Freedom of Information Request – Ref: 428-2025
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
1. Who holds trust wide responsibility for the maintenance of procedures and policies?
Our response:
Each department has the responsibility to maintain their own policies.
You asked:
2. What is their name and email address?
Our response:
There is not a specific name or email address.
You asked:
3. What digital tools does the Trust use for the staff to reference these procedures and policies? – i.e. – intranet.
Our response:
We use our intranet which is the main repository of procedures and policies. We also highlight new policies and changes regularly in our internal, digital newsletter which goes out weekly, called Indi to go.
You asked:
4. How does the Trust record that staff have read and comply with the procedures and policies?
Our response:
We do not routinely do this on the intranet. We can share important updates as a ‘mandatory read’ which then tells us who has read it, however this is not done as standard. If there is a particular training need, colleagues would need to complete a course on Care to Learn, and their completion is recorded.
You asked:
5. Which tools are used for on-boarding new staff in relation to reading procedures and policies?
Our response:
All colleagues joining the organisation attend Corporate Induction on their first day of employment. The programme introduces new starters to a range of policies and procedures. Corporate Induction covers the high level policies, such as Security, Violence & Aggression, Counter Fraud, Appraisal, EDI. Day 2 for those in a patient facing role is a 1 day face-to-face Clinical Induction which introduces clinical policies and procedures. During this first week of employment, staff are required to carry out a range of Core Skills Training Framework e-learning packages via our LMS, Care to Learn. These courses include subjects such as Information Governance, Infection Control, Health Safety & Welfare, Equality Diversity & Human Rights. On arrival at their base a new starter will then be taken through a Local Induction with their manager or supervisor. Local induction covers more specific policy & procedures, for example fire evacuation procedures, and more general procedures such as annual leave, supervision and uniform requirements. Compliance with these three elements is recorded and monitored on Care to Learn.
You asked:
6. How do the heads of department monitor that clinical and non clinical staff have read/understood mandatory procedural updates?
Our response:
Heads of each department have their own procedure to monitor that the staff have read/understood procedures.
You asked:
7. How many staff have accessed your NHS Intranet in the past year?
Our response:
On average, 5000 colleagues access the intranet each month.
Next steps:
Should you have any queries in relation to our response, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are unhappy with the response you have received in relation to your request and wish to ask us to review our response, you should write to:
Louise Moss
Head of Legal Services / Associate Director of Corporate Governance
c/o Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Jenner Court
1010 Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester Business Park
Brockworth, GL3 4AW
E-mail: louise.moss@ghc.nhs.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of any review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice/guidance. Generally, the ICO will not consider your case unless you have exhausted your enquiries with the Trust which should include considering the use of the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.