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Section 3 Issues and concerns in research and consultation

3.18 Using feedback from staff

The primary focus of this guidance is on service users’ views. However, it will be valuable for all organisations to consider how to make more systematic use of existing contacts between staff and service users and feedback from staff. Of course, the views of staff are important because they will be expected to implement any changes to service delivery, but they are also an important and underused source of intelligence about day to day service delivery and customer attitudes. The most common form of research amongst staff is some kind of staff satisfaction survey which looks at their perceptions of the organisation and the customer. Such surveys share the limitations and drawbacks of all surveys.

Practice Point

• Staff are an underused resource in reviewing the quality of services. There is scope for more active and creative approaches to gathering staff feedback that go beyond occasional staff surveys.

The use of existing staff-service users contacts are likely to be relatively simple and less resource intensive than many other approaches to research and consultation. This may mean more systematic recording, analysis and discussion of contacts between front-line staff and service users and feeding this into decision making. An action research approach to service quality would seek to engage with both service users and staff. There may be scope for joint training provision.

Research amongst staff, particularly where they are able to share stories about their work, may highlight critical incidents or significant events that illustrate what it is about the service that works well or particular difficulties that they face.

There are a number of key issues in relation to using staff feedback in this way.

• The purpose and use of staff feedback should be conveyed to staff. Clear demonstration of its use will be important to encourage this process.

• Approaches that are used should complement other methods that engage directly with service users.

• A range of approaches to gathering the views and experience of staff should be used and all staff should have a chance to participate in some way and have an opportunity to validate the conclusions.

• There may be scope for joint staff and service user research, consultation or training.

• The implications of the feedback for service delivery should be identified, reported to all key audiences and acted on.

It is important to identify any further research and consultative needs.

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