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.

A variety of Trust leaders are currently reviewing feedback in relation to their area of work before confirming the actions they commit to undertaking, alongside associated timescales.

Please see below for a summary of actions as at September 2024, which will be updated as work progresses.

YVYC Theme

What’s in progress / what’s next?

Digital developments

Development of a ‘single data platform’ which should give access to data from one source, rather than having to use multiple different systems or data sources.

Communication developments

A review of YourSpace content and functionality is taking place to help connect you to the information you need more easily and intuitively.

Estates developments

 

A review of the Trust’s room booking system is taking place to provide better access to available facilities.

Workforce developments

 

The recruitment team is now fully staffed after experiencing a high proportion of vacancies, enabling a quicker smoother experience for staff who are being recruited to post.

Developments for colleagues who have a disability

A clear procedure for the timely procurement and provision of equipment that will support staff to deliver in their role.

Developments for colleagues who are carers

Development of a carers network to drive forward improvements for staff with caring responsibilities.