Royal Mail Group (RMG)/CWU Agreement – Mental Health First Aid Training for Physical/Medical First Aiders and CWU Area Health and Safety Representatives (February-March 2022 Course Dates – Applications Now Invited)

LTB 481/18 and LTB696/19 reported to branches that a major Agreement on Mental Health First Aid Training had been reached by the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department with Royal Mail Group and as part of the Royal Mail Group, “Because Healthy Minds Matter”, five-year mental health strategy, Royal Mail Group has agreed to up-skill all managers, all physical/medical first aiders and all CWU ASRs with Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training which will involve approximately 10,000 Managers, and 5,500 CWU members who are First Aid volunteers across the UK. In addition, all CWU Area Health and Safety Representatives in all Royal Mail Group Businesses and Business Units, approximately 150 CWU Health and Safety Reps, will be included in the programme plus 700 Health & Wellbeing Ambassadors, most of whom are CWU Reps and members will be able to attend the MHFA one-day training courses also.

The MHFA training is evidence based and is aimed at increasing people’s mental health awareness, skills and confidence, enabling them to step in to situations where they notice signs of poor mental health and help someone in distress and to give first aid support, talk, and help prevent them from hurting themselves and signpost them to the right professional, expert support.

The training will be provided by in-house, accredited, licensed MHFA instructors. The Royal Mail Group trainers have completed the MHFA England Trainer’s Course. They undertake 6 days of training, then have to run 2 x 2 days MHFA courses on which they are assessed by MHFA England assessors and are then licensed to deliver the training. A MHFA England specially designed 1-day-plus course will be provided and is a condensed version of the standard 2-day MHFA (England) training course. The trainers complete some additional training in order to deliver this ‘condensed’ one-day-plus course which is what RMG is delivering.

2,100 Royal Mail Group employees have so far attended the RMG delivered MHFA courses – mainly managers. Approximately 25% are front line CWU grades, CWU Reps and Health & Wellbeing Ambassadors.

The organisation and delivery of courses were disrupted and ceased during the pandemic but are now re-starting with a determined effort to organise as many courses as possible.

Course dates for the first quarter period February – March 2022 have now been released and applications are invited from Physical/Medical First Aiders and CWU Area Health and Safety Reps to attend the 1-day Mental Health First Aid Courses at the venues and at the times in the table listed below. CWU Members who are Health & Wellbeing Ambassadors can also apply to attend.

Enrolment on a course can be made (with line management approval) via PSP/Success Factors on the Royal Mail Group Intranet site or by calling the HR Service Centre on 0345 6060603.

To book a Course:

1. Access SuccessFactors: https://performancemanager.successfactors.eu/login?company=C0001112080P&loginMethod=PWD.

• Use the following details the first time you logon. The details can be found on your payslip:
• User name = your employee number e.g. 12345678
• Password = your National Insurance number without any dashes or spaces. The first two letters should be upper case, and the last, lower case e.g. AB123456c
• When you log on to the system for the first time, please enter your personal email address in your profile, under ‘My Employee File’.

2. Once logged in, click on the drop down in the top left of the SuccessFactors home screen and select ‘Learning’.
3. Search for ‘mental health’ – you will see ‘Mental Health First Aid’ within the search results where you view and register for an available course.

If there are no spaces for a local course, a waiting list is available and more courses are being added regularly. Alternatively the Unit can contact hrsclearningservices@royalmail.comwith a request to run a course if there are a number of colleagues who would like to attend.

Training will usually be 09:00-17:00unless designed specifically for a late/night shift.Training locationDateExeter MC16/02/2022Jubilee MC16/02/2022Jubilee MC17/02/2022Bristol MC17/02/2022Glasgow MC23/02/2022North West Midlands MC24/02/2022Farringdon Road24/02/2022Bristol MC25/02/2022NDC01/03/2022NDC02/03/2022Northampton Central DO02/03/2022Nottingham MC03/03/2022Preston MC04/03/2022Birmingham MC04/03/2022Leicester MPU07/03/2022Tyneside MC08/03/2022Sheffield MC09/03/2022Dartford MC14/03/2022Warrington MC08/03/2022Gatwick MC14/03/2022Leicester MPU21/03/2022

Any management enquiries should be directed to: hrsclearningservices@royalmail.com.

Attachments:

• LTB 481/2018 – Royal Mail Group (RMG)/CWU Agreement – Mental Health First Aid Training for Physical/Medical First Aiders and CWU Area Health and Safety Representatives: (Part Of The Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy)
• Joint Statement between Royal Mail Group and CWU – Mental Health First Aid Training for Physical First Aiders and CWU Area Health and Safety Representatives
• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Course Summary Description.

Alongside the Mental Health First Aid Awareness classroom training, RMG provides the following which is also available via PSP/Success Factors on the RMG Intranet site:-

• Two ‘Because Healthy Minds Matter’ e-learning modules
• Managing Stress e-Learning
• Managing and Preventing Stress Guidance
• 5 Mental Health Foundation Videos

Mental Health Support Available

First Class Support helpline – completely confidential, independent and available 24/7 – Call 0345 266 5060.

First Class Support digital services– www.rmgfirstclasssupport.co.uk or download the ‘Lifeworks’ app.

Call the helpline or use the online chat facility via the website/app if you would like to talk to someone about any physical or mental health-related matter, for lifestyle advice, or for direct access to counselling treatments. Digital services include support resources, toolkits, health and wellbeing assessments and personal care programmes.

New users of the website or app can sign up using a unique invitation code, which is ‘RMG-‘and your payroll number, e.g. RMG-12345678.

Stress Toolkit: including the managing and preventing workplace stress guide; individual stress risk assessment; and the group stress risk assessment.

Shout Mental Health Text Service: Text Shout to 85258 in the UK to text with a trained Crisis Volunteer.

Samaritans: Call 116 123 – available 24/7.

Footnote

We the CWU want equality between physical health and mental health. Better mental health is good for everyone and we want to see a transformation in workplaces on how they think about mental health. This is key because members spend a third of their time at work.

Further updates will be issued as appropriate.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB067 RMG CWU Agreement Mental Health First Aid Training for Physical Medical First Aiders and CWU ASRs (February-March 2022 Course Dates)

18LTB481 Royal Mail Group(RMG) CWU Agreement – Mental Health First Aid Training

MHFA Training Joint Statement Final

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Course Summary Description

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Post Office Ltd Supply Chain (CVIT) – POL/CWU Joint Driver/Road Safety ‘Seat Belts’ Campaign W/C 14 February 2022:

Further to LTBs 554/21 and 57/22, Post Office Ltd jointly with CWU have launched a Driver Safety “Seat Belts” Campaign in the POL Supply Chain (CVIT – Cash and Valuables in Transit) Fleet depots.

It’s compulsory to wear a seat belt at all times when driving a Post Office Ltd vehicle. The law and Post Office Ltd Policy applies to drivers and passengers who must wear their seat belts.

Seatbelts can help to save lives. They are important safety features that, like air bags, help to protect a driver or passenger in a collision and minimise injuries.

According to all motoring and medical experts seat belts reduce one’s risk of suffering injuries or death by about half. In fact thousands of lives are saved every year by seat belts in the UK.

Those who do not wear their seatbelts while in a vehicle put themselves at greater risk of severe injury or even death. It is also a legal requirement and has been since 1983. POL Vehicle Drivers are NOT exempt! 

Seat belts are designed to retain people in their seats, and so prevent or reduce injuries suffered in a crash. They ensure that as little contact is made between the occupant and vehicle interior as possible and significantly reduce the risk of being thrown around inside a vehicle or thrown from a vehicle in the event of a collision.

Seat belts are designed to work as the key part of wider injury prevention measures and safety systems, such as airbags and head restraints, which will not be as effective in reducing the risk of injury if an occupant is not wearing a seat belt.

Seatbelts are reported to save over 2,000 lives per year. In the event of a serious collision, you are twice as likely to die if you are not wearing a seatbelt.

Wearing a seat belt has been compulsory in the UK for drivers and front seat passengers since 1983 and for rear seat passengers since 1991 (1989 for under-14s). Despite the law being in place for 30 years, thousands of drivers continue to flout the rules and government figures show that almost a quarter of all people killed in crashes were not wearing a seat belt.

Drivers must wear a seat belt in cars, vans and other goods vehicles. Adults, and children aged 14 years and over, must use a seat belt, where fitted, when seated in minibuses, buses and coaches.

Worryingly, some Post Office Ltd as with Royal Mail and Parcelforce drivers and passengers are being found to not be wearing a seatbelt and are in breach of the law. During spot check observations a number of drivers and passengers were observed not wearing a seatbelt.

Facts: 

• Drivers and front seat passengers must wear a seat belt – it only takes 5 seconds to belt up.
• All drivers must wear their seat belts all the time to comply with POL standards.
• The fixed penalty for failing to wear a seat belt as a driver or passenger is a £100 fine.
• If the case is taken to court, you could face a fine of up to £500.
• In Northern Ireland drivers will also have three penalty points added to their driving licence. There are also moves to add penalty points to the punishment in England, Scotland and Wales.
• A number of CWU member drivers have been fined for not wearing their seat belt.

Wearing a seat belt correctly: 

In order to wear a seat belt safely, the following points should be adhered to:

• The belt should be worn as tight as possible, with no slack.
• The lap belt should go over the pelvic region, not the stomach.
• The diagonal strap should rest over the shoulder, not the neck.
• Nothing should obstruct the smooth movement of the belt by trapping it.

Why wearing a seat belt is important: 

• It keeps vehicle occupants inside.
• It restrains the strongest parts of the body.
• Seat belts spread out the force of a collision.
• Helps the body to slow down.
• It protects the brain and spinal cord.
• Wearing a seat belt is required by law (POL and RMG DRIVERS ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM THIS LAW).

Damaged seat belts: 

Seat belts should be regularly checked for damage, this forms part of the driver’s vehicle checks. Common forms of damage to the seat belt that will reduce its effectiveness in an accident:

• Fraying or fluffing around the edges of the seat belt.
• A cut which causes the fabric to split.
• A hole in the seat belt.
• Damage to the buckle.
• Report any faults found during vehicle checks before using the vehicle.

Carl’s Story

Attached is a copy of the Joint CWU/POL Poster and CWU/POL Joint Communication to all POL Supply Chain drivers “The Important Of Seatbelts”. This features some dramatic photographs from a CWU article entitled “Seat Belts Save Lives –Mine Saved Me”. Parcelforce Driver and CWU member Carl Prendergast was involved in a very serious, terrifying, recent road accident in which his 7.5-tonne Parcelforce lorry smashed through the barriers on an elevated flyover in Reading and cart-wheeled over before dropping upside down some 30 feet before landing on its roof, on the road below. In his own words Carl said: “If I hadn’t been wearing my seat belt, I’d have been catapulted out of the front windscreen and crushed to death on the road.” He appealed to all his fellow CWU member colleagues and drivers; “Please never forget your seat belt, it can save your life – it certainly saved mine.”  Carl’s story is an important example of the absolute necessity of wearing a seatbelt at all times while driving. Without a seatbelt, Carl would not be with us today – that’s the honest truth of the matter. Please everyone, it only takes a second for another driver perhaps to make a small mistake and as we can see from the Reading incident, the consequences are potentially catastrophic. Seatbelts save lives and in this case it certainly did. Those who don’t wear their seatbelts whilst behind the wheel put themselves in mortal danger. We’re all extremely relieved that Carl survived this horrific accident and walked away with minor injuries. Carl’s story and the photographs of his accident has and will continue to help raise awareness of the vital importance of seat belts. During this POL/CWU Road Safety – Seat Belts Campaign, working together to raise awareness and promote the importance to CWU members who drive as part of their job, the importance of wearing their seat belts, through the poster and communication. Our thanks to Carl for volunteering to tell his story in order to help get this important message across.

Managers’ responsibilities: 

Managers must carry out driving and yard checks to reinforce positive safe behaviours through coaching. During this campaign they should concentrate on checking that drivers are wearing their seat belts and reminding them to do so.

If the vehicle is moving, belt up! 

All drivers must wear their seatbelt at all times whenever driving or travelling for Post Office Ltd. There are no exceptions regardless of whether they are in the yard, on private and public roads/property, or travelling only short distances. If the vehicle is moving, belt up!

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

This Campaign is not tied to just one week and we want the focus on the campaign to be sustainable so CWU Reps, POL Safety Team and POL Operational Managers can focus on the issue and programme and keep it in focus regularly thereafter.

Post Office Ltd and the CWU agree that the safety of the workforce is paramount. Vehicle and driver safety, road risk, avoiding accidents and injuries are top priorities for us all.

Please support this Road Safety Campaign – Would all CWU Reps pro-actively work with the POL Safety Team and engage Operational Managers and drivers to get involved and lift the profile of the Campaign in line with the POL/CWU Joint Road/Driver Safety Campaign. Thanks for your support.

Any management enquiries should be directed to Andrew Steadman POL National Fleet Audit Manager: Mobile: 07526985257 Email: andrew.c.steadman@posttoffice.co.uk

Attachments:

• POL/CWU Campaign Poster
• POL/CWU Campaign Communication

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB068 Post Office Ltd Supply Chain (CVIT) – POL CWU Joint Driver Road Safety ‘Seat Belts’ Campaign WC 14 February 2022

CWU – POL – Poster Seat Belts FEB 22

The importance of Seat Belts – CWU-POL FEB 22

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ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2022 – PROGRAMME OF BUSINESS

At the NEC held on the 26^th/27^thJanuary 2022 the following programme of business

was agreed for CWU Annual Conference 2022:

• Sunday 24^th April 2022         –        General Conference
• Monday 25^th April 2022        –        Equality Day (General Conference)
• Tuesday 26^th April 2022        –        General Conference
• Wednesday 27^th April 2022  –  Friday 29^th April 2022           –        Postal Group and Telecom and Financial Services Conference

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by email to conferences@cwu.org or telephoning CWU HQ on 020 8971 7256.

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

22LTB065 – ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2022 – PROGRAMME OF BUSINESS.doc

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CWU Valentine’s Day Advert – #HeartUnions week

As part of the annual TUC #HeartUnions week, our Communications Department have produced a Valentine’s Day advert which has been shared across our social media channels.

The advert, which follows on from our successful Christmas videos, targets recruitment in the wider postal sector. We have plans to produce further adverts in the coming months covering areas such as Call Centre and Openreach workers – as well as a wider cross union one.

The links to the Valentine’s video across our channels are below. We ask that branches do everything possible to share the advert through both your work and friends and family networks. We are hopeful this will be another opportunity to raise the profile of the union and increase our presence in the wider postal sector.

Facebook https://fb.watch/b9XZTLJ8Qk/

Twitter https://twitter.com/CWUnews/status/1493178204164694018?s=20&t=BG_QsB2cuDlQR8g2DT9Bhg

YouTube https://youtu.be/m_F8MoErHqw

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward
General Secretary

064LTB22 – CWU Valentine’s Day Advert – #HeartUnions week.docx

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As part of TUC #HeartUnions week the CWU have produced a Valentine’s Day advert. We would massively appreciate any shares.

Facebook https://fb.watch/b9XZTLJ8Qk/

Twitter https://twitter.com/CWUnews/status/1493178204164694018?s=20&t=BG_QsB2cuDlQR8g2DT9Bhg

YouTube https://youtu.be/m_F8MoErHqw

CWUandProud

TO ALL BRANCHES WITH SUPPLY CHAIN MEMBERS

Dear Colleague

BT Supply Chain – Transformation & Outsourcing to third-party This morning BT has announced that following a strategic review it intends to make some major changes to their Supply Chain business as part of it’s transformation and modernization programme.

The company has stated that as Supply Chain is critical to the success of BT, its market position, and meeting FTTP and 5G rollout targets, it made sense to pair with the expertise and scale of a leading third-party logistics business to make their logistics operations stronger, simpler and future ready.

The CWU has received formal notification of a number of proposals as follows:

Proposal to outsource all core warehousing and transport operations, service desk & related support functions to third-party supplier GXO on 1 May 2022.

These proposals will result in 288 employees within our bargaining unit being placed ‘in scope’ of transfer from BT to GXO. This transfer process is governed by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, commonly known as TUPE.

 To retain Engineering Services within BT, comprising all activities directly related to “FinalMile”/FSL services with those employees remaining with BT.

To re-organise the retained Supply Chain to manage/oversee the remaining in-house units and manage the outsourced contracts with a proposed start date of 1st May 2022. It is proposed that the retained organisation will consist of a mix of existing, new and combined roles.

The CWU has robustly expressed our opposition to the proposed outsourcing and are outraged at the company’s intention to outsource work to a third party. We firmly believe that BT have sought to outsource work which is clearly seen as non-core business, rather than make ongoing investment and keep work in-house. We are also concerned that such major change comes with significant risk in a highly competitive sector.

In addition to our concerns over the outsourcing proposition we are also keen to understand what change the new model will have upon the retained organisation and what if any impact there will be, as a consequence of further and yet unknown transformation plans. Meetings have been sought with BT to further discuss ongoing transformation plans.

The CWU National Team has had an initial meeting with both BT and GXO to discuss the formal collective consultation on the terms of transfer for all CWU grades currently working in BT Supply Chain, who are due to transfer from 1st May 2022. We have robustly represented our concerns with regard to job security and potential redundancies as a consequence of the TUPE and will continue to meet with GXO to discuss these concerns separately.

Under the TUPE Regulations the CWU will be representing all BT Supply Chain employees that are in scope of transfer. Formal collective consultation meetings will commence shortly to agree the terms of transfer. At those meetings we will discuss the standard contractual and non-contractual terms and conditions, as well as benefits that will transfer from 1st May 2022.

We are pleased to advise that assurances have been given that full recognition will be given to the CWU following the TUPE.

We appreciate that members will feel extremely unsettled and anxious regarding the announcement made by the company today. We can assure you that we will continue to seek assurances with regard to job security and gain further clarification as to any potential or further impact that these changes may bring.

The CWU National Team has received confirmation that for the large majority of employees who are in scope of TUPE they will remain in the same role and same location after the transfer as they are today. Whilst this is indeed good news, we will continue to seek clarification around any intended change to work locations as a consequence of the TUPE, and seek to ensure that jobs are not threatened as a consequence.

We have already represented the need for jobs within BT Group to be made available for those who do not want to transfer to GXO and we will continue to progress those discussions and update branches and members accordingly.

Members will be aware that the CWU has been in ongoing discussions with BT with regard to the Driving Allowance which was introduced without consultation in September 2021. The CWU National Team made representation at the time regarding the urgent need for a grading review, of which commitment was given from BT that it would be carried out. These discussions are not yet complete and we have represented extremely strongly to BT that we believe it would be disingenuous for this not to be resolved prior to TUPE.

Whilst collective TUPE consultation will now commence, 1:1 consultation meetings will also be held with those members in scope. We advise all members to contact their CWU Representatives for any representation and support they may require.

A full national members meeting (via zoom) will be held at 1830 on Thursday 10th February, with full detail and invites sent to member’s email addresses. This will give members the chance to meet the CWU National Team including Andy Kerr ( Deputy General Secretary Telecoms) ask questions and be updated on key issues from today’s announcement. We would advise all members to attend.

We will continue to hold further meetings and issue briefings as negotiations progress and advise all members to contact us with any concerns they may have.

Yours sincerely

Tracey Fussey
Assistant Secretary

061.2022

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POST OFFICE: PAY 2021/22 – LEGAL TRADE DISPUTE – BALLOT FOR STRIKE ACTION

Further to LTB 053/22 dated 7^thFebruary.

Ballot Timetable

Branches are advised the Postal Executive has this morning endorsed a document containing the proposed ballot timetable which was drawn up in conjunction with the SDGS Department.  As a consequence, the timetable is now agreed and the details will be communicated to Branches and Representatives at the National Briefing in Birmingham next Wednesday 16^th February from 12.30pm.

Membership Verification Exercise

Our Membership Department and the SDGS Department are in the process of putting together the information to send to Branches for the membership verification exercise and I understand the data is scheduled to arrive with Branch Secretaries early next week.  Our full-time Reps will provide support and assistance to Branch Secretaries for this important activity where required.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

Attachment:1 22LTB062 – Post Office – Pay 2021 to 22 – Legal Trade Dispute – Ballot for Strike Action

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NATIONAL BRIEFING THURSDAY 10^TH FEBRUARY 2022 – TUC, CONGRESS HOUSE, 10.00 – 14.00(LATEST)

The agenda for Thursdays National Briefing is set out below:-

1. Presidents Opening remarks – 10:00 – 10:05
2. CWU Solidarity – Guest speaker UCU Dispute Jo Grady – 10:05 – 10:20
3. First Session – The Context for the GROW Campaign – 10:20 – 11:30

The GS and SDGS will set out the context to the GROW Campaign and also the challenges facing CWU and the wider Trade Union movement.  This will include a presentation covering the union finances, membership trends, where we are with redesign and what we need to do in 2022.

BREAK – 11:30 – 11:45

4. Second Session – The GROW the union Campaign – 11:45 – 13:15

This will be led by Ray Ellis Head of Recruitment and Organising and the Comms Department and will cover the approach we are taking to the campaign and the role that we want Branches and representatives to play within it.  The session will conclude with a panel Q & A, including contributions from our industrial teams.

5. Concluding remarks 

For those not attending in person who wish to join through the live broadcast, the link is as follows – https://youtube.com/c/CWULive

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary at jdunn@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary 

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Pathway to Change Agreement – Culture and the Latest Interim Trust Survey Results for January 2022

Further to LTB 467/21 circulated to Branches and Representatives on 3^rdNovember 2021, the final phase of the Interim Trust Survey for the Cheshire & Merseyside, North East and Cumbria, South West and Medway SDL areas commenced on 17^th January 2022.

Following the closure of the survey, the headline results were supplied to the DGS(P) Department on 31^stJanuary 2022 and considered by the Postal Executive at a meeting on 9^thFebruary 2022. These are attached for the information of the Branches and Representatives (Attachment 1). The overall return rate for this Interim Trust Survey was 74%, a 6% increase following the 68% return rate for the November 2021 survey. This is the highest return for the Interim Trust Surveys yet and the return rate also improved across each SDL area, compared to those from the 2021 Big Trust Survey.

The current trust score, which continues to be based on five particular questions, is 67%, the lowest score for the Interim Trust Surveys received so far and a 3% decrease from the 70% received in November 2021.

The lower quartile of the frontline units surveyed had a trust score of 59% and below – with the lowest unit returning 23%. At the other end of the scale, the best score was 96%, with the upper quartile being 77% and above.

In relation to the awareness of action plans agreed by SDL (or equivalent) area and the knowledge of making progress against the action plans, Branches and Representatives will note that the latest interim results illustrate that this stands at 54% and 84% respectively across the returns, compared to the November 2021 survey figures of 63% and 86%. The awareness figure of 54% is the lowest figure for the Interim Trust Surveys to date.

Branches will also be aware that tailored, function-specific questions continue to be included and the results of these five questions are also attached for the information of the Branches and Representatives (Attachment 2).

The next Big Trust Survey is due to commence on 4^th April 2022 and close on 24^th April 2022. In preparation for this, national talks are ongoing regarding the agreed set of questions and a joint communications plan.

Additional updates will be provided as and when further developments occur. Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

Yours sincerely,

Terry Pullinger

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

LTB 059/22 Pathway to Change Agreement – Culture and the Latest Interim Trust Survey Results for January 2022

LTB 059/22 Attachment 1

LTB 059/22 Attachment 2

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