Case Study: Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust achieves greater flexible working and staff satisfaction with NHS Employers

Maximising flexible workforce opportunities

Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust worked with NHS Employers to improve flexible working in its speech and language therapy (SLT) service. The team needed a better way to balance employee requests for flexible working with service needs, while also supporting workforce development, reducing agency spend, and improving staff working lives.

NHS Employers supported the trust as it relaunched its flexible working policy, helping managers formalise existing arrangements and use a clear, transparent process for handling requests. The approach led to 63% of SLT staff having a flexible working arrangement, alongside higher staff satisfaction, strong retention, above-average attendance, and very positive feedback from employees and managers.

Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust