The MJ Achievement Awards 2007

Pay & WorkforceAchievement of the YearEngaging with employees for business and cultural change

Project Drivers

Over the last four years the Council has transformed from an underachieving Council to a

strongly improving (rated 4*) organisation now with an overall 3* CPA rating (November

2005). We were the only Metropolitan Council to achieve a 4 star rating for improvement,

warranting a feature case study in the Audit Commission CPA report for 2005. During

2005/06, some 80% of our key performance indicators have either been maintained or

improved, with over a third in the top quartile.

In the 2006 CPA Corporate Assessment, the Council received a 4* assessment for

Performance Management, recognising the Council’s structured approach to the

engagement of employees in service planning and delivery.

The Council has continued to transform its services, including in 2006:

The creation of a Children and Young People’s Service (CYPS)

The challenge of closure and development of new sport and leisure facilities

The transfer of employees from across the Council to customer contact

centres

Implementation of revised pay structures

The level of organisational change required to bring about this transformation had the

potential, like any change agenda, to disenfranchise and de-motivate employees.

The project embedded the desired culture (our HEART Employee Commitments) and has

given employees a voice in shaping the Council and provided them with the tools to improve

service delivery (Exchange).

Employee perception, measured (since 2002) by the employee opinion survey and

Investors in People has shown a continuous upward trend (10 percentage points) with

most marked improvements shown in communications, recognition, awareness of fit within

the organisation, management of performance and motivation.

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Project Strategy

Excellent organisations put their workforce at the heart of what they do. The Rotherham

Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) Corporate Workforce Strategy defines leadership

beyond the development of elected members/senior managers, setting a priority for all

employees to be able to be leaders of the organisation.

The employee engagement project fits within the leadership theme of the service plan for

Strategic HR.

Project Objectives

To engage employees in organisational development by developing/revising and re-

launching initiatives that gives them the opportunity to put forward ideas/suggestions

for improvements.

To demonstrate that views/opinions of employees are listened to and acted upon.

To make sure employees receive feedback on their ideas/suggestions.

By 2008 ensure that 85% of employees are aware of the employee suggestion

scheme.

To raise awareness of HEART and measure its impact/validity.

Project Management

Commitment from the top

Our Corporate Management Team (CMT) and Leader are committed to listening and

responding to employees. In 2005 they agreed to bring together all our employee

engagement mechanisms under one meaningful and recognisable brand name, ‘Exchange’

to further raise the profile of employee engagement. This brand includes the revised

employee suggestion scheme, employee opinion survey, focus groups, the worker

representative groups and a unique initiative called ‘Reach-In’.

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Our Council Leader chairs the employee suggestion scheme panel. The panel which

includes Elected Members, union representatives and employee representatives meet

monthly to consider all the suggestions, make a decision on their implementation and if an

award should be made. The panel also agree the quarterly/annual winners for the best

suggestion, which are recognised formally at council meetings.

Elected Members show their commitment to employee feedback by participating in their own

survey and comparing their results with employee perceptions.

Project team

The council appointed an HR Officer responsible for employee involvement. The project

involved working with a number of individuals/teams from across the council, including:

Directorate consultation co-ordinators

Directorate communications champions

Employee suggestion scheme panel

‘Reach-In’ sub group including:

Corporate Internal Communications Officer

Corporate External Consultation Officer

SNAP (survey analysis tool) expert/directorate representative

Trainee HR Officer

Data expert

Project Delivery

History

Previously we introduced new methods of communication (council-wide newsletter-‘Unite’,

briefing sheets, corporate management team summaries-‘ComMenT’ and verbal briefing

sessions for third tier managers), to cascade messages to managers/employees and enable

involvement of employees and the sharing of ideas.

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The HEART values emerged from a cultural survey and consultation with employees. In 2004

they were incorporated within new employee competencies which are assessed as part of

the performance and development review process (PDR).

2006

We engaged employees in the new Council Priority Themes, by using ‘real’ employees in the

publicity campaign.

Reach-In was launched. This is a panel of 300 employees taking part in consultation on

issues associated with employee experiences and the services provided by RMBC. ‘Reach-In’

uses consultation questionnaires (electronic/paper-based) and focus groups.

Reach-In/focus groups have provided information on the awareness/understanding of Corporate

Plan priorities and how the HEART commitments have become embedded in the organisation. It

also allowed us to look at the awareness and understanding of the HR Service Centre, CYPS,

and Flexible working.

Exchange News, published twice during 2006, updates employees on findings from their

feed-back and what we’re doing in response.

During 2006 we held 15 Exchange focus groups. Topics included; IT training strategy, internal

communication, customer contact centres and results from Reach-In.

The employee suggestion scheme has been updated based on employee feedback and re-

launched. The panel awarded the first quarterly awards to employees. These were recognised

formally at full council meeting.

The first Exchange Employee Opinion Survey (issued to all employees) ran during 2006.

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We delivered against a publicity plan for HEART, including articles in Unite, payslip adverts,

posters and merchandise. Monthly Team/Employee HEART awards were given.

Team/Employee/Manager of the Year awards were given.

Communication

With 13,500 employees (not all co-located and not all on-line) reaching/encouraging them to

participate in the initiatives was a potential barrier. We used an integrated

marketing/publicity approach. Including:

Developing the Exchange brand linking the employee experience with the “excellence”

agenda.

Unite –corporate internal newsletter.

Departmental newsletters.

Team/manager briefing documents.

Payslips.

Team meeting visits.

Drop-in events.

Intranet.

Specialist events – E.g. International Women's Day/Health Fair.

Posters.

Merchandise – stress balls/pens/drinks mats/puzzle trays.

Project Date Line–2006

January First ‘Reach-In’ survey.

First Employee Suggestion Scheme quarterly awards.

HEART annual publicity plan approved.

First Exchange focus group.

Exchange publicity.

February Exchange intranet site launched.

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March First ‘Reach-In’ report.

Agreed focus group topics/‘Reach-In’ dates for next financial year.

April Employee Suggestion Scheme quarterly awards.

Rotherham priority themes campaign launched.

May Focus groups.

June First Exchange News.

2006 Employee opinion survey.

2006 Elected Members survey.

July ‘Reach-In’ 2.

Employee Suggestion Scheme quarterly awards.

September Employee Suggestion Scheme quarterly awards.

CMT Report on findings from 2006 Exchange Employee Opinion Survey,

including key targets and activity/changes to corporate workforce strategy.

Focus groups.

October Reach-In 2 report.

Employee Suggestion Scheme quarterly winners.

November Employee Opinion Survey supplement, distributed with Unite

Reach-In 3.

Elected Member survey results to Member Development

Panel.

December Exchange News (Winter).

HEART Employee/Team/Manager annual awards.

Employee Suggestion Scheme annual awards.

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Bi-monthly Unite featuring articles on HEART/suggestion scheme winners

and results from Reach-In/employee opinion survey.

The future

The Exchange project is ongoing. During 2007 we will:

Map ‘Reach-In’ results with community consultation.

Develop employee engagement profiles across the council.

Achievements

Project Outcomes

Revised/re-launched our employee suggestion scheme based on employee

feedback. Received 372 suggestions, compared with 200 in the four years the

previous scheme was operating.

67 awards made for successful employee suggestions.

300 employees on ‘Reach-In’ panel. Panel is representative of the workforce in terms

of gender/age/salary/ethnicity/disability/directorates.

First ‘Reach-In’ survey had a response rate of 67% and Reach-In 2 was 61.5%.

Actions in response to ‘Reach-In’ are integrated into our corporate workforce strategy

for performance management.

Programme for focus groups delivered.

First re-branded Exchange employee opinion survey.

Key messages/progress from feedback now promoted to employees by:

Unite

Departmental newsletters

Intranet

‘Exchange News’

Team briefings

The worker representative groups championed issues. E.g. the Black and Minority

Ethnic (BME) group were involved in mentoring 11 positive action trainees from

Rotherham’s BME communities.

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Elected Members survey (response 54%).

HEART publicity plan achieved (monitored in Reach-In).

Impact Internally

The 2006 employee opinion survey showed improvements in employee perceptions of

communication, including across teams/services and understanding of individual’s

contribution to corporate priorities.

In the 2006 internal review process for Investors in People, Internal Assessors noted a

clear improvement in employee perception of how they are involved/engaged. They said;

Paul Cosgrove, “Managers explained how the council has a formal suggestion

scheme. The Head of Service referred to the Exchange initiatives. Managers

explained how they felt that a culture now existed, and was encouraged, whereby

staff were able to put forward ideas with confidence at team meetings… there is

now a management attitude of encouraging contributions from staff.”

Marie Swallow, “There is clear evidence of a culture of continuous improvement

where employees can share their ideas for improvement.”

Since 2002 employee satisfaction has increased by 10% points.

Employee opinion survey results 2006

Question/Statement % positive2006

Variance from 2002

If I want to put forward new ideas or suggestions for improvement, I know how to do so. 68 +31I am confident my ideas or suggestions will be listened to

42 +23

I am confident I would get feedback on my ideas and suggestions

42 +23

I am aware of the Council’s employee suggestion scheme

72 +25

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Moyra Mitchell, Secretary, Environmental Development Services said of Reach-In “The

scheme means that staff, even those who are not on it, know their views are valued. It is

good to feel you are having an input into the direction of the Council”.

Paula Grainger, Regional Skills and Capacity Adviser, Improvement and

Development Agency said “Rotherham have demonstrated terrific enthusiasm and

commitment and have used innovative ways to change cultural attitudes and behaviour

within the organisation and make staff feel valued”.

The Culture and Leisure Inspector said “Improvement action plans, with objectives and

measures, are incorporated into service plans and team plans. This means that

individuals within the service know what is expected of them, and how their work

contributes to overall aims”.

Impact Externally

Our CPA score has improved to a 3* (from 1* and 2*). The only Metropolitan Borough

Council classed as improving strongly.

Our CPA Corporate Assessment report 2006 indicates the progress made in engagement

of employees:

“The ‘golden thread’ continues into performance development reviews for

teams and individuals”, “innovation, flexibility, ownership and diversity are

encouraged”. The Council received a 4* assessment for Performance

Management

“Service improvement is supported by stakeholder involvement. The Council's

Reach- In and Reach-Out surveys are used to consult on satisfaction rates and

drive improvement.”

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Overall, we have seen service inspection improvements, partly influenced by this greater

awareness of employees. E.g.

Our IiP review (2006) for CYPS states “Given the scale of change being

experienced by this Directorate, the evidence produced was very positive and

indicates improvements in the Directorate in terms of keeping employees

updated on the change agenda (Every Child Matters), involvement in planning,

effectiveness of managers and recognition of employees”.

RMBC has maintained its customer satisfaction levels, whilst nationally councils are

experiencing dramatic drops (10%) in customer satisfaction.

Value for Money

£1.28 per employee was spent on the project. This is clearly good value for money as a

better quality of service was provided within the same budget. Employee suggestions

improving customer service include:

A contact number on ID badges so the public can verify the authenticity of the

employee. Important for officers visiting the elderly/vulnerable and meeting our

‘Rotherham Safe’ priority.

High seating in Social Services public areas – many clients have difficulty getting

in/out of a chair.

Suggestions that made efficiency savings include:

A change to the process/materials used for road markings.

An inventory of council equipment that other departments can use, saving

additional hire charges.

The Culture and Leisure Inspector said “The Council has a well-developed approach to

securing value for money, and can demonstrate reducing costs and increasing efficiency in

cultural services”.

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Employee Turnover reduced from 18% (2005) to 8.7% (2006).

Sickness absence has reduced by 4.6 days between 2003 and 2006, currently standing at

9.2 days, representing efficiency savings of:

2006 £1.4M

2007 (based on current performance) £3.0M

(Word Count: 1997)

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