Meetings

The Senedd Commission People Survey (“the survey”) was conducted in September 2024. Commissioners were advised that the summary of results would be shared with Senedd Commission Staff. The Finance Committee, in its Report on the Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Budget, had also requested an update on survey results, and the Commission had agreed to provide a summary of the latest survey findings relating to this financial year once they had been analysed and released.

Commissioners sought, and received, clarity that security staff remuneration had been benchmarked against other parliaments (namely Westminster, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the Scottish Parliament) and that pay was broadly comparable with these. They congratulated the Ymlaen Graduate Scheme which has seen participants secure permanent positions at the Senedd.

Commissioners noted the results and reflected on the new data available in light of disaggregating questions relating to Leadership Team and the Executive Board for the first time.

Commissioners agreed to publish the results report, as in previous years, internally and on the Senedd website.

Commissioners noted the report of the Senedd Commission Annual Staff Survey for the year 2022/23.

Commissioners noted the results of the Annual Commission Staff Survey and agreed to share the summary report with PAPAC; and to publish the results report, as per the PAPAC recommendation.

Commissioners noted the Staff Survey report, which was the first undertaken through an independent survey specialist. They agreed to publish the summary report.

Rhodri Wyn Jones presented the results of the staff survey conducted in May and the action plan to address the main issues and recurring themes. 82% of staff had responded, which enabled the Assembly to benchmark against other organisations and compare feedback from previous years.

All themes remained largely positive, with an increase in all but one service area since the last survey in 2015, comparing favourably with external organisations across Wales. The greatest area of improvement was in leadership and managing change. There were three areas for focus overall and since the survey was published, Heads have also analysed their Service area results and prepared service-specific action plans.

The Board discussed the findings, agreeing the need to convey that the Board were listening, that could be shaped around a ‘you said – we did’ approach, and outlining a set of commitments to accomplish before the next survey, whilst being realistic in what was achievable.

The Board considered the outcomes of the sixth staff survey and discussed plans to respond to the findings. It has been a positive survey considering the pressures that staff were under within the climate of significant constitutional change and uncertainty. The 2017 survey was based on selected questions from the Civil Service People Survey and was identical to the 2016 and 2015 surveys in order to allow comparisons over time and benchmark with other public sector organisations. Highlights included an 82% response rate and 74% engagement index score, both significantly higher than the Civil Service scores of 65% and 59% respectively.

The report would be published internally to staff on 21 July and service specific data reports would be available to Heads shortly.

The Board discussed arrangements for the next staff survey. The survey work well last year with the response rate being very high at 93%. The Board agreed the recommendations that:

·                the survey would run over a four week period from Monday 16 May to Friday 10 June; and

·                the questions, content and reporting format would remain the same to enable a direct comparison to last year's survey, with additional information added to the sub-heading themes to provide clarity and context to future surveys.

It was agreed that the analysis of results would be presented to the Commission in the autumn.

The Board also received an update on the progress of the Investors in People assessment, which was going well although no formal feedback had been received. The interviews with staff were due to finish 22 April.

Rhodri Wyn Jones joined Leanne and Elin to discuss with the Board the recently published 2015 staff survey results.

The response rate had been high, with very good results in relation to the engagement index, scoring the highest in Wales compared to the organisations benchmarked against. Furthermore there were some positive comments. Overall the Assembly compares favourably with the benchmark data.

There were areas that indicated further work was needed, including pressures on work/life balance. Management Board would be considering the report again at their awayday on 13 July.

The Board thanked the team for the work undertaken to produce the survey and analyse results.

Lowri Williams (Head of HR) was welcomed to the meeting and provided recommendations for the next all staff survey, which was then discussed by the Board.

The last survey had been in July 2013, with the results being published in October 2013 and had focussed on “Moral, Motivation and Respect”.  It was important that future surveys could be benchmarked with appropriate comparators and that the timing should fit with business need. It was proposed that the next survey be shorter with a smaller selection of questions and focussed around staff engagement, with opportunities for staff to add comments.

The Board considered this an opportune time to rationalise and improve internal communications with the survey presented as part of a package of two-way communications with staff.

The Board agreed the recommendations and that the next survey would take place in Spring 2015.

Action: Lowri Williams to explore the possibility of introducing a staff forum, linked with internal communications, and prepare a brief for Management Board ahead of sharing at the next Trade Union meeting.