THE TRUST

Our Staff

Staff are our most important asset

Our staff are our most important asset. It is only through valuing and developing them all that we can deliver the very best in high quality healthcare, and meet the demanding objectives set for us.


Staff development is crucial to this and we seek to ensure that we employ a skilled, well-trained workforce and develop them further. Each year, through the Employee of the Year Awards, the Trust also aims to recognise and reward the individual staff - and team - who have made the most outstanding contribution to those who use the local health service.

Nominations for the Employee of the Year Awards are made by patients and their relatives, members of the public as well as by hospital staff. The awards night and AGM, where the awards and prizes are made, regularly attracts an attendance of around 300 people.

Improving Working Lives for our staff

We are committed to continually improving the working conditions, facilities and environment for our staff, patients and visitors and believe that the best possible patient care can only be delivered by a skilled workforce where staff are happy in their work.

We survey staff about their views annually - and make changes as a result. Each year over half our staff let us know what they really think in the annual staff survey. Initiatives we have pursued as a result include:

• Work to reduce bullying and harassment
• Action to deal with work-related stress
• A new policy to support flexible working
• Improved identification of training and
  development needs for staff

The Improving Working Lives team organise regular on-site advice sessions on mortgages, personal finance and housing issues and other health and welfare issues, in partnership with local banks and housing corporations.


'Building Futures Together'

We are committed to ‘Building Futures Together’ with our staff and patients. We are the second largest local employer and aim to be the employer of choice. Key to this is working with our staff not only to improve working lives but also to develop and support them throughout their employment.

To do this annual appraisal and assessment of learning and development needs are offered to all staff. The Trust runs a number of in-house training schemes to develop staff delivered in fully-equipped facilities including a 60-seater staff learning centre, in addition to a clinical skills lab, resuscitation and moving and handling training rooms.

In conjunction with the Strategic Health Authority, South Bank University, local colleges, Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust and others, the Trust offers learning opportunities and planned work placements aimed at identifying the future workforce. We work closely with these organisations to develop training courses and opportunities that will develop the staff we need in the future and provide employment opportunities for local people.

Our nursing and midwifery staff have access to professional development opportunities, including a work-based learning degree programme and a specific week of clinical induction. All inducted staff are fully assessed, and where required, trained in the safe management of medicines.

We provide high quality clinical training to medical students from Barts and the London Medical School as well as London South Bank University students. The Trust also offers clinical experiences and training to junior doctors seeking careers as consultants or GPs. As a busy hospital providing a wide range of services to a diverse population we are a good training environment for any staff wishing to learn from a changing and varied casemix.

Involving our staff and equality for staff

We believe that it is vital for staff to be part of the decision-making process for delivering the best healthcare services. We have been working in partnership with staff representatives and Trade Unions on a wide range of issues for a number of years and have a formal Staff Involvement Policy and Partnership agreement with them.

The national 'Agenda for Change' initiative - the largest NHS pay reform ever – which has simplified and streamlined the many pay scales, job descriptions and leave entitlements for staff could not have been successfully implemented without strong partnership working between staff representatives and management.

Our Race Equality Scheme demonstrates how we aim to eliminate unlawful discrimination; promote equality of opportunity; and promote good relations between people of different races. Our Race Equality Group of senior managers, staff groups, directors, and non-executive directors reports to the Trust Board. Workforce composition is monitored by racial group, as are grievances, disciplinary issues, training and employment applications, performance appraisal, and leavers. Through analysis we can take positive action where required. We have implemented a Chief Executive-led mentoring scheme for black and minority ethnic staff taking places on the NHS national leadership programme.

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and this is reinforced in our policies and procedures aimed at preventing discrimination whether on grounds of sex, race, sexuality or disability in line with employment legislation and good employment practice.

To encourage applications for employment from people with a disability we run a guaranteed interview scheme in line with being “Positive About Disabled People”.