1. WORK RELATED STRESS: CASE STUDIES

2. Next 10 minutes:
Detail actions taken by NHS Trusts and a County Council to tackle stress
Summarise the resulting outcomes
Objective:
Highlight that it is possible to tackle stress successfully to the benefit of staff
Secure your backing

3. West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust
Complaint regarding work related stress 2003
Investigation identified concerns were valid
Trust unwilling to take action to address issue
Improvement Notice issued requiring risk assessment of work-related stress
HSE provided support to comply with Notice
Workshops are also being held for the LA, Education and Health Services Sectors. Out with the public sector an additional 13 workshops are also being held for the Financial Services Sector.

4. Action taken by Trust Surveyed staff to seek their views on:
Forms and degrees of stress;
Contributory factors;
Changes that could cut stress.
Identified concerns with:
Inadequate information;
Inadequate support;
Lack of involvement in change;
Job demands;
Inappropriate behaviour.

5. Action taken by Trust Set up a steering committee
Shared results of survey with staff
Consulted staff on specific issues
Produced a SMART action plan

6. Action taken by Trust
Utilised more permanent staff and less agency staff;
Training for managers on stress risk assessments;
Took action on long standing bullying issues - better implementation of bullying and harassment policies and procedures;
Allowed locally owned rota scheduling;
Devolved more budget to ward/unit level to increase control at local level

7. Outcomes
Trust Chief Executive and HR Director vocal in support of the benefits of the work carried out
Safety and Union representatives applaud the changes, particularly in attitudes
New enthusiasm amongst staff and reps for health and safety – volunteers for dept health and safety leads and committees

8. Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust
NHS National Survey – Trust in the 20% of trusts with the highest degree of work pressure felt by staff
Perception middle management acted as a “damp proof course” inhibiting both downward and upward communication flows
Action plan produced backed by Trust’s board involving staff at all levels

9. Action taken Surveyed all staff using HSE’s indicator tool
Survey analysed and results shared widely with staff
Report for each managerial area sent out to Directorates to discuss with staff, identify solutions and produce action plans

10. Action taken
Produced booklet Managing stress at Work: Support for Managers and Staff
Measures taken to improve predictions of patient demand and to provide appropriate staffing levels
Every job advertised now has a recently reviewed job description and candidate specification, followed by careful recruitment and selection, to ensure right person, right job

11. Action taken
Expectation management will thank staff – measured by a question in the annual survey
All staff to have a quality annual Performance Development Review – sets joint objectives, job targets and personal development plans supported by routine meetings over the year
Introduced communication strategy;
Chief Executive monthly “walkabout” meetings
All mgrs hold monthly one hour briefing group meetings with staff for two way communication
Weekly staff newsletter and monthly staff magazine

12. Action taken
Mgrs all required to undertake effective attendance management to maximise staffing levels, manage return to work and support staff
Emphasis on management development:
Introductory Core Management Skills programme (3 days)
Essential Management Skills programme (7days)

13. Outcomes Staff sickness absence down from 6% (Oct 03) to 3.8% (Oct 05)
Repeated survey 05 – huge improvement in demands
Hospital now in the 20% of Trusts with the lowest degree of work pressure felt by staff (was the in the 20% highest)
Number of reports to OH of stress went up reflecting greater awareness of the issue and willingness to seek help

14. Somerset County Council
High levels of absence and particularly health-related sickness
Enthusiasm from Trades Unions and Elected Members within the Council to provide a healthy place to work to encourage high performance standards, but not at the cost of its people
Ran a Quality of Working Life Audit 2001/02 to assess levels and causes of work-related stress
Project team (including TU representation) formed to draft corporate action plan responding to issues raised by audit – involved consulting management and staff on possible solutions

15. Action taken Corporate wide action:
Guidance and training for mgrs on Managing Pressure and Stress
Revised process for performance review and development – training for both mgrs and staff in new process to maximise its effectiveness
Conflict resolution training for staff who interface with the public
Updated flexible working policy to enable more flexible deployment of staff via secondments/job rotation/job swaps
Sickness absence management training for mgrs

16. Action taken Directorate specific action – Social Services:
Working hours of Social Workers actively monitored by management
Training social workers in post qualifying qualifications enabling them to be appointed to senior social worker roles
Better locum cover for social care vacancies

17. Outcome
Reduction of sickness absence from days in 2001/02 to 8.29 days in 2003/04
Net cost saving of £1.57 million

18. Any questions?