- Conference
- 2024 National Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 6 December 2023
- Decision
- Carried
Following the Letby case in 2023, there is growing political support for regulation of NHS management roles.
Conference wants to see a supportive set of standards applied equally to organisations to help them create both a culture of good management and clarity about expectations of managers at all levels, from a first line manager looking after a small team, to a board-level director with corporate responsibilities across many functions and people.
The approaches to regulating managers and codifying responsibilities may be different across the four parts of the UK. They should be fair, proportionate and independent.
Conference calls on the HSGE to engage with governments and employers on the development of any regulations and to advocate for the following criteria:
a) Standards and expectations must be comprehensive and apply to all posts managing staff and teams and set out clearly what is expected at the different levels of management responsibility
b) Processes should embed working with trade unions in core competencies and codes of practice
c) Frameworks adopted should equip managers to provide a range of interventions to situations common within NHS working environments, including the need to keep staff safe at work; ensure workplaces are fair and civil; support staff development; ensure the consistent implementation of NHS terms and conditions; and engage staff in decisions about the services they provide.
d) Better protections for whistleblowers and duties to foster safe cultures for staff raising concerns.
Conference also calls upon the HSGE to argue that alongside any regulations should come a standard for employers to make sure that they have the right number of managers, with the right skills, time and structures, to provide these essential elements of good people management.