The People Strategy supports the wider, trust strategy and contributes to achieving our vision: to deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right place; every time.

It outlines what we will do over the next three years to create an environment where our people feel happy and safe, have access to equal opportunities and are supported to be at their best. It is all about achieving our aim to: be a brilliant place to work for all.

What we’re going to do

To make sure our people are safe, happy and healthy, we will:

  • put extra support in place to help people to be healthy and well enough to work
  • improve support for staff experiencing mental health issues and reduce stigma
  • do more to prevent violence and aggression towards staff
  • improve ways of working, including making sure more people get their breaks and finish their shifts on time
  • develop innovative approaches to flexible working

To be flexible, responsive, and accessible, we will:

  • make our HR processes simple and easy-to-use
  • have a good induction process to welcome new staff
  • listen to our people and their ideas for improving our services
  • make sure our policies and procedures reflect the needs of our people and our communities

To make sure our people are diverse, valued and respected, we will:

  • do more to make our workforce more diverse and representative at all levels
  • create an inclusive environment where our people feel safe and free from discrimination
  • embed a fair and just learning culture
  • continue to engage with and listen to our people, making sure they feel respected and valued
  • encourage people to speak up with any ideas or concerns
  • not tolerate any racism

To have leaders who are compassionate, we will:

  • provide training and support to all managers to help them work together and be confident, fair and consistent as leaders
  • develop a coaching community to support and improve leadership and management practices

To help people reach their potential, we will:

  • have fair and transparent promotion and progression opportunities
  • support everyone to feel comfortable and capable when using new technology
  • deliver high-quality training to support induction, preceptorship, continued professional development and annual learning needs
  • have learning environments that are fit for purpose
  • look after the talent within the organisation and plan ahead to support our future leaders  

How we will measure success

We will know if we’re getting it right because we will see:

  • people choosing to work for NWAS for longer
  • better attendance at work
  • improvement in the responses to our staff survey
  • people feeling more positive about career progression opportunities
  • a more diverse workforce that represents our communities

What does this mean for you?

Patients and the public:
You will always get the best possible care from NWAS staff, thanks to our people being happy, safe and well-supported at work.

Staff:
You will see improvements in flexible working options, career progression routes and access to health and wellbeing support.

You will feel a sense of belonging throughout your career, feel proud to work at NWAS and will recommended it to family and friends as an employer and provider of care.

Managers and leaders:
You will be confident in supporting all staff at any point in their time at NWAS as you will have a better understanding and more options available to you.

You will have refreshed leadership training and will feel confident to embed a learning culture within your team.

Our organisation:
More people will be happy and feel supported leading to a positive and productive work environment.

The organisational culture will become more accepting and understanding of individual differences and staff and patients will have better experiences as a result.