Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 53
In light of the increase in staff turnover in 2021–22, we reiterate our call from...
Recommendation
In light of the increase in staff turnover in 2021–22, we reiterate our call from the Committee’s PHSO Annual Scrutiny Report 2020–21 for the PHSO to consider other development opportunities to encourage staff retention. Whilst the development of a 10-month training academy for new caseworkers is welcome, the PHSO must ensure there is minimal loss to institutional knowledge and the quality and pace of casework management is not impacted by staff turnover. The Committee would welcome further information on how the newly-established four Parliamentary focus teams mentioned in the Annual Report and Accounts for 2021–22 will improve performance in handling Parliamentary cases. Furthermore, while the Ombudsman told the Committee in November 2022 that the Peer Review Panel’s recommendations in relation to casework management will be implemented incrementally, in its response to this Report, the PHSO should set out exactly what changes will be put in place and to what timetable.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges the importance of staff retention and outlines steps taken such as training, staff surveys, and monitoring turnover, but makes no specific commitments to address the PHSO's loss of institutional knowledge or casework management pace.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
53
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
We are committed to embedding the recommendations made by the Peer Review into working practices. We are already taking action on many of the recommendations, including more coaching and training of staff, improving communication with complainants, increasing the number of cases we publish, addressing case anonymisation concerns, and reducing the queue to frictional levels. These actions will all be completed in 2023–24. Of the remaining outstanding actions, the majority will be progressed as we implement PHSO’s 2022–23 Corporate Strategy, and we aim to conclude these by 2025. This includes working towards providing digital updates for complainants and developing the capability to integrate IT systems more closely with the NHS. The PHSO should clarify how the Clinical Advice Quality Framework will improve trust and confidence in the quality and standards of the PHSO’s casework, what changes have been made to date, and how success will be measured. Furthermore, whilst we acknowledge the challenges associated with the outstanding recommendations from the Donaldson Review, the PHSO should reach a decision as soon as possible on whether to take forward naming clinical advisers in decision reports and sharing provisional reports with advisers, given the review was published four years ago.
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