HR Case Study - Southwark Health and Social Care
Situation
Southwark Health and Social Care is made up of Southwark Primary Care Trust and Southwark Council social care services. Their aim is to serve the needs of their community by integrating their services and working across organizational boundaries. Christine Greenwood is the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Programme Director and Assistant Director of Resource Management. |
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Challenge
People Vision was brought in to restructure the ICT department so that it would meet the Southwark ICT 5 year strategic plan and the Information Management and Technology (IM&T) strategic vision 2008-2012. Both the strategic plan and strategic vision outline key performance indicators for the IM&T service to ICT and Southwark Social Services.
The main challenge of the project was to revise the roles and responsibilities of the ICT senior management team, and develop a balanced personnel structure that would best meet the growing needs of the department and wider organization.
Józefa worked closely with Christine and 3 senior team members, as well as involving the senior team as a whole. She began the work in January 2008, being on site for 2 days a week and responding to the shifting needs of the project which is on line for completion in July 2008.
Action
- Józefa explored with Christine how the ICT strategic plan and the IM&T strategic vision would impact on the department and how best to meet the needs that would arise. Józefa held a brainstorming session with Christine and 3 senior team members for scenario planning and detailed consideration of the strategic vision document. Jozefa then mapped out a future structure to fulfil the department’s diverse needs.
- Rapid change throughout national and local programmes was impacting on Southwark ICT. As a project affecting patient care, there was a demand for greater flexibility and advanced technological capabilities including information management. Certain roles within the department needed to be more strategic and people in those roles needed to have better decision making and independent working capabilities.
- Józefa worked with and alongside the emerging IM&T strategy, developed by Christine, and through discussion, evaluation and scenario planning helped the senior management team create a new ICT restructure that would support the current activity and be responsive to the changing needs and demands that were likely to emerge from the strategy. She re-wrote 6 new job descriptions, including the addition of 2 new senior roles, which would underpin this strategic vision and direction. The new job descriptions provided the information needed by those potentially affected so that they could prepare for the change and highlight areas for personal development.
- An away-day was held for the 10 people in the senior management team to begin their involvement with the new job descriptions. The away-day provided the opportunity for them to contribute to the process through feedback, driving the project forward.
- The NHS requires a very precise process to be adhered to in order to introduce new posts and alter existing roles. As a commissioned specialist bringing an external, objective perspective to the process Józefa was able to go into a level of detail beyond the capacity of the internal HR department.
- Józefa familiarized herself with the specialized language, roles and requirements of the ICT department. Due to her position as an external advisor she was able to act as a facilitator between the ICT and HR departments. Her understanding enabled her to explain the needs and procedures of both departments, opening new lines of communication.
- Józefa provided clarification for the decision-making panel in response to their queries. By giving practical examples to illustrate and explain the proposals in detail, Jozefa gave the panel a greater understanding of the needs of the department. This facilitated the panel’s decision making on the allocation of resources including the creation of the 2 senior roles.
Results
- The new structure better met the department’s current needs and was set up to meet the challenges ahead, providing room for growth and development within the department over the coming years.
- The project is now at the appeal stage before the panel. The decisions and details of the alterations to job levels are being justified, and evidence supplied to support these decisions and role changes.
- Józefa will complete the change proposal document for consultation by team departments and specific stakeholders, leading on to the recruitment process which she is helping Christine to design.
- Training and development needs are being addressed, as the client is now interested in evaluating departmental knowledge and skills to ensure that current employees have the capability to apply for and adapt to the altered roles.
- Józefa has enabled both ICT and HR departments to see how they can support one another, responding productively to change. A shared language rather than departmental jargon was promoted to forge strong communication routes and strengthen the organization.
‘One of the biggest shifts might well be in Christine herself and her improved understanding of organisational HR and why they do things in a certain way. I think I’ve managed to help break down original barriers to that understanding and bring clarity to the task. Christine now appreciates why HR sometimes responds the way they do, and how this is often due to a lack of understanding, on both sides, as a result of the use of jargonized or technical language.’ (Józefa Fawcett)
Client Testimonial
"Józefa has enabled me to understand the situation from an HR perspective. Understanding their terminology makes for better in-house communications, and that’s been the biggest benefit of Józefa’s involvement. Understanding the processes behind the words and the governance behind that; about the importance of clear and open processes; means that ICT and HR can work better together in the future."
Christine Greenwood: ICT Programme Director, Southwark NHS
