Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Deferred
Assess steps to reduce PHSO staff turnover, reviewing hybrid working policy by summer 2024
Conclusion
We note the welcome increase in the PHSO’s number of staff, especially its new caseworkers. Likewise, we welcome the fact that it has retained specialist workers and has increased the amount of training it delivers to staff. This increase in training means it is even more important for the PHSO to retain staff, given the additional investment now being made in them. The Ombudsman and Chief Executive suggested current levels of staff turnover could be the result of a lack of opportunity for career development and the PHSO’s different policy on hybrid working compared to other ombudsmen. We welcome the PHSO’s intention to review its hybrid working policy next year. The PHSO should separately assess whether there are further steps it can and should take to reduce staff turnover, including how far its hybrid working policy is leading to higher turnover than other ombudsmen. The PHSO should look to complete its reviews of hybrid working and the factors causing staff turnover by the summer of 2024, and share its findings with us ahead of our next scrutiny session for the 2023/24 period. (Paragraph 44) Value for Money
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response did not address staff turnover or hybrid working policies. Instead, it outlined the PHSO's five-year Digital, Data and Technology strategy, its ambition to be a leading digital ombudsman, and a commitment to report back on financial savings from this strategy.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
We recognise the importance of retaining our staff, particularly specialist casework staff in whom we have significantly invested with training. For 2022–23, our turnover figures were 12% for permanent staff. This was an unusual year in our reporting, following relatively low levels of attrition during the pandemic (7% in 2020–21). Preliminary data in 2023–24 staff turnover was 9.9% for permanent staff – showing a clear reduction of 2.1% in staff turnover figures that were already lower than comparator organisations in the wider public sector (civil service average is 11.9%3). Our new Flexible Working Model went live on 1 January 2023 after considerable research and communication with staff about hybrid working. This introduced a requirement to attend the office for a minimum of 40% of the working week following a trial period. A further review of hybrid working will take place during the summer of 2024, following the refurbishment of our main office in Manchester. The refurbishment began in February 2024 and is on track to conclude in June 2024. We will complete the review of hybrid working following this and report back to the Committee on next steps.
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