Retention Charter Domain 1, action 1.3
Action 1.3: Recognise and reward the strengths and hard work of psychiatrists from all backgrounds and career stages..
Action 1.3 is part of Domain 1 of the RCPsych's Retention Charter for employers - which relates to creating a culture of belonging.
What stage is your organisation at?
Use this maturity matrix to assess what stage your organisation is at, in terms of Action 1.3.
- Team meetings routinely include celebration of positive practice and individuals.
- Regular messages of appreciation are sent by senior leadership to psychiatrists thanking them for their work and sharing information about its impact.
- Local recognition and reward schemes exist to formally celebrate psychiatrists excelling in their roles.
- Rewards and benefits associated with working in the organisation are regularly communicated to staff, raising awareness and allowing people to take full advantage of them.
- The positive work of psychiatrists and clinical teams is communicated both internally and externally to the organisation by various means with regular communications about people being valued by the organisation.
- Systems exist for formally capturing positive feedback from patients and carers, analysing this data, and passing on praise to named individuals and their line managers.
- Recognition and reward systems are routinely evaluated for impact and fairness.
- A scheme exists where all staff can formally recognise and praise their colleagues, such as by sending recognition cards or online thank you letters.
- The organisation consistently engages with external recognition schemes, considering nominating talented Psychiatrists for regional, national, or international rewards/recognition (e.g. the RCPsych awards).
- Psychiatrists who are recognised for excellence are invited to share their skills and knowledge with others within the organisation through various events/activities.
- Reward and recognition schemes are continually updated and improved in line with data relating to impact, fairness, and the evolving needs and preferences of staff.
Advice and recommendations
Involve Psychiatrists in the design of recognition and reward schemes/packages, ensuring that these reflect the diverse workforce and what is valued by various professional groups.
Ensure that recognition and reward schemes are inclusive, with recognition/rewards available for all career grades of Psychiatrists (e.g. foundation doctors, core trainees, higher trainees, SAS doctors, LE doctors, consultants) from various backgrounds. Recognise and reward both clinical and non-clinical achievements, such as excellence in medical education, research, leadership and long time in service.
Showcase the rewards and benefits associated with working at the organisation by creating and advertising a leaflet, webpage, and/or brochure where this information is easily accessible to staff.
Create and advertise systems for patient and carer feedback to be formally logged, collated, and shared as appropriate, such as an electronic system where staff can input the details of patient thank you letters/cards.
Create and advertise peer-to-peer staff recognition schemes where all staff can formally praise their colleagues, including staff recognising those outside their own professional groups and both junior and senior to them.
Work with the communications team to collate and publicise successes of psychiatrists within the organisation through various means such as by using social media, email, and having a dedicated space in the staff newsletter for staff recognition.
Ensure that managers/supervisors regularly pass on praise and formally recognise staff and positive practice within team meetings. For example, a regular slot could be preserved for highlighting staff achievements and sharing good practice within the weekly departmental meeting.
Organise annual rewards, such as an annual awards ceremony where staff can be nominated for formal organisation-wide awards, and time-specific rewards such as recognising long-time in service or major career milestones (e.g. promotions) with formal letters from senior leadership.
Routinely evaluate reward and recognition schemes for impact and fairness by seeking the views of staff members through formal mechanisms such as surveys and analysing whether any specific staff groups are under-recognised and/or less engaged in such schemes.
Maintain a log of relevant external award schemes and advertise these amongst the workforce, encouraging staff nominations within the relevant submission windows (e.g. the RCPsych Awards).
Links and resources
- Each year, the RCPsych hosts an annual awards ceremony. The RCPsych Awards mark the highest level of achievement in UK psychiatry and awards are available across multiple categories.
- The RCPsych also offers a wide range of regional and specialty-related awards.
- NHS Employers provides a benefit leaflet template for organisations to create their own benefit leaflet to depict how they reward their employees
- NHS England has produced a guide for senior leaders and managers on designing and implementing a staff recognition framework, including seven principles for creating a recognition strategy.
- The NHS England Recognition and Reward Network holds meetings online on a quarterly basis, including ‘share and learn’ sessions where members can share knowledge and best practice and discuss challenges relating to recognition and reward.
Examples of good practice
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) NHS Foundation Trust launched an app-based organisation-wide staff recognition scheme in July 2023.
This scheme is compatible with Microsoft Teams on laptop, computer, mobile phone, or tablet device and allows any staff member to send a formal recognition card to a colleague and their line manager.
The recognition scheme is linked to the organisation’s values and named ‘Values in People’, with employees selecting which specific value/s their colleague has demonstrated.
By linking the scheme to business intelligence reporting system, examples of best practice can be highlighted, analysed, and replicated across services.
West London NHS Trust reduced attrition and improved staff engagement by improving how it recognised staff promotions.
This involved publishing a list of staff promotions each month on the organisation’s intranet page and providing each promoted staff member with a personal hand-written congratulations card from the Chief Executive.
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust have created a monthly STAR award programme where patients or visitors can nominate staff who have provided a good service, exceptional care or assistance.
Winners are selected and receive a certificate, a copy of their nomination, and bronze, silver, or gold pin badge to wear. The ‘gold’ winners are invited to an annual awards ceremony and their achievement is publicised through social media.