Planning department restructure and Indicator Tool results
A local authority planning department of 32 staff was restructured 10 months ago. Two supervisory posts were removed, and the remaining principal planner now manages 15 staff with no administrative support. An HSE Indicator Tool survey achieved a 55% response rate. Results are below the benchmark for control, role and change; demands and relationships are near the benchmark; support is above benchmark. In focus groups, staff say they do not know who approves minor variations, applications are 'triaged by whoever is free', and one officer has started taking leave to avoid counter duty. There is no stress action plan; the last risk assessment is three years old. A union representative wants the raw survey comments published on the intranet; managers want 'the survey rerun until scores improve'. The department has a deadline in six weeks for a backlog of 140 applications.
1. Evaluate the survey and focus group evidence and identify the priority risks.
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The 55% response is moderate and may miss the most stressed staff, so treat scores as indicative. Below-benchmark control, role and change are consistent with the restructure: removed supervisory posts, unclear approval routes and triage by whoever is free. Role ambiguity and lack of control are strong predictors of stress; change is a standard because restructuring is a known hazard. Demands and relationships near benchmark do not mean no risk: the 140-application backlog and counter duty avoidance may raise demands for some roles. Support above benchmark could be genuine or reflect a small cohesive team, but it does not cancel low control. Priority should be control and role first because they are actionable and linked to the approval confusion; change second because communication and consultation can be improved; demands should be monitored during the backlog. Do not publish raw comments because they may identify individuals; use themes. Do not rerun the survey to improve scores; that is data manipulation, not risk assessment.
2. Design the next steps of the HSE Management Standards risk assessment process.
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Steps: secure management commitment and define scope; communicate purpose, confidentiality and feedback; validate survey findings with focus groups by role, including planners, counter staff and the principal planner, plus short interviews; map causes to the six standards and assess likelihood and severity; agree an action plan with owners, dates and success measures; implement and review. Involve the union representative, managers and staff; use an independent facilitator if trust is low. Avoid common pitfalls: survey-only assessment, ignoring non-responders, treating a benchmark score as a diagnosis, action planning without resources, and giving no feedback. Because the team is small, report themes not individual scores. Align the assessment with the six-week backlog deadline: a short-term backlog plan is itself a control, but it must not become permanent. Record the risk assessment and review dates, and link it to the corporate stress policy.
3. Recommend controls for control, role and change, and explain how you would evaluate them.
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Control: publish an approval matrix and delegated authority limits; create a daily triage rota with named decision-makers; give planners discretion over minor variations within clear rules; ensure counter duty is rostered and supported. Role: update role profiles; clarify who supervises, who quality-checks and who handles escalations; induct the principal planner into the management role; set priorities for the backlog. Change: hold fortnightly briefings; consult on the backlog plan; explain what is decided and why; provide a route for questions. Evaluation: baseline and eight-week pulse survey on control, role and change; track backlog clearance, applications past deadline, counter cover, absence and turnover; run a focus group at 12 weeks; check that approval queries fall and that staff can name the decision-maker. Use leading indicators such as queries resolved and rota filled, and lagging indicators such as absence. Assign owners and review at the safety committee.