More than 1,000 people have taken part in a programme to change the workplace culture of Cheshire East Council, writes Stephen Topping.
The local authority revealed in March that it had hired consultancy firm Sticky Change on a 12-month contract worth £152,460 to help it work on a ‘brighter future together’ scheme.
It came after a Local Government Association review into CEC, commissioned by the council itself, found that almost a quarter of council staff it surveyed were aware of workplace bullying in the second half of 2017.
At a staffing committee meeting on Monday, members were told that 205 employees and 25 councillors had taken part in workshops during the first phase of the programme – while a further 787 members of staff completed a survey.
Emma Morris, senior HR officer at CEC, told the committee: “Since the last update good progress has been made.
“We started the conversation with all staff across the organisation and with members.
“We had 7,000 pieces of data that we were analysed, and as a result we were able to produce a vision for our workplace culture.”
The work is being used to draw up an ‘employment deal’ that will be put in place later this week, which will set out the behaviours that employees can expect from working at CEC.
Cllr Dorothy Flude, Labour member for Crewe South, has been tasked with looking at the culture change process with Cllr Barry Moran, Conservative member for Sandbach.
She told members that “the process is working” – but as the working group is yet to receive feedback from staff, she is unable to say if it is working well.
Following the meeting, Cllr Flude said: “The process is working, the system is set up, Sticky Change is doing what it is supposed to be doing.
“But I can’t say if it is working well because I don’t know what is happening with staff.”
A behaviour framework for elected members will also be launched on Thursday, while 75 members of staff have volunteered to become ‘brighter future champions’ to spread the message among their colleagues.
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