NHS Trust and Trade Unions Sign Pledge on Staff Learning

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) has strengthened its commitment to work with trade unions to champion the personal and professional learning of its staff.

The trust has entered into a formal learning agreement with health care unions and professional organisations that represent some of its 2,300 workers.

By promoting and protecting learning and development opportunities for all staff, the initiative is designed to help LCHS ensure its services to patients continue to be delivered by a suitably skilled and well-informed workforce.

The agreement means:

• all employees will be actively encouraged to take part in both job-related and personal learning and development activities and events;
• staff will be supported to access resources;
• the role of Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) – members of trade unions who are accredited to promote the benefits of learning as well as advocate for individuals with learning needs -  will be formally recognised and supported by the organisation.

The agreement was signed by LCHS’s Director of HR and OD, Maz Fosh, and Staff Side representative Samantha Everitt at a ceremony held in the Boardroom at Bridge House, Sleaford.

Samantha Everitt, on behalf of Staff Side, said: “This learning agreement is the culmination of a real partnership effort between the Trust and the trade unions to promote a culture of lifelong learning.

“In health care, our patients and their families are served by staff with the right skills and knowledge to do their jobs well.  This agreement will enable those skills to be developed, which is in the interests of patients, staff, employers and trade unions.”

Mrs Fosh added: “The expertise and skills of our workforce play a vital part in helping us to deliver quality services 24 hours a day, seven days a week to patients across the county. We are delighted to be working in partnership with trade unions as part of our commitment to take every opportunity to help staff develop both personally and professionally.”