iMatter Health & Social Care Staff Experience Survey 2025

Experience as an Individual

Results are aggregated for each question presented under the heading ‘As an Individual’.

There had been very little movement overall in ‘Experience as an Individual’ scores from 2024.

‘I am given the time and resources to support my learning growth’ has improved by 1 pt from 74 to 75. The need to involve staff and to act on their suggestions remain priorities for improvement.

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

The distribution of responses illustrates the areas of success and those requiring the most focus for improvement.

96% of staff agree that they are clear about their duties and responsibilities and 92% agree that they are treated with dignity and respect. 24% of staff responded that they do not agree that they feel involved in decisions relating to their job and 21% do not agree that they feel confident that their ideas and suggestion are acted upon.

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

Boards

Full Board data is included in the iMatter 2025 Data file^[8].

While the overall Health & Social Care scores have moved very little from last year, there are some large movements in individual Boards.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland has made some considerable progress in reversing the decline in scores reported last year. All ‘Experience as an Individual’ component scores have increased in 2025. The largest of these being ‘I feel involved in decisions relating to my job’ that has increased by 6 pts, returning it to just 1 pt below the 2023 score.

Components that have increased by 3 pts in Healthcare Improvement Scotland are:

• I am given the time and resources to support my learning growth
• I have sufficient support to do my job well
• I am confident my ideas and suggestion are acted upon
• I am treated with dignity and respect as an individual
• I get enough helpful feedback on how well I do my work
• I feel appreciated for the work I do
• My work gives me a sense of achievement.

Other Boards that have achieved improvements of 3 pts in individual components are:

• NHS 24: ‘I am given the time and resources to support my learning growth’
• Scottish Ambulance Service: ‘I have sufficient support to do my job well’

NHS 24 identify a series of actions that have contributed to this improvement:

NHS 24 Board Feedback

This improvement reflects a coordinated and sustained effort across NHS 24, these include:

• Targeted action planning - Teams committed to block out 1.5 hours per month for Continuous Professional Development.
• “Our Culture Matters” and “Our Wellbeing Matters” strategies, alongside Culture and Values Workshops, helped embed a values-led culture that prioritises staff development.
• Frontline colleagues have protected learning time built into their rotas.
• Investment into a 12-month induction programme for new starts.
• Significant investment in training on new digital systems, and project management skills invested to manage large programmes of transformation work.
• Continued development opportunities for staff such as MEP and LDP.
• Initiatives focused on neurodiversity helped create an inclusive environment that supports diverse learning needs.
• The Mentor24 program offered mentorship opportunities, fostering personal and professional growth.
• The ODLL roadshows raised awareness about learning and development resources available to staff.
• Internal consultancy services provided tailored support to teams and individuals, enhancing their learning and growth.
• A review of NHS 24’s bursary scheme and targeted comms plan saw a record number of applications in May 2025.
• Oversight of all bursary and external learning applications provided by Establishment Control Group, to ensure a level of fairness across the organisation.
• MEP and LDP emphasised the role of managers in supporting learning and growth. Increased Executive team visibility on these programmes reinforced this.
• The introduction of digital learning tools and digital buddies has provided flexible, accessible learning.
• Digital upskilling sessions have provided staff with the necessary digital skills and tools, making learning more accessible and flexible.
• The Kind Network has fostered a supportive community, encouraging personal and professional growth through shared digital upskilling resources.
• National wellbeing resources have ensured that staff have time and resources to focus on their mental health which is crucial for their overall development.”

In feedback from the Board, Scottish Ambulance Service identify several actions that have been effectively implemented:

Scottish Ambulance Service Board Feedback

“This improvement may reflect a number of organisational efforts over the past year, including:

• Increased engagement with the appraisal process, with a stronger emphasis on meaningful conversations about objectives, support, and development.
• Improved compliance with mandatory and statutory training, alongside wider access to development opportunities.
• Continued delivery of Healthy Culture Weeks, providing a wide suite of learning and engagement opportunities linked to staff wellbeing and culture.
• Ongoing CPD “Time to Learn” sessions throughout the year, offering practical development tools for colleagues across roles and levels.
• Ongoing leadership development to support leaders and managers in creating the conditions for staff to feel equipped and supported in their roles.”

In contrast, The State Hospital has seen declines in all but one of the Experience as an Individual Components (I have sufficient support to do my job well). The largest decline is in ‘I get enough helpful feedback on how well I do my work’ which has dropped 4 pts. Five components have declined 3 pts:

• ‘I am given the time and resources to support my learning growth’
• ‘I am confident my ideas and suggestions are listened to’
• ‘I feel involved in decisions relating to my job’
• ‘I am treated fairly and consistently’
• ‘I feel appreciated for the work I do’

NHS Golden Jubilee has seen a decline in all components in this section, typically by one or two points. ‘I get enough helpful feedback on how well I do my work’ has declined by 3 pts from 2024.

Several Team Stories illustrate a range of actions being taken to improve staff experiences as individuals.

NHS Grampian illustrates how the use of Feedback Books to record positive feedback is beneficial for individuals and for the team.

NHS Grampian, City MHLD & SMS Support Admin Team

“Our iMatter report and the meeting that followed really highlighted that we wanted to strengthen our team relationships. So, we set up a Microsoft Teams Channel for us, making sure it had a dedicated 'social chat' area. We wanted to replicate those informal office conversations, even though we're often working remotely.

We also started a monthly, one-hour in-person team lunch, which has been great for physically spending time together. And something we've found incredibly meaningful is our feedback books. Each of us has a book where we record positive feedback. During our team lunches, we pass them around with a specific prompt, like 'What I admire about [name] is,' or 'In 2024, I'm thankful to [name] for,' or 'An attribute [name] brings to the team is.' It's given us a really special way to genuinely show our appreciation for one another and provides us with something positive to reflect back on at times when we maybe aren't having such a good day.”

A story from NHS 24 shows commitment to ensuring a successful recruitment process that focuses on settling new staff in the organisation immediately:

NHS 24 Workforce Directorate

“A major milestone was the rollout of a refreshed recruitment process across all skillsets, aligned with our Values and Behaviours framework. This ensures new colleagues feel welcomed and set up for success from day one, building culturally aligned teams from the outset.

To support managers, we launched the Hiring Manager Hub—a central resource that simplifies recruitment and boosts confidence in hiring practices.

Focused efforts to reduce attrition and meet establishment targets have created a more stable environment. Our National and Regional Attrition groups, backed by clear action plans, have helped staff feel supported and encouraged to grow.”

A Team Story from NHS Lanarkshire focuses on three areas, one of which is “Role Clarity and Development”:

NHS Lanarkshire Infection Prevention and Control Team

“Role Clarity and Development: Organise structured sessions to clearly define the responsibilities, expectations, and boundaries associated with each team member’s role. Implement a mentorship or buddy system to provide ongoing support. Establish measurable objectives to be regularly reviewed during individual one-to-one meetings.”

Staff Groupings

Local Authority staff are more positive about many aspects of their experience as an individual with 5 components being 2 pts higher.

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

Details of scores for each of the individual Staff Groupings within NHSScotland and Local Authority are included in the iMatter 2025 Data file^[9]. This shows that typically Local Authority Senior Managers score highest and Ambulance Services score lowest.