A successful partnership between trade unions and our Trust to improve our flexible working offer has won a prestigious industry award.
The Healthcare People Management Association Awards, saw the team win the Social Partnership Forum award for partnership working between employers and trade unions.
We were recognised for our quality improvement initiative that saw the team work together with the chair of staff side unions, to co-design and develop a new flexible working policy. This was shaped in conjunction with a multi professional steering group, with an organisation-wide engagement exercise to understand what would benefit staff and employees most. The implementation of this new policy will include new training for line managers and showcasing the refreshed flexible working benefits offer across the Trust’s job opportunities.
The new flexible working initiative is already having a positive impact. In the most recent NHS Staff Survey, more staff reported that they felt they could speak to their manager about flexible working and how satisfied they felt with flexible working opportunities. The team are also being asked to share their approach with other organisations as one of many examples of best practice as partnership working is culturally embedded within our Trust.
Director of People and Organisational Development, Julie Pennycook said: “We are really proud to have won this award. We have built exceptional working relations with our staff side colleagues and together we have been able to adopt a flexible working approach that supports our people.”
Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s Staff Side Chair, Jay Chappell said: “This award is thoroughly deserved and we couldn’t have achieved this without everyone's dedication to their staff side roles and partnership working.
"The way we work with the Trust has evolved over the past few years and an improved positive partnership working relationship has meant we have been able to make a real difference which has ultimately resulted in improved experiences for our members.”
