Department of Health Northern Ireland/Healthdaq win Excellence in Public Service HR 2024 Award

In late 2022, the Department of Health in Northern Ireland began addressing the issue of social work vacancies in its five HSC Trusts, which provide services to children and families. The Department aimed to stabilise the workforce by stopping the use of agency social workers and improving direct recruitment practices. At the start of 2023, over 200 agency social workers were employed in HSC Trusts, particularly in children’s services. Many used agencies due to ineffective recruitment processes, which led to rising costs of £10.2 million in 2022/23.

The Department initiated open recruitment, encouraging agency social workers to apply for permanent posts, but initially, few responded. Simultaneously, it accelerated the recruitment of newly qualified social workers by engaging with universities. Healthdaq, a digital recruitment platform, was used to streamline the process, allowing students to register and manage their applications.

By June 2023, all agency social workers had left HSC Trusts, with 96 being appointed to permanent roles, mostly in children’s services. Additionally, 137 newly qualified social workers were hired by July 2023. Agency social worker costs were drastically reduced from £10.2 million to £3.2 million in 2023/24, and by 2024/25, no agency social workers were being employed.

RUNNERS-UP

Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust

‘You can’t recruit your way out of a retention crisis,’ said RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen in mid-2023. The statement is highly prescient because when the crisis is resourcing the solution needs to tackle recruitment and retention as one.

Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust has historically faced high levels of vacancies, high turnover and poor morale. To meet these challenges a Fresh Start initiative was spearheaded by a multidisciplinary team comprising HR, resourcing and communications leaders to drive a revolution by partnering with colleagues, business leaders and the local community.

This team set out a 12-month strategic workforce Flight Plan to navigate the organisation’s high-volume recruitment journey. It also set up a Trust Corporate Induction programme and landing, making new colleagues feel included from day one. A Trac digital applicant management system and This Is Your Place campaign were also initiated.

Moving to Trac delivered immediate results and the revamped Trust induction, thanks to Fresh Start, has attracted more than 1,000 new colleagues, a number that comfortably outstrips the reduced number of staff leaving.

Employing a holistic approach to recruitment and retention, supported by modern technology, has been transformative for BWC – which hopes to share its approach with other NHS trusts so that they too can gain similar benefits.

Civil Service in partnership with Talogy

The Civil Service is working towards becoming the most inclusive employer in the UK by improving its recruitment processes to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves. Each year, the Civil Service recruits for around 700,000 vacancies and receives over a million job applications. To meet its diversity goals, it needed to overhaul its recruitment technology and processes to ensure accessibility and fairness for all, especially those with disabilities.

A new in-house occupational psychology service was created to develop inclusive, evidence-based psychometric tests. The Government Recruitment Service (GRS) reviewed existing practices and found areas for improvement, with many hiring managers dissatisfied with current inclusivity levels.

At the beginning, GRS and Talogy teams had a series of meetings to understand the requirements for successful delivery. The goals were clearly defined, and these were embedded in the implementation plan. The Civil Service Judgement Test (CSJT) was introduced to help increase objectivity and access for diverse candidates. Feedback was gathered from over 1,000 BAME civil servants, 10,000 external triallists, and 58,714 candidates to improve fairness.

Since implementation, these new processes have significantly improved accessibility, with requests for reasonable adjustments by disabled candidates dropping by 80%. Complaints about recruitment have also decreased by 69%, and the process is now 42% more cost-effective. The assessments are continually reviewed for fairness, ensuring minimal differences in success rates across diverse groups, including neurodivergent candidates. The addition of British Sign Language videos and audio descriptions has helped create a more inclusive recruitment process.

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

In 2022, Welsh Water introduced initiatives to improve career development opportunities for its staff. An employee survey in 2021 revealed concerns about limited advancement and too many external job postings. To address this, Welsh Water partnered with Amazing If, an organisation focused on career growth, to promote the concept of a “squiggly” career, showing that career success can take different paths.

The Squiggle & Stay initiative was developed to encourage a growth mindset and help employees explore opportunities within the company. A group of human resources professionals, with support from the CEO, launched learning and development programmes. Metrics like internal moves and staff engagement were closely monitored. Welsh Water created a career development model and shared stories of career progression to inspire others. Career conversations and career ‘safaris’ were introduced, offering employees a chance to explore different roles.

Results were positive, with internal moves increasing to 48% by 2023, and staff reported finding the initiatives helpful for career growth. The safaris, in particular, were seen as beneficial for networking and gaining new skills. Welsh Water also hosted an annual career festival to further support professional development. These initiatives have helped reduce external recruitment and improve staff retention. Welsh Water plans to continue evaluating and evolving its programmes, positioning itself as a leader in career development.

NHS England in partnership with escalla

The NHS faced a significant rise in uncivil and violent behaviour towards its staff, particularly those in patient-facing roles. Surveys revealed that 37% of doctors and 51% of GPs experienced verbal abuse, while 14.7% of NHS staff faced physical violence over the past year. This created a hostile environment, affecting staff well-being and highlighting the need for a training programme to equip staff with the skills to manage these situations while maintaining their own well-being. Following a competitive process, NHS England commissioned escalla to design the Compassionate Conversations training programme, in collaboration with NHS staff and subject experts.

The programme was co-designed to provide primary and secondary care staff with practical skills and theoretical knowledge to manage difficult conversations compassionately. The pilot phase, attended by over 2,400 staff, was highly successful, with participants reporting increased confidence in handling challenging conversations. The programme was expanded in phase two, training an additional 5,000 staff, with feedback leading to more tailored content and an enhanced focus on workplace well-being. The final phase trained another 1,700 participants and introduced eLearning and train-the-trainer modules to ensure long-term impact and flexibility.

The programme delivered significant improvements in staff confidence and competence and consistently received high satisfaction rates, helping to create a safer and more supportive workplace for NHS staff.

Police Now

For the National Graduate Leadership Programme (NGLP), Police Now collaborated with the Metropolitan Police to support the Commissioner’s vision of transforming police culture. Police Now aimed to recruit and train high-achieving graduates from diverse backgrounds to create a more representative police force and build a leadership community that challenges racism and discrimination. Most new hires had not considered a career in policing before encountering Police Now, so it was important to provide an engaging candidate experience to retain them and encourage others to apply.

Police Now worked with Talogy to develop an immersive online assessment for candidates. This assessment was based on a sensitive narrative involving a neighbourhood police officer working on a case of indecent imagery. The storyline, supported by professional actors, demonstrated the complexities and emotional challenges of the role while highlighting the positive impact neighbourhood police officers can have on society. Candidates also took psychometric tests assessing their alignment with Police Now’s mission, resilience, and cultural awareness.

The assessment improved completion rates and candidate engagement, with a 73% completion rate, up from 59% the previous year. Feedback was positive, with 99% of candidates finding the assessment engaging and 98% understanding Police Now’s mission clearly. It represented a 220% increase on the previous campaign and ultimately more police officers on the ground in London.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Stockport Council’s HR and organisational development (OD) service supports nearly 8,000 employees, managing the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, payroll, and wellbeing. With a £2 million budget and almost 100 staff, the team has driven positive change by focusing on inclusion, wellbeing, and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion. The service has supported colleagues’ growth and learning while ensuring essential services run smoothly.

The “One Team People Plan” has transformed the council’s approach to workforce engagement, underpinned by the values of “Ambitious Stockport” and “Creating Opportunities for Everyone.” A corporate peer review in 2023 praised the service for its focus on workforce development and instilling pride in employees. The council’s innovative recruitment campaigns, including job fairs in deprived areas, have resulted in immediate hires and supported care leavers and young people with special needs.

Wellbeing is at the heart of their approach, with initiatives such as wellbeing champions, mental health support, and flexible working policies. The council’s focus on leadership through its “Leading Stockport” initiative has had a positive impact, with over 90% of staff feeling trusted and listened to.

The 2023 colleague survey showed significant improvements, with higher levels of job satisfaction and motivation. Sickness absence rates have also fallen. The HR and OD team has reshaped Stockport Council’s people strategy, setting a national standard for public sector HR.

Wigan Council

Wigan Council’s HR and organisational development (OD) team has taken a deep look at its role as public servants, focusing on how to make a difference to the lives of residents and communities. Through collaboration across all levels of staff, the team generated creative ideas, improving both personal development and the overall HR and OD service. The team redefined what it means to be person-centred in their work, building stronger connections with local communities and partners.

By questioning existing processes and embracing new approaches, the team ensure they incorporated accountability, courage, positivity, and kindness into their work. The team at all levels sought to understand more about the economic picture facing the region, the cost-of-living crisis, and recognising the increased demand on public services as well as seeking to understand and appreciate the challenges the council workforce faced. They engaged with staff through the Big Conversation sessions, gathering views that helped shape initiatives such as a new attendance policy, a My Time 1-2-1 approach, and a comprehensive wellbeing support package. The introduction of an interactive Team Wigan Experience has allowed over half of the workforce to engage in learning, with positive feedback from staff and external interest.

During the pandemic, the team introduced Team Wigan Days, where staff could volunteer, develop skills, or support critical services. They also transformed leadership development, with managers reporting improvements in resilience and team performance. The HR and OD team’s work has reshaped Wigan Council’s culture, making it a leading example in public sector service.