iMatter Health & Social Care Staff Experience Survey 2025

Action Plans

Action Plans are a vital part of the iMatter process, where staff feedback is reviewed and actions are agreed to address staff concerns and opportunities for improvement.

Action Plan Completion

Overall, there is no change in the proportion of teams that have completed Action Plans (56%) within 8 weeks or receiving their iMatter report. However, across the Boards there are several that have changed considerably.

To view this table in its original format please see the PDF.

The largest improvement is The State Hospital with a 30 pps increase in the proportion of teams completing Action Plans (77% in 2025). Healthcare Improvement Scotland has improved by 15 pps to 90% and NHS Grampian by 13 pps to 58%.

The State Hospital adopted a targeting and supportive approach to Action Planning:

The State Hospital Board Feedback

“Targeted, Facilitated Support for Priority Teams: We identified teams with “yellow” iMatter reports and those with no reports, offering them direct, facilitated support to develop and complete their action plans. This hands-on approach was well received, with the majority of teams engaging positively and submitting an action plan.

Emphasis on Team Development Linked to iMatter: We placed a strong emphasis on team development, explicitly linking action planning to iMatter results. By using a variety of support methods—such as workshops, coaching, and resource materials—we helped teams enhance both their effectiveness and their overall experience.

Strategic Engagement during OD Strategy Development: The engagement activities undertaken while building our new OD Strategy reinforced the importance of improving experiences at every level—individual, team, and organisational. We made clear commitments about what we would do, which helped build trust and align everyone around shared goals.

Balanced, Direct Communication with Managers: We communicated directly with all managers, ensuring they understood the importance of action planning without overwhelming them with excessive messages. This careful balance helped maintain engagement and avoid “communication fatigue.”

Executive Team Advocacy: We also engaged the Executive Team, who actively supported both us and their own teams in completing action plans. Their visible backing added weight to the initiative and encouraged broader participation.”

NHS Grampian provide details of actions successfully taken to increase the proportion of teams completing Action Plans.

NHS Grampian Board Feedback

“We implemented a multifaceted approach to drive improvement:

Senior Leadership Buy-in: We significantly increased communication from senior leadership to emphasise the importance of action planning. Our Chief Executive and Employee Director jointly sent an email to every iMatter team lead to highlight the importance of the process and encourage renewed enthusiasm. This commitment was further reinforced by senior leaders making the completion of action plans an objective in their annual appraisals, demonstrating a top-down commitment to the process.

Process and System Improvements: We developed new, short, and impactful Action Planning sessions to help team leaders successfully navigate the process. We also undertook a comprehensive data review on our Webropol system, identifying and removing non-existent teams that were skewing the completion data.

Targeted Communication and Recognition: Frequent reminders were communicated to teams ahead of deadlines to encourage timely completion. We also highlighted a positive case study in our daily brief, featuring a team that had successfully used action planning to improve their staff experience. This shared story provided a tangible example of the benefits and served to inspire other teams.

These combined efforts have been instrumental in fostering a more focused and engaged approach to action planning within NHS Grampian, leading to the positive increase in completion rates.”

NHS Golden Jubilee increased Action Plan completion by 10 pps in 2025, primarily through clarifying expectations of what an action plan should be:

NHS Golden Jubilee Board Feedback

“We partly attribute this to targeted efforts to address a barrier around a lack of certainty as to what constituted an acceptable or meaningful action. As part of our Culture Programme we introduced new feedback models to the organisation and saw an opportunity to leverage action planning to support this aspect of the Culture Programme. We encouraged teams to consider embedding and normalising feedback at a local level as a potential action. This approach was promoted through a range of communication channels, and we provided practical resources to help managers facilitate these conversations with their teams.

In addition, we encouraged Senior Managers with sub-reporting access in Webropol to monitor action plan completion within their areas. This enabled more effective local oversight and support, helping to drive engagement and accountability across the organisation.”

The largest decline is in NHS Fife where only 43% of teams completed an Action Plan compared to 65% in 2024. NHS Dumfries and Galloway now has only 40% of teams completing Action Plans, down from 55% in 2024. NHS Highland continues to have the lowest proportion of teams completing Action Plans (25%), down 6 pps from 2024.

NHS Fife note that various constraints have impacted Action Plan completion within the 8-week window, but demonstrates a commitment to continued improvement and engagement:

NHS Fife Board Feedback

“It is likely that the decline in Action Plan completion reflects a combination of pressures this year, including constrained central iMatter capacity, a strategic focus on financial recovery, and the prioritisation of frontline service delivery.

Although completion rates have reached 43%, as captured within the 8-week timeframe, we will continue to encourage and support these key conversations with teams throughout the remainder of the year. Our commitment to staff experience and engagement, with meaningful action remains resolute, with work underway to strengthen support and responsiveness going forward.”

NHS Dumfries and Galloway express disappointment at the decline in Action Plan completion rate, however, they point to various actions being put in place that are expected to have a positive impact going forward:

NHS Dumfries and Galloway Board Feedback

“Despite the challenges, there are positive developments that will support improvement in future cycles. A new wellbeing portal has been launched alongside a programme of wellbeing webinars and events, providing accessible resources and strengthening staff support via our ODL microsite. The introduction of the behavioural framework this year will help teams translate survey findings into clear expectations and behaviours, improving the quality and focus of action planning. Senior leadership is now directly involved in induction, addressing one of the lowest scoring areas in previous rounds and reinforcing leadership visibility from the outset. As for benchmarking, other boards have demonstrated that targeted communications, protected time for managers, and a focus on identifying a small number of realistic, high-impact actions are effective in raising completion rates, and these approaches are now being incorporated locally.”

Action Plan Content

Action Plans contain four sections:

1. What we (the team) do well

2. Areas for improvement

3. Desired outcome from actions to be taken

4. Action

Analysis carried out using AI tools^[16] provides a clear summary of the main themes contained within the Action Plans.

What we do well

This section enables teams to acknowledge their strengths and successes. The most often mentioned topics are:

Team Cohesion and Support: A prominent focus on strong teamwork, with staff emphasising mutual support and collaboration, especially during challenging times.

Effective Communication: Clear and open communication is consistently highlighted as essential for operational success, with many noting improvements in communication strategies and feedback mechanisms.

Respect and Dignity: Responses reflect a strong culture of respect, where staff feel valued and treated fairly, contributing to a positive work environment.

Approachable Leadership: The consensus generally is that line managers are supportive and approachable, fostering trust and a sense of security among team members.

Clarity of Roles and Responsibilities: Staff express a clear understanding of their roles, supporting performance and job satisfaction.

Wellbeing Support: A strong emphasis is placed on staff health and wellbeing, with initiatives in place to support mental health among employees.

Professional Development: Many Action Plans underline the importance of opportunities for training and continuous learning, indicating a commitment to professional growth.

Patient-Centred Care: Teams are dedicated to providing high-quality patient care, with a focus on collaboration across various services.

Overall, the topics included in ‘What we do will’ illustrates staff commitment to collaboration, communication, and mutual respect. There are shared goals of delivering high standards of patient care and maintaining a positive organisational culture.

Areas for Improvement

This section of the Action Plans explores aspects that the team feels could be improved on. Across all the Action Plans submitted, the most referenced areas for improvement are:

Communication: There is a widespread call for enhanced communication within teams and from leadership. Staff are seeking clearer, more transparent updates concerning organisational changes and decisions that impact their roles.

Involvement in Decision-Making: Many staff express a strong desire for greater involvement in decision-making processes. A recurrent sentiment is feeling disconnected from important discussions, leading to a lack of engagement.

Training and Development: Many Action Plans emphasise the need for more structured training and ongoing professional development opportunities to enable staff to grow in their roles.

Health and Wellbeing: Staff wellbeing is a significant concern in many teams. There is a perceived need for organisational support systems that both promote mental and physical wellness and address workload management concerns.

Visibility of Leadership: There is a perceived lack of visibility and engagement from senior management, which impacts trust and confidence in the organisation’s direction.

Recognition and Feedback: Staff express a desire for more consistent recognition of their contributions and achievements, which is important for maintaining morale and encouraging engagement.

Team Cohesion: While team dynamics are mostly viewed positively, there is a recognition of the need to foster better collaboration across departments to enhance workplace satisfaction.

Overall, the main themes identified as areas for improvement, reflect the scores seen in iMatter and include communication, involvement, recognition.

Desired Outcomes

In this section of the Action Plan, teams identify what results they would like to see come as a result of implementing the Action Plan. Main outcomes include:

Communication: Action Plans often highlight the need for better communication channels that allow for timely and clear updates regarding organisational changes, decisions, and opportunities for feedback.

Staff Involvement: There is a strong consensus on the importance of having staff engaged in decision-making processes and for their ideas and feedback to be recognised and valued.

Training and Development: Many participants express a need for structured training opportunities and adequate resources for professional development, emphasising the importance of ongoing learning in their roles.

Team Cohesion: The Action Plans highlight the importance of encouraging a collaborative and supportive team environment where staff feel appreciated and connected.

Wellbeing and Support: Staff express a need for adequate resources related to mental health and overall wellbeing to enhance job satisfaction and productivity.

Overall, the desired outcomes included in Action Plans illustrate a strong commitment to enhancing workplace dynamics via better communication, staff empowerment and a focus on professional development and wellbeing.

Action

Each Action Plan includes specific actions that are to be taken by the team. The main areas focused on across the Action Plans are:

Communication Enhancement: Various actions are put forward around improved communication methods, including structured team meetings, digital communication tools, and transparent feedback mechanisms to keep all staff informed and engaged.

Staff Engagement in Decision-Making: Many Action Plans advocate for involving staff in decisions that impact their work, emphasising the necessity of feedback channels such as suggestion boxes and regular check-ins to ensure all voices are considered.

Professional Development: A common focus on continuous training opportunities and structured learning pathways highlights the importance of developing staff skills and competencies in a supportive environment.

Wellbeing Initiatives: Regular check-ins and strategies to promote mental health are planned, illustrating a commitment to support staff wellbeing alongside professional responsibilities.

Team Building and Recognition: Proposals aimed at fostering team cohesion and celebrating achievements are prevalent, illustrating the importance of morale and teamwork in enhancing overall effectiveness and well-being across the organisation. A good example of this is the creation of a ‘Wall of Fame’ to celebrate positive contributions.

Overall, planned actions demonstrate commitment to create supportive, communicative, and development-driven workplace culture where staff engagement remains a top priority.