Researchers at the University of Salford have called for immediate action to protect those who are victims of systemic abuse in the NHS. This follows their evaluation of the programme designed to restore employee trust and protect whistleblowers.
The University’s research evaluates The Healing Process, and provides actionable solutions to senior leaders in the NHS as well as other sectors who are experiencing poor cultures and systemic bulling.
NHS Highlands, along with the Scottish Government developed the Healing Process in response to the recommendations made in the Sturrock review. The independent review, which was commissioned after allegations of bullying at NHS Highland, found significant harms. It suggested that the health board adopt a more restorative strategy.
In order to create the report, the team of researchers from the University of Human Resources and Employment Law collaborated with Tracy Boylin (CEO of People Genetics) and CMP, Conflict Management Plus, in order to analyze the effectiveness of the Healing Process. The scheme’s guiding principles were to focus on restoration or healing, with a person centred approach, and treat each case with kindness compassion empathy equity fairness accountability. The programme’s core foundation was the design and development of it in partnership with victims groups.
Researchers gathered data from 272 participants in The Healing Process. 58% are NHS Highland employees, and 42% are ex-NHS Highland employees who have lived through the bullying culture.
Dr Jonathan Lord, Senior lecturer in Human Resources Management at the University of Salford and Employment Law, said: “It is no secret that NHS has struggled for years with its culture of bullying, as it also deals with whistleblowing. The government was forced to intervene recently to launch a consultation to try to stop the “culture of cover-ups.”
“However, by implementing a system where people can speak out without fear of retaliation, we can have a positive impact on the culture, which, as we know, can lead to an improved NHS service, and better patient outcomes.”
Personio data shows that 91% of UK workers are worried about retaliation towards whistleblowers. Meanwhile, 43% of employees have witnessed or experienced workplace misconduct including inappropriate or illegal behavior. To this end, almost one fifth of NHS employees say they have been bullied or harassed at work by their colleagues.
Tracy Boylin said: “It is time to move past the combative and legalistic approach to hiring and embrace a human-centric model that prioritizes collaboration, respect and shared success. We can foster an environment where employees are treated as individuals, not contracts, by treating them with respect. This will lead to a more innovative workplace, a deeper level of trust, and sustainable growth for businesses.
“A healthy workforce is the basis of a successful company.” “The Healing Process achieved this through collaboration and engagement of all stakeholders.”
Paul O’Donnell continued, “As an important partner in this pioneering initiative, CMP proudly endorses these findings.” The research shows that restorative programs can be transformative in re-building trust and combating systemic bullying. The Healing Process is a valuable resource at a time when so many industries are facing similar workplace issues and employees.
The report also highlights key lessons for senior leaders. The report recommends that leaders see complaints as an opportunity for improvement, rather than a threat. They should also embed a learning culture throughout the organization.
The report recommends that transparency be established by publishing trends in complaints and satisfaction metrics. The report also makes suggestions on how to allocate resources for training in feedback, investigator development and learning from recognised trends by regular reviews.
Jonathan concluded, “By adopting this strategy, we hope to encourage those who witness bullying at work to speak out. We will also assist those who are experiencing any type of problematic behavior, ultimately tackling the negative workplace culture.
By examining The Healing Process, it will be more successful and we can achieve our long-term goals of rolling it out to other NHS trusts as well as other organisations in order to improve the negative culture. All participants agreed that The Healing Process was a fair and accessible way to find a personal solution to workplace bullying. However, better implementation and accountability is needed to ensure lasting improvement. It is important to ensure that victims of bullying, and whistleblowers, feel safe in reporting instances of misconduct.”
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