Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 06 May 2024 at 19:23
This week's We Are EEAST Briefing and Executive Q&A was led by CEO Tom Abell. This week Tom was joined by Hein Scheffer, Director of Strategy, Culture and Education.
Introduction from Tom
Starts @ 00:09
Ends @ 05:48
Introduction from Hein
Starts @ 05:51
Ends @ 08:23
Mentimeter
Starts @ 08:24
Ends @ 10:24
Questions
Q1 - Via email - I was wondering when the Trust will be rolling body worn cameras out to the outlying station. There has been a need identified and it has been noted to have a good effect, but outlying stations don't get this extra safety measure.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 10:32
Ends @ 12:15
Additional information - We have currently been given funding to get the body worn cameras up and running at central hub locations (15 on project plan at present, target to get to 18 locations overall). Once these are all operational and the cameras are in use we will be able consider a bid for funding to expand use to all other locations. We are working through the current issues of how to attach the cameras to the uniform, including trials of different clips and some tactical vests and other options to see what works for staff best.
Q2 - Please can you explain the rational for combining the LOM and HALO roles please? The article on Need to Know (time to lead section) states that time to leave was trailed in Essex in October 22. What was the outcome of this trail please? As a manager that works in Essex, I didn’t know it even took place! I would speak to my manager, but she feels the same. Communication has totally failed and confidence in the senior leadership team is now at an all-time low.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 12:17
Ends @ 14:16
Q3 - Hi Tom as a manager with several years’ experience I am now facing the prospect of my job disappearing in the new structure. Where was the consultation of the operations band 8s and why have some managers got a copy of the structure and others haven’t? After assisting the Trust through COVID and last winter, sacrificing valuable time with my family to work in the job I love I now feel totally broken. As a thanks for all this hard work and loyal service downgrading now seems my only option! How can you honestly say that the Exec team have acted in the spirit of the Trusts core values! The Exec team have totally lost the confidence of the management team!!!
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 14:17
Ends @ 16:17
Q4 - Dear Tom, please could you clarify why the COO stated at a senior operations meeting on the 11th of May that some managers and staff may be downgraded as part of time to lead? This is in clear contradiction of your comments on the executive Q&A on the 4th of May. How can we ever be expected to believe anything the Exec Team say when you contradict each other! Also is it true you intend to reduce the protection time from 5 to just 2 years?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 16:19
Ends @ 17:36
Q5 - Via email - A few years ago it was identified staff would be trained in breakaway techniques for their personal safety if attack again this has not come to fruition.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 17:38
Ends @ 18:10
Additional information - There are plans to deliver an 8-hour training day to all frontline clinical staff on Conflict Resolution Training (CRT) which will include practical techniques. This was due to launch in April 2023, but we are currently out for tender for a new provider due to complications with the original tender award.
Q6 - Via email - We are under the impression that our backdated pay award and pay increase will be in the June pay can you please confirm this?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 18:12
Ends @ 18:32
Additional Information - We have published an article with details around the pay award here.
Q7 - It feels to me that time to lead is going to destroy our ambulance culture and we are just looking to turn the service into an acute Trust run by nurses. Why is Simon Chase called a chief AHP not a chief paramedic. This just sends the wrong message.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 18:34
Ends @ 19:46
Additional information from Hein Scheffer - TTL will be key in helping change our culture, to enable line mangers to have better capacity to support and lead the people in their charge.
Q8 - How much is time to lead costing and is it part of the £30m that was given to us for more ambulances?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 19:48
Ends @ 20:27
Q9 - Through Time to Lead, if LOMs for example have to reapply for their roles, is this a way the Trust are engineering moving individuals over to Section 2 for unsocial hours or will individuals be able to remain on Annex 5/E?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 20:28
Ends @ 21:35
Q10 - Via email - Surrounding the time to lead changes recently announced will LOMs have to reapply for our position and will we have a consultation period as this is likely to change our roles significantly. Also, do you know a timeframe for the changes?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 21:36
Ends @ 22:07
Additional Information - The LOM job description has not yet been confirmed and nor have the dates of the consultation, but we are hoping to start very soon and there has been a lot of work done already on them. If, when the job description has been confirmed and job matched, 80% of the duties and responsibilities remain the same there will be no need for consultation and colleagues will slot into posts. The complies with our Change Management policy.
Q11 - We are quickly nearing the end of May... is Marcus returning?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 22:09
Ends @ 22:34
Q12 - Some staff were sent home on full pay today as there were insufficient vehicles for them to work on. How long do we settle for the poor turnaround with vehicles off the road..? What is an ambulance service with no ambulances?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 22:35
Ends @ 23:41
Q13 - Any idea on when we will be receiving the coronation medals?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 23:46
Ends @ 24:38
Additional information - You can read the latest update on Need to Know here.
Q14 - We are being told that through Time to Lead, that there will be enough roles for everyone. Having read the Change Management policy, if a role is deemed not suitable for an individual, is there a contingency in the £27million additional funding for redundancies (albeit that these are not planned redundancies)?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 24:41
Ends @ 25:33
Q15 - It’s very sad that most of the questions posted are anonymous and says everything about are culture and the trust staff have in the executive team. I cannot understand why this has been introduced prior to the CQC arriving it won’t help the well lead element.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 25:34
Ends @ 26:49
Additional information from Hein Scheffer - It is individual choice at the moment, as we wish to encourage as much engagement as possible. But I do agree we should move toward open transparent conversation, where we do not have to be anonymous.
Q16 – Good afternoon Tom, just to let you know we are making good progress to go live in June with HWE Unscheduled Care Hub, more information will be circulated in the coming weeks to all staff.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 26:51
Ends @ 27:44
Q17 - Why do we have the lowest entry criteria of all the emergency services? I understand the need to recruit, but we need to recruit the right people. This huge drive for unqualified staff is reminiscent of 10 years ago and it did not work then, with further dilution of clinically qualified staff this is not sustainable.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 27:46
Ends @ 29:49
Q18 - Why did the Trust feel it appropriate to make the HALO position permanent knowing that they were undertaking the time to mislead project? I’m now being led to believe that I may not have a post following this process and would potentially have to drop back from a top band 7 role to a band 6 relief paramedic role …. unsettled doesn’t even come close to how staff feel.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 29:51
Ends @ 31:09
Q19 - Recruitment - how are you going to support this throughout the organisation as it is not just more LOMS and ops leadership teams, it is about recruiting to the support services (not just HR). What are the plans please?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 31:11
Ends @ 32:35
Q20 - How did LAS manage to acquire a much larger number of new vehicles than the 20 we are able to order?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 32:37
Ends @ 33:28
Additional information from Fleet - LAS are at a different position in their replacement cycle. EEAST for example will require 166 vehicles next year.
Q21 - When is our fleet situation going to improve? As we are constantly without vehicles for our crews and the public we are supposed to be serving. We continually are being told that our acting STP lead has escalated to yourself, and nothing appears to be changing or improving so please can you update us as to how this is going to improve in the near future please?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 33:29
Ends @ 34:32
Q22 - Good afternoon Hein, I think it is important to have this information from all the of the cultural surveys, to be broken down to the individual areas so we can have oversight of what's happening locally, if possible of course, thank you.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 34:34
Ends @ 35:20
Additional information from Hein Scheffer - We are finalising a Trust wide culture dashboard, that will be discussed at Fit for the Future at the next meeting, and we will then share where we are as a Trust, with a next phase of looking how we measure progress at individual areas, including PTS, HART and EOC.
Q23 - Can anyone apply to have a dress uniform? I plan to represent EEAST at my local Remembrance Day this year. Is this offered instead of normal uniform as it looks poor in relation to the other emergency services, and very embarrassing.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 35:22
Ends @ 36:05
Additional information - Glenn Young is working on a small project on dress uniforms, but this work is in its very early stages.
Q24 - Please can we have confirmation whether those Trust route SAPs who have had banding agreement letters and are already on band 6, will be getting any back pay next week or not? No one, from any part of the Trust, seems willing to answer this simple question. There is a year delay since the agreement was confirmed, had the agreement been implemented in a more timely manner, some of us would be on a higher spine point, but are delayed even further by the slow process of this secondary delay, and therefore, losing money. Is this being accounted for. A simple yes or no, is all we ask for.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 36:08
Ends @ 37:18
Q25 – Good afternoon, is there any progress please on making rolling hours visible to staff on GRS? It is an ongoing challenge to keep track of this, thanks.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 37:21
Ends @ 38:08
Additional information from Darren Meads - Visibility for management teams will be available in August and will involve a simplified monitoring report for managers to monitor individuals balance of worked and paid hours. Staff will also have access to their own rolling hours balance via GRSweb so they can observe levels more clearly.
Q26 – Hi Tom having been part of the numerous TTL calls it is disappointing to see that the proposed structure does not reflect what has been discussed during these calls. It looks like the B7 roles are being bolstered but the AGM and GM roles being reduced meaning there isn't enough roles for those currently in these positions.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 38:09
Ends @ 40:05
Q27 - I recall EEAST are currently recruiting significant numbers of ECA’s into operations, is this to increase the workforce or fill current vacancies? If additional staff to current workforce numbers do we have the Fleet? - We regularly see staff waiting on sofa’s or in IT spaces waiting for vehicles at the start of the shift.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 40:07
Ends @ 41:12
Q28 - The cameras are a great idea, but a lot of staff are still having issues with accessing them. The Trust has acknowledged the increase in assaults on staff, yet there is still no satisfactory training on conflict resolution.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 41:14
Ends @ 42:38
Q29 - You say you are consulting but certain senior managers (above GM) are saying it’s signed off and you are just working where to put people.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 42:40
Ends @ 44:06
Additional information from Hein Scheffer - The TTL consultation will be meaningful consultations giving all staff impacted to give their input and views, and these will be considered before any implementation of TTL takes place. The consultation process will be open for the appropriate time, to enable staff to give feedback and offer their input before the structures are finalised. Nothing in terms of structure has been finalised.
Q30 – Good Afternoon - I have completed the development LOM role and had a successful secondment. Will there be an open and fair process for me to gain a substantive LOM position if those places are being gifted to HALO's who in many cases where gifted a band 7 HALO role due to the secondment policy. Thanks.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 44:08
Ends @ 45:14
Q31 – Hi Tom, The Trust continues to work on Fit for the Future with various initiatives you’ve outlined however, within my area of work, I have seen little in the way of change in leadership culture. Being encouraged to speak up without repercussions and then not even so much as receiving an acknowledgment of my concerns either verbally or by return of email from not one but three members of the management team, leaves me once again with a feeling of no confidence. This in turn effects both my wellbeing and motivation at work. How can you convince someone like me that this time these initiatives are working/will work?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 45:15
Ends @ 46:45
Q32 - We recently consulted on the next generation RRV but understand this project may have stalled? Is there any work ongoing to improve the fleet situation? In addition to welfare vehicles there is a real need for pool cars to move around the large organisation.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 47:09
Ends @ 48:09
Q33 - I would suggest speaking to the advance practice team as they have fostered a totally new way of leadership. Gilly, Rob, Tim D and Tim H are building something special with advanced practice and truly value staff allowing them to use initiative and work autonomously. This is what we should be aiming for across the whole Trust.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 48:12
Ends @ 48:58
Q34 - Hello Tom is there an update on making the hot 2 back up for an RRV sit in the stack at the same level as a C2 rather than below.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 49:00
Ends @ 49:31
Additional information - The last update we had we were waiting for our CAD provider to look into how this process would transfer for management by EOC.
Q35 - The majority of areas in the Trust allow EMTs to work on RRVs/single crewed DSAs, yet others don't. Why is there discordance across the Trust - surely you'd welcome to extra vehicles?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 49:32
Ends @ 50:18
Q36 - Why are we moving to centralised planning...never worked before, what is different this time?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 50:20
Ends @ 51:42
Q37 – Hi have you decided who will receive the medal and will the recipients be published?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 51:44
Ends @ 52:39
Additional information from Hein Scheffer - It is important to note that it is not the Trust's decision to award the medal, but we await national guidance and once this has been achieved, we will publish it promptly.
Q38 - I just wanted to say thank you to Hein for the open and honest updates he has given recently, I have found them really interesting and helpful for reflecting on my own experiences.
Answered by Tom and Hein
Starts @ 52:41
Ends @ 54:20
Additional information - You can read Hein's blogs via the links below.
Paying forward - Identfy and Speaking Up about Disabilities
Embracing Autism - Autism Acceptance Month
Reflections on a multifaith celebration
Q39 - Is it true that the government have put a stop on the purchase of any more Fiat conversations?! What actually is the plan for next year if 150+ vehicles need replacing and aren't yet ordered?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 54:21
Ends @ 54:53
Additional information - No, it isn't. The current national specification stops in April, therefore any vehicles EEAST procure after April 2024 will be aligned to the new (second) generation spec.
Q40 - Do you have defined job descriptions yet for the new managers roles and would that not be limited to a paramedic being a manager & it would be open to all staff? Also do you have any training for anyone who hasn’t had manager experience so they may be able to be considered for the new roles, it they completed training thank you.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 54:55
Ends @ 56:03
Additional information from Hein Scheffer - The job descriptions are being worked up at the moment and will be published with the consultation paper. My team and I are working to develop appropriate leadership development tools to enable managers to have the appropriate tools. However, the training of staff will take some time. The aim will be to have a full suite of training for all our staff in time to come. Lauren, Tanya, Ant and Alisdair are working on this as we speak.
Q41 - Why is recruitment taking so long, especially for qualified clinicians? I know of staff who have taken 9+ months to join - and of at least one who has been waiting 12+ months.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 56:05
Ends @ 56:50
Additional information - We are reviewing our recruitment process to make it leaner, whilst we have invested in our recruitment capacity to speed up process. Some real lived case studies of this would be very helpful. Please share these with me or Marika.
Q42 - When the MARS scheme was offered, the advice at the time was that the full sum payable was subject to PAYE tax, however, I now believe that part of any payment (the first £30k) is tax exempt? Some people’s decision to pursue this or not would have been predicated on that initial advice which has now seemingly changed. Can you confirm if this is correct and if so, will the MARS be put back out to staff to consider under the circumstances? Apologies if this has been asked already, I have just joined the Q&A.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 56:52
Ends @ 57:46
Q43 - Will the new AGM role rebranded to LAM be a non-clinical role?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 57:47
Ends @ 58:09
Q44 - A lot has been said about change and improvements over the last 18 months yet still not a lot has actually changed on the ground. We are told that all these things are and will be happening but there not. Does the exec team really know what is going on in all the varying teams across the Trust.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 58:10
Ends @ 01:00:10
Additional information from Hein Scheffer - It should also be noted that each sector has an Executive Lead, i.e. I look after HWE; so please share concerns with your local executive and they will look into it.
Q45 - We are told we need 750 more frontline staff to meet C2 targets...but no additional vehicles, no additional budgets... square peg, round hole?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:00:13
Ends @ 01:00:49
Q46 - Hi Tom, do you have a timeframe for when this consultation period will take place?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:00:51
Ends @ 01:01:12
Q47 - Afternoon Tom - has there been any further progression around the flowers payment for the (dash) - 2 staff and the overtime under this contract?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:01:14
Ends @ 01:01:48
Q48 - Going by the number of questions that are being asked, would you consider going back to these Q&As being done weekly? The time to lead has been spoken about for a long, long time, but with no end date, staff know things are going to be changing, it all seems a little cloak and dagger. Not knowing is having negative effect on staff.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:01:50
Ends @ 01:02:27
Q49 - Why is that EMT’s are given very little opportunity to progress within the service? It is that unless you are a Paramedic you are just seen as a bum on a seat and a number on the screen. I have heard of a few EMT's who have been in positions and suddenly due to a supposed service restructure it is now only a Paramedic role. As a service you are starting to alienate many long-term employees and it is no wonder that many look to leave. Why has there been such a large shift as such. Seems you just want Paramedics and no one else.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:02:28
Ends @ 01:03:50
Additional information from Hein Scheffer - Ant and Alisdair are currently reviewing our pathway progression, to enable more people to progress internally.
Q50 - Hi Tom, will the wearing of bodycams be made compulsory?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:03:54
Ends @ 01:04:22
Q51 - You say managers will have access to camera footage, is that right?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:04:24
Ends @ 01:05:13
Additional information - You can read more about body cameras on Need to Know here.
Q52 - Hi Tom some staff are re framing TTL to 'Time to Leave' they feel really let down by the lack of communication - how can the Trust provide assurances this is not a done deal noting that a structure already been released?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:05:15
Ends @ 01:06:21
Q53 - Hi Tom, lots of vehicle availability questions, one opportunity may be to look at returning vehicles to their area at their mid-point, in addition to the trials of end of shift options. I believe some other Trusts do this. Also having more mechanics available on hubs for simple fixes and checks would prevent vehicles being out of use for 24hrs, needing repatriation to a workshop? A contract with a breakdown company?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:06:24
Ends @ 01:07:04
Q54 - With regards to delay EMT to Paramedic we were told that we had to show evidence in terms of previous emails, compassionate conversations or development reviews. When we asked Learning and Development for development reviews, we have been told that there is nothing stored so we cannot get this information. Is this a data breach or GDPR breach?
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:07:05
Ends @ 01:07:43
Q55 - Observation rather than a question. Anxiety levels appear to be high in our B8 operational cadre. Would it be worth having a targeted Q&A as part of the consultation to allow people to discuss their issues? This is probably but I think people are hearing things second hand this is obviously causing more issues. Hopefully TTL will benefit us all and it will shape a new way of working.
Answered by Tom
Starts @ 01:07:46
Ends @ 01:08:21
Close from Tom
Starts @ 01:08:22
Ends @ 01:08:49
You can catch up on previous We Are EEAST Briefings on our Archive page. You can also catch up on Local Manager's Briefings here.
Published 22nd May 2023