South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust ranked fourth in the country for recommended place to work in the NHS

Thanks to wellbeing, inclusivity and flexible working, staff at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) have ranked their organisation fourth in the country* for recommended place to work in the national NHS staff survey. The results also place the Trust in the top five** in the Midlands for all survey themes.

SWFT, who was ranked in the top five nationally in the last NHS Staff Survey, has not only maintained but improved upon all of their previous year’s results, performing higher than average in each of the eight key areas.

The staff survey is commissioned by the Department of Health and invites a variety of staff to answer questions anonymously about the Trust, as an employer and healthcare provider.

SWFT places a lot of emphasis on the importance of staff feedback and uses the results of the staff survey to identify where improvements can be made to support employees. Feedback from previous surveys has resulted in the Trust focussing on enhancing staff wellbeing, becoming a more flexible employer and championing equality and inclusivity.

Staff support is valued highly at SWFT. The Trust have dedicated teams for:

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Staff Health and Wellbeing
• Staff Psychology Support
• Freedom to Speak Up Guardian

These teams offer a range of support to our staff, including;

• A dedicated Staff Health and Wellbeing Resource Pack
• Listening and debrief sessions
• Advice and support on leading a healthy and active life
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training
• Advice on career progression
• Networks to support and champion staff with protected characteristics

Adam Carson, Managing Director at SWFT said: “I am delighted that the Trust has continued to perform well in all areas of the staff survey. Everything we are able to achieve is thanks to the dedication of our teams. The last few years have been extremely challenging with higher levels of demand than ever before, but the commitment from all of our teams enables us to continually deliver excellent levels of care to those that need us most. It is important that we do recognise the increased pressure on staff though and the value of offering them as much support as possible.”

Ola Ayeni, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at SWFT, said: “It is fantastic to work in an organisation that actively champions Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. There is a dedication from SWFT to raise the standards of diversity and equality and make sure our Trust reflects the values of fairness, respect, and equal opportunity for all. We recently ran staff sessions as part of Race Equality Week, to raise awareness of challenges and barriers colleagues might encounter. These sessions gave staff a platform to share their personal experiences and engage with peers at all levels across the organisation.”

Glen Burley, Chief Executive of the Foundation Group, said: “NHS Staff Survey results are an extremely important measure to understand what staff feel is working well and where we need more focus. Each year, the organisations in the Foundation Group (George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Wye Valley NHS Trust) set organisational level objectives, as well as setting joint Group objectives. These Group objectives place significance on staff health and wellbeing, flexible working and ensuring fair and equal opportunities for staff, while empowering staff to drive changes and innovations to enhance patient care and experience. The objectives are tackled together, with learnings shared to support improvements across the Group. I am extremely pleased to see through collaborative working, the collective progress in the Foundation Group NHS Staff Survey results this year."

*when compared to other acute and community NHS trusts

** when compared to other acute and community NHS trusts

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