The Survey seeks to evaluate the effects of the Best Value regime and other performance initiatives on staff perceptions of their working environment and organisational performance. It found that line managers tend to seek workers’ views when faced with service-related problems, but in a significant number of cases, these views are not always seen as being taken seriously. There was some evidence that line managers and staff trusted each other, but the results suggest that many local government workers do not trust elected members. This was attributed to the political priorities facing members, and their focus on short-term results in an attempt to win public support. The predominant culture within most authorities is not one of blame and managers were reportedly not quick to identify those who were responsible for errors. Those working in ‘Excellent’ authorities were better informed of what was going on when compared with those working in lower rated authorities.Service standards were found to be high and driven by the needs and aspirations of service users and local people. However, low staffing levels, high bureaucracy and inadequate equipment were seen as undermining improvements achieved through enhanced staff skills. The issue of under-staffing was perceived to be less acute in ‘Excellent’ authorities and more pronounced in ‘Poor’ authorities. ‘Excellent’ authorities were also found to provide staff with the training needed to achieve high standards of service.
More work needs to be done to ensure that new recruits to the Civil Service understand the values that govern their work. The call has come from the First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Prashar, in launching the Commissioners’ annual report.She said it was important – at a time when the Service was under pressure to adapt to new ways of doing business – that the Civil Service Code, which sets out the values that underpin the work of civil servants, was promoted to and properly understood by new staff.
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A new body has been set up to ensure patients’ interests are taken into account in the development of IT systems for the National Health Service. The Care Record Development Board -CRDB – will bring together patients, public, social and healthcare professionals.It will be chaired by Harry Cayton, the Department of Health’s Director for Patients and the Public. Its objective will be to to ensure NHS IT helps deliver better care and supports the Government’s priority of putting the interests of patients first. The board will be able to give clinical and patient input to new developments through the National Programme for IT and will replace the National Programme’s Patient Advisory Board and National Clinical Advisory Board.
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