Your Voice Your Change is a methodology used at Mersey Care to listen to our workforce in more depth than a survey approach allows. Over the years it’s been used to inform our strategic plans, our work on Restorative Just Culture, and our work to redesign the organisation to work better for staff and patients.
As part of this approach, we hold Mega Conversations. These are listening events which explore what’s working well, what could be better, and what actions would make the biggest difference to improving your experience of work. We also hold more targeted focus groups at times, engaging with smaller staff groups to better understand staff experience from this particular perspective.
To attend an upcoming focus group please use the link in the drop down below, there is no need to book in advance.
Your Voice Your Change conversations were held during July and August 2024.
2025 Your Voice Your Change conversations will be listed here once scheduled.
Almost 500 staff participated in a Your Voice Your Change conversation during 2024. There has been a wide range of feedback and suggestions, however some of the strongest themes that have emerged are:
- IT/Informatics – desire for a single system/improved system integration, single sign on, access to data from one source, improved IT equipment (new starters/shared desk space especially), and systems training
- Estates and Facilities – desire for improved clinical space and space where teams can come together when working on site together
- Workforce – desire for speedier recruitment processes, smoother experience for new starters, enhanced staffing levels to enable release for training / manage patient acuity / support those on preceptorship
- Communication – desire for improved cascade of information and sharing of best practice, desire for improved YourSpace content and search function, desire to better understand ‘who’s who’ as the organisation has grown in size and complexity
- Change and involvement – desire for more opportunities to stabilise after periods of significant change, more desire to be involved in potential changes that affect you and your work, more capacity for frontline staff to be involved in pending changes, and better support for people during times of change.
You can see a high level summary of the themes in the attached document.
The good news is that many of the things staff talked about as getting in the way of doing their best job are known issues with relevant services working on resolutions.
The bad news is that many of these issues have no ‘easy fixes’ and although work is ongoing it may take some time to see the improvements come into place.
We have established a Your Voice Your Change: Commitment to Action Working Group who have developed and are progressing actions based on the feedback received. If you would be interested in learning more or becoming a member of this group (or shadowing/observing a group meeting) then please contact OrganisationalEffectiveness
January 2025 update
Please see below for some examples of the work being progressed, this will continue to be updated. Other actions are also underway.
|
YVYC Theme |
Sub teme |
Action and update (January 2025) |
Progress Status |
|
Digital / Systems |
Simplifying systems |
Updated self-populating SharePoint forms to simply processes for managers and staff launched in December 2024 |
Action complete |
|
Simplifying systems |
Development of ‘YourInsights’, a single data platform holding business intelligence (BI) data from multiple systems in one central platform. The platform was launched in November 2024, with the ‘OurPeople’ dashboard – the first example of replacing multiple reports with one interactive format - being launched in January 2025. Work will continue until April 2026 to replace all BI reporting with the same new format. |
Action progressing Find further information and access YourInsights |
|
|
Effective technology |
Replacement of network infrastructure to support technology in running effectively. As of January 2025, 63 sites have been upgraded with new wide area network configuration. 316 sites remain to be upgraded. Work will continue until December 2025 to roll out the upgrades. |
Action progressing |
|
|
Communication developments |
Reward and recognition |
Introduction of a Staff Award for TWSS colleagues, helping to create a sense of TWSS as a ‘division’ rather than a set of disconnected services. The new award was successfully introduced for the Star Awards 2024, and all awards are subject to annual review based on staff feedback from previous events. |
Action complete |
|
Information cascade |
A refresh of YourSpace content and functionality is taking place to help make key information and contacts easier to locate. Feedback mechanisms to inform ongoing improvement are incorporated into all communication projects. This is an ongoing piece of work with no envisaged end date. |
Action progressing |
|
|
Estates developments
|
Use of space |
A review of the Trust’s room booking system is taking place to provide better access to available facilities. There is a rolling programme of delivery to ensure the specific needs of different sites are taken into account, with the intention that every meeting rom and clinical room will eventually be available to book via the Trust room booking system. As of January 2025, there are 67 meeting rooms available on the booking system, across 21 sites. 1 site has clinical rooms available on the room booking system, with another site in progress. Work is expected to continue until March 2026. |
Action progressing For further information please contact ept@merseycare.nhs.uk |
|
|
Use of space |
An Estates Optimisation programme is underway to ensure that utilisation of space is maximised. There are programmes of activities looking at the utilisation of bases, as well as sessional usage of external clinical and meeting rooms. As of January 2025, 13 sites have utilisation sensors in place for monitoring, with 6 sites having completed utilisation reports based on findings from the sensors. Work is expected to continue until 31 March 2027. |
Action progressing |
|
Workforce developments
|
Recruitment and retention |
Reports from the Great with Talent system – which seeks anonymised feedback from those new in post and those who are leaving - to be shared with managers and at divisional meetings to identify and act on feedback themes from new starters and leavers. As of January 2025, reports are in development to be specific to divisions. |
Action progressing |
|
Recruitment and retention |
Review of the onboarding process to streamline and improve the experience of new starters, as well as utilise opportunities for automation. A first project meeting took place on 14 January 2025 and mapping of the process has commenced. |
Action progressing |
|
|
Appraisal experience |
The PACE system has been subject to review in line with annual timescales. This includes a system evaluation open to all staff using PACE, alongside dedicated feedback opportunities for Staff Network members and also divisional leaders. As of January 2025, the outputs of the review have been presented to the Operational Management Group (OMG) for review and consideration. The outline of system updates is expected by April 2025. |
Action progressing |
|
|
Focus Group Feedback |
Staff networks |
Network executive sponsors to be re-assigned and provide a firm commitment to regular attendance at MECN and other Staff Network meetings. As of January 2025, all Staff Networks have an assigned executive lead and roles and responsibilities have been clarified. |
Action complete |
|
Developments for colleagues who have a disability |
Agreement has been obtained to allocate divisional resource to support/co-ordinate the timely progress of Access to Work requests. As of January 2025, a draft job description is being reviewed by divisional directors and, subject to approval, recruitment processes will follow. |
Action progressing |
|
|
Developments for Multi-Ethnic Colleagues |
Hold and implement the findings of the MEC Education and Training Task and Finish Group. As of January 2025, the L&D team has in place an action plan from the T&F group which includes meeting with divisional leads re CPD uptake for MEC, improved data monitoring using YourInsights, and PACE TNA’s to include ethnicity data from 2025. |
Action progressing |
|
|
Developments for colleagues who have experienced organisational change |
A review of the Organisational Change policy has been undertaken, taking into account learning from previous organisational change experiences. As of January 2025, the refreshed policy is due to move through due process from February 2025. Any feedback from colleagues who wish to influence the policy can be shared with Staff Side representatives. |
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Developments for colleagues with caring responsibilities |
Development of a Carers Network to increase connection with and support for colleagues with caring responsibilities, as well as enhance the provision of support to other staff carers across the Trust. As of January 2025, plans are in place to launch communications in February for the first step which will be identification of a chair and co-chair. |
Action progressing |
|
|
Developments for Bank colleagues |
Bank only Staff Survey incentives offered as part of Staff Survey 2024 to recognise the valued contribution of our Bank colleagues as part of our Mersey Care workforce. As of January 2025, Bank staff were recipients of an iPad (Gen 9) and a complementary lunch for two at BSK Liverpool. |
Action complete |
|
|
Developments for colleagues who are neurodiverse |
A development package to train managers and colleagues with the aim of enabling greater support for neuro-diverse colleagues has been co-produced. As of January 2025, it is envisaged that the content and training plan will be finalised in April 2025, with delivery to commenced following this. |
Action progressing |