Request

‘Please disclose all your staff survey reports for the years

• 2019
• 2020
• 2021

Please also disclose what organisational learning has taken place and what corrective action if any has been taken as a result of the staff survey data from these three years.

Please provide the relevant HR/ organisational development reports relating to any such plans or action taken.’

On 18 March 2022 you clarified the following:

‘I would like to receive the staff survey reports for the whole organisation in the first instance.’

On 11 April 2022 you clarified the following:

‘I require, in your words, "the full organisation survey results, as one survey". If it is within Section 12 cost limits for NHSBA to provide directorate reports as well, please provide those.’

Response

Since Best Companies began delivering NHSBSA’s staff engagement survey, NHSBSA has progressively improved its Best Companies score in each of the last three years. The engagement accreditation is currently rated as 2* for outstanding commitment to employee engagement, maintained from last year. Prior to that it was described as “Ones to Watch” and ‘unplaced’ previously, showing a marked progression and improvement over time.

Corrective Action

The following summarises some improvements and corrective action the NHSBSA has implemented following lessons learned from our staff surveys.

The NHSBSA has identified more opportunities to increase colleague interaction with our leadership team and opened up many more opportunities for two-way communication. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we used the work done in previous years to build on our engagement levels by providing, reassurance and regular updates/information as well as additional wellbeing and other support to all colleagues, whilst providing additional guidance to managers so they in turn could support their teams.  

We’ve introduced further channels and peer network groups to improve networking and provided more opportunities to influence decision making at all levels throughout the organisation. In addition, we have introduced initiatives at both organisation and service levels to help those who aspire to a career and advancement within the organisation.

We also appreciated that we could do more to connect colleagues to the organisation and, in March 2021, as part of the launch of our refreshed business strategy and continued campaign to connect colleagues to our strategic goals and ambitions, we enhanced our approach. We made our strategy easier to engage with, introducing bite sized sections that were introduced in stages, using short videos from senior leaders about what it meant to them and their business areas, to help colleagues understand the part they all play in the successful delivery of the strategy. 

Results and Reports

The information you requested is being withheld as it falls under the following exemptions of the Freedom of Information Act.

Section 41(1) – Confidential

Reports provided by Best Companies, following our staff engagement surveys are provided in strict confidence, a breach of which would result in action being taken against NHSBSA. Such information is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ and of the Freedom of Information Act. The below web link sets out the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

Section 36(2)(c) - Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs

In applying this exemption, we have balanced the public interest in withholding the information against the public interest in disclosing the information. The below web link sets out the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/36

Please see the below factors in favour of maintaining the exemption, and in favour disclosure of the information.

Factors for Disclosure

There is a general public interest in ensuring that our relationship with Best Companies is legitimate and that our results which are published in their league tables were achieved with honesty and integrity.

Factors for withholding

The outputs/reports are for internal use only, and staff are advised that their responses will be kept in confidence/not shared externally. Therefore, disclosure of the reports would be likely to impact on staff trust, causing a reduction in future participation in the survey. This would be described as having a chilling effect on NHSBSA’s ability to conduct effective surveys in future.

In the current environment when talent recruitment and retention is incredibly competitive, NHSBSA’s high ranking in the league tables is beneficial to its ability to attract talented people. The above-described impacts on NHSBSA’s ability to conduct effective surveys and the impact on NHSBSA’s relationship with Best Companies would be likely to impact its place in those league tables and thus its ability to be competitive in the employment market.

Section 43 - Commercial interests

In applying this exemption, we have balanced the public interest in withholding the information against the public interest in disclosing the information. The below web link sets out the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/43

Please see the below factors in favour of maintaining the exemption, and in favour disclosure of the information.

Factors for Disclosure

Public Accountability/transparency in relation to information on public funds.

Factors for withholding

Information provided by Best Companies in their reports includes information which would be of benefit to its market competitors, placing Best Companies at a competitive disadvantage.

Questions, methodology and results are invested with Best Companies, the release of those items would prejudice their commercial interests.

The development of the survey methodology, questions and reporting are the result of significant investment would allow Best Companies’ competitors to gain significant insight without needing the same resource/financial commitment.

Placing the requested information into the public domain would reveal trading advantages to Best Companies’ competitors, and would provide a competitor of Best Companies with an understanding which would afford them a distinct advantage with regards to any similar future business Best Companies look to win; as it would provide details that would inform and influence them.

Future reduction in the competitiveness of the market, resulting from disclosure of the requested information would impact on NHSBSA’s future ability to procure such services in a way which achieves value for money for the taxpayer.

Disclosure of the requested information would impact on the commercial relationship between NHSBSA and Best Companies, negatively impacting negotiations for any future contracts, harming NHSBSA’s ability to achieve value for money for the taxpayer.

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact nhsbsa.communicationsteam@nhs.net. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2022” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.