Fair Work First

We feel that the principles of Fair Work First fully align with our values, who we are as an organisation, and why we have been accredited as an Investors in People Platinum employer.

Trust operates multiple channels for employees to express their voice both individually and collectively.  We encourage engagement and actively seek the involvement of employees across a broad range of initiatives, particularly those which impact them directly.   

• We have an active Employee Forum group comprising Employee Representatives from across Trust who meet regularly to discuss and prioritise topics of importance to the wider employee group, and whose input is sought by the organisation to shape initiatives and provide input on key decisions.  
  
  
• We encourage participation in a range of employee surveys to gather feedback on how we are performing as an employer, sharing insights and action plans and providing updates on progress.  These include our annual Employee Engagement Survey, Investors in People and Leaders in Diversity.   
  
  
• We conduct in person and virtual ‘One Trust’ get togethers including town halls and employee roadshows where employees are encouraged to contribute ideas and opinions as well as engage outside of their immediate working group.    
  
  
• Managers and leaders operate an open door policy from the CEO all the way through the organisation, providing a broad platform of support.      
  
  
• Employees have the opportunity to be involved in a range of working groups which shape priorities in specific areas, for example our Wellbeing group.  
  
  
• We utilise a variety of technology to support communication and connectivity, including Microsoft Teams and our company intranet.   Our Miro Board technology enables employees to collaborate virtually and provide ideas and opinions openly or anonymously.    
  
  
• We have excellent one-to-one relationships between Line Managers and employees at all levels, with regular, open and constructive dialogue between both parties, evidenced by very high scores in this area in our most recent Employee Engagement Survey.    
  
  
• We have policies and procedures in place to provide employees with ways to raise workplace concerns or issues.  These include our Whistleblowing policy and our Grievance procedure.   
  
  
• We operate performance review and appraisal processes with regular workplan and support and skills sessions as well as virtual and in-person team meetings. 

We are proud of our record of investing in the development of our people and supporting their internal progression.   

• One of our organisational values is ‘Love to Learn’ which encourages our employees to learn by trying new things and take advantage of opportunities to develop and progress in a way that is mutually beneficial.     
  
  
• Our Learning & Development plan combines the attraction of diverse talent with growing the skills for the future and opening up career opportunities for all.  
  
  
• Our online learning platform provides clear learning plans and a broad range of training content, enabling all employees to access the core learning required for their role and beyond.     
  
  
• Employees are supported financially with payment of professional subscriptions and are given time to continue their professional development.  
  
  
• We support employees to obtain relevant SVQs and our learning fund enables those who wish to obtain more advanced qualifications to do so.    
  
  
• Our talent and succession programme is helping us to grow a pipeline of talent for the future, supporting career progression based on capability and potential.     
  
  
• We support a blended approach to learning by enabling employees to take part in a wide range of learning-related activities to suit their needs - from attending conferences and webinars to on-the-job learning and mutual mentoring and coaching.  

• We operate a Trust Staff Agency where individuals employed on ‘Bank’ (casual) contracts are offered the opportunity to undertake work to provide absence and short-term vacancy cover.  
  
  
• These contracts are technically zero-hours contracts as a number of set hours is not guaranteed, however, Trust does not use these contracts inappropriately.  All employees who accept a Bank contract have opted to do so independently and without the influence of Trust.   
  
  
• All Bank workers have the option of choosing which of the shifts on offer that they would like to work (if any).  There is no expectation, contractual or otherwise, that they accept the shifts offered.   
  
  
• Our Bank workers typically choose to join the Bank as a result of one of the following:  

• • They choose to move from a contract with guaranteed hours because they prefer the flexibility of a Bank contract. 
  • As part of the application process for a permanent vacancy, they instead opt to be added to the Bank so they can choose the hours they work.  If a Bank worker prefers to work guaranteed hours, permanent contracts are usually available for them to apply for. 
  • They chose to undertake a permanent contract and have the flexibility of working additional hours when they wish by having their name on the Bank.  

• We are currently accredited as a Gold ‘Leaders in Diversity’ organisation and were no.19 in the National Centre for Diversity’s Top 100 Most Inclusive Workplaces Index 2023.  We have been a Leader in Diversity since 2015.  
  
  
• We are a Disability Confident Employer ensuring that we provide fair and equal opportunity for people with disabilities to join, and succeed at Trust.   
  
  
• Our employee Wellbeing group run events which support and promote health, wellbeing and EDI in line with the diverse needs and interests of our workforce.  These have included a focus on men’s mental health to Menopause and stress awareness.    
  
  
• EDI training is mandatory for all employees, including the Board. 
  
  
• We have a fixed pay structure where every role is paid the same regardless of the gender of the post holder.  We produce our Gender Pay Gap Report on an annual basis and publish it on our website.  Our current mean gender pay gap is 0%. 
  
  
• Our Wellbeing Hub offers a wide range of resources to support our employees with their mental and physical health and our trained Mental Health Supporters provide somewhere for employees to turn during difficult times.  For more formal support we offer access to both an Occupational Health and Counselling Service.   
  
  
• We gather data, where provided by the individual, to better understand the diversity of our workforce and those applying for positions within Trust.    
  
  
• Our culture, policies and practices ensure we recruit and retain the best employees for the role and we are proud of our increasingly diverse workforce.   
  
  
• We have amended our governing rules and widened our advertising range to actively encourage a broader and more diverse range of applicants and appointments to our Trust Board.   
  
  
• We conduct Equality Impact Assessments on key strategic and operational activities to ensure that they are fair and do not disadvantage any protected groups.  This ensures we promote equality in practice and deliver better outcomes for our colleagues, customers and communities.   

Trust pays all directly employed colleagues at least the Real Living Wage.

Trust pays all contractors and agency staff engaged in delivering the Scottish Government funded activity at least the Real Living Wage. Trust pay rates are replicated via requirement of pay parity within contracts for external agency staff.

Supporting our employees to be the best they can be means helping them to achieve a reasonable balance between their work and personal lives, whatever that means to them.   That is why 81% of respondents to our 2023 Employee Engagement Survey agreed that Trust is a flexible employer.  

Where employees want to work flexibly we have constructive conversations on how to put in place flexible working arrangement and making suitable adjustments, even requests that are more difficult to accommodate.   

Our approach to flexible working is captured in the following policies and practices which apply as appropriate:  

• Flexible Working Policy  
• Flexitime Scheme 
• Holiday buy-back scheme (over and above statutory minimum holidays)  
• Blended (Hybrid) Working policy  

We also have an extensive suite of family friendly policies and practices including:  

• Parental Leave  
• Paternity Leave  
• Shared Parental Leave 
• Maternity Leave 
• Adoption Leave  
• Special Leave  

Trust neither employs nor would endorse the use of Fire and Rehire Practice and commits to not engaging in this activity.  

Where we make necessary changes to our organisation in line with a legitimate business need, we consult with employees appropriately and support them to achieve the best possible outcome for both themselves and the business.   

All impacted employees, regardless of the nature of their contract of employment, are engaged in open dialogue and included in any consultation process.  Where appropriate, formal Employee Representatives will be elected.  

Trust’s approach to consultation is genuine and meaningful and this is clearly articulated in our Redundancy Policy.