During 2020, the iMatter staff experience questionnaire was paused and, instead, staff were asked to participate in the Everyone Matters Pulse Survey which took place over three weeks in September 2020.
The corporate management team (CMT) used the results of the Pulse survey to develop an action plan which is now being taken forward.
Please find below, details of the actions:
Identified area for improvement – Management and leadership/pride and appreciation
ACTION:
- Ensure a robust range of support tools/information/guidance is available for managers who are managing staff working remotely.
- CMT to continue to promote recognition of staff – acknowledge contribution of all staff. Be exemplars and encourage SLTs to follow example.
Identified area for improvement – Staff wellbeing
ACTION:
- Explore how existing resources can be developed and enhanced to reach all staff.
- Create opportunities for staff to de-brief – allow time to talk.
- Ensure clear communications to highlight support available to all staff.
- Plan on how we continue to support staff wellbeing post-Covid.
Now, in 2021, following guidance from Scottish Government, we are in a position to reintroduce the full iMatter staff experience measure, to help us reflect on the past year and build back better together as we continue to grow and emerge from the most challenging times.
Look out for details of the dates for your area in the staff briefing. The full timeline of this year’s iMatter cycle is provided below:
Directorate Questionnaire Period
All corporate directorates (including PSSD) 9 August to 30 August 2021
Acute directorate 23 August to 13 September 2021
North and South Health and Social Care Partnerships 13 September to 4 October 2021
Teams within human resources, information and digital technology, organisational development, Salus, finance, public health, strategic planning (including PSSD), communications, medical and the nursing, midwifery and allied health profession (NMAHP) directorates – along with the corporate management team – have received their iMatter questionnaires and are being asked to complete them by 30 August.
The iMatter continuous improvement model has been designed with the input of staff throughout NHS Scotland to help individuals, teams and health boards understand and improve staff experience – the extent to which employees feel motivated, supported and cared for at work.
iMatter puts the focus at team level – each one has their own iMatter team report.
Staff can take just 10 minutes out of their day to fill in their questionnaire, completed anonymously. The completed questionnaires will then be processed by an external company making it totally confidential.
Heather Knox, chief executive, said: “NHS Lanarkshire recognises the importance of effective employee engagement. Staff who feel engaged, involved and valued provide a strong workforce, which is in turn essential to improve healthcare services. There is a well-documented link between staff satisfaction and patient satisfaction including the quality of the care we deliver.
“To understand the levels of satisfaction of our staff – particularly given the pressures they have been under during the current Covid pandemic – is really important. Getting feedback will enable us to share the best of what we do and identify and support those areas where a bit more assistance may be required. This helps promote openness and transparency in our teams about staff experience at work and, over time, supports each team’s development. There is already a lot that is good about our teams and our workplace, but we should always be looking to learn and improve.”
Completing the questionnaire – online, on paper or by SMS (test message) – allows staff the chance to give feedback on, and be involved in, influencing change and improvement in their workplace.
Evidence shows that the better the experience of staff at work, the better the experience of patients and their families.
iMatter is designed to help line managers understand what it is like for their staff as an individual at work, in their teams and in NHS Lanarkshire.
Please take the time to fill in the iMatter questionnaire by 30 August. If you are in one of the groups above and have not received your questionnaire, please speak to your line manager.
Want to know more about iMatter?
- Visit FirstPort at: https://www.staffgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/monitoring-employee-experience/imatter/;
- Visit the national iMatter website at: https://www.imatter.scot/teamstories2020HSCP/ where you can view a number of team stories from across NHS Scotland, including several from Lanarkshire;
- Visit the national staff governance website for NHS Scotland at: https://www.staffgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/monitoring-employee-experience/imatter/
