South West

Find out more about the South West SPF.
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The South West (SW) SPF was set up by employers, trade unions and NHS Employers' South engagement team, in 2014.

Priorities for 2023/24

  • Maintain and develop constructive partnership working relationships.
  • Support and input in partnership with the AgiLab research projects and workshops.
  • Continue to embed a just and learning culture across the region.
  • Continued focus on equality, diversity and inclusion learning and best practice.
  • Continue to progress a partnership approach to reducing violence and aggression (including sexual safety and domestic violence).

Achievements in 2022/23

  • We held a hybrid event to discuss partnership working opportunities to reduce violence and aggression across the region. The event, which was extended to South East colleagues, enabled the sharing of best practice and innovative solutions.
  • We partnered with Roger Kline, Clive Lewis and Capsticks to support the People Plans' goals of inclusion and belonging. An in-person event was held to encourage employers and trade unions to reflect and challenge approaches in light of the Michelle Cox tribunal outcome. 
  • We maintained meaningful engagement with NHS Employers and NHS England colleagues on core priority focus areas, including the Long Term Workforce Plan and the People Promise.
  • We supported the NHS HR and OD futures programme by engaging with Claire Gore and workstream leads, for example, Devon Digital People Programme, to understand and influence progress.
  • In collaboration with NHS Employers and the University of Sussex, we have been promoting and facilitating best practice and research in agile working through academic and practitioner collaboration and knowledge exchange. We have worked in partnership to support the latest research study titled Understanding and reducing tensions between clinical and non-clinical staff in the NHS in relation to agile working, which was published in November 2023.

Meet the team

  • Trade union co-chair – Mike Cracknell, UNISON
  • Management co-chair – Hannah Foster, Chief People Officer, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
  • Management co-chair – Alfredo Thompson, Executive Director of People and Culture, Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Foundation Trust

Contact us

For further information on the SW SPF, please contact the South team.