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The Improving Working Lives standard makes it clear that every member of staff in the NHS is entitled to work in an organisation that can demonstrate its commitment to:
§ give staff greater flexibility and control over their own time
§ improve access to childcare
§ encourage diversity
§ tackle discrimination, harassment and bullying
and sets out what NHS organisations needed to do to achieve this.
IWL aims to embed good HR practices and to also ensure that staff are supported and developed. This investment in staff is recognised as an investment in patient care.
The Improving Working Lives Standard offers guidance for supporting staff in the workplace focusing on helping them to achieve a healthy work/life balance, including modern employment practices such as:
§ flexible working
§ valuing diversity
§ childcare provision and support for carers in the workplace
§ flexible careers
§ flexible retirement
§ training and development
§ healthy working
§ staff involvement and communications
§ partnership working
The Improving Working Lives Standard enables NHS staff to measure their employer’s human resources management. It sets the benchmarks by which organisations will create flexible working environments that promote staff welfare and development.
All NHS organisations are assessed as to how well they are doing in these areas. By the end of March 2006 all NHS organisations are required to demonstrate that they are implementing the IWL standard across the entire organisation in all staff groups to achieve ‘Practice Plus’ accreditation.
Source: http://www.nhsemployers.org/
Achievement of the Improving Working Lives is staged:
All NHS organisations to make a public commitment, by having the policies, practices and people in place to achieve accreditation by April 2001. All NHS Trusts have reached this target as well as all Health Authorities.
Stage Two – Practice
Organisations were required to provide a portfolio of evidence over a wide range of policies and procedures that improve the working lives of staff and be at Practice status by April 2003. This stage does allow for some leeway, and organisations can be accredited even if they do not have these policies and procedures in place for all staff, as long as they have a time limited action plan to deliver to all staff.
Stage Three – Practice Plus
Means achievement in all staff groups across the whole organisation and is awarded once all the gaps have been remedied. All organisations are required to meet Practice Plus status by 31st March 2006.
Source http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/
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