Nottingham City Homes

Nottingham City Homes Internal Communications Strategy 2012 2015

1. Introduction 1.1 Our Corporate Plan for 2012-15 sets out our commitment to creating homes and places where people want to live. Achieving our vision depends on motivated, well informed, professional employees delivering excellent customer services. 1.2 This internal communications strategy, along with the external communications strategy, both set out key messages and mechanisms to embed the most effective culture possible to deliver our corporate plan goals: To be a first class housing organisation in the eyes of our tenants and leaseholders To be a major player in transforming the quality of life in our neighbourhoods To be a great place to work, widely respected as an efficient and professional organisation. 1.3 Internal communications is not just the responsibility of the Communications and Marketing team. All employees have a part to play. This strategy sets out those responsibilities and systems for communication. This includes key messages from the Executive Management Team and others (top down), stories about the successes of individual employees and teams (sideways), fostering a culture where all employees are able to voice their ideas and opinions (bottom up) and access to essential, up to date, accurate information to allow employees to do their jobs. 2 Developing our organisational culture 2.1 This strategy supports the wider goals of cultural change within Nottingham City Homes, including the Inspire Change Deliver programme and the 2012 cultural vision for the company set out in our Corporate Plan which says we want to be: A great place to work, with a clear sense of direction, shared by all, and ambitious to succeed on behalf of our customers A place where people work as one team, where people believe in the values of the company and go the extra mile to deliver homes and places where our customers want to live. A place where colleagues are kept well informed, are listened to and whose views are respected; where colleagues are encouraged to learn and develop; where talent is nurtured, a place which has the courage to try things differently; where people are empowered to perform and individual performance is well managed; where success is celebrated and where we are proud to let others know about our success.

Widely respected as an efficient, professional organisation, demonstrably fair and honest, which respects the individual and reflects the diverse communities we serve, with a strong, confident external image both in word and deed. 2.2 Achieving this ambition requires strong internal communications messages and mechanisms. Strong internal communications, which promote clear corporate messages, encourage cross-team working and ideas for improvement, are vital for employees to give the best customer service to other staff (internal customers) and external customers. 2.3 Communicating effectively with employees helps to: Improve employee morale and motivation Increase productivity Lower absenteeism and turnover Develop a stronger commitment to organisational goals Improve job satisfaction Provide more effective external communications, and improve customer satisfaction 3 Strengthening leadership from senior managers 3.1 With the Corporate Plan as our foundation, we will provide a strong strategic narrative, which has widespread ownership and commitment from managers. 3.2 The narrative is a clearly expressed story about the company s purpose, why we have that broad vision and how an individual contributes to that purpose. Employees therefore have a clear line of sight between their job and the narrative, so they understand where their work fits in. 3.3 During periods of change, internal communications assumes even greater importance. If employees do not understand why change is necessary, and if they are not committed to implementing it, we are less likely to achieve our goals. We recognise the effect of the change curve cycle on employee morale and the need to have effective internal communications systems to minimise the length and impact of that cycle. 3.4 The ability to communicate, and to understand how communications can help achieve corporate objectives, is a key management skill. We will develop core communication competencies for managers, so they can facilitate and empower their teams. Managers will treat their employees with appreciation and respect and show commitment to their development increasing and rewarding the capabilities of those they manage. 3.5 To make sure all employees are aware of key developments, we will develop and maintain a cascade system of latest news for managers. This will typically surround key messages from EMT, but will also include relevant, targeted information about key projects. This will be linked to any external communications so employees don t discover such information via the local media first. This is important for maintaining staff confidence in the leadership of the company.

3.6 Working with the Performance team, we will establish a company-wide system for regularly communicating performance, with managers taking visible responsibility and greater ownership of the information. This will give employees greater confidence during a period of change in how we deliver services and lead to more satisfied customers. Best practice in parts of the company will be shared with others. 3.7 Our success at developing engaging managers will be measured through the annual staff survey, and by other factors including monitoring the number of completed annual appraisals (PDRs) and through the Investor in People process. This process will help to improve staff satisfaction with the company by showing how an individual s work links to our Corporate Plan and the city s wider priorities (see diagram). 4 Work as one team 4.1 Good internal communication systems enable messages to flow in multiple directions. We recognise the added value that an informed, interested and committed workforce can give to the company. Our internal communications will be a bottom up and sideways process across teams, as well as the traditional top down. 4.2 We will actively seek out employees views. Our workforce at all levels will be listened to and be able to see that their opinions count and make a difference (using for example but not exclusively the annual staff survey). We will promote and build a culture where employees feel confident to raise issues

so a strong sense of listening and of responsiveness permeates the company, enabled by effective communication. 4.3 We will promote a culture where behaviour throughout the company is consistent with our mission, vision and values. This will build trust and a sense of integrity among our employees who will radiate that among our customers, partners and stakeholders. 4.4 Our communications mechanisms will be developed to make it as easy as possible for employees to contribute ideas. 5 Internal audiences 5.1 Our internal audiences vary in position, location, seniority and involvement. These include: Employees Hounds Gate Most employees at Hounds Gate are officebased, have access to a computer and based in the same building as majority of EMT Employees Harvey Road Most employees at Harvey Road are field based, and may only come on-site once a day at best (particularly as we roll out mobile technology). We must make sure these colleagues get the same, consistent messages as office-based employees with access to the intranet Employees Housing Offices These staff are in remote offices, and increasingly out in the field as we roll out mobile technology. Most have computer access, but may have little interaction with people from Hounds Gate Employees at other sites including caretakers, Nottingham-On-Call, Independent Living teams, mobile support officers, Beechdale Court Managers who require specific messages to then communicate to their teams (typically cascade messages from EMT) Unions and employee forums, including Your Forum members of these groups have an important role to play in helping to shape company policy, and communicate the views of the employees they represent Executive Management Team/ Senior Management Team we will foster a culture and develop channels enable senior managers to hear the views of colleagues across the company. This all aids better decision making The Board members need communications outside the formal channels of Board and committee meeting papers. 5.2 Although we have identified distinct audiences, it is important that through positive internal communication we help build on the company s value of work as one team. Our messages will highlight the impact on our tenants

and leaseholders, and show how their ongoing input is helping to shape our services. 5.3 All external communication campaigns will also include plans for communicating internally. Customers feel greater confidence in the company when employees are aware of wider issues beyond their own teams and are confident enough to articulate key messages or where to direct customers to find the right, up to date information. Some employees are also tenants, so their position is important in helping to convey a professional image to their neighbours and friends. 6 Key messages 6.1 We will develop key messages to support our Corporate Plan goals. This will be based around these themes: 6.2 To be a first class housing organisation in the eyes of our tenants and leaseholders We are putting tenants and leaseholders in the driving seat setting standards, monitoring performance, holding us to account Developing four star services we want to be a top quartile / best in country performer Celebrating and reinforcing successes performance targets met, projects successfully delivered, staff who have gone extra mile Meeting our customers top priorities decent homes, repairs, anti-social behaviour 6.3 To be a major player in transforming the quality of life in our neighbourhoods We will promote work on our estates which tackle crime, unemployment, poor health by both NCH and our partners We will give prominence to projects where we have supported local communities to help themselves We will highlight the work of other organisations that we work with to show to employees how their work is helping to deliver improvements to Nottingham and the lives of our customers. 6.4 To be a great place to work, widely respected as an efficient and professional organisation. EMT and the Board are committed to developing a strong organisational culture, where employees feel valued for their contribution and understand how their role contributes to achieving our goals. Our values are important there is no them and us. Our staff forum, equality forums and unions are contributing to the development of the company Management are committed to listening to staff, and acting as a result We are focussed on delivering value for money while tackling waste, poor management and staff performance

It s important to say well done and thank you we must continually celebrate our team and individual successes. This includes entering for national awards, recognising the commitment of long serving employees, and staff who have earned recognised qualifications A strong company is built on more than just the day job we will promote social events, charity events, volunteering opportunities and employee benefits 6.5 We will use a range of communications mechanisms to make sure employees have access to essential information they need to know, including: Team plans access to every team s commitments for the year Team performance (linked with Covalent) Legislative changes Policy and procedural changes Health and safety (eg we are required to have clear procedures for BS OHSAS 18001 for communications this strategy forms part of our commitment to that) Staff responsibilities (eg child protection, tackling fraud, whistleblowing) Core operational needs eg PDRs, Investor in People preparation and actions Advance and ongoing communications of significant subjects eg budget decisions, terms and conditions, Single Status and more. 7 Audit of existing internal communications mechanisms 7.1 Existing internal communications systems have grown organically over the last few years. There has not been a strategic structure that identifies key messages, audiences, mechanisms and timings. This means we cannot be certain all employees are receiving accurate, timely information. 7.2 However there are examples of good practice across the company that can be further developed and shared. We must communicate through mechanisms that can reach as many of our employees as possible, in the most efficient and cost effective manner. 7.3 The 2011 employee engagement survey sought staff opinion about the most effective methods of internal communications:

In your opinion, what are the most effective methods for keeping you in touch with what's happening across the company? (1= very effective and 5= very ineffective) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% a) Team Meetings b) 1-1 meetings c) Team Brief d) Pay slips e) E-mail f) Notice Boards g) Employee Conferences and Events h) The intranet i) Networking 49% 30% 41% 30% 33% 30% 26% 27% 25% 26% 27% 21% 14% 28% 22% 27% 34% 24% 18% 27% 26% 22% 26% 1 2 3 4 5 17% 23% 14% 3% 4% 6% 6% 9% 5% 13% 9% 14% 12% 24% 13% 26% 7% 4% 12% 15% 14% 15% 7.4 Comments from staff about internal communications include (2011 survey): Team Briefing needs to be accessed by all staff due to some members of staff receiving this too late. Although there is a commitment towards increase communication from the top, there is still a remoteness about the top third of management. This leads to too much information coming from the rumour mill and a general feeling of only being told partial truths. 7.5 Team Briefing is our main internal publication. It was originally designed for area housing offices to communicate messages to staff during the Wednesday morning training slot. Improvements have been made to how information goes into Team Briefing, but fundamentally the system is not effective for many employees particularly mobile workers in the repairs service. However it is craft workers who have the most contact with customers and spend the most time in their homes. While it is possible for Team Briefing to be printed off and handed to all operatives, this is a time consuming, labour intensive and expensive process. It has moved to a fortnightly timetable, to follow the EMT meeting cycle. 7.6 The company s intranet was no longer fit for purpose (reflected in the low scores it received from employees in the annual survey). Replacing it in May 2012, with a more modern system that can focus key messages and performance information, was a vital foundation for delivering this strategy. It allows news and information to be updated continuously helping to answer both the top down and sideways communications challenges. Communication leads will be identified and trained in each team to use the content management system to keep information up to date.

We will work with colleagues in Nottingham City Council s web team to make the intranet available to non-office based employees at home, via a password system. We will aim to develop a smartphone-friendly version for use on PDAs used by employees. 7.7 EMT has set out a company management structure and meeting schedule, including a requirement for regular team meetings. We will map our internal communications mechanisms to follow this schedule, so key messages are identified and cascaded. This will start to answer the top down communications challenges. 8 Future communications mechanisms 8.1 It is important in the future that we communicate through means that can reach as many of our employees as possible, in the most efficient and cost effective manner. We will develop robust processes and mechanisms, which can facilitate and capture the opinions and ideas of staff. 8.2 The Communications team will maintain an effective system to cascade corporate messages to all identified audiences in a timely fashion, using the channels set out below. We will also maintain a system for individual teams to communicate messages to necessary audiences. 8.3 EMT s management structure and meeting schedule includes specific reference to fortnightly EMT meetings, regular meetings of departmental management teams etc. Individual managers must be mindful of that when developing their chosen internal communications systems, but there will be no prescribed system it will be up to each manager to agree with their teams what arrangements work best for them to achieve the goals of this strategy. 8.4 With different parts of the company requiring different solutions, managers need to develop a system that is the most effective for their teams. A range of mechanisms are available, including: Intranet Weekly email news bulletin Wage slip messages New staff magazine Screensavers Team meetings PDRs One-to-one meetings Employee conference Induction Training and development opportunities (to learn more about other parts of the company) Text messages/ mobile working technology Staff notice boards Annual General Meeting Video

Video conferencing technology. Detailed information about each channel, and who is responsible for developing and managing them, is contained in appendix 1. 8.5 Starting in 2012-13 and then on an annual basis, managers will develop their own matrix showing what mechanisms will be used and when. The Communications team will support this process. Managers will be required to show they have developed their approach by consulting with their teams, and agreeing their communication plans with the Head of Communications and Marketing. From 2013-14 this will form part of the Team Plan writing process (some teams have begun this process in 2012). Managers should demonstrate how their chosen solution for internal communications shows how their teams will both (a) communicate with themselves, and (b) communicate messages from their service areas to others. 9 Annual internal communications action plan 9.1 We will develop an annual action plan for the Communications team to help deliver the aims of this strategy. This will form part of the annual Team Planning process. 10 Evaluation 10.1 We will use employee surveys to track our success at improving internal communications. We will also use qualitative information from focus groups to inform communication mechanisms. These will be aligned with questions relating to the impact of the Inspire Change Deliver programme and staff awareness of performance information. 10.2 The communications team will support individual teams to see if agreed communications methods are working, and to check if key messages have been effectively disseminated. 10.3 Analysis of external customer feedback will also be made to see if the internal communications strategy is supporting the company to work as one team. 11 Performance targets 11.1 An effective internal communications system has a vital role to play to improve our performance in future years. The Corporate Plan includes this performance indicator improved internal communications will help us to meet our 2015 target: To be a great place to work, widely respected as an efficient and professional organisation Current performance 2015 target Upper quartile performance Percentage of employees who would recommend NCH as a good employer to work for 59% 80% n/a

11.2 We will measure the success of our internal communications through the annual employee survey, using these indicators: Performance Indicator 2011-12 position 2012-13 target 2013-14 target 2014-15 target % of employees satisfied that there is effective communication between them 73% 78% 84% 90% and their manager % of employees satisfied that there is effective communication between them 89% 90% 91% 92% and people in their team % of employees satisfied that there is effective communication between them 73% 78% 84% 90% and people in other teams % of employees satisfaction with the information they receive about what is 51% 60% 70% 80% going on throughout the company % of employees satisfied that their manager shares important knowledge and 63% 68% 75% 80% information with them % of employees satisfied that they have had a chance to comment on changes 56% 60% 65% 70% which affect them in their team % of employees satisfied that they have had a chance to comment on changes 42% 50% 55% 60% which affect NCH as a whole % of employees satisfied that NCH values new ideas from employees 40% 50% 55% 60%

Appendix 1: Internal communications mechanisms (listed in alphabetical order) Employee conference This should continue to take place at least annually. The event is an opportunity for all employees to learn more about the successes and future plans of the company. It is also an opportunity for employees to meet with and ask questions of the Chief Executive and Senior Management team. Employees should be able to be involved in the development and delivery of the conference. Responsibility: EMT (strategic approach), Communications team (organisation), all managers (attendance) Induction All staff in their first three months with the company should get a corporate induction. This is the chance to give out a range of information about the company itself, our vision and corporate plan, as well as giving guidance on how to access the benefits, such as Acorn, the employee rewards scheme, training opportunities, counselling service etc Responsibility: HR, company managers, with support from Learning and Development Intranet/ weekly email news bulletin The new intranet launched in May 2012. This includes a regularly updated news feed and performance information for all parts of the company. It uses a content management system, so designated officers from all parts of the business to manage and update their own pages. Control is maintained centrally in the Communications team, through an editorial approval system. The intranet is at the core of delivering this internal communications strategy delivering improved performance management information and understanding, and supporting the goals of the Inspire Change Deliver programme. It will empower teams to improve understanding of their services across the company and therefore directly support our vision, mission and values. The intranet can pick up a lot of areas that Team Briefing has previously communicated such as charity events, compliments and thank yous, as well as training opportunities, HR messages and info on the employee benefits scheme. News updates are delivered daily via the homepage and a weekly round up email will be sent to all employees. Subject to the available technology, news will also be communicated to employees mostly working outside offices (eg on PDAs) and an extranet connection for viewing via password at home. Using some social media principles, we will explore how to develop the intranet into a forum for debate and discussion on issues affecting the

company giving EMT a chance to blog and respond to concerns, creating an open and transparent culture, increasing visibility of senior managers and encouraging communication across teams. Responsibility: Communications team (overall editing), Communications leads in each team relevant pages and news Management by walking about / back to the floor Senior managers can learn much about colleagues feelings about their jobs from joining them on the front line. This should be encouraged both for improving services and also because it helps to answer concerns about management visibility Responsibility: Learning and Development, EMT Managers briefings/ leadership and senior management meetings A managers briefing system can help to communicate key messages typically from EMT meetings about the company. The Communications team will establish a standard format for doing this, with a repository placed on the intranet. This will include briefings from regular leadership and senior management team meetings. Responsibility: EMT, Communications team. Noticeboards Following best practice identified through the Inspire Change Deliver leadership programme, we will develop a series of poster templates to promote key messages in all offices. These will predominantly focus on the Corporate Plan and performance against its targets Responsibility: BID Performance team, Communications team One-to-one meetings These are an important part of the ongoing dialogue between line manager and employee. They should be more informal than PDRs, but a helpful way to monitor progress, raise concerns and address any issues, before they become problems. PDRs These meetings only have to be as regular as the individual managers and employees feel is necessary. Responsibility: All company managers, with support from Learning and Development/ HR An individual s annual appraisal is a prime opportunity to communicate both downwards and upwards. It is a time for a manager to listen to personal concerns, issues raised within the service area and issues regarding the whole company. The results of these are confidential to each employee, but necessary feedback can be given to senior management following appraisals.

Responsibility: All company managers, with support from Learning and Development/ HR Screensavers These can be an effective way to convey key performance and other information to office based staff. There is also the potential (using Active Directory) to target different teams with more specific information. This technology would become more important depending on choices made over the company s future accommodation needs. Responsibility: Communications team. Messages will be changed at least monthly initially. Messages will be based on published performance information. SMS messages/ mobile working technology These are an effective way to communicate important information to nonoffice based staff, or to senior managers in an emergency. They are already used by the Health and Safety team and in Repairs for example. At present internet access on company mobile devices is restricted and the intranet does not come in a mobile-friendly version. Both these obstacles need to be solved, but once that is done a combination of the intranet and PDAs will become the main internal communications channel for a majority of employees. Responsibility: Communications team lead with support from Head of Repairs and Maintenance, Customer Service Centre (for HPMs), Health and Safety team, IT. Staff magazine The news service on the intranet, combined with a weekly or fortnightly email roundup service, will effectively replace the old Team Briefing. But a regular staff magazine could still have value in building greater job satisfaction and employee loyalty. The magazine could carry: Case studies of employees across the company doing exceptional work showing the impact on customers from the contact we have with them (and how experiences and skills can be transferred to other teams) More in depth information about key initiatives Information about staff benefits. Responsibility: The Communications team will consult with employees on the format and frequency of this publication. Staff suggestion scheme A new scheme will be introduced in 2012-13 to encourage colleagues to identify potential efficiencies and service improvements.

Responsibility: BID team Staff survey A staff survey will be carried out annually. It will give valuable quantitative feedback on questions relating to staff satisfaction, motivation, priorities, views and perceptions and preferences. Participation will be encouraged through multiple communications channels and the same channels will be used to feed back the main findings from the survey and any actions arising from them. Responsibility: BID team (survey), Communications team (promotion) Social Media In 2012-13 the Communications team will develop a corporate policy governing internal use of social media, identify suitable platforms and agree a pilot programme with EMT. Responsibility: Communications team Team meetings EMT has determined that team meetings should be held at least monthly. Each area runs differently and so it is important managers discuss with their staff how regularly they feel these meetings need to be structured. For example, some may feel a minuted, more formal structure is required, others may be more suited to an informal update. Responsibility: All company managers Television screens Screens are already installed in parts of the company s estate (eg Harvey Road canteen and stores, Rents Team, some housing offices). The screens can be used to push key messages (particularly around performance). Depending on budget, screens could be placed in other company offices, and linked to the IT network to make changing the content more straightforward. Responsibility: Communications team lead, support from Repairs team, Rents team, TEM regional managers. Wage slip messages All employees receive a monthly paper payslip. Using the two blank panels on each wage slip to deliver corporate messages is an effective method of communication. It is a good opportunity to promote good performance, company-wide HR/ health and safety messages, key campaign work, and raise awareness of events/ conferences/ offers etc. (Note this option will stop if the company moves to electronic payslips). Responsibility: The Communications team manages the process of booking wage slip message slots, which need to be arranged around three weeks in advance.

Your Forum Your Forum draws together members from across the company. The employee-led working group is key to bringing our organisational culture to life. Two aims of the forum are to improve communications across the company and to act as consultation group for company initiatives. Responsibility: Learning and Development team

Appendix 2: Weekly email news round up/ Team briefing fortnightly With the launch of the new intranet, information will be uploaded throughout the week on to the home page. The Communications team will send out a weekly email on a Friday afternoon to staff with a news round-up from the week. This will again encourage them to look at the intranet. Subject to available technology, this system will include a smartphone-enabled version of the intranet (for PDAs) and the ability to access the intranet from other computers (eg at home) and the ability to have the weekly news round up sent to a registered email address. This will give non-office based colleagues a number of options to access company news and information to the same level as office-based employees. While this new system beds in, we will produce Team Briefing on a fortnightly basis. To make sure EMT is leading on the key messages, this process will be followed: Monday EMT meets. Discusses draft Team Briefing content and articles (draft list from Communications team include in papers). Tuesday Communications team briefed on agreed story list and content by member of EMT. Wednesday / Thursday Communications team write Team Briefing, checking articles where necessary with relevant officer/member of EMT. Thursday Team Briefing design and lay out. Communications team draw up draft content list for following week s Team Briefing, for inclusion in EMT papers Friday Team Briefing uploaded to intranet and email alert to company managers sent including invite to submit story ideas for EMT approval.

When Team Briefing is phased out, the same principle will be followed for the email news round up.