About NHS Suffolk

A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP between team-mates and managers is working wonders for NHS Suffolk. Thanks to their unified efforts, patient satisfaction ratings for GP and hospital services have risen and waiting times have been reduced while action is under way to deal with dementia, childhood obesity, smoking and sexual health.

Employees say their work is an important part of their lives (a 75% positive score), agree that working with their teams gives them a buzz (62%) and feel that managers talk openly and honestly with them (76%, a top five score among small entries in our list).

"Who am I" monthly sessions allow the organisation's 207 employees to find out more about each other and the different departments.

A new management development programme provides monthly workshops on a variety of areas including recruitment and selection, and coaching skills. Employees say that their managers share important information with them (68%).

New starters meet chief executive Carole Taylor-Brown at a coffee gathering during their induction. Staff see her as approachable and visible

and she regularly attends staff meetings. According to our survey, employees have confidence in the leadership skills of their senior managers (64%). NHS Suffolk has set up a business improvement group consisting of representatives from each department. The group will ensure the views and ideas of employees are heard.

www.suffolk.nhs.uk

What is it like to work for NHS Suffolk

My Manager

84% of staff agreed:

I feel that my manager talks openly and honestly with me

People managers in the organisation are given a great deal of support. They hold Line Manager Workshops which are led by the HR Suffolk Leadership Academy with the aim of developing the future and current leaders. Training is given to line managers on HR issues such as absence management, capability and grievances. There is also support and pay should managers wish to take external qualifications such as the ILM. Support opportunities are also given through team meetings.

84% of staff agreed:

I feel that my manager talks openly and honestly with me

My Team

82% of staff agreed:

People in my team go out of their way to help me

Formal team building is held a couple of times a year to encourage employees to build strong relationships and have fun outside of the office environment. For example, they held an organisation away day last year with the theme of ‘Old World – New World’. Every member of staff was invited to attend and arrangements were put in place to provide adequate cover for the office to remain open to enquiries. At this event they explored, with full participation of all present, the behaviours that they wanted to see within the organisation. In addition members of staff participated in presentations which looked at how they work and ways of working more efficiently. One theme that resonated with lots of staff was the ‘time thief’ who stops to ask you a quick question that then turns into a detailed conversation or the other time thief who leaves everything to the last minute and then expects others to be able to meet their own timeline.

82% of staff agreed:

People in my team go out of their way to help me

Fair Deal

60% of staff agreed:

I am happy with the pay and benefits I receive in this job

NHS Suffolk ensure that employees feel rewarded for their efforts through team away days and the Chief Executive runs a cake event to celebrate the organisations success. In addition announcements and acknowledgements are made at the monthly staff briefings to those employees who have excelled in their day to day role. A range of personal development initiatives are in place such as access to a mentor and an external network with other public sector organisations and peer support networks particularly for middle and senior managers.

60% of staff agreed:

I am happy with the pay and benefits I receive in this job

Learn more about the 8 factors of workplace engagement here