Frimley Park NHS Trust, employers of 2,500 staff undertook the Investors in People journey in an attempt to reconcile retention difficulties; read on to see if it worked.
The challenge:
A key motivator for Frimley Park NHS Trust Hospital in Surrey in achieving Investors in People status was improving retention and attraction of staff. The area is one of high employment. This, and the need for a ‘people focused’ standard, meant that management at the Hospital saw a commitment to Investors in People as a key business tool by which to prove itself as an excellent employer with high standards.
“Frimley Park faces a problem that may seem alien to other organisations,” explained Eleanor Shingleton-Smith, Head of Personnel and Training. “It is situated in one of the country’s most expensive places to live, so it can be difficult to attract key staff both clinical and non-clinical.”
“The Board knew that Investors in People is totally focused on the people within an organisation,” she added. “It was felt that the Standard would provide the Hospital with the right route to improve what we do and how we do it – whilst also ensuring that people rather than systems were at the heart of the changes.”
The solution:
Having established sound business reasons for achieving Investors in People status, Frimley Park NHS Trust took the ‘building block’ route, with a relatively small group of 55 people in the Human Resources service area pioneering the project and guiding other units.
Once the Human Resources service team had successfully completed their Investors in People work, other areas of the Hospital studied, then set off towards the same goal.
Throughout 2001 there was a staggered list of attainment. The final area to gain Investors in People was Facilities in late 2001. The entire Hospital Trust became an Investors in People in March 2002.
The benefits:
The benefits of the Investors in People process are already numerous and highly visible within the Hospital. Because planning is a crucial Investors in People criterion Frimley Park replaced their existing processes with a more structured routine.
The Hospital also focused more closely on the time and money required to improve the way training and development resources are managed.
The Investors in People criteria have added a formal structure to many of the Hospital’s key working practices. These are measured against the service objectives, which means that the patients receive far higher standards of care.
“Morale is higher now than in the past,” enthuses Eleanor Shingleton-Smith. “Because people are personally involved with Investors in People they see a clearer purpose to their own jobs. Non-priority tasks are filtered out and there is a stronger focus on the main task in hand.”
The Trust is currently undertaking reviews to ensure that it is still maintaining the Investors in People Standard. It has trained up an internal review team of 16 staff who have been involved in the reviews under the direction of an external assessor. The Hospital is currently on track to complete its reviews by September 2004 with a view to be able to maintain its recognition until 2008.
