About the trust
NHS Brent held the NHS budget for a population of 300,000 people, which is one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the UK. NHS Brent employed approximately 850 members of staff.
Background to the project
The NHS staff survey indicated that the trust’s staff suffered more than the average across PCTs when it came to experiencing bullying, harassment and abuse from relatives of patients/service users, other members of the public, managers/team leaders and other colleagues.
This had an adverse effect on the quality of care that staff provided to patients – not only in terms of the psychological impact that actual or threatened bullying has on individuals and their performance but the impact it had on lost days at work through time off to recover from having experienced such incidents.
As a result the trust wanted to reduce the number of staff absence as a result of bullying, harassment, creating a working environment free of such incidents where staff felt empowered and confident to initiate improvements to patient care within their own work areas.
Project delivery
Managers, HR and trade unions worked in collaboration to address concerns from staff around bullying, harassment and abuse. The project also involved working with an external partnership specialist to provide an independent and objective perspective in carrying out a four stage approach:
Stage 1: Review & Diagnostic Assessment
Focus groups were used to expand on the bullying and harassment diagnostic to assess the current position across the organisation and provide an objective and independent forum in which staff could speak openly about the issues.
Stage 2: Tackling bullying and harassment through partnership
They conducted a workshop with key members of management and unions based on the findings of the initial review and diagnostic assessment in order to get:
- a clear understanding of bullying and harassment and the impact it had on staff and patient care
- understand why partnership working was the most effective way of tackling bullying and harassment
- identify objectives to be achieved together in reducing bullying and harassment
- agree how trade union representation could be increased in the commissioning arm which was under-represented
- to take this work forward across the organisation
- to set out clearly the responsibilities for both partners in taking this programme forward developing a clear action plan together with specific success measures.
Stage 3: Implementing the action plan
The trust carried out a number of measures to resolve bullying and harassment issues at an early stage. These included:
- The trust developed skills in mediation for both management and trade union representatives to help resolve bullying and harassment issues at an early stage
- Implementation of bullying and harassment reporting systems or forums to share good practice
- Awareness raising sessions about bullying and harassment and its impact.
Appropriate support was provided for both management and trade unions in implementing the action plan to ensure that key objectives were achieved, that any difficulties were quickly identified and resolved, and to allow monitoring of success measures to be carried out and communicated to staff.
Stage 4: Review and Evaluation
An assessment of the effectiveness of the trust’s joint working demonstrated the impact it had on reducing bullying and harassment. Results were positive. The project achieved buy-in from senior managers and staff began to contact the Respect Champions with their concerns, demonstrating that it was becoming embedded within the organisation.
Since the project ended NHS Brent’s provider and commissioning arms have split, however, the team at NHS Brent are keen to see the project continue within the new employing organisations going forward.
Outcomes
- Launch of the Respect Rep role
- Full Respect Rep training package and manual
- Sourced and purchased E Learning B & H package for staff
- Respect Rep role embedded within the organisation
- Full partnership joint working including Equalities and Learning & Development
- Occupational Health support with mediation and training
- Support from Executive Team for staff engagement activities
Top tips
- Plan well in advance.
- Organise various methods of communication as soon as possible.
- Publicise the project at every given opportunity.
- Ensure buy-in from senior staff at an early stage.
- Talk with your key contacts regularly especially the Partnership Institute.
Further information and contact information:
Gemma Davies (HR Business Partner) Westminster PCT
Gemma.Davies@westminster-pct.nhs.uk
Jane Busby (Head of HR) Ealing Hospital NHS Trust
jane.busby@brentpct.nhs.uk
Samantha Banton (Chair of Staffside) Ealing Hospital NHS Trust
samantha.barton@brentpct.nhs.uk