Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has achieved its highest-ever response rate to the NHS Staff Survey, with 60.5% of colleagues taking part in 2025 — a significant rise from 39% in 2024. This strong level of engagement gives the Trust its most comprehensive insight yet into colleagues’ experiences and reflects a growing commitment among staff to shaping improvements for the future.
Despite a challenging year, staff highlighted areas of progress including more colleagues report feeling clearer about their role and better prepared for their work. For those who have had an appraisal, the quality and impact of those conversations have improved. And whilst we never want any colleague to feel bullied, harassed or abused at work, we have seen an increase in reporting. This is an important step in creating a safer and more respectful workplace, where people feel able to speak up and where concerns can be properly addressed.
These themes reflect encouraging findings already identified through internal briefings and staff engagement activity.
The survey also provided a clear picture of where the Trust must continue to focus its attention. Staff identified three priority areas for improvement:
- Strengthening learning and development opportunities, ensuring colleagues have access to the training and career development they need.
- Improving how we learn from incidents and near misses and building confidence to speak up, knowing concerns will be acted upon.
- Continuing to strengthen how we listen and respond to staff feedback, so that the issues raised lead to visible and tangible change.
Work is already underway across the organisation. Divisions have begun shaping local actions aligned with the survey findings, which will feed into a Trust-wide improvement plan. This approach reflects staff feedback about wanting change that is meaningful, sustained and clearly communicated.
Kerry Smith, Chief People Officer at the Trust commented: “We want to thank every colleague who took the time to share their views. Achieving our highest-ever response rate shows real commitment from our staff to shaping the future of Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
“We are proud of the strengths they have highlighted; compassion, teamwork, an inclusive culture, supportive managers and flexible working, and we are equally clear about where we must improve. We remain committed to acting on this feedback so that every colleague feels valued and can thrive in their role, because when our people feel supported, respected and able to do their best work, it directly enhances the quality of care and experience we provide for our patients and communities.”