HSE People and Culture Committee meeting minutes 12 January 2024

Members Present

Yvonne Traynor (Chair), Brendan Whelan, Bernie O'Reilly, Deirdre Cullivan, Matt Walsh, Michelle O’Sullivan

Apologies

Sarah McLoughlin; Aogán Ó Fearghail

HSE Executive Attendance

Anne Marie Hoey (ND HR), Philippa Withero (AND Strategic Workforce Planning and Intelligence), Theresa Heller (AND Corporate Business Partner), Prof Colette Cowan (CEO UL Hospitals Group), Niamh Drew (Deputy Corporate Secretary), Patricia Perry (Office of the Board), Breda Moore (Office of the Board).

Joined the meeting

Liam Woods (ND Health Regions Programme - Item 3.1), John Delamere (AND HR - Item 3.3), Emma Finn (Head of Internal Communications & Strategy Implementation - Item 4.1), Patrick Lynch (CSO), Elaine Kilroe (AND Enterprise Risk Management - Item 5.1)

Minutes reflect the order in which items were considered and are numbered in accordance with the original agenda. All performance/activity data used in this document refers to the latest information available at the time.

The Committee held a private session where the Chair provided a brief summary on the agenda, the relevant papers and approach to conducting the meeting.

2.1 Declarations of Interest

No conflicts of interest were declared.

2.2 Committee Work plan 2024

The Committee discussed the Work Plan 2024 which was circulated prior to the meeting. Following discussion it was agreed that further amendments would be made to the Work Plan.

2.3 Minutes

The Minutes of the People and Culture Committee meeting held on the 20th November were approved.

2.4 Committee Action Log

The Committee reviewed the Committee Action Log and suggested some minor amendments and agreed some items currently on the Action Log can be removed as they are included on the Scorecard.

3.1 HSE Health Regions Progress Report

L Woods joined the meeting.

Liam Woods, National Director, Health Regions Programme provided a progress report in relation to the Health Regions Programme.

The Committee was informed that the programme plan is currently engaged in a transition phase with transition activities being progressed and monitored.

The recruitment of the 6 Regional Executive Officers (REOs) has been completed. The REO has commenced in the Mid-West Region and offers have been sent to the 5 candidates recommended by the Public Appointments Service. The Chief Executive Officer has conducted a review of the HSE Centre and a revised structure has been agreed.

The revised structure seeks to achieve a leaner, agile, and streamlined Centre. Work is underway regarding potential structure of Health Region Executive Management Teams (EMT) and Integrated Healthcare Areas (IHAs). A proposal regarding HQ locations for the Health Regions will be presented at the next Board meeting.

The Committee was informed that a proposal around branding and visual identity for Health Regions has been developed by HSE Communications. It has been agreed that the Health Region names, which were initially planned as interim names, will be maintained. This represents a move away from the A to F names included in Sláintecare to names that reflect the broad geographical area covered by the Region.

The agreed names are HSE West and North West; HSE Dublin and North West; HSE Dublin and Midlands; HSE Mid-West; HSE Dublin and South East; HSE South West. The Committee discussed the risks to the Health Regions Programme, it was acknowledged that the FORSA industrial action represents a significant risk.

A programme or work is underway with HSE National HR to consider workforce implications and the potential impact on staff/roles in the new structure.

This work will continue in partnership with staff representative bodies to agree transition principles and methodologies. The Committee welcomed the ongoing engagement with patient/service users. The Committee was advised that population of the new Centre functional top team structures should be completed before the 1st March.

L Woods left the meeting at 10.25.

3.2 Bi Monthly Report

The ND HR presented a high level report on her Bi Monthly report.

The Committee was briefed on the recruitment of the Health Region Regional Executive Officers. Sandra Broderick was appointed to the Mid-West Region on the 18th December and contracts have been sent to the 5 candidates recommended by the Public Appointments Service.

The NDHR updated the Committee on the international recruitment campaign for Consultants. The campaign has a dual focus of attracting doctors who trained in Ireland and also attracting new talent to the HSE. The campaign has proved successful in relation to applicant numbers per Consultant post, whereby the average has increased from 2 in June to 4 in October.

In addition the percentage of applicants from outside Ireland has increased from 21% prior to the launch of the campaign to 28% currently. The Committee was briefed on implementation of actions identified in the Recruitment, Reform and Resourcing Programme. The Committee reviewed the Health Sector Workforce Census, total variation to November 2023 stands at +1297.

The Committee was updated on In House Training the objective of which is to embed a collective leadership model to support the development of future leaders at all levels.

The most popular programmes were First Time Managers, People Management the Legal Framework, and the National Healthcare Communication Programme.

The Committee was briefed on the work of the Diversity, Inclusion and Equality Team. Work continues on a number of strands to put in place enhanced supports for staff of different ethnicities who join the HSE from outside Ireland, and for those already in their roles. Information on innovative schemes providing effective supports to internationally qualified staff joining the service is being collated from across the health service, including in hospital groups and community settings. The Diversity Equality and Inclusion team released a short film celebrating the HSE’s involvement in Pride 2023 in November, with the help of the HSE’s Reach Out Staff Network for LGBTQIA+ employees and their allies.

3.3 Industrial Relations - developments and updates

John Delamere, AND HR joined the meeting.

The Committee was briefed on a number of updates in relation to HSE National Employee Relations. Employee Relations landscape in Health is complex and challenging. National Employee Relations deal with 10 different unions. The role involves representing the HSE and Section 38 Employers in direct negotiations, provision of advice to employers re contents of agreement, interpretation and implementation of same and attendance and representation at WRC Conciliation and Adjudication Services and the Labour Court. The Committee discussed some of the current IR issues e.g. Forsa dispute, continued rollout and implementation of NCHD’s agreement regarding working hours and conditions, and review of the Enhanced Nurse role. The Chair thanked the AND HR for providing the Committee with a better understanding of the role of HR National Employee Relations.

3.4 Pay and Numbers Strategy

Philippa Withero, AND HR joined the meeting The Committee was advised that work is continuing arising from the Budget re numbers of WTE’s. The November outcome has pushed employment levels significantly over the year-end target. All categories, with the exception of General Support and Health and Social Care Professionals, are reporting ahead of the year-end target. A full recruitment pause, excluding approved Consultant Posts, Doctors in formal training programmes, Graduate Nursing and Midwifery and some exception for Front-line Disability Services, is in place since the 10th November.

3.5 HR Dashboard

The Committee reviewed and discussed the HR dashboards which had been circulated prior to the meeting. There was discussion on Agency conversion and initiatives to reduce the Agency spend. The Committee discussed initiatives to increase the percentage of staff who have completed a performance achievement meeting with their line manager.

3.6 HR Dashboard Internal Management Data

The Committee reviewed the Internal Management Data Dashboard and suggested some minor changes to how data is presented.

3.7 HSE Board Scorecard

The Committee reviewed the HSE Board Strategic Scorecard in relation to People & Culture and Communications.

Emma Finn, Head of Internal Communications and Strategy Implementation joined the meeting

Emma Finn, Head of Internal Communications & Strategy Implementation presented the Internal Communications Report to the Committee which provided an update on current communications activities. Internal Communications operates under 4 strategic pillars of “Tell the story of the HSE, Show internal communications done well, Maximise our channels and, Do the day-to-day”.

Under the pillar of Tell the Story of the HSE a news article updating staff on the health regions went out on 21 December via Health Service News.

Under the pillar of Show Internal Communications done well the Committee was briefed on a report on the findings from the ‘Remotely Interested?’ research project. This research was conducted in the Midwest across community, hospital services and NAS with frontline staff (deskless staff).

The task is to use the findings from this research to inform the decisions we make of staff communications for the regional teams. Under the pillar of Maximise our channels the Committee was briefed on an automated email solution for staff communication which is being progressed with eHealth colleagues. The implementation phase with Adobe and colleagues in eHealth has commenced and it is hoped to have an email solution in place to support health regions from Q2 2024.

Under the pillar of Do the day-to-day, the Committee was briefed on how Internal Communications supported the Climate Action Campaign, by delivering an information campaign aimed at staff to introduce the HSE’s ambitions, actions and goals under the six areas of focus for climate action, and to highlight actions staff can take to support those goals.

Patrick Lynch, Chief Strategy Officer and Elaine Kilroe, AND Enterprise Risk Management joined the meeting.

The Chief Strategy Officer provided the Committee with an update on the recent Risk Workshop. The role of the Committee in relation to risk was discussed.

The NDHR briefed the Committee on progress to date on the implementation of the Interim Report of the National Taskforce on NCHD Workforce.

The Chair acknowledged that this was Deirdre Cullivan’s last meeting as her 3 year term has come to an end. She thanked Deirdre for her commitment to the work of the Committee and wished her well in the future.

The meeting concluded at 1pm.