The problem

The finance and procurement (F&P) directorate needs to ensure that the efforts and actions of staff are appropriately recognised, otherwise staff morale will decline, leading to reduced engagement within the directorate and the wider trust. This could potentially lead to an increase in members of the team feeling despondent and unmotivated, reduced efficiency and members looking elsewhere for development opportunities and new roles.

The challenge

How can we ensure that the efforts of the directorate are appropriately recognised so that morale increases because people feel that their efforts are recognised and appreciated?

The outputs

• The nominations as well as the overall winner are read out by the CFO at the F&P monthly engagement event as a standard agenda item.
• The individual’s name for the CFO’s nomination of the month is recorded on the trust wide newsletter under the ‘roll of honour’ section, alongside clinical colleagues who have won similar awards.
• Each nominee and winner receives a certificate to mark their contribution as well as a note of thanks from the CFO.

The outcomes

• The number of nominations received each month has increased since the scheme was launched, showing the value it has for members of the team and their engagement with it.
• The nominations have allowed us to demonstrate that the F&P directorate’s remit is not limited to pure finance and procurement type work. The awards often focus on how we have helped each other from a health and well-being point of view or our clinical colleagues on the front line.
• The inclusion of the CFO’s nomination of the month on the trust wide newsletter allows us to demonstrate how the role of finance and procurement fits in with the overall work of the trust and the everyday contributions we make to ensure the organisation works as well as it can.