation (like HR or Occupational Health).
Informed Consent: We will always tell you who needs to know and why before any information is shared.
Providing Feedback on Case Handling
We are committed to improving our response. If you have gone through the reporting process, you can provide feedback on how it was handled by speaking to the HR Support and Advice Unit: 0141 278 2700 (Option 2).
Workplace Equalityand Intersectionality
NHSGGC recognise that Violence Against Women (VAW) is a root cause of women’s inequality in the labour market. Abuse often prevents staff, who are disproportionately women, from fully participating in work, which can lead to absence, financial instability, or stalled career progression.
Our commitment is “intersectional”, we acknowledge that harassment and violence are experienced differently depending on a person’s identity. We ensure our support and policies are inclusive of the unique experiences of all staff, particularly:
Women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds
Disabled women
LGBTQ+ staff, and;
Other groups who face overlapping forms of discrimination.
By addressing these specific barriers, we advance equality of opportunity and foster a safe, respectful environment for everyone.
Management Training: Supporting staff is a key part of the manager’s job and this module offers guidance and support on issues relating to harassment at work. Any member of staff in NHSGGC who has responsibility for managing NHSGGC staff in their teams can sign up for training using this link: Sexual Harassment – NHSGGC
Turas Learn has an e-learning module on sexual harassment. This resource created by Close the Gap, will help support line managers across NHSGGC to identify sexual harassment, understand wider gender inequalities, support colleagues and highlight relevant policies and good practice.
Active Bystander Training: Innovative and award-winning training session which provides skills to challenge unacceptable behaviours, including those which may have become normalised over time. Book places for 2025/26 via the Cut It Out page on Staffnet. (If you cannot access Staffnet, email ggc.staffexperience@nhs.scot).
Speak Up! (LearnPro Course 330): An NHS module to support staff to challenge inappropriate behaviours.
Violence Against Women at Work (LearnPro Course 353): Modules will equip managers with the skills to recognise the signs of Gender Based Violence (GBV), understand its impact on staff and ensure appropriate support and assistance is provided within our working environment.
Flexible Working (LearnPro Course 350): Will assist managers in confidently navigating and understanding flexible working requests, ensuring a fair and consistent application of policy across all teams.
Rape Crisis Scotland – Helpline for anyone over 13 who has experienced sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened. Sexual harassment, whether at work or elsewhere, is a form of sexual violence. Helpline: 08088 01 03 02
Self-reflection tool for employees to help reflect on behaviours they are experiencing in the workplace, and to help you determine whether what they are experiencing is harassment: Am I being harassed at work reflection tool
All instructions and risk assessments for testing in patients with suspected or positive COVID-19 are listed below. This page will hold the most up to date version.
Please contact the relevant laboratory discipline in your sector if you are considering introducing a new POCT service in your area. Staff will be happy to talk you through the process and direct you to the paperwork required prior to approval and introduction of any service. As a first step we would encourage you to read the POCT policy and POCT checklist.
No new POCT service will be introduced or supported by the committee unless the POCT checklist is completed and signed off.
Internal quality control (IQC) involves analysis of control material of known concentration within predefined limits. This ensures the quality of the results produced prior to reporting any patient results from the POCT device
What is External Quality Assurance?
External Quality Assurance (EQA) involves analysis of a sample of unknown value from an external, independent source. The results are scrutinised by the EQA scheme provider and allow comparison of results across multiple sites. Participation in EQA allows monitoring of performance and possible early detection of a systematic problem with analysis of patient samples.
Any site wishing to introduce a new POCT service must enrol in a recognised EQA scheme.
Audit
The POCT team will perform audit of the service and provide feedback to the service lead. The audit outcomes and any corrective and preventative action are documented in the laboratory quality management system.
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The NHSGGC Point of Care Testing (POCT) committee meets bi-annually with the aim of policy-making and review of sector POCT groups. The committee also includes Primary Care representation with the aim of guiding appropriate POCT governance in the community. The POCT Co-ordinators management group meets quarterly, with multidisciplinary representation and includes user representation where appropriate. The group focus on implementation and monitoring of POCT activity within each sector.
If you use POCT in your clinical area you must ensure your device is registered with the NHSGGC POCT committee.
What is Point of Care Testing (POCT) Testing?
Point of Care testing is defined as ‘Diagnostic testing that is performed near to or at the site of patient care with the result leading to a possible change in the care of the patient.*’ This normally takes place in a non-laboratory setting by appropriately trained non-laboratory staff.
ISO 227870: 2016 Point of Care Testing (POCT) – Requirements for Quality and Competence.
Potential Advantages of POCT
Rapid turnaround of results
Reduced patient waiting times
Earlier impact on clinical decision making
Financial efficiencies
Less invasive
Smaller sample volumes
Accessibility
Ability to reach remote places
Improved healthcare access
Potential Disadvantages of POCT
Expensive compared to conventional laboratory testing
Cost of consumables, IQC, EQA
Staff resource required at source of testing
Sample quality
Higher rate of pre-analytical errors are associated with POCT due to poor sample quality
Staff Training, competence and documentation
Appropriate training and continued competency checks required to ensure accurate results
POCT may need to be manually entered into patient record which is potentially problematic
Safety
Clear protocols required for infection control, storage and disposal of clinical waste etc.
Point of Care Testing (POCT) Services Offered in NHSGGC
Please note, not all services are available in all sectors.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde believe that all staff should be able to thrive and flourish at work. It is a core role of the organisation and managers to support staff to enable them to do this.
For a staff member with a disability and / or a long-term health condition, standard working practices should be reasonably adapted to enable that member of staff to continue to work. Doing this will:
Enable the staff member to feel appreciated and valued at work
Help us retain staff and reduce sickness absence
Ensure that we comply with relevant equality legislation
Remove barriers to full participation to all our staff
Implement reasonable adjustments to avoid the time spent managing sickness absences.
Putting in place a reasonable adjustment can mean that a member of staff is treated differently from their colleagues and is in fact what we are required to do under the law. This is the difference between treating team members equally and equitably.
Our Reasonable Adjustment Guidance explains what reasonable adjustments are and how managers should support any of their staff with disabilities or long-term conditions.
As part of supporting staff through reasonable adjustments, managers may wish to explore flexible working options that can help remove or reduce workplace barriers. Two NHS Scotland policies can be especially helpful:
Flexible Work Location Policy – this sets out how staff can request to work from different locations, including from home, where appropriate.
Flexible Work Pattern Policy – this provides guidance on adapting working hours, patterns, or shift arrangements to meet individual needs.
These options can support staff with health conditions, disabilities, or other circumstances where flexibility is a key enabler to remaining in work or returning to work safely.
The Neurodivergent Sub-Group of the Staff Disability Forum have, in partnership, developed a webpage aimed at helping staff support and work with neurodivergent colleagues.
Some helpful case studies and links to further resources are below.
Case Study 1 – a member of staff who experiences sensory issues and wears hearing aids
Susanne, aged 23 years, is a newly recruited staff member within an inpatient setting. She is a trainee within the Audiology team. She wears hearing aids in both ears and did not disclose information about her disability during the interview. However, she informed her manager when offered the job. Her manager contacted HR to seek advice about how to proceed and support this recruitment process as well as Susanne with reasonable adjustment to work within the team.
What adjustments would make a difference?
Discussing the role and responsibilities with Susanne.
Speaking with Susanne to gain a greater understanding of her needs.
Making a referral to Occupational Health.
Discussing potential adjustments to equipment or environment that may be required. Providing extra time to carry out record keeping and lengthening appointment time with patients.
Gaining consent from Susanne to disclose information about her needs with the team and specifically her supervisor.
Provision of emotional support from peers and colleagues to ensure Susanne feels that she is heard and listened to.
Creating a personalised fire evacuation plan.
Case Study 2 – an employee returning to work after a long-term sickness absence following a stroke
The experienced employee was referred to Occupational Health (OH) following his return to work after a stroke. He is 41 years old and does not want to go for medical retirement.
The employee has difficulty concentrating, focusing on tasks and can appear to be anxious, and therefore to be struggling physically. During the OH consultation, the employee indicated that his cognition, hearing and physical functions were impacted. He was under the care of rehabilitation for 8 months. Prior to the appointment, the staff member had no clue about any adjustments but was keen to return to work to keep him occupied.
At the rehab centre, he met therapists (OT, Physio, and Audiology) who were able to improve the functioning to manage activities of daily living (ADLs), but this required time.
Key Issues:
The ward environment is busy and distracting.
Having difficulty remembering processes and therefore anxious that they appear to be not coping, which affects physical functioning such as typing/ writing.
Unable to walk long distances.
Adjustments suggested:
The OH Staff Nurse identified and proposed a graded return to work with increased meetings with the supervisor. Would be happy for workplace adjustments passport to be completed covering:
Support with routine planning.
To use a quiet office to complete his written work, such as care plans.
Prepare check lists for tasks/processes.
Using flowcharts to make following processes easier, as the standard operating processes contained too much information, which caused confusion.
During rounds/meetings, they use a note-taking app on their work phone.
Use of aid when walking.
Taking frequent breaks as and when required.
Flexibility to work from home when too tired to stay on site. It was noted throughout this agreement that duties would gradually increase and skills improve.
Case Study 3 – Member of staff entering the menopause
Anna is a nurse in a community setting. About 4 years ago – aged 48, she stared to notice symptoms. “Not the stereotypical night sweats and changes to my periods, but struggled with sleeping, sore joints, low mood and generally not feeling myself”.
She was lacking in confidence – been in her job a long time so was feeling that she should be at the top of her game, but couldn’t remember things, was worried about driving, prescribing and stressed that she would make mistakes at work.
Lucky that she worked where there are lots of colleagues who were really supportive and said that it sounded like the peri-menopause. They suggested Anna had a chat with her GP who provided her medication.
Anna didn’t talk to her line manager about it at the time, because she felt that she should have been able to manage things. Anna didn’t want to be seen to be moaning or seen as weak. While she feels she should have been able to, Anna didn’t have that relationship with her line manager at that time.
What adjustments would have made a difference?
The single biggest thing that would have made a difference is some flexibility with start times. Her team had an 8.30am meeting before the clinic day starts and Anna liked be present at the meeting, not rushing in at 8.30am. If she’d had had a bad night with no sleep, that was incredibly difficult for her. Just to have known it was OK to text and say ‘had a bad night’ and get support from her manager to start a bit later, took away a lot of her stress and anxiety.
The other thing that was important was emotional support from peers and colleagues. Just someone to off-load to, have a chat and listen to.
Anna reflects that this needs a gentle approach because people might not be ready to accept the stage they are at, can be resistant to accepting that the symptoms are menopause. Her experience was that self-care is a big thing too – not just about medication.
Case Study 4 – adjustments for individual with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The employee was referred to Occupational Health as a Management referral due to performance and capability issues as a newly qualified Staff Nurse.
The employee had difficulty with focussing on tasks and appeared to be anxious. During the Occupational Health consultation the employee indicated that when they were university they had been diagnosed as having ADHD and had been supported with written work assignments and placements as a student. As this was their first qualified Nurse post they did not know if they needed any adjustments.
As a newly qualified Staff Nurse they had a Preceptor (mentor) who was already providing one to one support to become familiar with the ward and processes to be followed. The Staff Nurse identified that they were developing a good bond with their Preceptor, and would be happy for a workplace adjustments passport to be completed and shared with the Preceptor and the Senior Nursing team.
Issues identified by the Staff Nurse was that they found the ward environment busy and distracting and had difficulty remembering processes and anxious that they appeared to be not coping.
We discussed the Scottish ADHD coalition Guide to ADHD (www.scottishadhdcoalition.org) in the workplace and used this to identify specific issues and solutions that the Staff Nurse may find useful.
Adjustments suggested
Increased meetings with the mentor, initially daily to supervise work and plan the daily tasks.
To work with the Preceptor as buddy rather than ad hoc catch ups.
To use a quiet office to complete her written work, care planning and prepare check list for tasks/ processes.
There was already SOP (standard operating processes) but the Staff Nurse identified they were too much information on them and these caused them difficulty. They realised if they made bullet points they could follow processes easier.
During rounds/ meetings, use a note taking app on their works phone.
Once they became familiar with the ward routine they did not require as much feedback but continued to have meeting with the mentor so any difficulty was identified as soon as possible.
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