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‘Enabling managers to create inclusive workplaces where all staff feel valued and respected.’

Following our previous success , NHSGGC were delighted to host their second Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Learning Event for people managers on 15 August in Queen Elizabeth, Teaching and Learning Centre.

The day was opened by the new Chair of NHSGGC, Lesley Thomson, followed by Head of Human Resources and Organisation Development, Anne MacPherson who presented: Our Workforce Equality Plan: What Are We Doing To Improve The Experience Of All Staff. The day also included a keynote speech: Differences, not disorders: Embracing neurodiversity from founder of Autistic Flair, Katie Forbes. Katie reflected on the life-changing moment she realised her neurodivergence wasn’t a barrier to success, but rather a fundamental part of who she is. With candour and humour, Katie revealed how it wasn’t her autism or dyslexia holding her back, but the stigma surrounding neurodiversity itself. Please watch Katie Forbes: Autism is a difference, not a disorder | TED Talk to learn more about Katie’s story and work.

Following this there were a range of breakout sessions taking place to provide attendees with practical tools and techniques to support their staff and embed EDI in their service. Breakouts included tips on creating inclusive teams, how best to support reasonable adjustments and good practice.

Please feel free to view the EDI Learning Event Programme and our Frequently Asked Questions.

There were seven breakout rooms in total, with each attendee having the opportunity to participate in two during the event.

Previous Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Learning Events

‘Leading a Diverse Workforce, Delivering a Better WorkPlace’ 

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde held our first ever Workforce Equalities Learning Event for people managers right across the organisation on 20 June 2023. This exciting event brought together our managers to celebrate and share experiences of how we best manage our diverse workforce to deliver great outcomes for our people, patients and communities.

On the day Anne MacPherson, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development spoke about our Workforce Equality Action Plan. Anne’s presentation is available to view. Our key note speech was delivered by Professor Laura Serrant and you can view her speech online. We hope that this will be a way for people managers who were not able to attend on the day to share in the learning.

Following the Learning Event, many attendees asked us for some top tips on what they can do to make their workplace more inclusive. We have shared six key tips in our Resource Pack.

Our subsequent Webinar Series built on the breakout sessions delivered at our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Learning Event and offered these and other related insightful and valuable sessions to a larger audience. The Webinar Series included sessions on Peer Support, Reasonable Adjustments (and the Workplace Adjustment Passport), Autism, Staff Authenticity and Equality Legislation.

Hear from some of 2023 event attendees in this short video.

Active Bystander Training

‘Active Bystander’ is an innovative and award-winning training session which provides skills to challenge unacceptable behaviours, including those which may have become normalised over time. Places can be booked for these 75 minute sessions in 2024/25 via the links below. Places are limited, so it’s important that if you can no longer attend, you contact us at ggc.staffexperience@nhs.scot so that your place can be offered to a colleague.

21 November 2024 at 9.00am

11 December 2024 at 2.30pm

21 January 2025 at 11.00am

27 February 2025 at 1.30pm

What are Protected Characteristics?

It is against the law to discriminate against someone because of:

  • age
  • disability
  • gender reassignment
  • marriage and civil partnership
  • pregnancy and maternity
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sex
  • sexual orientation
Equality, Diversity and Learning Event 2024 – Breakout Session Summaries

Inclusive Recruitment: Growing our Great Community

Join us for an engaging discussion on inclusive recruitment practices within NHSGGC. This session will explore strategies to attract, select, and retain diverse talent, fostering a culture of belonging and excellence. Through interactive discussions and working examples, participants will gain insights into how inclusive recruitment can contribute to building a stronger and more representative healthcare workforce.  

A Front Line Trans Person’s Lived Experience 
                                                                                       
I am a 49 year old trans man, husband, daddy, son, brother, uncle and police officer. I will give you a glimpse of my experience of being Trans for almost 30 years within the workplace, good and bad and hopefully give you another perspective to consider.

Supporting Disabled People at Work -Reasonable Adjustments.     

The topic will explore how managers can support staff with disabilities, including some examples of reasonable adjustments and exploring the recently updated reasonable adjustment guidance and workplace adjustment passport.

Supporting Integration of International Recruits 
 
– Communication – How it impacts confidence, practice, and relationships professionally.   
– Cultural proficiency – Getting to grips with different cultures that may be different to yours. 
– Differing practice Process and guidance may be different, how can we support?
– Assimilation – How do we support a successful assimilation into the new workplace and communities?

Understanding and Supporting Neuro-Inclusion and Wellbeing at Work

Evidence clearly shows us that autistic people and Neurodivergent individuals in general face high levels of under-employment, unemployment and workplace issues often resulting in burnout, absence or work-related mental health issues. Often, workplaces only react or respond when issues arise rather than creating workplaces that proactively embed neuro-inclusivity, where neurodivergent employees are able to work to the best of their abilities, equally valued and enabled to utilise their strengths and assets without barriers. Understanding neurodiversity, and how that influences wellbeing at work starts with understanding neuro-minority experience, the ways in which we interact, process and experience the world around us and how this directly relates to wellbeing at work. This workshop will consider how to embed theory and principles around neuro-inclusivity into day-to-day working practices and environments that proactively better support neurodivergent employees, resulting in improved well-being, higher job retention, meaningful employment and increased opportunities for career development.

Menopause at Work:  What you need to know

NHSGGC has a workforce that is 79% female.  Menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce, so it’s important to be able to speak openly about menopause in the workplace.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recognises that for some the menopause is not always an easy transition. Some employees may need additional support and considerations to improve their experience at work and lessen the impact on their working lives. 
This session will focus on what you can do as managers to improve workplace environments and support staff. 
The session will cover:
– Menopause – definitions, common symptoms and possible impacts
– Overview of the Once for Scotland Menstrual Health Policy
– Reasonable adjustments and mitigations
– Resources, training and links to support you in your role
– Discussion and questions

Fostering a Safe and Inclusive Workplace: Recognising and Addressing Unacceptable Behaviour

This session focuses on fostering a culture of inclusion and highlights resources available to address unacceptable behaviours like harassment, bullying, and disrespect.
By attending, you will gain a better understanding of:
-Recognising Unacceptable Behaviour: Learn to recognise unacceptable behaviour, bullying, and harassment and approaches to tackle these.
-Reporting Mechanisms: Know how members of staff can safely raise issues and concerns about unacceptable behaviours
– Available Resources: Explore the range of support options available to address unacceptable behaviours.

Understanding and Supporting Neuro-Inclusion and Wellbeing at Work

Evidence clearly shows us that autistic people and Neurodivergent individuals in general face high levels of under-employment, unemployment and workplace issues often resulting in burnout, absence or work-related mental health issues. Often, workplaces only react or respond when issues arise rather than creating workplaces that proactively embed neuro-inclusivity, where neurodivergent employees are able to work to the best of their abilities, equally valued and enabled to utilise their strengths and assets without barriers. Understanding neurodiversity, and how that influences wellbeing at work starts with understanding neuro-minority experience, the ways in which we interact, process and experience the world around us and how this directly relates to wellbeing at work. This workshop will consider how to embed theory and principles around neuro-inclusivity into day-to-day working practices and environments that proactively better support neurodivergent employees, resulting in improved well-being, higher job retention, meaningful employment and increased opportunities for career development.

Menopause at Work:  What you need to know

NHSGGC has a workforce that is 79% female.  Menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce, so it’s important to be able to speak openly about menopause in the workplace.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recognises that for some the menopause is not always an easy transition. Some employees may need additional support and considerations to improve their experience at work and lessen the impact on their working lives. 
This session will focus on what you can do as managers to improve workplace environments and support staff. 
The session will cover:
– Menopause – definitions, common symptoms and possible impacts
– Overview of the Once for Scotland Menstrual Health Policy
– Reasonable adjustments and mitigations
– Resources, training and links to support you in your role
– Discussion and questions

Fostering a Safe and Inclusive Workplace: Recognising and Addressing Unacceptable Behaviour

This session focuses on fostering a culture of inclusion and highlights resources available to address unacceptable behaviours like harassment, bullying, and disrespect.
By attending, you will gain a better understanding of:
-Recognising Unacceptable Behaviour: Learn to recognise unacceptable behaviour, bullying, and harassment and approaches to tackle these.
-Reporting Mechanisms: Know how members of staff can safely raise issues and concerns about unacceptable behaviours
– Available Resources: Explore the range of support options available to address unacceptable behaviours.

The Practice Education Team will facilitate Flying Start Facilitator information sessions for facilitators and Conversation, courage and culture webinar series for NQPs on MST.

Facilitator support sessions

The NHSGGC Practice Education Team host Flying Start Facilitator information sessions on MS Teams for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who are currently supporting, or will support, newly qualified practitioners (NQPs) in their first year of practice. These 90-minute group sessions (dates and times below), will offer guidance on supporting NQPs with the requirements of the Flying Start NHS programme, the NHSGGC Flying Start Portal and address any related questions or queries. Please click links below to book.

TBC

Conversation, courage and culture webinar series

These webinars aim to provide NQPs with the opportunity to think about emotional and professional development and how this could improve the care they provide. Fostering a positive culture within your working environment. Please click links below to book.

Webinar 1: Conversation, courage and culture. Date: TBC
As newly qualified practitioners, having the ability to manage your individual levels of stress and uncertainty is a key skill.  Understanding the impact of your emotional responses for self and others allows for open conversations which fosters a positive culture of growth.
Webinar 2: Emotional agility. Date: TBC
Emotional agility encourages you to be flexible with your thoughts and feelings for you to respond effectively to situations and challenges.  Being aware and accepting all of your emotions and learning from the difficult ones, allows you to create a space between how you feel and then respond, in line with your values.
Webinar 3: Your health and wellbeing as a NQP. Date: TBC
As NQPs it is important that you are aware of your personal wellbeing as you transition into your professional role.  Having increased awareness of this and strategies to support you, is imperative.
Webinar 4: Civility Saves Lives. Date: Friday, 6th December 2024, 13:30-15:00
The Civility Saves Lives (CSL) campaign aims to create, enable and maintain positive workplace relationships and environments where the culture is improved by promoting the value of civil, caring and compassionate interactions, raising awareness of unprofessional and unproductive behaviours, and understanding the negative impact that rudeness (incivility) can have.

Following attendance at webinars, NQP advised facilitators of their take home messages which included:

  • Feeling understood.
  • Reminds us that our emotions are important and about managing these as NQPs; and hearing other perspectives and realising we are all similar.
  • It’s okay to take a pause and not feel we need to just continue on;
  • To have more belief in own ability, be more open to ask questions.
  • Tackle complex emotions with curiosity.  Practice what we preach to patients;
  • Self-care and wellbeing is vital for the provision of safe and effective care;
  • Importance of self-care and compassion for preventing burnout; The importance of being considerate of others around me and how my emotions can impact this

Come and Grow our Great Community

All our hospitals have their own unique identities while sharing the same standards and values. 

Whether you’re looking to start your career within the UK’s largest NHS organisation, or to transfer your skills to the largest employer within Scotland – NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has a position for you. 

If you’re looking to gain experience in a large, fast-paced, award-winning hospitals or showcase your talent out in the community, there is a role for you.  

The range of opportunities available means many of our staff have an entire career based in one organisation. 

For us, every day is different. We provide care to a diverse population of 1.15 million across Greater Glasgow and Clyde.  

Our dedicated and talented workforce make it their mission to provide outstanding care for our patients. 

Vacancies

If you want to be part of our exceptional team, take a look at our current vacancies to find the job for you. 

Staff Benefits

Working at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde means you’ll have access to range of staff benefits including one of the best pension schemes in the UK, leisure and entertainment discounts and parental leave and childcare support schemes we’re really proud of. 

Your package will include: 

  • Pay that reflects your ability and responsibilities, with the opportunity to increase your salary through training and development. 
  • At least 27 days annual leave on top of public or bank holidays. 
  • Automatic membership of the NHS Pension Scheme unless you opt-out. The NHS Pension scheme is one of the most generous schemes in the UK. 
  • Access to the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Learning, Education and Training Catalogue. 
  • Eligibility for the Staff Bursary Scheme.
We are an inclusive organisation

Promoting diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do for our patients and how we make our organisation a great place to work. 

We welcome people from all backgrounds. Our fair recruitment practices offer equal access to employment opportunities and our Staff Forums and Networks enable everyone’s voice to be heard. 

Wellbeing and Support

We are committed to ensuring all of our 40,000 staff feel valued and have the support they need to do their job to the best of their ability. 

Our health and wellbeing programmes are some of the most comprehensive in the country and provide a wide range of benefits and support to help in your professional, personal and family life. 

Contact us

Address

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Gartnavel Royal Hospital
Administration Building
1055 Great Western Road
Glasgow 
G12 0XH

Contact Telephone Number

Contact Email Address

Further Information

Being a Manager of People in NHSGGC – Responsibilities & Guidance

Introduction

We have around 3000 members of staff in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and our Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) who formally manage and support other members of staff.

Our managers are at the core of helping us deliver our objectives, to uphold our NHS values and their skills in managing people are vital for the function of all departments and the wider organisation.

They organise the care or services delivered by each team and they work to ensure that all staff can not only operate at their best, but also experience NHSGGC as a great place to work and develop.

We know from our iMatter data and from Investors in People assessments across Acute and Corporate Areas that our staff experience of being managed and supported is variable across the organisation.

The majority of our managers are extremely capable and experienced in people management, but we also have others who may be at the start of their management careers and need more time to develop their people management skills. This guide aims to set out in one place a summary of what is expected of you as a people manager in NHSGGC, irrespective of your band or profession, and to provide help and support for development.

For many of you, this list of people management responsibilities will be a given, but there may be some activities here that you believe you require additional advice or support with. For this reason there is a helpful self-assessment tool that you can use to help you focus on the area(s) where you think can be part of your development journey as a manager.

Each section contains links that you can follow for more information on a particular topic or to access development provision.

People Management Responsibilities are headed as follows:

Staff Safety, Health & Wellbeing (SHaW)
  • All managers of people at all levels have a key responsibility for the effective management and application of the health and safety arrangements in NHSGGC (and all staff have the responsibility to comply with those arrangements). In order to achieve this all managers of people are required to update their Safety Health and Wellbeing Task Calendar (sharepoint.com). This is a framework that is designed to support managers to actively deliver an annual plan, applicable to their service, and are based on a wide range of Safety Health and Wellbeing initiatives. 
  • Senior managers rely upon all their managers and teams to implement, review and monitor health and safety performance, to maintain safe places of work and to monitor and support the wellbeing of their staff. As a manager of people you are expected to be aware of the Health & Safety policies of NHSGGC and know your role and responsibilities for the reporting and managing of health and safety incidents and risks on the Datix system. To understand those Safety Health and Wellbeing Roles and Responsibilities the Safety Health and Wellbeing Culture (sharepoint.com) provides access to documents for Directors, Chief Officers, Managers and Employees to read and work towards.
  • In your area you must work with the Health & Safety Rep (who is also the Staff-side Rep) who are equally invested in keeping the workplace safe, and you must also consult with the NHSGGC Safety Health and Wellbeing Team and the Occupational Health Team for additional advice.
  • You must ensure that Statutory and Mandatory training is up to date across your team and listen for feedback and safety improvement suggestions from staff, while  promoting and contribute to improving our Health & Safety Culture in NHSGGC.
  • Access to the GGC-Safety Health and Wellbeing – Home (sharepoint.com)
Staff Engagement
  • As a manager of people I have day to day operational communications and conversations with my staff to enable effective delivery of care and service. For those who look after a clinical area and are co-located with their staff, engagement with them is face to face and in real time, but I know this can vary by the type of service, location of staff, levels of autonomy etc. For some departments where staff are dispersed I know this engagement has started taking place using MSTeams.
  • My key responsibility is to ensure that the level of communication and engagement meets the requirements of my team to enable them to undertake their roles as effectively as possible, that they work well together as required and to ensure they get the support they need in the longer term. Being visible and available for my staff to support them is a key responsibility as a people manager. This means my staff are well informed and I involve them in decisions.
  • I give feedback to my team members about what I think is going well or needs improvement and showing appreciation for the effort the team is putting in. This could be at team meetings, one-to-ones with staff members or as part of routine conversations.
  • I work to the NHS Scotland Staff Governance Standard and I endeavour to model NHS Scotland/Local Authority values and listen to staff to understand the issues they are facing.
  • I encourage my staff to speak up about anything they think is important and to help create an environment of listening, trust and care.
Individual Performance & Development Planning (PDP) & Review (Recorded on Turas)
  • I conduct an annual PDP conversation with each of my staff to discuss what is going well, what could be improved and to agree development objectives that would help them to deliver their responsibilities for care or service in the year ahead.
  • The actions agreed are uploaded on the Turas system. I also conduct a mid-year review of what has been agreed and to discuss progress. My comments and those of my staff member are updated on the system.
  • I ensure that adequate time is allocated for these meetings and that the conversations properly explore and agree actions and progress. Our discussions also include a career conversation where ambitions and potential of the staff member is explored and agreed.
  • I have more informal one to one meetings with each member of staff throughout the year which enable me to check how things are going for the staff member, their development progress and their wellbeing.
Service Performance, Team Meetings and Communications
  • All staff in NHSGGC work as part of a team, large or small, and require to get all the information necessary to carry out their roles. In my team we discuss and solve current issues and make decisions and agreements involving our work. We work on how well we are performing against expectations in delivering the service and how this could be improved.

    I update my team regularly about what is going on in the department and to discuss and get input to any changes that will affect the team or the care or service we provide. This means opportunities both for me to share information and to ask for and listen to their feedback and ideas.
  • This involves getting staff together for team meetings where these things can be addressed. I take responsibility to make time for, organise and run such meetings.
  • The meetings themselves may take different forms, they could be daily operational meetings of a few minutes long to communicate what’s happening that day. They can be longer meetings perhaps arranged monthly to discuss some of the higher level issues described above.
  • Team meetings for some teams are easier to organise that others. With my team I have challenges in doing this, particularly because members of the team are on different shifts at any one time. I therefore have to be creative to get all the team involved and I hold a number of split team meetings at different times.
Team Development and iMatter
  • I make my team development a priority to ensure that the care and service keeps improving and that the department is a positive place to work where people contribute their best. Regularly reviewing how well the team works together, team communications and behaviours is key to this. This can be done informally, perhaps as part of a team meeting but is also an outcome of the iMatter process. iMatter involves every team in NHSGGC undertaking their own team questionnaire once per annum.
  • In iMatter there are three sections of questions, one section about you and how you experience your role, one about your experience of the colleagues you work with including your manager, and one about your experience of NHSGGC as an organisation. The process generates a team report which is copied to all team members and summarises the team scores for each question and also generates an Employee Engagement Index (EEI) score for the team for that year.
  • I make sure to confirm my team member details on the system when requested to do so then brief and encourage the team to complete the questionnaire (for some staff members who don’t have online access this involves a questionnaire link being sent to their smart phone or printing a paper copy).
  • Once the team report is generated I then organise a team meeting to discuss it and to agree one area of team success and up to three areas for improvement. I then upload what has been agreed onto the iMatter system which generates a summary (called a Storyboard) which is automatically sent to my team members for their own information (or a copy provided to those who are not online). Because I encourage my team in this process and my staff commit to it, they find that it is a valuable and effective way to measure their experience at work, as well as improve engagement and teamworking.
  • The iMatter question scores for the team are also summarised into the report for my overall department and for my Directorate / Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), as well as the overall NHSGGC Board Report.
  • The actions agreed in iMatter often involve improving communications, team meetings, ways of working, relationships and ideas to deliver better care or service. My team has also undertaken more involved team development as a result of our iMatter report and discussions. Examples of tools that can help are the Affina Team Journey tool and the Stress Survey for teams.
General Human Resources Policy Awareness and Application
  • As a people manager I am aware of the Human Resources related policies and guidance for our people processes in NHSGGC. I am required to apply these policies as and when necessary and be guided in areas such as Conduct, Capability, Attendance, Health, Safety & Wellbeing and Equality & Diversity. All policies and guidance can be found on HR Connect.
  • Learning and development in many of these policy areas can also be undertaken on LearnPro and Turas Learn. For additional help the HR Support & Advice Unit can be contacted.
Equalities
  • As a manager of people I am knowledgeable of the NHSGGC Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Policy and apply the aims, principles and values to ensure that all my staff are treated fairly.
  • I lead by example, promoting equality and inclusivity for all staff. I ensure that everyone has equal opportunities regardless of their protected characteristics. I foster positive relationships among all team members, regardless of their backgrounds.
  • I actively address the needs of staff from protected characteristic groups. This includes identifying and implementing reasonable adjustments when necessary, following guidelines like the Reasonable Adjustment Guidance – NHSGGC and Workplace Adjustment Passport. For example, I’ve worked with staff with disabilities to determine appropriate adjustments and support their roles effectively.
  • I respect the religious beliefs of all staff. I encourage open discussions to ensure that everyone’s beliefs are respected and make efforts to accommodate leave requests for special days of different faiths.
  • I encourage all staff to participate in our Staff Forums and Networks. These forums provide opportunities for staff to connect with peers from diverse backgrounds, share experiences, and build a more inclusive workplace. By fostering a supportive environment, I empower individuals to bring their authentic selves to work and contribute to a vibrant and inclusive organisation that values the unique perspectives of all our employees.
  • I’m aware that in recruitment of staff to my team, if a disabled applicant meets the minimum criteria for the job and they indicate on their application form that they wish to participate in the guaranteed interview scheme, I must shortlist them for inclusion within the selection process.
  • I must ensure that training and career opportunities across my team are free from discrimination and when I assign work I do this fairly and consistently, taking into consideration the circumstances of each individual team member. I take a zero tolerance approach to any intimidation, bullying or harassment, recognising that all staff are entitled to a working environment that promotes dignity and respect for all.
  • In order for NHSGGC to measure our effectiveness in equalities I know that data is drawn from the Electronic Employee Support System (eESS). I encourage everyone in my team to complete the equalities section of their own account on the system. This information is obviously provided voluntarily but is treated in strictest confidence and it enables overall data to be used for monitoring, reporting and taking board-wide actions to improve.
  • Visit the Equalities in Health Team website
Partnership Working and Managing Change
  • As a manager of people the relationship I have with our local Staff-side Representatives is a key one. This close relationship helps us support an open, positive working environment and any issues affecting my staff that they may seek representation with can be discussed and addressed quickly. Early resolution is a key principle employed in workforce policies, for instance it enables many grievances to be resolved informally and quickly, avoiding an often lengthy and unsatisfactory formal process.
  • NHSGGC has a partnership agreement developed jointly by the Board and the Trades Unions and Professional Organisations representing staff. The Agreement is designed to ensure staff are effectively involved in influencing the shape and implementation of decisions that affect their work, and offer managers the means through which staff views can be considered before taking the decisions for which they are responsible.
  • Partnership is a way of agreeing together, wherever possible, changes in how we work and deliver care to the patients we serve. Managers of people should be aware and supportive of the local arrangements for the operation of effective partnership working in their directorate or HSCP. These arrangements will be determined jointly between local management and appropriate trade union/professional organisation representatives reflective of trade union membership within the division or substructure, and agreed by the Area Partnership Forum. They enable the consideration of issues affecting staff around service development, service delivery and the development and implementation of change.
  • Whenever there are proposed changes to the way staff in my team work I always involve all my team members for discussion and input from the earliest stage.
  • All change programmes which may have workforce redeployment implications must be supported by a management/staff-side partnership group and proposals will be subject to full engagement with the appropriate recognised Trade Union(s) / Professional Organisation(s) with a view to seeking agreement.
Attendance Management and Scottish Standard Time System (SSTS)
  • As a manager, I am aware that Mental Health & Wellbeing is just as important as physical health and many factors and life events can have an impact on how employee’s feel.
  • Taking a structured but supportive approach that is sensitive to the health and wellbeing issues of staff creates a working environment that staff feel more connected to and supported in. This is helpful for reducing stress which is one of the more frequent reasons given for sickness absence. Getting support at an early stage can prevent absence from work and help recovery
  • I encourage and support my staff to maximise their attendance at work and supportively manage any sickness absence with them. This is a critical area for my attention because of the major strain that high absence levels can put on care, services and staff. If managed well in each team then the benefit of higher attendance levels are significant for care and services but also for staff wellbeing.
  • I have made myself aware of the NHS Scotland Workforce Attendance Policy the Managers Guide, and the Attendance – Manager Toolkit. These set out and explain my responsibilities for absence reporting, recording, supportive contact, Occupational Health referral, return to work discussion, phased return, managing patterns of absence, long term absence and other additional scenarios.
  • Timely and accurate recording of staff hours and attendance on the SSTS system is a manager’s responsibility and as well as tracking attendance it ensures that my staff get paid accurately and on time.
  • Additional useful resources can be found by visiting Staff Mental Health & Wellbeing Support Z Card, Health and Wellbeing Directory and Staff Support and Wellbeing
Recruitment and Retention
  • I may from time to time need to recruit to vacant posts in my team. As a hiring manager I am supported by the NHSGGC Recruitment Team and I’m familiar with the Job Train system to drive the process. By working closely with the Recruitment Team I am assured that I’m operating within current employment legislation, best practice and most importantly I’m making safe recruitment decisions and appoint the best candidate for my post. Close attention is paid in Job Train and by the Recruitment Team to ensure our recruitment processes comply with the Equality Act 2010 and meet our needs to employ a diverse workforce that upholds our NHS values and behaviours. An example is discussing reasonable adjustments that could be made for an applicant.
  • To ensure that across the organisation we continually develop strong internal talent for future vacancies I play my part to ensure that a career conversation is part of the PDP discussions I have with staff. This part of the discussion should explore what career ambitions and potential my staff member may have for a promoted post (also acknowledging that many of my staff are happy and focused in their current role). If there is potential for such a move I then agree the personal development plan necessary to get the staff member ‘vacancy ready’ for the post they aspire to.
  • When a member of my team leaves for another post I carry out an exit interview with them to find out what we can learn and develop from the persons reasons for leaving.
  • If we have a reputation for fairness and support in the career opportunities we give to our staff, we are then an organisation that talented people are attracted to and want to stay in.
Leadership Skills
  • In NHSGGC we often refer to those in senior management and senior clinical roles as the leaders in our organisation, but leadership skills are encouraged in all our staff. I am expected to demonstrate leadership with the people I manage and I pay attention to my own leadership skills development. I have found that these skills enable me to be effective in all my other people management responsibilities listed here.
  • The leadership qualities and behaviours that I demonstrate with direct reports encourages them to take responsibility, work together to deliver as a team and to stay positive and resilient under pressure. My team have told me that they feel supported, informed, engaged, trusted and respected and as a result they achieve more.
  • Everyone is expected to personally model the NHS Scotland Values of Care & Compassion, Dignity & Respect, Openness, Honesty & Responsibility, Quality & Teamwork (or the equivalent of these in your Local Authority) and behave with civility to all colleagues. In doing this I try to model the leadership skills to others and for those who are keen to advance their careers in NHSGGC I often act as a mentor.
People Management Self Assessment Questionnaire

Take our “People Management Self Assessment Questionnaire” and then consider:

  1. Sharing your responses with the people you manage. They might have suggestions about things you are doing well or could improve with them.
  2. Sharing your responses with your own manager. You can then discuss any development or support that would help you in your people management.

To receive an email copy of your results, once you have selected submit, two options appear at the top of your screen – a pdf symbol and an envelope symbol. First select the pdf and then select the envelope, a box will appear and ask for your email address – remember to tick the send pdf box.

Digital on Demand reports and other publications will be published here.

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a method of learning that takes place within a mutually agreed and supportive partnership between two people, the mentor (or trusted adviser) and the mentee (learner). The focus of the mentoring partnership is the skills development of the mentee.

Mentors share their experience and guide the mentee in the skills they need to develop, either for their current role or towards what is needed for a future role or career path. It can be a valuable development option for anyone, but particularly for those who are ‘career upward’.

Benefits of Mentoring

Mentoring is found to increase staff commitment, job satisfaction and retention. The benefits are three-fold, in that mentees develop their knowledge and skills, get support to manage their career goals, develop networks and build confidence; while mentors get the opportunity to practice their development skills and share their knowledge and expertise.

The organisation benefits from the knowledge and skills shared, from improving the career support and retention of valued members of staff and from improving the internal talent for key roles. 

How Do I Find A Mentor?
  1. NHSGGC encourages anyone who wants to develop their skills in a particular direction to reach out to a mentor (or perhaps even more than one mentor for different skills).
  2. In NHSGGC it is self-driven, that is, it is up to you to determine (often with your Line Managers support and input in PDP discussions) what skills you may benefit from to grow in your current role, or to get you ‘vacancy ready’ for a future role that you aspire to and have the potential for.
  3. Identifying someone who has the level of skills and experience that you are looking to develop in yourself is the start, and your line manager may advise you on this as well. They may even help you and set up the approach to them.
  4. You can also develop a ‘mentoring type’ relationship with your line manager to more naturally draw on their skills and experience, but the norm for actual Mentoring is usually with a third party, outside your own immediate department in order to get more objective support. Sometimes they may even be outside NHSGGC. 
  5. You then approach the individual and explain what you are seeking help with and ask them if they would be prepared to meet you and spend some time to guide your development. This may or may not be referred to as mentoring. Many people undertake these developmental relationships without them necessarily being referred to as mentoring and they may be very informal. Otherwise a more structured and formal arrangement may be set up between you. The formality, regularity and duration of meetings is by agreement between you, it is not prescribed.
  6. It is predominantly the case that when people are approached with this request they are more than happy to help you. Not everyone however may be a skilled mentor and although they may be willing to assist, you may have to guide the discussions between you to get what you need.
  7. It is vital however in these relationships that you explicitly agree the ‘rules’ that are important to you, such as confidentiality, or that these are established implicitly with trust. 
How can I develop my Mentoring Skills if I’ve been approached?

LearnPro and TURAS Learn offer further information on a variety of mentoring resources and provision including learning programmes, eLearning and guidance.

You can also seek support as a Mentor from your local OD Advisor.

This section takes a deeper dive in to what it means to be a digital champion and has some resources to help you with your digital journey

Becoming a digital champion

You could be a digital champion – someone who takes a lead within their team to help others with digital solutions. It could simply be helping with setting up passwords, getting others confident with using Teams, ensuring everyone can access and input to your clinical systems that you use everyday. You may not need specific training for this – you may just have the knack!

If this is the case then you should consider furthering your own knowledge and learning. A great way to do this is through the Digital Health and Care Leadership Programme .This course maximises the potential of digital to benefit people and supports participants to develop the strategic leadership skills required to influence the use of digital solutions in health and care delivery. Your project will need to fit with NHSGGC digital strategy (link for strategy 23-28) but you can discuss this with your digital leads prior to and during your course.

Join our GGC eHealth Clinical Links Forum for upcoming events, Q+As. Look out for the NHSGGC Digital and Literacy Skills Framework – coming soon!

A recent digital champion informal support network for AHPs, nurses and midwives working in GGC has been set up to support staff who have completed the DlP but we are also looking for those with a keen interest in digital to join the group. Please get in touch with Gillian Ferguson or James Monaghan (james.monaghan@ggc.scot.nhs.uk) for more info.

You don’t necessarily require to do a formal course. Successful project work derives from great quality improvement methodology. Please refer to the online resources available on the NHSGGC website. Your Digital leads will be more than happy to support and advise. You can also submit project requests that require support from ehealth via the Project Management Office (pmo@ggc.scot.nhs.uk).

Social media is a highly influential way of connecting with others both with colleagues and patients. Please refer to the Information Systems: Acceptable Use policy if planning to provide a patient facing site on one of the many social media platforms available.

Building websites for your service

Many services and teams rely on websites to share information about their service.

There are 3 types and you may require more than one of the types for your service:

Service information webpage for the public

For information about your service that the public will access, it will likely be in the Hospitals and Service section on the NHSGGC website.

It should have the following structure:

  • Service overview
  • Info for patients
    • About the condition
    • What we do
    • How to be referred to service
    • What to expect at your appointment/hospital stay/what happens afterwards
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Leaflets
  • About the team
  • Publications
    • Reports
    • Forms
    • Patient Leaflets
  • Where to find us
  • Contact us
  • Useful resources/links

To build this type of site see information provided by the Web Team.

Generic staff information

For information that is for staff primarily but which is appropriate for public view if desired such as this website and HR Connect it will likely be in the Staff Resources section on NHSGGC website and the structure will vary depending on content.

To build this type of site see information provided by the Web Team. You will be asked to complete the LearnPro module GGC 289: WordPress CMS prior to beginning your webpage build.

Service and professional information for staff only

For information about your service that is for staff only such as rotas, contact lists, service operating procedures etc, it is best to use the functions of M365, especially Teams and SharePoint. How these work together is described in Teams and SharePoint integration.

Put simply, every team in Teams has a SharePoint site already but SharePoint sites can be created independently too. See information at M365 Training Sessions to get started using Sharepoint or watch these videos:

Adopting EPR

Most of us now input our notes in to an electronic patient record whether it be EMISweb, Trakcare or Clinical Portal. But its important to know that these systems have regular upgrades and in time and through service improvement can change to a completely different product. You should see the record as being something that evolves and that can be improved to suit the service needs and not seen as a static unchanging entity. Have a read of EHCR Adoption Considerations which describes the move from paper to EHCR but also outlines considerations for getting the most out of your current notes tool. Making the Most of your Electronic Patient Record is a great site for more in depth reading.

Using data

Good data collection is crucial to changing and influencing a service. Understanding the power of data is becoming a must have skill. Look at how you collect data within your service or team. Can it be improved? Do you know if your patient clinical system such as Clinical Portal, Trakcare or EMISweb assist processes around referral management, workload, caseload management etc. FutureLearn offers a free online course to develop your skills and understanding of the data in health care – Power of Data in Health and Social Care.

Using apps

Using apps is becoming increasingly common but there are things that need considering before adopting:

  • Don’t jump into a specific product – what are the functional needs?​
  • Will you need to capture identifiable data?​
  • IG will need to be involved – a data protection impact assessment (DPIA)​. See Information Security policy
  • Is there something that already does the job in the organisation?​

While a specific app may have caught your eye from an advert or event, there may be others.

Some estimate that 45% of all software features are NEVER used​.

There is likely to be a cost after an initial free trial.

Is it for clinical work?​

  • Clinical safety of the product will need considered – some apps are even classed as medical devices​. Use the DTAC
  • Will it be part of the clinical record or need to integrate with it?​
  • What products suit these needs?​
  • Installed app or web-app?​
  • Competitive tender may be required​

If considering a trial, also consider a ‘get-out’​ as you could make a change that cannot be sustained due to financial or service implications.

Speak to your digital leads early on.​

Look at what is already available in the Right Decision Service.

Digital resources

Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy alongside the NHSGGC strategy Digital on Demand are 2 key documents that help shape the digital landscape with health and care. Visit the Digital Health and Care site on TURAS/Learn for lots more information and resources to support your digital journey.

This section looks at more in depth digital resources related to Virtual Patient Management. A term that describes all the work relating to patient care that isn’t face-to-face in nature.

Virtual Patient Management

Groupwork

Website build

  • Your service will greatly benefit from having its own site to promote your work and provide lots of useful information to your patients.

See Podiatry as a really good example.

  • You require to get access to WordPress and you will be given help and instruction from the Web Team, you can find out more on their Website SharePoint site. See Leading Digital pages for more information.
Physiotools
  • Physiotherapists and other AHPs such as Podiatry and Orthotics can use this tool for free. Log a call with eHelp to have it downloaded to your PC or laptop. Have a look at the training stream for AHPs.
  • Can you make use of QR codes and email facility to make it easy for your patients to access?
  • Can you make templates for commonly used exercises and activities?
  • Add your own videos and photographs if required.  
  • Just remember to limit the patient data the site asks for. Stick to initials only and always gain consent from the patient before making use of their email.
Netcall Patient Hub
  • This is a new system to NHSGGC. Information can be transferred electronically to your patients and including a digital appointment service.
  • They will be able to receive notification of their appointment and interact by accepting, cancelling or requesting to rebook.
  • It can be used to send leaflets, questionnaires and test results. The tonsillectomy service are now using a pre-op questionnaire which the patient completes and sends back with no need for a face-to-face appointment.
  • If you think your service would benefit from using this in the future, put in a project request via the Project Management Office.
Email
  • Email is fast becoming a popular way for patients to connect with their healthcare professionals.
  • Use your own or set up a generic mailbox for your service.
  • Review the Information Security: Acceptable Use policy for information on emailing patients to ensure safe use. It’s a safe and secure method of delivery for information such as exercise programmes, advice following provision of equipment, quick confirmation of appointment time. 
  • It shouldn’t be used for detailed clinical discussion and must have the minimum of identifiable data included in the body of text.
Data coding
  • Most of us now write in to an electronic patient record.
  • All the systems have the function of using ‘structured’ data by linking to read codes or Snomed CT.
  • Services can pull lots of information by using simple coding to, for example, code a referral type or condition.
  • You can see how making use of this gives access to powerful data about your service.
  • Talk to your service leads about using this functionality.
Other

Asynchronous appointments

  • Asynchronous appointments or those not done in ‘real time’ can be used to cut down face-to-face visits.
  • Allows patients to answer a questionnaire or provide a short video or photograph in the comfort of their own home.
  • You can then view this later before making a decision about further therapy.
  • This image would need to be part of the clinical record and there are several products being tried and tested – SCIT app dermatology, vCreate neurology.

MIMS

  • The MIMs (Medical Illustration Management System) upgrade is a project in progress to provide a stable system for NHSGGC which allows capture of all types of clinical image.

Referral Triage

  • Active Clinical Referral Triage isn’t a specific digital tool. It is a model of working now used widely across services. It facilities virtual patient management and allows faster and improved flow of work getting the patient seen by the right clinician by the most appropriate method. Can this model be implemented within your service?

Dear SAS colleague,

We extend a warm welcome to you in your new role as a Specialty Doctor/Specialty Dentist in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde!

We are a team of three NES SAS Education Advisors in GG&C. Once notified by HR of your appointment, one of us will make personal contact as your designated advisor. You will be added to our SAS contact list and we will share relevant information pertaining to education, training and SAS development funding opportunities. We can offer guidance on career development, job planning and appraisal. We are also a point of support for your wellbeing.

There are approximately 1300 SAS grade doctors and dentists working in NHS Scotland. They make up about 25% of the senior medical workforce. Many are working in various specialties across GG&C, so please reach out – we would all like to meet you. By now, you will have had induction pertaining to your clinical role. Here, we summarise information on local contacts and links relevant to our SAS workforce.

NHSGGC SAS Education Advisors
Local BMA SAS Representatives
Contact for Occupational Health
Whistleblowing Details
Health Board Appraisal Lead
HR Manager, Job Planning
Other useful local links

Here is a helpful guide for people new to the SAS grade: Guidance for SAS Doctors and Dentists (nhs.scot). An induction checklist for SAS can be accessed here: nesd1227-sas-induction-checklist.pdf (nhs.scot)

    We have lots of resources on the Scotland Deanery website about our SAS Development Programme including details on SAS Development Fund Application Process | Scotland Deanery (nhs.scot), which is over and above your entitlement to regular study leave funding. This may assist you to develop new or improved clinical services, or to enhance your role within your clinical team. It can also be used for short term top up training for CESR.

    We encourage that you consider taking up associate membership with your relevant specialty Royal College and sign up for e-Portfolio, as do trainees in your specialty. This will enable you to record your training experience prospectively, allow procedural training to be listed and signed off and help plan your training needs. By collecting the data as you go along, you will be in a good position to re-join formal training or consider future specialist registration status from a SAS post (CESR), should you so wish. If you are pursuing CESR, you can join our NES CESR Peer Support group via MS Teams which features regular webinars by SAS who have achieved CESR.

    We wish you every success and happiness in your new role and look forward to meeting you at our local meetings, SAS webinars and education sessions!

    Mun, Linda and Gary

    Dr Mun Woo – Associate Specialist, Renal and Transplant Services, Inverclyde Royal Hospital, GGC Training Lead / ADME (SAS)

    Dr Linda Stephen – Associate Specialist, Department of Neurology, Epilepsy Unit, West of Glasgow ACH-Yorkhill

    Dr Gary Manson – Staff Grade, Accident and Emergency, Royal Alexandra Hospital

    If you feel we should include anything please let us know: medicaleducation@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

    The Role of the Confidential Contact

    The role of a Confidential Contact within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is to provide informal signposting and support to staff who have a whistleblowing concern.

    They provide a listening ear, information about whistleblowing policy and procedures, and signposting to other more formal sources of support, such as their trade union.

    Confidential Contacts are able to support staff appropriately. They know the possibilities for a way forward, and are able to present options that inform the member of staff to allow them to make their own decisions.

    The role of a Confidential Contact is in addition to their substantive role.

    Confidential Contacts will not make judgements about anyone who accesses them.

    Maintaining confidentiality

    The nature and content of discussions with a confidential contact are private and personal to the member of staff, and as such, will not be discussed with anyone else without the express permission of the individual involved.

    However, there are limits to this confidentiality. For example, if the member of staff, or others, are being subjected to unlawful behaviours or harm, the Confidential Contact has a duty of care to report this.

    If you speak to a Confidential Contact, your name and contact details are only known to the Contact who is providing support, unless you request of give your approval for this information to be shared.

    Any notes from discussions with employees will be destroyed once the monitoring process is complete.

    The names and contact details of Confidential Contacts are listed below:

    Christine MacNeil, Dermatology Nurse
    Colin McCormack, Head of Mental Health Services
    Enric Murio
    Debbie MacIntyre, Clinical Services Manager 
    Danny Scott, Speech and Language Therapist
    Dona Grimwood, PA 
    Gillian Hannah – Risk and Litigation Manager NHSGGC
    Irene Whyte – Health Records Manager
    Karen McGugan
    Jazair Saghir – Associate Specialist
    Kevin Curran, Healthcare Support Worker
    Maria Sanchez, PA 
    Margaret McCormack
    Paul Roy-McLead, Inpatient Support Nurse
    Rona Hutton
    Sajid Farid, Consultant
    Shona Dempster, Out of Hours Advanced Nurse Practitioner

    Members of staff who have a whistleblowing concern are encouraged to make contact with the person above who they feel is most appropriate for them. Often, the selection is random, but staff seeking support can approach a contact in another division for confidentiality reasons, or if they feel more comfortable with this.

    Confidential contacts do not represent or provide advice to staff, and will not act as intermediaries in disputes. They do not provide any counselling or therapy services. They also do not accompany individuals in hearings or meetings about their complaint.