Transcript RPA Health & Social Care Review of the Effectiveness of Communication

RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
The Trade Union Perspective
Presentation by Bumper Graham
Assistant General Secretary
NIPSA
9 December 2008
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
An often used anonymous quote
“we trained hard … but it seemed every time we were
beginning to form up into teams we would be
reorganised. I was to learn later in life that we tend to
meet any new situation by reorganising; and a
wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of
progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and
demoralisation”
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
The Main Lessons Learned

The need for the boundaries of the change process to be clear
from the outset since this has important implications for
communication;

The particular importance of face-to-face communication
during a time of major change and the need to complement
this with a range of other methods of communication;


The need to address the ‘people issues’ and distil
communications down into ‘What does this mean for me?’
The need for appropriate infrastructure to be in place to
support e-communication;
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
The Main Lessons Learned continued

The potential risk that major change, and job insecurity in
particular, can have on staff feeling confident to voice
concerns;

The level of change which is it feasible for an organisation and
its staff to manage simultaneously;

The potential risk to staff well-being if staff are trying to sustain
significantly enhanced work loads during a period of transition;

The importance of clarifying job roles across the organisation
and promoting awareness of these so as to facilitate the
development of new teams;
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
The Main Lessons Learned continued

The need for recruitment and selection processes to be, and to
be seen to be transparent, consistent and fair;

The importance of examining the merits of different policies
and practices in a collegiate manner before determining which
would be the most appropriate to adopt within any new
organisation;

Being aware that many staff will not have experienced a
change on this scale before and recognising their potential
need for emotional as well as practical support;

The Public service Commission and its need to consider what
profile would be appropriate to its role
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
“What is needed”

Timely, full engagement with the Trade Unions;

Proper resourcing of the change process;

Absolute guarantees on no compulsory redundancies;

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
Early identification of those posts that are genuinely “at risk” under
RPA;
Commitments to engage on procedures that minimise the location
issue for staff;
A “clear deck” so that staff know which options, opportunities exist for
them;

Clear, concise, regular direct communication, following TU
consultation;

Full and unequivocal application of the PSC Guiding Principles
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
PSC Guiding Principles

First Guiding Principle and Associated Recommendations - An Effective
Communication Strategy (Accepted by Government 7th July 2006)

Second Guiding Principle and Associated Recommendations - Managing Vacancies
Effectively in Existing Organisations (Accepted with commentary by the Executive on
17 January 2008 and a Code of Practice on the practical implemetation of this Guiding
Principle will be available in due course on the RPA website http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/rpa-communications/rpa-circulars.htm)

Third Guiding Principle and Associated Recommendations-Staff Transfers
(Accepted with commentary by Government on 6th December 2006 and a Code of
Practice on the practical implementation of this Guiding Principle will be available in due
course on the RPA website - http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/rpa-communications/rpacirculars.htm)

Addendum to Third Guiding Principle - Selection of Staff for Transfer (Accepted by
the Executive 27 September 2007)
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
PSC Guiding Principles continued

Fourth Guiding Principle and Associated Recommendations - Filling New or
Substantially New Posts in New Organisations being created as a result of the
Review of Public Administration (Accepted with commentary by the Executive on 17
January 2008 and a Code of Practice on the practical implementation of this Guiding
Principle will be available in due course on the RPA website http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/rpa-communications/rpa-circulars.htm)

DRAFT Fifth Guiding Principle and Associated Recommendations - Voluntary
Severance Arrangements (Views invited from organisations within the the RPA affected
group. Revised draft currently under consideration)

Sixth Guiding Principle and Associated Recommendations - Employer Statutory
Obligations (Accepted with commentary by Government on 16th January 2007 and a
Code of Practice on the practical implementation of this Guiding Principle is available on
the RPA website - http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/rpa-communications/rpacirculars.htm

Seventh Guiding Principle - Location (Accepted with commentary by the Executive 27
September 2007 and a Guidance note on the practical implementation of this Guiding
Principle is now available on the RPA website - http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/rpacommunications/rpa-circulars.htm)
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
PSC Guiding Principles continued

Eighth Guiding Principle and Associated Recommendations - Equality (Accepted
with commentary by the Executive 27 September 2007 and a Guidance note on the
practical implementation of this Guiding Principle is now available on the RPA website http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/rpa-communications/rpa-circulars.htm)

Ninth Guiding Principle and Associated Recommendations - Capacity Building
(Accepted with commentary by the Executive 27 September 2007 and a Guidance note
on the practical implementation of this Guiding Principle is now available on the RPA
website - http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/rpa-communications/rpa-circulars.htm)

Tenth Guiding Principles and Associated Recommendations - Reoganisation and
Implementation of Change. (Accepted with commentary by the Executive on 17
January 2008 and a Code of Practice on the practical implementation of this Guiding
Principle will be available in due course on the RPA website http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/rpa-communications/rpa-circulars.htm)
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
Conclusions

Research only reached down from most Senior Level
CX/Director to middle management grades - Trade Union
direct contact with members in other grades highlights greater
degree of anxiety and concern

Government has given a commitment to protect staff interests
- it’s up to the employers to fulfil that obligation

The PSC was established as part of the process to protect
staff interests, included as part of it’s role is oversight of the
smooth transfer of staff to new organisations - the Unions must
be prepared to utilise this role more so than what occurred in
Health Phase I
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
Conclusions continued

Trade Unions must also be more proactive in engagement with
members affected by the RPA, we too can do better

Trade Unions must ensure that Government and the
Employers fulfil the obligations to protect the interests of staff
by policing the process engaging with Government and the
employers and in particular greater engagement with the
membership
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RPA Health & Social Care
Review of the Effectiveness of
Communication
Contact Details
Bumper Graham
Assistant General Secretary
NIPSA
Harkin House
54 Wellington Park
Belfast BT9 6DP
Tele: 028 9066 1831
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.nipsa.org.uk
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