Contents

Introduction

Executive Summary

Our Approach to People and Culture Review

Auditing and Scrutiny of the States Employment Board

SECTION ONE THE STATES EMPLOYMENT BOARD: ROLE AND POLICIES

The States Employment Board

Policy Framework

Policy focus: Performance and Accountability Policy Focus: Recruitment and Retention Policy Focus: Key Worker Accommodation Policy Focus: Health and Safety

Policy Focus: Areas for consideration

SECTION TWO OUR VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS

Our Values and Behaviours

Our Values and Behaviours: Areas for consideration

SECTION THREEOUR PEOPLE STRATEGY

The People Strategy

People Strategy Commitments

Strategic Indicators

Operational Measures

The People Strategy: Areas for consideration

SECTION FOUR  THE EMPLOYEE VOICE: BE HEARD

The Employee Voice

Structure of the survey and results Action highlights since 2020

Be Heard headline results (2023) Be Heard: Areas for consideration

3 SECTION FIVE PEOPLE MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS  39 4 Policy Framework

6 Codes of Practice

9 Operational Policies

Workforce Planning

10 Case Management

Turnover

Wellbeing at Work

Performance Management

Working Environment

People Management Operations: Areas for consideration

SECTION SIX DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION 62

Employee-led Networks

Partnerships

20 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Areas for consideration SECTION SEVEN THE EMPLOYER BRAND 67

Jersey Public Services Careers

24 Real Stories

Early in Careers

Internships

The Employer Brand: Areas for Consideration

SECTION EIGHT CASE STUDIES 74

Jersey Public Service Awards

31 Our People Development Conference

World Class Manager Programme

Espresso Sessions: Bite sized learning

APPENDICES     80  GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS 106

Introduction

The States Employment Board welcome the follow up review from the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel report into  People and Culture published in 2021.  

Previously, as Chair of the Scrutiny Panel, I had the benefit of being able to instigate scrutiny of people and culture  practices within the public service. Since then, I have also had the benefit of seeing in more depth, beyond the scrutiny  of political policy, the work undertaken to address the recommendations within the report, as well as reports from the  Comptroller and Auditor General, the HR Lounge reports into bullying and harassment and the development of a  coherent framework through the People Strategy.

In the past year, both as Chief Minister and Chair of the States Employment Board, along with my Vice Chair I have  learned more about the importance of focusing on this piece of work and seen evidence that was not made available to  the Panel at the time. That is why we have compiled this report from the States Employment Board as our submission  of evidence that I hope the Panel finds informative, and in line with our desire to be more open, transparent, and  mature about the debates we have at the political level to support the public service constructively.

One aspect we would encourage the Panel to consider is the concept of culture in its broadest sense.  

The multiple reviews, recommendations and reports tend to be focused through a narrow lens on specific items. For  example, the HR Lounge reports in 2018 and 2021 were specifically focused on bullying and harassment in the  workplace. This was an important and necessary focus, but it is not the whole picture.  

Culture is a systemic concept, and in this submission, we wish to demonstrate how the States Employment Board  consider people and culture through our strategy, our focus and oversight of the workforce, alongside the information  that we require to provide us with an informed debate and assurance about the effectiveness of our policies and the  strategy.

We hope the panel use this opportunity to provide a balanced report, recognising the significant progress over the past  4 years, the progress on areas we have focused on in the past year and an understanding of how this SEB have chosen  their policy direction, areas of focus and how we frame our political leadership of the Public Service.  

Deputy Kristina Moore , Chair of the States Employment Board

Connétable Andy Jehan , Vice Chair of the States Employment Board              

Executive Summary

At the time of the last People and Culture Review by the Corporate Services Panel, we were at the start of the implementation of a new People Strategy. The outcome of that review showed there was much to be done, and more importantly, a need for evidence and transparency. That is why we welcome this follow up review and we have presented our evidence, along with a summary in each section of our own reflections of the progress being made.  

In 2021, the Public Service was at the end of the OneGov change for the target operating model – how the officer-part of the Government works. This  followed changes of how the political leadership of the Government operated through the Council of Ministers.  

Change is inevitable, but it is how the change is undertaken, communicated and involves people is important. The last review recognised that, without  an engaged and well managed Public Service, change was difficult and could be unsettling for some.

The last review also focused on where progress had, or hadn't, been made in response to several reports of poor conduct, bullying and harassment. At  the time, it was difficult to gain a picture or perspective of these issues without clear, transparent, and correct information.  

Since this current States Employment Board has taken up office, we have confirmed our commitments to the People Strategy, but included a greater  focus on three key policy areas: performance and accountability, recruitment and retention, and health and safety.  

At the same time, we have set a clear expectation that the values of the Public Service are embedded throughout everything we do. That is why both  the Council of Ministers and States Employment Board took decisions to adopt them as part of our political leadership.  

At an operational level, the States Employment Board have focused on ensuring the basics are in place. This includes a clear and modern policy  framework. We have approved a new suite of Codes of Practice, new policies and procedures and monitor case management. Whilst we do not  manage the Public Service, that is for the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Officers, we are clear about the need for accountability and assurance in  our approach.  

In our three key policy areas, we set out in this submission of evidence progress that has been made since we came into office. Whilst we are pleased  with the progress, we know there is more to do and we will ensure that by the end of our term of office, significant progress is made in each of the three areas.

Executive Summary

The Public Service has seen changes in the leadership – both at political and officer level.

As we start the search for a permanent Chief Executive Officer, we are conscious of the need to make the right appointment and seek stability for the Public Service. However, the Public Service is not one person, and the role of the Executive Leadership Team and senior managers in providing direction, accountability and communication has provided the leadership needed to maintain a focus on delivery.  

The People Strategy continues to make progress in key areas. We will use the report of the Panel to help inform priorities and approaches for the  plan for 2024 onwards, as we seek to refresh and develop the next stage of the strategy.  

It is important for the Public Service to have the confidence of political leadership from across the whole States Assembly. How we talk about the  Public Service and portray it has far-reaching consequences on our reputation as an employer, and as an Island.  

We have come a long way from the reports of 2018 – 2021 of a culture of bullying and harassment, and we are seeing greater confidence in our  ability to address concerns fairly. There will be individuals who feel they have not been treated fairly, and we take time to consider this and if  necessary, commission our own independent reports into the application and effectiveness of the policy. Although it would not be right to look into  individual cases, the Vice Chair has the ability to be briefed on cases for assurance to the Board.  

We have provided as much information and operational data as we can. Since 2021, when trend data and analysis was hard to come by, we have  improved our reporting capability. We now await the go-live of Connect People – the new central management system for the workforce, that will  integrate more information and data than currently.  

We have provided an overview of key areas of focus, as well as some case studies in areas that the Panel and public may not see.  

Finally, we provide a summary of progress from the various reports over the years, including the previous People and Culture Review, with the  actions we have taken in response to the report since we took up office.  

Our Approach to the People and Culture Review

The Panel's review is to:

• Consider the effectiveness of the States Employment Board in implementing actions to secure improvements for employee wellbeing since the People and Culture Review in 2021.

• Consider the culture within the Government of Jersey as a workplace since the commencement of the term of the current Council of Ministers.

• Consider the restructure of the Chief Executive Officer role, its impact on the Cabinet Office and workplace culture.

Each of the three objectives consider culture' in the review, it is important to have a common understanding and approach to defining culture.

The requests to individual ministers and to the SEB have focused on raising formal concerns, grievances, bullying allegations, employee wellbeing and morale. These are some indicators of culture but do not define or assess the culture or effectiveness of interventions. These can also be more retrospective, for which cultural maturity will have a long memory of previous stories, incidents and experiences.

Additionally, in the press release issued, there is reference to senior resignations from the Public Service and non-specific concerns about ministerial and employee conduct and behaviours. Additionally, the published terms of reference for the report will be responded to in part through this submission and in our public hearings with the Panel.

Indeed, the very outcome of the Panel's report and recommendations can shape the culture of the organisation in terms of their focus, approach, and tone of the report. We would value a constructive, balanced, and forward-looking report to assist in continuing to develop the culture from the dire situation identified in reports in 2018 and 2019.

Therefore, it may be helpful to focus on understanding organisational culture, and then the context specifically within the Public Service in Jersey, as well as the relationship between political leadership (all States Members) and the public service.

Our Approach to the People and Culture Review

There are several academic, business and generic models about what is culture', many of which are evidence based and have merit. However, no one model fits any organisation.

The importance of organisational culture and organisational climate is underlined by the most frequently quoted statement by Peter Drucker (one of the most widely-known and influential thinkers on management) that culture eats strategy for breakfast'. Essentially, no strategy can be delivered without the right culture being in place.

Below this, other models consider culture as containing several elements. Most commonly, the normed behaviours and attitudes (what is and isn't accepted as behaviour), the symbols, signs and language within organisations and the belief and values systems. (Edgar Schein). The consulting firm McKinsey & Co, simplify culture as the way we do things around here'. Similarly, Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes defined a cultural web' that defines the elements of culture, and in doing so, articulate what the current culture is, and then the future, desired state. Each of these approaches are basic management tools, that are effective in understanding and designing the culture of an organisation.

For illustrative purposes, and to frame the conversation, we suggest using the culture web' ( Johnson and Scholes Model) approach. (See below)

Within a large, complex organisation like the Public Service, there will be variations, and the BeHeard employee engagement survey  provides more detail about those variations. One size does not ft all, and the identities of services such as education (and sub-cultures  within in individual schools) are accepted.  

Finally, it is often the case that individual stories and experiences are used to portray the culture'. The Be Heard survey allows us to  hear the voice of employees who don't normally speak up. Those who come forward individually may well have had an experience  that is (very often) not acceptable. We want to listen to those individuals, and if necessary, take action to learn and change. However,  sometimes the stories arise from frustration or not accepting a particular outcome. We ask that the Panel do not use a small minority  of examples as a conclusion of systemic problems but seek to understand the bigger picture.  

The Culture  Web

Stories: The past events and people talked about inside and outside  the organisation. Who and what the employees choose to recall says  a great deal about what it values and perceives as great behaviour,  or experience of poor behaviour.

Rituals and Routines: The daily behaviour and actions of people that  signal acceptable behaviour. This determines what is expected to  happen in given situations, and what is valued by management.

Symbols: The visual representations of the company including brand  consistency and value, the physical environment, and the formal or  informal dress codes.

Organisational Structure: This includes both the structure defined by  the organisation chart, and the unwritten lines of power and  influence that indicate whose contributions are most valued.

Control Systems: The ways that the organisation is controlled. These  include financial systems, quality systems, and rewards (including the  way they are measured and distributed within the organisation).

Power Structures: The pockets of real power in the company. This  may involve one or two key senior people, a whole group of people, or a department. The key is that these people have the greatest amount of influence on decisions, operations, and strategic direction.

Auditing and Scrutiny of the States Employment Board

The SEB have established a position of commissioning reports for independent assessment where they have concerns. Since June 2022, we have commissioned reports into:

• The conduct of a specific case with an external legal review

• The use and operation of suspensions

• HR Lounge follow up report (September 2023 start) including relationships between Ministers and officers.

Appendix One sets out the key reports and progress against the audit trackers.

The SEB is also subject to several reports and reviews externally. Since 2018, we have been involved in:

+ indicates a targeted report concerning primarily the SEB.

Section One

The States Employment Board: Role and Policies

The States Employment Board

The States Employment Board (SEB) is the employer of public servants in Jersey. Our functions are set out in legislation.

A key function of the SEB is to set the policy and agree the strategy in relation to the workforce. This includes policies and procedures, the culture of the organisation and the performance of the public service. Additionally, we are responsible for the health and safety of the public service.

We discharge our duties through the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is designated in statute as the Head of Public Service. We also have in place a scheme of delegation to ensure the SEB's focus on the policy and assurance aspects of the workforce.

Departmental Chief Officers, who report into the CEO, are also responsible for keeping their Ministers informed of workforce issues that impact on the delivery of their respective policies.

The operational management of the workforce is delegated through the management structures of the public service.

We provide an Annual Report to the States Assembly, setting out the SEB's work. The Chair (or Vice Chair) of the SEB responded to questions (written and oral) for States Members at most sittings of the Assembly, and the Chief Minister (as Chair of the SEB) is scrutinised quarterly by the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel.

The Chief Executive and Chief Officers report and are answerable to the Public Accounts Committee for the good governance of the organisation, of which the risks associate with the workforce form part of this.

The work of the SEB is also subject to regular audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General, internal audits and commission external reports for assurance on specific topics.

We meet at least once per month with ordinary meetings, with papers dispatched the week before. Where required, either through volume of work or specific topics, we will have extraordinary meetings.

The States Employment Board: Policy Framework

The SEB set out early in our term a policy structure:

• Values and behaviours

• People Strategy (and sub-strategies)

• Codes of Practice

• Policies and Procedures

As part of this, the SEB considered their areas of focus. In doing so we established the key areas for the term of this SEB:

Values and behaviours: we wanted to see the values and behaviours embedded throughout the organisation. This includes the political leadership of the Council of Ministers, the SEB, and the leadership of the public service. We demonstrate below how we implement this.

People Strategy: we adopted the continuation of the People Strategy as it was early in its approach and required time to bed down. Our policy wanted a relentless focus on a few key priority areas for our term within the People Strategy.

Codes of Practice:  Since the start of our term, the SEB has reviewed and reformed the policy framework, parts of which had not been addressed since 2008. We believe it is the foundation for a structured approach to managing the workforce effectively and ensuring value for money and efficiency.

The SEB have undertaken workshops to strengthen our political leadership of the workforce focusing on good governance, values-based leadership, strategy, and diversity and inclusion.

Where necessary, the SEB have focused meetings on single topics, such as understanding the results of the BeHeard employee engagement survey, health and safety and employment cases.

We monitor the key indicators of the workforce, to assist in making informed challenge and seeking assurance about the effectiveness of policies. Every meeting considers case management areas for disciplinaries, grievances, suspensions, and legal complaints. This was introduced by the SEB at the start of our term.

We meet each of the trade unions groups every quarter to have a direct dialogue with employee representatives. This allows us to understand the relationship with the trade unions (which feedback from them suggests is improving) and to inform our decisions and policy framework. Again, this was instigated by this SEB at the start of our term. This has been welcomed by the trade unions.

Our Policy Agenda

We have agreed that within our overall policy framework, the key areas for focus for the SEB's term will be:

• Performance and Accountability

• Recruitment and Retention (including key worker accommodation)

• Health and Safety

As a result of these areas, we expect to demonstrate during our term significant improvements in these three key areas.

Our Key Areas of Policy Focus: Performance and Accountability

In 2019, following the Team Jersey Phase 1 report, it was recognised that performance management was a key part of ensuring employee engagement. The My Conversation, My Goals (MCMG)' self-assessment appraisal was introduced across the public service.

The MCMG, whilst a good first step, was not of the required standard for good management of performance and appraisals. It was completed by the individual and reviewed by the manger. Additionally, it was configured as a form on the My View platform , that was not accessible to all. Additionally, it was not making use of professional standards, or even validation cycles (for examples for doctors, or the termly cycle for school-based and academic employees).

A review of performance management identified that employees should have appraisals that are linked to our values, have clear standards and be linked to professional standards. This was predicated on the introduction of Connect People in late 2022.

As an interim step, a new performance appraisal system was introduced on Connect People (Connected Performance) with a more limited cohort of employees required to use this. We have used this year to identify the barriers to good performance management and will, during our term of office, seek to remove these barriers and improve occupational performance management, linked to development and succession planning. This includes:

• Every employee to have annual objectives, mid-year review and end-of-year performance appraisal.

• Appraisal approach to be formulated as an appraisal method for the profession or working group – for example, adopting professional standards in some occupational groups, or tailoring to groups of employees where one-to-one supervision is not required.

• Every employee to have access to the Connect People system to record their own appraisal, review their targets and record learning needs and development undertaken.

• All line managers to have management standards as part of their appraisal target to ensure appraisals are undertaken in a meaningful way.

• Measurement and reporting of appraisal completion rates and thematic reporting for development and training needs.

Take up in 2023, has been disappointingly low despite an increase in participation compared to the MCMG system. The States

Employment Board have set this as one of their priorities and will ensure that the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Officers and senior

managers are accountable for ensuring and assuring good performance management is in place, and over time, a plan in place to link       occupational standards to the appraisal process.        

Our Key Areas of Policy Focus: Recruitment and Retention

The States Employment Board has prioritised addressing recruitment issues in key professions. High levels of  vacancies impact on service delivery and standards, and a poor candidate experience increases the cost to recruit,  with poor outcomes and candidates leaving a recruitment process in favour of other employers.

The newly-formed Delivery Unit within the Cabinet Office were tasked to support the recruitment of primary school  teachers and teaching assistants and establish a proof-on-concept service model for roll out across other key areas.  This is the first-time dedicated resource was provided to support schools.  

The recruitment model, providing additional support to hiring managers who are often short-of-time, the candidate  through a regular named contact, a single view of the hiring process reducing the 6-handoffs that had previously  been used, and a tailored approach to those arriving from outside of the Island to support accommodation,  registration and settling into island life.  

34 primary  55 teaching  42 secondary  

teachers assistants teachers

Have been recruited through the pilot  Were recruited using the new  programme, with a waiting list of potential new  model of recruitment,  

starters. At the start of the September 2023  including 16 who transferred

term, we completed the recruitment to all, but  internally within education. A dedicated microsite for teaching and teaching assistants one primary teaching role (the outstanding role  was created and a targeted media campaign. The assets

is undergoing pre-employment checks) dtheev enleowpecda rine etrh ipsocratmal pina i2g0n2w4i,l lwbheetrreanalslfpeurrbeldic ascerrovsicseto roles and careers will be listed.

Our Key Areas of Policy Focus: Recruitment and Retention

The approach is now being adopted within Health and Community Services where turnover is low at 4%, although the vacancy rate is high at 18%. As part of the Financial Recovery Plan (FRP), a focus on reducing agency and locum costs will address financial pressures and support in service quality. In the year-to-date we have recruited 322 individuals to vacant posts. This is approximately 40 per cent of all hires expected across the public service in a normal year.

Nurses: A new campaign and microsite will be in place in Autumn 2023, following research about where best to target our advertising. This includes reducing our activity internationally (where recruits will have to meet certain registration standards, increasing time and cost to hire) and focusing on the United Kingdom. We are also exploring expansion of nursing training within Jersey and the development of an Associate Nurse programme, which leads to a nursing qualification.

Doctors: We are trialling an approach to targeting key roles, in partnership with the British Medical Journal. This has started in psychiatry and, if successful, will be used for other disciplines.

Allied Health Professionals: We are remodelling the workforce to make it more attractive, and in line with service delivery requirements. We are focusing our time on pharmacy, mental health services and physiotherapies.

For Justice and Home Affairs, we targeted a campaign for uniformed services. With a campaign site and social media in Jersey.

26 applications for on- 58 on-island

call firefighters applications for prison

officers

22 remain in the recruitment  15 appointed and 7 reserved for

process  future recruitment needs

Over 80 on-island  67 on-island applications for  applications for entry-

firefighters level police officers

67 are currently in the recruitment  11 new hires made

process

Our Key Areas of Policy Focus: Key Worker Accommodation

As part of our focus to address recruitment and retention we have started to address the need for key worker housing. Through the Delivery Unit in the Cabinet Office, we identified a number of key issues with the existing management of the estate:

• Lack of data – no collated information as to costs, who was in units, where money was being spent, preventing data led decision making

• Lack of policy – inconsistent rules being applied and lack of governance over decision making

• Lack of central service – most activity through HCS team but CYPES were also managing units and JHA exploring

• Lack of units – a lot of staff in private hotels and serviced apartments

The Delivery Unit collated the key information and identified inconsistencies, unfair and inconsistent policies and began to identify the true need for different types of accommodation. They continue to work with the Workforce Planning team to identify a longer-term need for key worker housing.

The new policy eliminates the variable experiences by department or professional group. There is clarity about eligibility, tenure, type of accommodation and length of stay in certain types of accommodation.

In 2023, the States Employment Board has:

• Approved a Key Worker Accommodation Policy

• Supported the creation of a central accommodation team within People and Corporate Services

• Supported the acquisition of additional units

The new, centralised service transitioned into People and Corporate Services who will take forward recommendations for developing the service, managing units and working with providers such as Andium Homes to develop a full-service model and manage supply and demand.

The provision and management of accommodation will also help address vacancies within key worker positions across health, education, children's and Justice and Home Affairs services, resulting in reduced agency and overtime usage.

£240,000

Financial savings due to the reduction in the

need for private, short-

term accommodation

100+ New Units Since June 2022 in St.

Clement and

St. Helier

Our Key Areas of Policy Focus: Health and Safety

The States Employment Board has prioritised their responsibility for health and safety across the States. The item is the first substantive item on most SEB agendas.

Since the start of our term of office we have:

• Approved a new health and safety corporate policy (March 2023)

• Approved a new suite of minimum health and safety standards

• Receive monthly risk and assurance report

• Monitoring the maturing of health and safety management within the States

• Undertaken deep dives' with Chief Officers on topics such as playgrounds, school fire safety, public realm.

• Introduced a Scheme of Delegation for health and safety. (March 2023)

In March 2023 (Wave 1) of the Connect H&S Platform (Integrated Technology System (ITS)) introduced new reporting standards into a single system for monitoring, alongside online training modules. The rollout is continuing within CYPES but completed for all other departments in August 2023. We continue to use the Cardinus (training system) for health and safety training, with a view of migrating this information to Connect Learning to ensure greater monitoring and compliance.

The Connect Health and Safety system ensures:

• Single and consistent point of recording and monitoring incidents

• Standardised health and safety incident management for best practice

• Improved statutory compliance and assurance through auditing

• Create the ability to learn and improve from incident more quickly

• Monitor trends and risks

• Make more informed decisions about targeted training and investment.

Since the Launch of online training sessions, 2,995 employees have completed the voluntary training on health and safety.

Since June 2022, the SEB have received and complied with 2 improvement notices, and had no prosecutions related to health and safety.

Note: Fire Safety Management continues to be under review. Minimum standards are not in place whilst we review the estate and undertake remedial action.

We have introduced a new suite of minimum standards for health and safety.

• Asbestos

• Confined Spaces

• Control of Contractors

• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

• Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

• Electricity

• Fire Safety Management (see note)

• First Aid

• Gas Systems

• Incident Reporting and Investigation

• Ionising Radiation

• Legionella

• Lifting Equipment and Lifting Accessories

• Lifts

• Lone Working

• Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)

• Machinery

• Managing Construction Work

• Mental Health at Work (In progress)

We continue to embed good governance for health and safety management. This includes ensuring assurance and compliance is understood across the organisation.

Prior to the States Employment Board, a Health and Safety Board considers the key strategic issues and progress against improvement plans. The Operating Committee (OpCo) receives monthly reports in more detail for departments. We have updated plans for delivery and now have an assurance diagram to demonstrate the maturity of different risk areas and how departments meet minimum standards.

We report progress in our Annual Report and a specific Health and Safety Annual Report.

Diagram: High Level Plan for H&S Delivery Diagram: Illustration of H&S Maturity Assessment

Policy Focus: Areas for Consideration

The first-year learning after setting our policy agenda will be used to inform the remainder of our term.

What worked well?

• The focus on the SEB on a few key areas shows greater results than trying to achieve everything. We believe we have the right focus on our key policy areas.

• The introduction of the Delivery Unit to provide capacity outside of usual operations has been highly effective in moving on complex and difficult areas.

• The requirement for regular reporting on health and safety and performance management has seen a measurable change in the organisational focus and compliance in these areas.

• A values-based approach has started to resonate with employees, according to the BeHeard survey. Regular surveys will provide greater assurance.

• The People Strategy has broadly delivered on its objectives.

What didn't work well?

• Data remains inconsistent and will benefit from the introduction of Connect People (Employee Central) in late 2023, that will reduce the need for regular reconciliation.

• Systems and processes are still too manual and inconsistent. Where we have addressed these (health and safety, key worker accommodation) we have seen improvements in efficiency and value for money.

What needs to improve?

• The introduction of Connected Performance (Appraisals) was an opportunity to introduce the new technology available but has not yet delivered the potential for full and systemic performance management. Despite low returns on completion rates, the SEB remain concerned that this is not seen as a focus in some parts of the organisation. We will need to systematise performance management and accountability.

• Change management is not properly defined we have yet learned what works' for each part of the organisation to fully address recruitment and retention, health and safety and performance management the Connect system mut be fully adopted and utilised.

• Workforce planning must be concluded to help manage the peaks and troughs of recruitment and succession planning to create a better candidate experience and provide more internal opportunities for promotion.

Section Two

Our Values & Behaviours

Our Values and Behaviours

Our Values

The States Employment Board committed to retain the existing values and behaviours, developed with employees. In addition to this, we determined that values and behaviours require leadership at all levels, starting with our  political leadership role.  

To this end, the SEB has undertaken a workshop of values and behaviours which has helped us develop our approach  as a Board and identify future areas for Board development sessions.  

We are also seeking to continue to embed our values and behaviours through:  

• Adoption of them by the Council of Ministers and the States Employment Board

• Form part of our recruitment strategy and material  

• The first part of the My Welcome, induction programme, for all new starters (currently at 30% completion, target  to reach all new starters as part of a new induction period' to replace the probation period' with a contractual  requirement to complete the full induction to be introduced by 2025)

• Management training to include links to values and behaviours

• Provision of Espresso sessions' online available to all employees for values and behaviours (3,072 employees  completed)

• Provision of Espresso sessions' online for understanding culture (1,116 employees completed)

• Embedding within the Codes of Practice and policy framework  

• Measuring impact through the BeHeard survey and pulse surveys

• Embedded within performance management appraisals and reviews  

Our Values and Behaviours

The SEB monitor the effectiveness of these interventions and programmes through:

• BeHeard employee survey and pulse surveys (see below)

• Monitor of cases of bullying, harassment, grievances, and tribunals

• Evaluation and use of toolkits and management programmes

• Completion of induction programmes

• Exit interviews and employee statistics (people dashboard)

• Meeting with trade unions and employee groups

• Feedback from the employee networks

In the latest BeHeard (employee engagement survey) in June 2023 we asked two specific questions in relation to values. A strong score (5.79/7.0) for personal values demonstrate our organisational values are resonating with employees. Whilst still a position (+4.0) score, the focus of the SEB on values-led leadership shows the need to ensure the values are embedded throughout the organisation, leading from the top.

Diagrams: Individual and Organisational Score for values' from the BeHeard Survey 2023.

Values and Behaviours: Areas for Consideration

The States Employment Board want a values-led organisation to be the driver for positive change, engagement and better services.

What worked well?

• Our values are recognised and resonate with employees, providing a strong base to build upon.

• Political leadership at the Council of Ministers and States Employment Board have adopted the values from the start of our term for political leadership.

• Our Codes of Practice and policies and procedures have all been amended to ensure our values are at the heart of what we do, this has resulted in early resolution and changes on how we handle formal complaints more sensitively.

• The workshop undertaken by the States Employment Board was energising and we would like to see the Council of Ministers and Scrutiny Members undertake this workshop.

• Some departments have shared best practice about introducing living our values' awards – recognising those who demonstrate our values.

• The use of our Values and Behaviour Toolkits are becoming routine for team away days.

What didn't work well?

• The completion of My Welcome (induction) and Connected Performance (performance appraisals) is too low, meaning even with the values embedded within these key activities, employees do not have them at key moments of their careers. New ways will need to be found to engage some harder to reach groups.

What needs to improve?

• Our values are not always visible or understood. A communication plan that aligns activities, recognition and change to the values will strengthen how they are used and embedded in everyday life.

• Leadership scores on values have improved but need further strengthening as a key measure for Leadership' in the BeHeard survey.

• The values should be adopted across the States Assembly for a consistency of experience of political leadership.

• We need to strengthen accountability for those who do not live the values or the spirit of the values, to ensure poor behaviour is not undermining the majority.

Section Three

Our People Strategy

The People Strategy

Following the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) in 2019, the recommendation to develop and establish a people strategy was taken forward.

People Strategy Vision The strategy was co-designed with over 400 employees and was in its early stages at the time of the last review.

At the start of our term in the Summer 2022, the SEB considered the strategy and agreed to continue with the  "We will be a forward- strategy,• witVhaalufeosc uasnfdoBr ethhea vSiEoBu rosn: thinking organisation,

• Performance Management which offers high-

• Health and Safety

• Recruitment and Retention  quality public services,

The current plan, inherited from the previous SEB will be refreshed for the next 2-years from January 2024 using the  values our people; and BeHeard survey, the focus areas of the SEB policy agenda and other information to ensure we a targeting limited

resources to have maximum impact.  grows our talent for the The People Strategy comprises of: future."

• A vision statement  

• Four commitments

• Key indicators

• Operational Plans

People Strategy Commitments

The People Strategy sets out four commitments (see right). For 2022/23 we set out our 2-year plan – responding to

the previous CSSP recommendation to establish a communication strategy and road map beyond the Commitments.

The following table demonstrates the progress made against the plan, along with the key performance indicators

against the plan. We will set out the next 2 years of the plan for 2024/25 in January 2024, and will consider the  People Strategy Commitments recommendations and comments from the Panel as we do so.

Key indicators  

We set two levels of indicators. The first set are strategic indicators based on the 8 factors within the BeHeard survey.  These are longitudinal indicators, meaning they take longer to develop and show progress. The Public Service-wide  main survey is helping every two years. The second set are operational indicators, mapped against the  commitments. Most of these indicators are also derived from the BeHeard survey, although we can check more  frequently through pulse surveys and local surveys. There are also operational indicators that we can report on  monthly or quarterly.  

Strategic Indicators

The strategic indictors were set a target of:

• A 10% increase from the 2020 score

• No score below the score of 4.0  

Operational Measures

We also set out a number of activities against the four commitments for delivery. These are shown on the following  pages.  

Strategic Indicators

Table: BeHeard strategic indicators between 2020 and 2023

Key indicators

We set two levels of indicators. The first set are strategic indicators based on the 8 factors within the BeHeard survey. These are longitudinal indicators, meaning they take longer to develop and show progress. The Public Service-wide main survey is helping every two years. The second set are operational indicators, mapped against the commitments. Most of these indicators are also derived from the BeHeard survey, although we can check more frequently through pulse surveys and local surveys. There are also operational indicators that we can report on monthly or quarterly.

Strategic Indicators

The strategic indictors were set a target of:

• A 10% increase from the 2020 score

• No score below the score of 4.0

As illustrated below improvements of over 10% points were achieved in four of the engagement factors and importantly all overall scores were above a score of four which means they are in the positive zone. This is testimony to the positive effects of the Our People Strategy and the prioritised effort and investment put into manager development through the World Class Manager programme and improving the approach and offer to Wellbeing. Progress made in all except for My Company that had a slight drop to 2020, and this may be in part attributable to the 2023 surveys being more departmentally targeted.

Operational Measures

Whilst operational measures are not targets, the States Employment Board is concerned that too many were set without the ability to measure them. This is a learning point for the next 2-year plan. Additionally, we would expect to see measures that reflect the areas of political focus of the SEB's policy in the new measures. However, on key areas, good progress has been made.

Measure 2020 2023 %age employees saying they're proud of working in the public sector Question not asked in 2020 79% (2021-2023)

10% reduction in sickness absence related to mental health -

Figures not currently accurate

%age of employees who rate their induction positively Question not asked in 2020 90%+

%age of employees who rate their line manager position (one to watch or above) Not available from 2020 Achieved in: Customer & Local Services, Customs &

Immigration, External Relations, Cabinet Office (People, Policy & Digital), CYPES, Cabinet Office (Office of Chief Executive), Non-Ministerial Departments, Treasury & Exchequer, States of Jersey Police, Infrastructure and Environment

Measure 2020 2023

Overall MC3 Management score of at least 70 58.06 66.81

90% of managers reporting more confidence and competence in carrying out their role Programme did not start until  87% of graduates from the WCM programme

2021

%age of talent programmes converting to permanent roles Don't hold this data yet

%age of internal promotions versus external recruitment Deputy KDroisnt'itnhaol dMthoisodraet ac oyentgratulates the nominees

Operational Measures (continued)

People Strategy Summary: Areas for Consideration

The development of the People Strategy was a long-overdue piece of work. Just prior to the pandemic, the ability to bring employees together to set the agenda was a positive step. This section sets out our reflections of what we have learned from the first two full years of the strategy, and considerations for the next 2 years.

What worked well?

• The strategy provides a broad enough framework to hold together key activities and focus across the public service, with the flexibility of local adaptations depending on need.

• The BeHeard survey has provided an independent and objective measurement at a strategic level that has been adopted and used well by most departments , with progress demonstrable.

• Corporate initiatives (such as internships, World Class Manager, Workforce Panning, Our Stars) have been impactful.

• Using employee-led networks has helped foster a sense of ownership, and they have challenged the organisation constructively. These could add even more value in future.

• Reward and recognition mechanisms, such the Our Stars and Long Service Awards (recently re-introduced) and local team recognition events are valued.

• The involvement in the Delivery Unit within the Cabinet Office has tackled some long-standing issues around recruitment and key worker housing.

What didn't work well?

• Key operational measures have been hindered by the delay in systems and data improvements. This does not help demonstrate the full value for money of initiatives or the need for activity. This also means key operational indicators, such as sickness, turnover, exit interview information, is not visible.

• The operational measures in the first two-year plan were not all baselined or achievable, meaning gaps in demonstration of delivery.

• The involvement of key areas across the public service is not demonstrated closer to front line service delivery in larger departments, meaning employees may miss out on opportunities or understanding more about the strategy and what it means for them.

What needs to improve?

• Involvement of those who are further away from the centre of the public service needs to improve, with communication and engagement methods beyond the intranet and emails to ensure all employees feel they understand what is happening and can help influence and understand change.

• The delivery of Connect People, now 1 year overdue, is a key factor to bringing key information into one place to produce meaningful operational indicators.

• Performance management, a focus of the States Employment Board, needs to be embedded across all occupational groups, with clear requirements for managers and employees to ensure these are valued by the employee and recorded. This will help in the wider planning for the Your Development', Your Experience' and Our Future' elements of the strategy. This should include occupational competencies, succession planning, training needs analysis and internal talent spotting.

Section Four

The Employee Voice: Be Heard

The Employee Voice: BeHeard

In 2020, we adopted a new employee engagement survey, Be Heard. It is provided by the company behind The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For (Best Companies) it is an independent, accredited survey. Previously we had used an alternative company that was no longer administering their survey.

The choice of survey included:

• Academic evidence of statistical accuracy and methodology

• Clarity of results and action planning methods

• Integration into the wider strategy

• Flexibility to cope with the complexities of Jersey's Public Service

• Value for money

A long-term relationship with any survey company is important to ensure that longitudinal data can track progress and compare results from survey to survey. The benefits of the Be Heard survey are:

• A clear framework of 8 areas to measure strategic progress

• An easy to understand circumplex' to show levels of engagement

• A Best Companies Index score that allows comparison against other taking the survey and internal comparison

• Detailed, individualised reports for department

• Powerful action planning tools

• A MC3 (MC-cubed) model that also allows for feedback about line mangers to improve management capability

• Accreditation of departments

• Access to free resources, seminars and management development webinars with the latest practice and trends

Additionally, the link to the World Class Manager Programme comes from the WCM programme being based on similar dynamics within the Be Heard survey.

The Employee Voice: Structure of the Survey and Results

The survey consists of 90 statements (plus additional questions localised for the Jersey Public Service). These provide results in four ways:

Employee Engagement Circumplex Eight Factors of Engagement

The Employee Engagement Circumplex provides a simple overview of where different groups of employees are in their levels of engagement. This allows us to focus on  maintaining those  engagement, providing  greater clarity or  communication to those  unsure, and address those  who are disengaged.  

Best Companies Index (Score) Accreditation

The BCI Score provides an aggregate score, in comparison to other organisations taking the survey at similar times. The index also creates 1-star to 3-star scores that are accreditation scores as good-to-outstanding places of work.

The eight factors of engagement allow for more detailed planning about where to focus improvements and actions. The eight areas are:

• Leadership

• My Company

• Personal Growth

• My Team Note to submission

• Wellbeing

• Fair Deal We have already provided the Corporate

• My Manager Services Scrutiny Panel with the

• Giving Something Back methodology and structure of the survey.

MC3 Scores (Confidential to individuals) A video briefing was provided for all States

Members, which is available to the Panel.

The MC3 tool provides feedback on

the management levels of the  We won't be publishing the MC3 scores in organisation. Individual scores are not  2023, as this is the first year for managers published and used for professional  to receive their scores. To ensure development only. An organisations /  individuals feel they can respond to the departmental score is available. MC3  feedback and have an action plan, we will means managers who Motivate,  publish the progress scores at the next Consider, Converse and Care. survey.

BeHeard: Action Highlights Since 2020

Since the last full survey in 2020, we grouped our activity under the Eight Factors of Engagement. Each Department created People and Culture Plans in response, and we collated these into a corporate overarching plan under the eight factors of engagement. Since the last survey we also focused on four key areas corporately (more cases studies, below):

Personal Growth Giving Something Back Wellbeing My Manager

Score 2020 Score 2023 Score 202 Score 2023 Score 2020 Score 2023 Score 2020 Score 2023

4.45 4.84 3.98 4.09 3.98 4.70 4.45 5.18

• Over 2,900 have attended the online Espresso sessions for self-development.

• 680 managers have taken part in at least one Espresso session.

• 91% of colleagues reported an increase in knowledge after attending the sessions.

• In 2022, 327 colleagues were internal promotions within their own team.

• 73 new colleagues joined the I WILL network to participate in mentoring.

• New basic skills on the Microsoft Suite were made available to all employees

• Professional networks for policy development and data analytics were started up by colleagues sharing knowledge

• Launched Connect Learning, a single place for learning, recording continuous professional development and registering skills and development needs.

• Improving our commitment to the environment by converting 252 (37.8%) of our diesel vehicles to renewable diesel.

• Reducing our carbon footprint by partnering with Evie to provide e-bikes for short journeys at work.

• Provided paid time off for employees to contribute to charities on the island and recognising our Volunteer of the Year in the Jersey Public Service Awards.

• Contributing to the island's economy by moving all our reward and recognition gifts for long service to on-island companies.

• Partnered with a local beer producer to supply the Jersey Awards.

• First Government-wide participation of the Jersey Pride March, with a combined Government presence to promote services, careers and employee networks.

• Supported the start-up of employee-led networks as part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy including neurodiversity, disability, menopause, REACH, LGBTQ+

• Held employee focus groups and commissioned Liberate to conduct an Access report for making the new HQ more accessible.

• Departmental wellbeing weeks including taster sessions for outdoor circuit training, yoga, Reiki, meditations, coping with grief, menopause café.

• Regular publication of BREATHE, the in- house wellbeing magazine.

• Renegotiated the AXA contract with more counselling, better monitoring of service provision

• Using volunteering to develop teams and wellbeing focus

• 406 managers have graduated from the World Class Manager programme using action learning sets, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.

• 1,179 managers / aspiring managers Espresso sessions attendance.

• Half-day training needs analysis available for all line managers.

• 276 line managers were nominated for a Jersey Public Service Award in 2022.

• Introduced Connected Performance to make managing and recording objectives easier to track.

• 43 Business Partners (advisers to managers) have undertaken the Roffey Park course to enhance skills and advice.

• Turnover in the organisation was down by 1.5% in 2022 compared to 2021.

BeHeard: Headline Results

The eight factors of engagement are our strategic indicators. We set a target from 2020 to have all indicators above a score of 4.0 (out of a maximum of 7.0) and an increase of 10% on previous scores.

The blue line represents the minimum target for 2023 scores. The figures below the graph are the actual results. The percentages on the graph are the improvements by comparison.

6 5 4 3 2 1 0

The eight factor scores are based on 24 core statements within the 90-question survey.

The eight factors are interconnected. In looking at the results, the score correlations and the planning tool provided by Best Companies, we will be able to identify the most impactful action to take in response to the survey.

This can be done all the way down to individual team levels.

BeHeard: Headline Results

The Best Companies Index (BCI) Score measures the level of engagement compared to other organisations undertaking the survey at a similar time. These are adjusted each quarter. This allows for latest trends and impacts (such as COVID disruption) to be factored in at any given time. To score becomes accredited from 1-star (very good), 2-star (outstanding) and 3-star (world class)

Since the last survey in 2020, the public service as a whole has increased their score to enter the ones to watch' category, which classes us as a good employer. We achieved our stretch benchmark' from the last survey which was to achieve halfway through the ones to watch' category.

There is variance between departments, which is an areas we will need to address to ensure that employees receive a consistent experience no matter where they work.

The Law Officers Department become the first public service entity to achieve the one-star accreditation in 2023.

Two other departments (Customer and Local Services , and Cabinet Office: SPPP) achieved a one-star rating, which will need to be maintained for accreditation at the next survey.

The Departments that demonstrated the greatest improvement were also those that undertook an interim pulse survey' to track their progress prior to the main corporate survey in June 2023.

The engagement circumplex, demonstrates progress since the last survey in more people moving into a positive engagement (on the right-hand side) with 60 per cent of employees now positively engaged, compared to 53% previously.

We have seen positive movements in the neutral' and anxious' zones of engagement, driven by better communication, stability within the organisation, improved management and improved wellbeing.

We will need to focus on the bored' quarter of the diagram to ensure that these employees are either not disengaging or holding back change as this areas impacts on the productivity of the public service.

BeHeard: Headline Results

Across the Public Service, scores can vary quite significantly. At an organisation-wide level the following areas are a summary of the outcomes of the survey.

Best performing responses Lowest performing responses

• The results really demonstrate the commitment of employees to the Public Service, with 80% of colleagues proud of the work they do.

• People care about the impact we have on our communities.

• Work is an important part of people feeling part of something, and it's a big feature in scores reflecting how people feel valued.

• The better scores are closest to the individual where they feel supported and cared for by their manager and have a sense of good team working.

• The role and impact of line managers has a significant impact on how people feel at work.

• Work is seen positively and interesting, with the opportunities for personal growth in different roles and across the Public Service as a strength.

• People are not bored with the work they do; they find it interesting and challenging.

• Overall, work life balance is seen as positive, and a benefit of working within the Public Service.

• The areas covering giving something back' were the most disappointing results, given the number of colleagues who do work outside of the workplace to benefit our communities.

• There is an expectation that as an employer we can and should do more to help protect the environment and give more back to our communities as an organisation. This includes providing more opportunities for social mobility, supporting those who need more to help them contribute through work and being a socially responsible employer.

• The sense of fair pay, more so about whether there is equity rather than the rates of pay, needs more exploration. People compare themselves to others and other professions and do not feel this is fair at the moment.

• The opportunity to develop and train is scoring low, despite the opportunities for growth and development. This may also link to the point on fairness about who gets the opportunity for development, time for development and link to individual career aspirations.

• The role of leaders within the organisation needs clarity, purpose and investment. Whilst people are connected to the work they do, it is not necessarily supported, or inspired by leaders.

Be Heard: Areas for Consideration

The development of the People Strategy was a long-overdue piece of work. Just prior to the pandemic, the ability to bring employees together to set the agenda was a positive step. This section sets out our reflections of what we have learned from the first two full years of the strategy, and considerations for the next 2 years.

What worked well?

• The embedding of BeHeard across the Public Service is providing independent information, provided from feedback from employees, about the areas where we are improving and where we need to focus more.

• Our focus on front line management and wellbeing from the previous survey has demonstrated a good use of evidence-based interventions to have an impact.

• Splitting the surveys into smaller components of the Public Service has provided greater clarity on the results and some of the interpretations.

• We provided the early results before the end of July to employees and States Members – earlier than previously. This included Departmental briefings.

• Departments undertaking pulse surveys showed sustained improvement.

• We had an increase of more than 1,000 people providing their feedback this year. We included zero-hours, agency staff and contractors in this survey.

What didn't work well?

• The use of paper surveys and translated surveys delayed the results for some key groups, which meant they were not included in the overall results pack.

• Our focus on Giving Something Back' did not have the impact we expected, and we will need to understand this more.

What needs to improve?

• Across all eight factors we will need to see improvements at the time of the next survey to demonstrate sustained change.

• We need to embed the functionality of Connect People to have a greater impact on personal growth and development, succession planning, talent management to ensure more is done for internal job applications.

• We need to focus on the role of leadership within the organisation to have a greater impact across the other seven factors.

Section Five

People Management Operations

People Management Operations

The Public Service is a complex organisation. Comparatively not considered a large' employer, being under 10,000 people, it is large for the Island. We are the largest employer. This brings opportunities and challenges to how we manage.

One size does not fit all. With over 60 different professions, with their own standards, competencies and frameworks – some with specific legislation or regulatory requirements – means we cannot create an homogenous approach to managing, developing culture or rewarding people. There is not one culture, with some professional groups having a distinct culture arising from their training or standards. Uniformed services need to ensure a strong chain of command, clinical professionals will have autonomy and different roles within their professions such as mentors, clinal leaders, and emerging new professional standing of allied health professionals and an evolving nursing profession. Schools are mini-communities and have their own unique identify. Creating the conditions for change does not happen at once, nor is it appropriate for everyone to fit the same mould.

8,102

Employees

7,378 Full Time Equivalents (6,965 FTE in 2022)

92% permanent employees

8.2%

Turnover

9.2% same time last year (Preceding 12 months to 31st August)

Main reasons: Voluntary: 5.5% Involuntary: 1.3% Retirement: 1.5%

85%

Jersey appointments

In the past 12 months, 969 islanders (85%) compared to 171* non-Islanders

*21 contracted, 150 permanent

60+

Professional

groups

These are professional groups with organisations that represent, regulate or provide definitions for professional standards

Top 3 professional groups:

• Nurses and midwives

• Teachers

• Senior Civil Service

Figures provided as at end of August 2023 reporting period from HR Dashboard, Leavers Dashboard, Case Management Dashboard

People Management Operations: Policy Framework

The Policy Framework was established in 2021 to link policy development with the objectives of the People Strategy

and provide a mechanism for the systemic review of policies, procedures and standard operating procedures. Many

policies and procedures were out of date, conflicting and ad hoc in their development. There was confusion between

a policy and a standard operating procure, resulting in multiple, conflicting policies. Local policies had developed  

within Departments causing further confusion, meaning advice at the centre often was out of date or conflicted with  

local policies.  

People The People Strategy sets the overall direction, tone and direction of travel for people management. The four  Strategy commitments should be reflected in everything that is developed to ensure delivery and embedding the future state of

the strategy.

The Codes of Practice are a requirement of legislation for the States Employment Board to issue. These are the  Codes of Practice highest-level policy statements from the States Employment Board. These are the requirements for all operations,

policies and management to fall under during their term of office.

Policies are required to meet the requirements of the People Strategy and the Codes of Practice. For example, a  Policies greater emphasis has been placed on the Values and Behaviour framework, ensuring resolution and improvement as

opposed to conflict and ensuring responsibilities and accountabilities are understood. Some policies are contractual

and required by law. The tone and language of the policy is now reflecting positive experiences and resolution.

Procedures Procedures are guidance on how to apply the policies. As mentioned above, not one-size-fits-all and managers should

exercise discretion within the objectives of the Codes.

Toolkits are provided to help provide learning and examples of how to implement the policies. These are regularly  Toolkits (SOPs) updated as learning occurs. This ensures that although policies may not be regularly updated, the learning and

guidance is applied more quickly.

Diagram: Policy Framework

People Management Operations: Codes of Practice

Codes of Practice

The Employment of the States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law requires the SEB to publish Codes of Practice. These are the high- level policy statements by the SEB from which the policy suite will develop.

The current SEB commissioned a complete review and modernisation of the statements as part of their new direction. The new Codes seek to provide explicit commitments to become a respected employer and drive good employment practice across the island.

Employee representatives (trade unions and professional associations) and employee networks were involved in the development of the Codes (and latterly the associated policies and procedures).

The Codes are the high-level policy statements that, by the end of the SEB's term of office, they will report on their progress of achieving their objectives.

Since June 2021, all Codes have been updated. As part of the SEB's drive to become more transparent and accessible, the Codes are published on the gov.je website.

The six Codes are:

Standards in Public Service: the requirements for all public services to conduct themselves to the highest standards. We adapted the seven principles of public life' and considered the needs of the island. The Code also introduced a duty on all employees to raise concerns in relation to conduct, fraud, safeguarding and health and safety.

Employee Rights at Work: This new Code, introduce an explicit commitment by the SEB to ensure that employees are aware of their rights at work and how to address concerns. Whilst these 11 rights set out the legal rights, not many employers will advise or promote the rights of employees at work, we also go beyond the basic legal duties in our commitment to upholding rights within the workplace.

Performance and accountability: The SEB have made it a focus to improve performance management and accountability for individual and collective conduct and actions. The duty to report concerns is expanded within this Code.

Reward and Benefits: This Code sets the principles for its approach to pay and reward over the coming years. The Code was updated to reflect the commitment to be a socially responsible employer, including a commitment to the Living Wage standards in direct and indirect employment.

Engagement: This Code establishes the mechanisms by which we will involve and include employees, including feedback, communication, engagement and information.

Talent Development: As another area of focus for the SEB, the ability to recruit, develop and retain employees is set out in this Code as a key policy statement.

People Management Operations: Policies

Recommendations from the Scrutiny, C&AG and the HR Lounge reports have all referenced the poor state and confusing policy landscape, with no strategy or connection to the Codes of Practice.

With the People Strategy in place, the Codes of Practice published, the policy suite has been rewritten from the start to reflect modern, clear, and good management practice. The first toolkit of the policy suite is completed and published and is focused on:

• Dignity and Respect at Work

• Resolving Grievances

• Whistleblowing

• Disciplinary

As part of this suite, we have introduced new practice for resolving concerns at an early stage through Restorative Practice.

In developing our policies, we have increased the opportunity to participate by involving in early stages the trade unions, employee-led networks, managers and business partners. The policies are then considered by the Operating Committee, with representatives from across the Public Service, before being approved by the Chief People and Transformation Officer.

At the last Scrutiny, the PROSPECT union made a submission arguing that the role of case management had a bias towards the manager and the employee did not feel supported. We have introduced restorative practice, used widely for resolution, to seek to address those concerns. Additionally, entering a formal process in early stages often leaves resentment and can create further conflict in the workplace.

We have introduced a 5-day fact find to seek to establish the most appropriate route for resolution. Formal investigations can often take longer to conclude, and the informal stage often went on for far too long, leaving the complainant unsure about whether their concerns were being taken seriously.

We have also focused on ensuring complaints and concerns are addressed in a timelier manner.

The SEB reviews monthly the suspensions and case management report as part of their commitment to ensuring employees are treated fairly. We have demonstrated the new approach has reduced the amount of time to resolve concerns. Case management is monitored through an internal dashboard. The case management team undertake training and review of cases when concluded to continually learn and improve the advice and support given where there is conflict.

People Management Operations: Workforce Planning

Departments across government have been developing their Strategic Workforce Plans (SWFP), these plans will support the development of a skilled workforce for the future and ensure the building and developing of existing talent is viewed as essential with the ability to better plan and commit budget to this area.

The collated outputs from these plans and SWFP offsites across government has provided us with a clear overview of government wide workforce risks and challenges. The SWFP team are currently drafting a government wide SWF Plan that will identify the actions that government will commit to over the coming 4 years to address these risks and challenges. A draft SWF Plan has already been presented to SEB and will be presented to OPCO and ELT, for input and agreement over Q4 2023

Through the SWFP process we have also identified the future capabilities required across government and these are highlighted in the attached table. These primarily fall into four kinds of skills: digital, higher cognitive, social, and emotional, and adaptability and resilience. The capabilities identified across government are like those identified by the island wide SWF Plan created through the Jersey Employer Group (JEG). We plan to incorporate the need for these skills throughout the employee life cycle and incorporate them into any future talent programmes and the government wide SWF Plan.

Strategic Workforce Planning is being supported through a suite of tools that have been developed for departments to use. This includes a people data catalogue that provides department with an analysis of their workforce, including the profile and demographic composition of their workforce to an analysis of workforce absence, costs, and turnover. 45 Data Catalogue presentations have been delivered to leadership teams across government to discuss the data, risk areas and opportunities for improvement. The SWFP team will continue to provide workforce intelligence to assist departments as they begin to monitor and evaluate the success of their plans and to ensure plans remain relevant with the ability to identify new risk areas and incorporate these into SWF Plans.

Strategic workforce planning 6 stage process

1: Define the plan

2: Analyse current workforce 3: Forecast future needs

4: Gap analysis

5: Plan actions and strategies 6: Monitor and evaluate

Succession planning 6 stage process

1: Identify critical roles

2: Identify capabilities

3: Identify potential successors

4: Assess individuals against capabilities 5: Development planning

6: Review and adapt

People Management Operations: Workforce Planning

SWFP workshops have been designed and delivered for employees and leadership teams across government to support departments in progressing through the SWFP cycle. 36 offsites have been conducted to date and these half day sessions have allowed time for leadership teams to work together and think strategically about their future workforce requirements and to then involve employees in addressing any workforce gaps and challenges that exist.

The need for further tools to support departments in the areas of succession planning and identifying skills gaps was highlighted in 2022. The SWFP team has now developed a succession planning toolkit and training material which has already been delivered to HR Business Partners and some leadership teams. This training will be available as an espresso training session for managers and leaders across government in Q1 2024.

The SWFP team and HR Business Partners will be providing support and guidance to leadership teams to ensure managers have greater confidence and competence in conducting succession planning and to ensure that any commitments made as part of departments SWF plans, in relation to succession planning, can be met. In addition, a training needs analysis half day session has already been released to support managers and learning leads in identifying and addressing any skills gaps in their departments.

Our future capability requirements have been identified through the workshops with departments and service leadership teams. This will be translated into a future skills offer through learning and development, alongside developing the professional grouping competency frameworks over the coming years.

Future capabilities requirements

Agility and flexibility Communications skills

Creativity and innovation

Customer service skills

Data analytics, science, security skills Digital skills

Emotional intelligence

Leadership and management Accountability and ownership Problem solving

Project management

Change management

Resilience

Collaboration and matrix working

People Management Operations: Case Summary

A central case management team within People and Corporate Services advises and manages formal cases. Where possible, cases are to be resolved locally by line managers. We have invested in the skills and capabilities of line managers and increased the capacity to provide advice to them.

For grievances and allegations of bullying and harassment, we have started to monitor complaints that are resolved informally, to capture initial concerns at the informal stage. The level and number of formal cases remains comparatively low for an organisation of our size. The number of cases reported to be handled by the Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service (JACS) in their annual report 2022 remains proportionate to the size of our organisation.

In 2023, we have currently received 11 claims to the Employment Tribunal in the year-to-date, compared to 31 claims in 2022. Table: Formal Case Management 2019 - 2023

A common perception is that exit packages and confidentiality clauses prevent people from speaking out. All such arrangements are covered by the Public Finances Manual with checks and balances. The number of compromise agreements' for reasons other than redundancy remains constant, having falls from 20+ in 2018. This represent 0.2% of the total employed workforce, and less than 0.2% of the total wage bill. (Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2022). Figures for 2023 are not yet audited, are currently at 12 signed agreements.

(end August 2023)

People Management Operations: Turnover

Turnover is an indicator that helps us understand:

• Are we providing a competitive offer of benefits, rewards and pay?

• Do we have work that people find interesting?

• Are the rates of retirement as expected? 5.20%

• Are people interested in progression ?

Year to date

We can also look at other factors to help better understand this such as:

• Turnover by pay group (occupational factors) 8.2% in same period of 2022

• Turnover by departments / teams, to indicate whether there are areas of concern  to end August 2023

• Turnover by tenure – are we investing in our new starters and meeting their expectations?

Organisational turnover is healthy. It allows for new people to bring fresh perspectives and experience, permits

change opportunities and allows for a review of how services are delivered for continuous improvement.  Top 5 Reasons

Low turnover is also not desirable, whilst there is stability there is a risk of practice not being updated, certain

cultures dominating that make it intimidating for new starters, and the potential for poor practice not to be  Personal (not work related) 19.9% identified.  End of contract 13.8%

Conversely, high turnover can be disruptive, particularly where clients have a professional relationship that has  Leaving Jersey 13.5% knowledge and history, or where teams are having to train new starters of focus efforts on recruitment. A  Retirement 12.2%

judgement call must be made about what is an acceptable or tolerable turnover level.  Career Development 11.6%

For public services, we use statistics published in the UK by occupational group as our closest pool for some groups. We can look further to compare against the OECD groups.

To compliment monthly turnover information, we also use exit interviews, and use the detail within the BeHeard survey to triangulate potential risks based on past turnover reasons.

People Management Operations: Turnover by Paygroup

Notes: Results for 2023 in both tables are Year-to-Date (end August 2023)

Turnover can be measured in different ways. For this report we look at overall turnover (all employees) and voluntary turnover (those who choose to leave). Other turnover includes retirements, which account for around 1.5 per cent of turnover year on year. Involuntary turnover includes dismissals, end of contract and probation ending early. This is typically 2-3 per cent of the workforce each year.

CIPD research, using data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) between 2020 and 2022 provides sectoral analysis. The Institute of Government has measured turnover in the UK Civil service since 2011. Between 2020/21 and 2021/22 has increased to 13.6% (all employees). For teachers, the Workforce Census (England 2020) indicates teaching turnover by FTE at 8.1% (compared to Jersey which remains under 6%) and school leaders around 5.5% in England (compared to Jersey at 5% in 202). Teaching and school leadership turnover has fallen marginally between 2019 and 2022. Similarly, higher turnover rates in the UK for nurses, is not the same picture in Jersey where turnover in 2002 was 5.1% (2021) and voluntary turnover 3.9%.

Higher turnover of personal contract holders' are in the senior leadership roles across public services. Similarly, the Prison Service has seen an increase in turnover, with a recruitment campaign ongoing. Teaching assistants are also leaving at a higher rate than previously, and more than twice the rate of teachers.

People Management Operations: Early Turnover

This is a total of 567 Permanent employees leaving in the first 2 years of employment. Out of these employees, 104 were licenced.

The recruitment to roles is an overhead. The process, management time and the induction period where employees learn the new role all take time, cost and capacity. We examine the turnover rate of new starters to ensure we are not recruiting where we do not meet the needs of new starters, where the induction is poor people feel frustrated or where the role described is not the role that was experienced. Additionally, for some key workers such as nurses, specialist teachers and doctors, recruitment is often from outside the Island, and added costs for recruitment and removals need to be considered. In 2020, we contracted with primary care doctors (GPs) to support the COVID19 response, which has resulted in a higher turnover than usual. Links to these tables include:

• Delivery Unit work on specialist recruitment activity for key workers in education

• The recruitment and retention section addresses our approach to improving the candidate experience.

• The activity on key worker accommodation

• The MyWelcome induction process

• Connect People (Future development)

People Management Operations: Factors Impacting Future Turnover (Age)

Our approach to workforce planning considers the skills needed in the short term and longer term, along with the availability of those with skills and likely turnover.

Age is a key factor in predicting future needs, and the effort for change and modernisation as technology becomes more prevalent. We also consider the length of time it takes to become proficient or qualify in certain professions. Where we have skills shortages, we need to consider the lead-in time to train and develop new entrants, and then to retain them.

A feature of the future workforce will need to be increased development and career progression opportunities. This will need to be reflected in strategic and service workforce plans and individual development plans to support succession planning.

Age Banding by Paygroup

Public Service Work Force Modernisation Teaching Assistants Teaching - Teachers

<19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-64 65+

Teaching - Highlands Teaching - Heads & Deputies

Prison Police

Personal Contract Holders

Nurses and Midwives - Nurses and Midwives - Aux Manual Workers

Fire & Rescue Doctors and consultants

Crown States Legal Civil Servants

0.0% 20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100.0%

People Management Operations: Factors Impacting Future Turnover (Age)

The age profile of the workforce is an indicator of future turnover. It allows us to assess the risk of skills shortages, as well as the opportunity for succession planning. Loss of organisational knowledge and experience is also a risk.