Publish date: 11 October 2021
As many of you are aware, we are currently looking at how best to introduce hybrid working (a mix of home and office), concentrating on staff whose base is one of the three current Trust headquarter buildings: V7, Babbage House and Hollins Park House.
The views of both staff and team managers within the three sites have been sought through surveys and one to one interviews with managers. The survey of staff had a very high response rate (70%) and indicated that 76% of those who responded have had a ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good’ experience of home working during the pandemic. Colleagues indicated strongly that they were in favour of a blended approach in the long term, incorporating both home and office working. The executive team wants to support this, while also continuing to meet the needs of the Trust and the population we serve.
The results of the surveys demonstrated that we can reduce the number of desks across the three buildings, which will give us opportunities to look at how best accommodation can be configured in the future. The Estates team has been asked to look at what the options for future building use are based on this requirement.
The next step in this project is to develop a policy and guidelines in relation to hybrid working, in collaboration with line managers and Staff Side colleagues. We will look at a number of issues, including IT infrastructure, collaborative working spaces, how often staff should come into the buildings, and what activities should be undertaken when on site.
We will keep you informed on the progress of the project. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to your team manager or email: Strategic