NHS Property Services

For the PMA judges, NHS Property Services (NHSPS), which introduced a “revolutionary new philosophy and a comprehensive model”, the colleague relations (CR) team, “truly exemplifies the power of HR in driving cultural and organisational change”. 

“This shift was reflected across management practices, policies and the entire organisational structure, highlighting their commitment to building a colleague-centred environment,” they said. “The NHS demonstrated how HR can be innovative, agile and socially intelligent, ensuring that people are at the heart of their strategies.” 

NHSPS was established in 2013 to manage and optimise the NHS estate. Its “customer-led culture” is to “get, grow, keep great colleagues” and, as part of this, in March 2024, it launched the CR team. While the team fulfils the function of a traditional employee relations team, the word ‘colleague’ is used instead as “a reminder that everyone is equal”.

Before the launch of this team, CR cases were managed by the people services shared service model, members of which were not skilled in CR and only managed general HR queries. As a result, the organisation was overwhelmed by the amount of CR cases and the average case length time was 90 days, which increased the risk of them becoming complex. External legal fees were £13.42 per colleague with an increasing number of employment tribunals, and there was a high level of absence. In addition, the Peakon colleague voice satisfaction survey was running at 7.6 (under benchmark) and with a lack of participation, at only 63 per cent. 

The introduction of the new CR team resulted in, for example, 12 new policies and guides and an updated colleague handbook; 26 face-to-face ‘Bringing CR To Life’ sessions upskilling managers across the organisation; an accessible in-house elearning module; and the introduction of clear processes to safeguard the wellbeing of colleagues, customers and patients. Thereafter, the January 2025 Peakon survey saw an overall engagement score of 8.4 (+0.6 above the Peakon benchmark) and the participation rate increased to 71 per cent. Case durations reduced by 72 per cent as of March 2025 to 25 days, and absences have also declined, resulting in an overall saving for the NHS of more than £300,000. The cost per colleague for legal fees was reduced to £7.49 in 2024. 

“The winning entry stood out as an inspiring example of teamwork, drive, inclusivity and the courage to challenge the status quo,” the judges said.