One of the best places to work, say KCHFT colleagues in survey

It’s been the most challenging year in the history of the NHS and yet colleagues at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) still rated the organisation among the best in the country to work for, in the annual national NHS staff survey.

Not only did we have our highest response rate in five years with 62.4 per cent of staff responding, but they gave feedback that meant in five areas – equality, diversity and inclusion, health and wellbeing, immediate managers, morale and safety culture, KCHFT was the highest performing community trust in the country when compared to those it was benchmarked against.

The response rate was also significantly higher than the 15 community trusts across the country that KCHFT, which holds an ‘outstanding’ rating with the Care Quality Commission, was benchmarked against.

Survey questions were grouped into 10 themes and in the majority of these, the trust scored significantly higher than other community health trusts.

Chief Executive Paul Bentley said: “I am really pleased that in a year that has seen our trust and the NHS in general under enormous pressure that our colleagues took the time to feedback how they feel about working at KCHFT.

“While it’s important to be able to compare to other community health trusts, what we really want to see is improvement at KCHFT each year and in four of the 10 themes we have significantly improved since 2019, which during 12 months of a pandemic is such a testament to the hard work of the our team members.

“Our workforce is the heart of KCHFT and without them and the first-class care they provide, we would not be able to do what we do so well. They have been extraordinary throughout the pandemic and these results say a lot about the team of people who make up KCHFT.”

What the survey asked

62.4 per cent of staff responded and were asked about:

• equality, diversity and inclusion
• health and wellbeing
• immediate managers
• morale
• quality of care
• safe environment – bullying and harassment
• safe environment – violence
• safety culture
• staff engagement
• team working.