PPMA 2013 Annual Seminar Tim Caroline - I Love Hackney - Employee Engagement
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PPMA 2013 Annual Seminar
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PPMA 2013 Annual Seminar Tim Caroline - I Love Hackney - Employee Engagement
- 1. Employee Engagement Tim Shields, Chief Executive Caroline Anderson, HRD Hackney Council
- 2. What comes to mind when you think of Hackney… Is it this? Or now this?
- 3. The clean up “Hackney Council, cleaners, police and local people did an amazing job. I came out to help, but the streets at least are cleaned up”
- 4. In recent years, Hackney has actually become this…
- 5. This is where we were 12 years ago… Hackney has a real story to tell However by December 2004, the Audit Commission said we were the “most improving” authority
- 6. Improving the Council & delivering for Hackney by 2009 Hackney has a real story to tell ‘Hackney has shown that it is possible to improve public services while helping business to thrive, holding down taxes and providing genuine value for money.’ Ian King, The Times, 30th April 2009
- 7. Chapter 3: Selling the place (2009-2012) Hackney has a real story to tell ‘Hackney - it’s an exciting place to be right now... bring on the Olympics - we are ready for it!!!’ Katie Hillier, Vogue, 26 June 2012
- 8. The 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games Hackney has a real story to tell
- 9. Chapter 4: Making pathways (2013 onwards) and preventing polarisation But what next? Morning Lane Fashion Hub
- 10. Whilst this transformation has been happening, what has been going on inside Hackney Council since 2002?
- 11. And the surveys says… In 2004: 34% of staff rated us as ‘one of the worst/below average’ 38% said the organisation is ‘about average’ ‘Views on Hackney Council as an employer are less positive than for other local authorities where MORI has asked this question’
- 12. And the surveys says… By 2007: Mori: ‘Hackney performs significantly better than 2005’ ‘The Council has increased the proportion of its staff who say they would be an advocate for the Council and rate is better as a service provider’ ‘Hackney does better than the averages for the other public organisations conducting employee research – local authorities, London Boroughs and the public sector as a whole’
- 13. And the surveys says… By 2009: Advocacy growing, ‘up 38% in 2004 to 57% in 2009’ ‘85% agreed the Council was making the area a better place to live’ •Feeling informed about the Council – 24 points higher •Belief that management has a clear vision – 21 points higher •Pride in working for the Council – 21 points higher •Feeling valued – 17 points higher •Working for an organisation that really looks after employees – nine points higher •Job satisfaction – six points higher •Feeling informed about the Council – 24 points higher •Belief that management has a clear vision – 21 points higher •Pride in working for the Council – 21 points higher •Feeling valued – 17 points higher •Working for an organisation that really looks after employees – nine points higher •Job satisfaction – six points higher ‘The Council now receives better ratings from its staff than almost any other public sector employer with which Ipsos MORI has worked with in recent years’
- 14. And the surveys says… By 2011: ‘60% of would now speak highly about the Council as an employer (38% in 2004), and 69% are proud to work for the Council.’ ‘77% employees feel informed about developments at the Council. 67% agreeing the reasons for change are well communicated, up from 47% in 2009’ Despite cuts and job losses, ‘It is very positive to note that employees’ pride and self- motivation have remained steady or improved since 2009’
- 15. In 2011 we asked staff ourselves what they like about Hackney Council… Each other! ‘Professional, supportive, fun, diverse, colleagues who have the best interests of the Council at heart and want to see a difference’ Local Flexible working Always innovating and we see a difference Sound financial management Clear vision and visible leaders Personal and career development We protect services and deliver in house It’s challenging two days never the same Good T&Cs and new buildings
- 16. We also asked staff what they didn’t like about Hackney Council… The cuts! ‘Seeing colleagues leave the organisation, restructures and efficiencies, more work to do, and pay freeze’ More autonomy Want more flexible working Quicker systems and processes Cut bureaucracy Some buildings still not up to scratch Too many managers More cross- Council working Improve ICT infrastructure
- 17. Service First Programme - an organisational change programme Aim: • Improve and extend access to Council Service • Reduce our property portfolio and associated costs • Implementation of consistent and excellent levels of customer service
- 18. The Service First Programme A new customer services hub for Hackney •Construction of two new buildings (1,600 staff) • Co-location of all front facing services • Development of single front office (integration of 40 services) • Implementation of consistent and excellent levels of customer service • Introduction of New Ways of Working (home, mobile shared space) • supported by enabling technology (CDM, CRM etc)
- 19. New ways of working Service First Framework •Open plan • 8-10 desk share • Integrated service provision • Enabling learning
- 22. The Hackney Service Centre
- 23. Customer services and council offices in one
- 24. Ipsos MORI research 2013
- 25. Ipsos MORI research 2013 • Representative sample of 1,016 Hackney residents aged 16+ • Face-to-face using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) • Fieldwork: 03 January to 06 March 2013 • Quotas set on age, gender, work status and ethnicity to match the profile of the population of Hackney. • Data are also weighted to these profiles. • Statistical reliability (sampling tolerance of +/- 3 ppts at 95% confidence interval)
- 26. Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your local area (15-20 minutes walking distance from your home) as a place to live? Nine in 10 are satisfied with the local area – two in five are ‘very’ satisfied % Very dissatisfied % Fairly dissatisfied % Neither % Fairly satisfied % Very satisfied Satisfied 89% Dissatisfied 6% Sub-group differences
- 27. Hackney 2008 Place Survey Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your local area (15-20 minutes walking distance from your home) as a place to live? Satisfaction with the local area continues to improve… Hackney National (Citizenship/ Community Life Survey) %satisfied Base: Hackney 2013 (1,016). Fieldwork 5 January – 6 March 2013; Hackney 2005 (1,006) . Fieldwork 25 August – 31 October 2005; Hackney 2001 (1,006). Fieldwork November 2001; Citizenship /Community Life Survey, c. 10,000 interviews each year. Tweet from Ben Page CEO Ipsos MORI: “Satisfaction with #hackney as place to live up from 60% in 2001 to 80% now. Satisfaction with council up from 23% to 74%. Respect!”
- 28. Steady improvement across all services… …has meant we have seen our staff perform and go the extra mile.
- 29. Engagement secrets It’s not what we do – it’s how we do it Strong narrative, successes and achievements shared and celebrated Strong leadership, and financial decisions We deliver in-house transfering ownership and accountability to staff Strong governance on projects staff have to deliver We’re efficient, effective and innovative Local, passionate staff – Hackney gets under your skin! Opportunities for staff to progress We talk to our staff and ask them what the issues are We communicate well – profile of CEO and Mayor high Ben Page, CEO Ipsos MORI said: “Staff are engaged because they can see improvements and how the borough has transformed itself – they are part of this. And they have also had strong, consistent leadership over the last few years.”
- 30. So we think our staff are unique… …and our greatest asset! But there are more challenging times ahead, and we will need to stand by them and support them.
Editor's Notes
- Introduction Tim Shields, Chief Executive Caroline Anderson, Assistant Director HR and Organisational Development
- TIM: Hackney Council and the people of the borough have fought hard to change the reputation of Hackney over the years. An incident like the disturbances on the 8 August could have set us back many years. I want to show you a couple of minutes of footage…
- TIM: The riots on August 8 2011 were an extremely difficult time for staff, our residents, and businesses in Hackney. We were overwhelmed by the response of the public - the next day 100s gathered with brooms to clean up Clarence Road and Mare Street, which you could see in the film an pictures above, and in the Hackney Town Hall Square. We were pleased however to be able send them elsewhere to other boroughs, as overnight, from 3am, out Waste Operations bravely went out and cleaned it all up (last click), so by morning, apart from a burnt out car or two, which were removed later – everything was looking clean for our resident – a very powerful message of reassurance. We were praised for our actions by residents and the media for the rapid clean up – which was down largely to our dedicated staff. I came into the borough at 6am that morning and walked the streets and I was stunned to see how ‘normal’ things appeared after 12 hours of disturbances. Our staff had gone the extra mile that night. Despite Council buildings being in the epicentre of the riots, communications spread rapidly, staff evacuated, or carried on delivering services in a very dignified manner. This was an event that showed to us what kind of staff we employ – which we will talk about more later in the presentation. Work continues to improve police and community relations, communication, community engagement and cohesion and to address disengagement, disadvantage and social inequality – and improving economic opportunities which will have led to people coming out on the streets and acting like they did. Sadly most were just in it to cause mindless violence and disruption (and weren ’t even from the borough), and take what they could from local businesses while police resources were stretched – a pattern echoed up and down England that week.
- TIM: Hackney has worked hard to improve it ’s reputation. The riots were a set back but the ground work was done, and people can see and feel the results of improvements to the borough. The 2011 Census estimates Hackney's population to be 246,300. We are multicultural, diverse, largest Orthodox Jewish community in Europe, a place were people get on well together. 50% of our housing in the social rented sector, and high levels of unemployment, alongside economic growth and rising house prices. And it remains challenging… I ’ll take you briefly through Hackney’s story from being the worst to without a doubt the most rapidly improving Council in the country, in terms of our finances, our services and our reputation.
- TIM: The story of Hackney - In 2001, worst Council in the country - Declared bankrupt – if that’s possible - Non discrimination notice high crime, unsafe, dirty streets, poor public service, poorly maintained parks etc Workforce 480 Race Related ETs, loss of education contract Since then we have transformed ourselves as a Council Chapter 1: Improving the Council (2002-2006) ‘ As residents in Dalston and Stamford Hill are quick to tell you, Hackney is not out of the woods yet. But it is on track. In December, the Audit Commission called it the "most improving" authority.’ David Walker, the Guardian, 28th January 2004 Hackney was without a doubt the most rapidly improving Council in the country, in terms of our finances, our services and our reputation. Coming from the unenviable position of ‘most renowned basket case’ in local government, these years were all about showing strong leadership, consistency and demonstrating firstly to our residents, and then to the wider world that we were a fundamentally sound organisation that could deliver decent services, attract the best staff and provide value for money. Put in the context of spectacular past failures, Hackney’s improvement journey was a compelling story for residents, staff and stakeholders.
- TIM: Chapter 2: Delivering for Hackney (2006-2009) ‘ Hackney has shown that it is possible to improve public services while helping business to thrive, holding down taxes and providing genuine value for money.’ Ian King, The Times, 30th April 2009 In reputation terms, this is when the hard work really started to pay off. The Council had well and truly put the past behind it in performance terms, and in 2008 received a three star/improving strongly audit commission report. The national reputation of the leadership was growing in stature and our place as a leading local authority becoming firmly established. Plus, the ‘bad old days’ were still close enough at hand for each of Hackney’s successes to be a story in its own right. Major projects were delivered, like the reopening of Clissold Leisure Centre and the London Fields Lido, Council Tax was frozen each year, and the Council was able to position itself in the forefront of London authorities, delivering excellence across its service portfolio. Over the five financial years prior to 2010 Hackney saved more money in efficiency savings than any other London borough, and in 2010 we were in the top three savers nationally, having also frozen Council tax for 7 years
- TIM: Chapter 3: Selling the place (2009-2012) ‘ Hackney - it’s an exciting place to be right now... bring on the Olympics - we are ready for it!!!’ Katie Hillier, Vogue, 26 June 2012 In the years leading up to the 2012 Games, the external narrative became increasingly focused on Hackney the place, rather than the Council. Hackney status as a high-performing authority had become the norm, and the focus was shifting towards managing the reputation of the borough, which was improving but still blighted by incidents of crime which would gain a high profile despite crime falling year on year. With the 2012 Games on the horizon, bringing inward investment and visitors in, securing the legacy, and promoting civic pride and cohesion became the priorities. The Council found a way of talking about Hackney that played to its strengths and both acknowledged and made opportunities of its challenges. Despite the change in the national political landscape, and the scale of the forthcoming financial challenge, Hackney maintained a positive tone and a confidence about the place and its future, which served us well throughout the Games and helped us to make a real impact.
- TIM: A bit more about the Games… We had an incredibly successful Games, we took our role as a host borough very seriously and meticulously planned from when London won the bid, to today as we continue to maximise the legacy for our residents. We wanted to ensure that Hackney as a borough, our residents and staff got the most out of the Games in terms of investment, opportunity and experience. I am proud to say that we delivered this with our own skills and experience, almost entirely in-house, to plan, prepare and deliver an amazing summer for our residents. We: Helped 9,000 Hackney children take part in the borough ’ s Paralympic Championships. Gave 8,000 primary school children the chance set Personal Bests. Gave 17,000 Olympics, Paralympics and test event tickets to our residents. Helped hundreds of Hackney school children participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies Created 200 youth and primary school ambassadors for the Games supporting cultural events and sports. Enabled 6,500 young people attend the Radio 1/1Xtra Academy offering advice on careers in all aspects of media and creative industries. Hackney marked the beginning of the London 2012's Olympic and Paralympic Games season with the massively successful Radio 1 Hackney Weekend on 23/24 June, which was attended by 100,000 people. The One Hackney Festival and Olympic Torch Relay on 21 July also brought 103,000 people on to the streets of Hackney. We carried out an intensive year of internal communications building up to the Games to ensure our staff were ready for the challenge, services needed to plan for all eventualities, staff had to plan travel and their summer leave accordingly to maintain services, and we engaged as many staff as possible to be a part of the Games in some way – volunteering, tickets, visits to the Park. A post-Games survey with staff on how they found the experience and what they got out of it said: The majority were extremely pleased that Hackney Council was a host for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 97% felt informed about the Games 71% said the Games created a ‘ feel good factor ’ within teams. 89% felt that the Olympic and Paralympic Games has had a positive impact on Hackney ’ s reputation. And, the majority of said the regeneration of Hackney would be a long-term benefit for Hackney the place. Caroline will talk more about how a project like the Games engaged and empowered staff shortly.
- TIM: Chapter 4: Making pathways (2013 onwards) Hackney post-2012 Hackney is undergoing a renaissance; in a few short years it has become one of the most desirable and fashionable places to live in London. House prices continue to rise steadily, outstripping the rest of East London and showing that there is a lot more to this growth than the ‘Olympic effect’. Excellent housing stock, successful schools, and well-maintained, attractive public amenities, combined with a near-to-central London location, and thriving arts, cultural, retail and creative sector have made Hackney highly attractive as a place to live and work. The borough is undergoing rapid economic growth, particularly in the digital and media sectors, and also in hospitality (hotels, restaurants, cafes etc). The Tech City cluster of business has put down firm roots in the borough, and the new iCITY development on the Olympic Park looks set to create up to 6,500 jobs in the area. At the same time, Hackney continues to be home to some of the most deprived communities in Britain, with poverty levels set to rise as the national welfare reform agenda takes effect. With 50% of our housing in the social rented sector, and high levels of unemployment as a percentage of our overall working age population, the Council continues to serve a population with a high level of need. The rapid economic growth of the borough threatens to alienate this deprived population, especially as Hackney becomes less affordable for those on middle incomes, and this is a risk to the community cohesion of which the borough has been rightly proud.
- CAROLINE: The first thing I would like to talk about are our staff survey results…
- CAROLINE: In 2004 Views on Hackney Council as an employer are less positive than for other local authorities where MORI has asked this question. One in five (22%) employees would rate Hackney Council as ‘one of the best or above average’ employers they have worked for, but more (34%) would rate it as ‘one of the worst/below average’. The majority however, 38%, say the organisation is ‘about average’.
- CAROLINE: By 2007 Hackney performs significantly better than in 2005 but does better than the averages for the other public organisations has conducted employee research – local authorities, London Boroughs and the public sector as a whole. Perhaps most importantly, the Council has increased the proportion of its staff who say they would speak positively about it (i.e. advocate it) as an employer (49%) and as a service provider (47%), and on both these key measures staff are more positive than the Ipsos MORI norms.
- CAROLINE: In 2009 The results of the 2009 employee survey are very positive for the Council; the improvement in staff attitudes, noted in 2005 and 2007, has clearly been sustained and improved upon. The Council now receives better ratings from its staff than almost any other public sector employer with which Ipsos MORI has worked with in recent years. What the 2009 survey revealed – more detail A clear illustration of a positive trend was staff ’s growing advocacy of the Council as an employer (i.e. the proportion who say they would speak positively about the Council to others). This increased continually from only 38% in 2004 to 57% in 2009, which places it well above the Ipsos MORI norm for local authorities (33%), London Boroughs (33%) and the public sector in general (38%). Similarly, the number of staff who rate the Council above average as a place to work almost doubled since 2004 (up from 23% to 42%). Furthermore, most staff (85%) agreed the Council was making the area a better to place to live and that it is has strong links with the local area (75%). This was important because the morale of Council employees is likely to be noticed by local people when they get in contact with the Council and this may play a major role in public attitudes towards it. Feeling informed about the Council – 24 points higher Belief that management has a clear vision – 21 points higher Pride in working for the Council – 21 points higher Feeling valued – 17 points higher Working for an organisation that really looks after employees – nine points higher Job satisfaction – six points higher
- CAROLINE: In 2011 The further improvements since 2009: - 60% of us would now speak highly about the Council as an employer . This is higher than in 2009 (57%), and has improved in each survey since 2004 when only 38% would speak highly of the Council. - Compared with the 2009 findings, more employees feel informed about developments at the Council (up from 74% to 77%) with 67% agreeing the reasons for change are well communicated , up from 47% in 2009. - In addition, more staff now agree they are proud to work for the Council (69%, up from 63% in 2009). However, there were also some more challenging messages for Tim and the Council ’s leadership. Cuts were beginning to hit - there has been a big fall in satisfaction with job security, from 55% in 2009 to 31% now. - 26% of you say the Council has got worse as employer, up from 13% in 2009 - and there is lower satisfaction with levels of responsibility, career development and the resources available to do your jobs. It is very positive to note that employees ’ pride and self-motivation have remained steady or improved since 2009.
- CAROLINE: Each other! - Professional, supportive, fun, diverse, colleagues who have the best interests of the Council at heart and want to see a difference. - In turn – they like making a difference they can see, and helping local vulnerable people – especially if it is their borough. - Many also commented that they have supportive managers, or they feel trusted. - good cross departmental working - Convenience - Staff like working here because it is local to them and transport links are good - Flexible working is one of the most popular comments above all. Hackney provides opportunities for a good work-life balance. Flexible working and working from home is key. - Hackney is innovative - People like the opportunity to work in a diverse borough – but also one that leads and innovates, rather than imitates. - Provides good opportunities for development and the opportunity to work outside of their remit. - Many are pleased with systems we use - Clear vision, strong political leadership/HMT - Hackney is challenging - Two days are never the same. Problems in the borough provide a continual challenge. - Staff are proud we have the skills to rise to challenges and deliver projects in house, and that people are resilient, motivated and adaptable to deal with constant change. Good financial management and performance - Staff have faith in how the council financially managed and have seen the great improvements in the borough and how the council is run. Many comment how clean and safe it is. - Many comment on the excellent services and the commitment not to reduce the frontline Resources/HR and Training - Good training. True for some directorates (CYPS).and not others. - Self Service (good in some aspects) and quality of buildings - HSC good for networking - Hackney is a fair and interested employer, equal opportunities - Being sufficiently informed with news and events, corporate communications and Roadshows - Good terms and conditions - Job opportunities (CYPS again)
- CAROLINE: Facilities - Better facilities in the Town Hall (CE Dir) - HSC is too noisy, staff would like glass partitions. Also hot desking has been criticised. Air con too cold and it ’ s a bit Big Brother in there! Better choice in the HSC Canteen. Better furniture in prayer room. Colour in HSC etc. - A staff crèche - Staff car park - Bad environment to work in, especially for Kelton House staff. Decision-making and autonomy/managers Being more involved in big decisions More decision-making for 4th tiers Policy and procedure is not the only way to get things done – slows processes Political interference and the bureaucracy attached Clarification on who makes the decisions More room for innovation – too risk adverse Too many managers and not representative of overall staff diversity Low staff morale - managers need to listen to us and address problems Greater empowerment of staff with trust and responsibility More visits/communication from the managers The bureaucracy – too many layers of management delays decisions Management training before having to manage Performance More honest feedback would improve performance More staff incentives Dealing with bad performance and sickness – not fair on those carrying the can so to speak Procurement and finance/systems Staff weren ’ t particularly specific about this – more just a frustration with the process and that there needs to be streamlining Being able to use local suppliers Simplify approvals process Too many recording tools like Care First, Camino, CDM Stability and salaries/HR More stability – threat of restructures every 1-18months unsettling – talent drain Performance-related rewards No pay freezes Not enough training, development and career progression. We want to know what ’ s on offer, and any sponsorship opportunities. More permanent opportunities for agency – or maximum time limit to be agency – six months then made permanent Inadequate support for mobile workers, parking, petrol allowance More options to work from home Better communication and consultation in service reviews HR operational support could be better/solutions driven HR rather than blocks. Faster and proactive HR advice Effect of back office cuts on staff Flexi time for all staff. ICT/Systems/CDM Time costs money so they need to be improved to speed up working Haphazard training and roll out of major ICT projects CDM needs to be more service specific – can we be involved in improvements and have more training? It ’ s not a case of scrapping CDM, just need less disruption Searching the staff directory is difficult – also surname search on Outlook Standardising packages across the board – also better IT/PC/Printer equipment Working practices More face to face rather than email communication, communications is not filtering down Initiative overload at busy times i.e. Games Better framework to join up with other departments, networking opportunities, avoiding duplication of work More information about structural and staff changes Stop silo working/blame culture Valuing staff feedback Intranet improvements, search/more cross cutting/interactive To be set realistic targets or acknowledge the workload
- CAROLINE: Service First Programme an organisational change programme Aim: Improve and extend access to Council Service Reduce our property portfolio and associated costs Implementation of consistent and excellent levels of customer service Service First programme – A huge project delivered on time, providing high quality office space for staff and a centralised reception for access to Council services for our customers. opened six weeks before local and mayoral, general huge member scrutiny We didn’t want it to be another terminal 5!!!
- CAROLINE: Involved: Construction of two new buildings (1,600 staff) Co-location of all front facing services Development of single front office (integration of 40 services) Implementation of consistent and excellent levels of customer service Introduction of New Ways of Working (home, mobile shared space) supported by enabling technology (CDM, CRM etc) As part of the OD & Cultural Change Programme we needed to: Build capacity, competencies and skills to meet new and changing service configurations and locations. Manage the process of change of the organisational and emotional turbulence this will create AND Ensure continuity of service and deliver on agreed priorities The challenges we face as an organisation cannot be underestimated To do this, we needed to listen to staff concerns and provide them with support. At the same time, staff needed to get an overall picture of what we were trying to achieve as a Council and understand how they fitted into the process. A focus on what people need to know Individuals to talk about what it meant for them In the beginning, there were loads of questions and as we progressed, questions became less and more specific Where they could make choices, we let them eg. Seating, choice of colour for furniture etc Buy in with staff was important
- CAROLINE: Challenges 1,600 staff, 75 decants Development of new service configuration Blending and creating new teams New skills and competencies New ways of working (processes and systems) Programme interdependence Engagement and communications Proactively managing emotional impact Timescale of 24 months The challenges we faced were varied and we needed to recognise the complexities of the workforce and provide resolutions and solutions that worked for our staff not against them. involved officers from across the directorate who are: - ensuring the buildings are fit for purpose involving a new build - ensuring everything is in place for new ways of working, from HR policies, security and cleaning contracts to new ICT - and ensuring service delivery is not only maintained, but improved, including the development of the single front office Each directorate, service and individual have their own different needs, challenges and opportunities. Messages have to be personalised at each level so the Service First programme is ‘owned’ locally.
- CAROLINE: Communications and engagement process built into the governance programme Structure – governance as important as processes we did We developed an OD Framework for Service First To achieve this we developed the Service First Framework. The Framework has four key elements: Leadership Communication – engagement Supporting processes and systems Developing new skills and competencies Also essential to delivery of the programme is the transfer of ownership and responsibility into the management/supervision structure and into the wider workforce through: Clarity on the programme (what, how, who, when) Transfer of ownership through service planning Providing clarity on requirements and expectation at Corporate, Directorate, Service, Team and individual level Provision of new skills, knowledge and support to deliver Good governance and excellent programme and project management, decant champions, devolved decision making, share the achievements, own the outcome, hugely engaging and empowering and shared responsibility +the structure
- CAROLINE: Comprehensive, varied and flexible Hard and soft skills Mandatory and options – 300 interventions delivered Face to face interaction Preparation and support for move Supporting communication (web, toolsets etc) Workshops and training sessions Tailored interventions to meet staff needs - planning and preparation - implementation - embedding and support This has been an extraordinary project for Hackney. We delivered this programme in-house Recognising individuals are different and how we can work with different issues Looking at staff ’s connection with the organisation, borough and to each other
- CAROLINE: The finished building – opened in Feb 2010
- CAROLINE: Three years in - Back office staff are closer to the residents they serve. 2012 / 2013 has seen an increase of 36,334 Customers for Customer Services. The Contact Centre received 508,333 calls and answered 87.7% compared to 488,388 in the previous year. The Hackney Service Centre seen 190,915 Customers with an average wait time of 18.55 compared to 173,913 in 2011 / 2012. Customer Satisfaction for the year was 91% and First Contact Resolution was 81% - with 7527 Customers surveyed.
- TIM: At this point I think it is interesting to visit some research our Communications Team recently commissioned with Ipsos MORI to find out more about how residents receive their information about the Council and how well informed they are. We also asked levels about satisfaction…
- TIM: he Council recently undertook between January and March this year with survey leaders Ipsos MORI. We wanted to find out the current levels of satisfaction with our services, and if residents felt well informed about what we do. We also wanted to make sure through this research that we found out how residents prefer to be communicated with according to their needs. The results are in and I am extremely pleased with the figures. There are dramatic changes in satisfaction with the local area, and the Council, and Hackney now compares very favourably against any other Councils in London, and nationally. Here you can see more about the sample they took.
- TIM: 89% of our residents have said are satisfied with the local area , this is a significant increase compared to 2005, when 72% of residents said they said satisfied with the local area. It’s important that we compare this to the fact that the 82% of Londoners agree London is a good place to live. Net satisfaction in 2013 by area is higher across the board, but the biggest improvements are in the Homerton neighbourhood. Despite the disturbances in 2011 and demographic change, 90% of residents agree that the local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together, this was 83% in 2005. Most people are also now satisfied with your performance; 74% say they are satisfied with the way Hackney Council runs things , a significant improvement since 2005 (52% satisfied). In 2005 Ipsos MORI asked residents if they felt the Council kept them well informed about the services and the benefits we offer – 40% felt well informed. Now 72% feel informed about what we do , with Hackney Today and Hackney.gov being where they get most of their information from. Ben Page, Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI, said this week: “Overall, findings are AWESOME– especially given current economic backdrop; Hackney compares favourably to other councils and nationally – unthinkable ten years ago! Well done!” I think every member of staff should take pride in these latest figures. I’ve said many times that our staff are not only unique, but our greatest asset. Your hard work and dedication has produced these results – Hackney is officially a great place to live. Well done everyone. Ipsos MORI: Report Title
- TIM: I think every member of staff should take pride in these latest figures. Their hard work and dedication has helped produced these results – Hackney is officially a great place to live. Ipsos MORI: Report Title
- CAROLINE: So why do we think it is staff have such high engagement scores? We think the Mori research has given us more of insight in to why this is… So we have seen changes happen in the borough and it be transformed by investment, services have become efficient, well managed, brought in house and improved and residents’ attitudes are clearly changing and people are satisfied with Hackney as a place to live. Our staff too have been also become loyal, hard-working with a belief in what they and the Council does … we have an exciting and compelling story to tell that staff want to be a part of – despite the challenges
- CAROLINE: We’re performing as a LA and our staff are responding to that And It ’s not what we do – it’s how we do it Strong narrative, successes and achievements shared and celebrated Many have been with us on this journey – or are aware of how things were and how far we have come Strong leadership, elected mayor and financial management We transfer ownership and accountability to staff – undertaken many successful change projects all in house – Service First, Reclaiming Social Work, Transformation of Adult Care, Young Hackney, The Olympics challenge Deliver in house with home-grown talent Strong governance on projects staff have to deliver, with a culture of flexibility and decision making devolved to managers We ’re efficient, effective and innovative – we’re given money as we know how to spend it wisely Local, passionate staff. Grew up in the borough, or Hackney has soon got under their skin – connected to the local area and the people they serve Opportunities for staff – from volunteering to secondments to mentoring. We talk to our staff and ask them what the issues are – can always do more We communicate well – profile of the CEO high and trusted Maintaining staff Engagement But we cannot become complacent. As we continue to move through this period of change and transition, we need more than ever to protect and nurture the unique relationship we have with our staff by ; Being honest Transparent in our decision making Clear in our expectation of staff Continuing to focus on service delivery and what’s important Involving staff where possible Communicating with them consistently and regularly Providing effective and speedy processes Making sure there are support mechanisms for those who stay and for those who go
- TIM to END: Hackney Council ’ s staff are its greatest asset. The commitment and creativity of our staff have brought us through difficult times in the past, and now again as we face unprecedented spending reductions. But we now need to think about how the radical changes to local government will affect our staff, and also what we need as an organisation. We are revisiting our staff values as staff need to be the best of the best, high performing, team players, who are business like and resilient. They must take responsibility for keeping their skills up to date and for the work that they do. In our striving to protect the frontline services on which our residents depend, our back office and support services have borne the brunt of the spending cuts that we have been forced to make. This has meant job losses and increased pressure on our remaining staff. There has also been an impact on our residents, as fewer staff has meant we have been less able to respond quickly to non-urgent issues. The Government ’ s austerity programme is set to continue, and whilst we have largely managed to protect frontline services so far, there may be far greater challenges to come and we will do what we can to equip our staff to face these. As many of our residents absorb the impact of changes such as benefits cuts, we know that this will in turn have an impact on those public facing staff who serve them. The Council will stand behind its staff and support them as our working environment becomes tougher. Hackney Council believes in its staff. We believe that we serve residents best when we do things ourselves, delivering accountable, high quality services in-house, providing value for money and constantly challenging ourselves to deliver more for less. We will champion our staff and our belief in our services. The next two years will undoubtedly bring huge challenges, but Hackney also has exciting opportunities ahead. The Council ’ s new responsibilities for public health and education give us a greater chance to work together to improve the lives and opportunities of our residents, and new colleagues from whom we can learn. The borough is undergoing ever more rapid transformation and economic growth, and whilst this brings huge opportunities, the threat of social and economic polarisation is the greatest that we face. Every member of staff in the council has a part to play in our mission to encourage the economic success of the borough and to ensure that all our residents can share in that success. Over the past decade our residents have come to expect high standards from Hackney Council and it is the job of all our staff to maintain those standards, despite the new pressures we face, in everything we do; in the way we treat customers, in the quality of our public realm and spaces, in the way we support those residents who most depend on us. The Creative Heart of Hackney film – optional Questions