How to use the dashboards

This section explains how to use the dashboards including links to demonstration videos and information on how the results are presented and the functionality/features of the dashboards.

The links below provide step by step videos with guidance on how to use the NSS dashboards. Dashboards for the 2024 NSSB include similar views and breakdowns.

1. View demo video: Overview
2. View demo video: Interactive Features
3. View demo video: National dashboards
4. View demo video: Region and ICS dashboards
5. View demo video: Organisational dashboards

Results are organised by reporting level. The navigation menu on the left allows you to select results at the national, regional, Integrated Care System (ICS) and organisational level.

You can choose whether to view scores or sub-scores for any People Promise element or theme. Alternatively, you can review a summary of selected responses in the ‘Questions’ dashboard or view question level results, broken down by response option, in the ‘Detailed Questions’ dashboard. These results are always presented as percentages; the dashboard displays results to two decimal places and the description of a score or given percentage is indicated. For example, a chart’s axis may specify that the values presented relate to the “% of staff selecting 'Satisfied' or 'Very Satisfied'”.

A higher percentage usually indicates more favourable results. However, it’s worth noting that for certain questions, a higher percentage is less favourable than a lower percentage. For example, when looking at the “% of staff experiencing violence”, the lower the percentage, the better the results. Please refer to the Technical Guide for bank only workers, which can be found here, for more information on the scoring used for the survey and a more detailed explanation of how the reported percentage is calculated for each question. Where scores or question level results are presented, you can also view the number of responses in the tables for each measure/breakdown selected. When selecting the ‘Number of responses’, the table displays the total number of responses (i.e., responses to all response options) to a selected measure. This feature is available in all Scores and Questions dashboards.

Please note:

• When selecting ‘Number of responses’, only the table will be updated with this information (the chart will only display the percentages of respondents selecting each answer category).
• In all Detailed Questions dashboards, when selecting ‘Number of responses,’ the table displays the number of staff giving a specific response to each answer category for a selected question.

Multiple features are included on each page within the dashboards:

Charts and tables: In most cases, results are presented in charts and tables. Charts typically take the form of bar or line charts. These are not included in cases where it is too complex to visualise the data -- for example when splitting results by two breakdowns.

Dropdown menus: The content of charts and tables can be controlled via the dropdown menus directly above them. These allow you to filter the results to enable analysis of various data breakdowns. The dropdowns vary by dashboard and include: scores or sub-scores; survey questions; survey years; regions, ICS, organisation names or organisation types; subgroup breakdowns (i.e., demographic or key information questions); and subgroup breakdown categories (e.g., specific responses to demographic or key information questions). Detailed descriptions of each are included in the ‘More information on using the dashboards/results’ section in this guide.

Interactive chart features (available on all dashboards except where stated):

• Zoom: This feature enables users to reduce the Y axis scale and magnify the chart area. This can be achieved by clicking on a chart and holding/dragging the cursor across the data points inside the chart area. This action can be repeated to increase the zoom effect. Once applied, this zoom effect can also be removed by clicking on the ‘Reset zoom’ icon that appears on the chart. In doing so, this will return the chart to its original/default scale.
• Highlight: You can highlight any of the bars by hovering your cursor over them. This will cause a small information bubble to appear, giving you more information about the selected data (such as survey year, answer label, score or percentage). Alternatively, you can hover your cursor over the values in the key to highlight all the corresponding data for the entire plot.
• Interactive legends: This feature allows you to control which data series is shown on each chart. You can remove data from the chart display by clicking on the legend label(s). This will cause the legend label(s) to be struck through, indicating the data series isn't being displayed. To add the data series back to the chart display, simply click on the deselected legend label(s) again. There is also an option to reset the legend, which will appear when clicking on the legend label(s). Note this feature is not available on the charts displayed on the ‘Scores by organisation’ dashboards.
• Downloading data from charts: Data from the charts can be downloaded via clicking on the “burger” icon in the top right-hand corner of the charts. This provides the option to download the chart in a variety of file formats, print it, or view it in full screen.

Searching and sorting data in tables: Data in tables can be searched and filtered using the search box directly above the table. It is also possible to sort data in either ascending or descending order by clicking on the triangle shaped icons shown above each column of data (where data is available).

Downloading data from tables: Data from the tables can be copied to your computer’s clipboard or downloaded as a CSV or Excel file for further use. This can be done via the buttons directly above the table.

Learn more: This icon is shown in the top right corner of the Scores, Questions and Detailed Questions dashboards. When selecting a score, sub-score or question from the top dropdown menu, the appropriate People Promise Element/Theme for the selected score/question is displayed above the ‘Learn more’ icon. Clicking on this icon opens a separate page showing a breakdown of all the questions that feed into the same People Promise Element/Theme, along with the questions that make up other People Promise Elements/Themes. This breakdown is also available in the People Promise and Themes dashboard.

Suppression: In some cases, data is “suppressed” – removing a value and replacing it with a symbol. Suppression occurs for two reasons: to ensure unreliable results based on very small numbers of respondents are not released, and to prevent individuals from being identifiable in the data. More information on suppression is included in the Basic Guide, which can be found here.

More information on using the dashboards/results

More information about the results and the purpose/functionality of each dashboard is detailed below. Note dashboards showing survey response rates for national, regional, ICS and organisational levels are also included, however, more information on these dashboards/results is included in the information for other dashboards.

National dashboards

These dashboards provide the national results for all participating trusts on all People Promise elements, themes, sub-scores, and questions.

The data are weighted*, except for the response rates and any questions where weighting does not apply. Certain questions are never weighted or benchmarked as they ask for demographic or other factual information. More details regarding the methods used for weighting data (and where they don’t apply) are included in section 6 of the Technical Guide for bank only workers, which can be found here.

Results are presented for all trusts with 200 or more eligible bank workers combined (national average) as well as for each organisation type. They are based only on data from trusts that are mandated to participate; they exclude organisations that participate voluntarily. This includes trusts with fewer than 200 eligible bank workers, ICBs, CSUs and social enterprises.

Question results are presented both as single percentages (e.g., % of staff agreeing/strongly agreeing) as well as the proportions choosing each response option. Results can also be broken down by various background variables (such as gender, ethnicity and occupation group).

Region and ICS dashboards

These dashboards provide results for each individual organisation grouped within each NHS England region or within each ICS on all People Promise elements, themes, sub-scores, and questions, for 2024.

The data are weighted where appropriate using the organisation size weight only, except for the response rates and for those questions where weighting does not apply. More details regarding the methods used for weighting data (and where they don’t apply) are included in section 6 of the Technical Guide for bank only workers, which can be found here.

Results are aggregated by region for all participating trusts and are also grouped by ICS for all participating trusts, except ambulance trusts. Please note data for Ambulance trusts are not included in ICS results as these trusts can cover more than one ICS. Additionally, the results exclude organisations that participate voluntarily (i.e. ICBs, CSUs, etc.).

Results for trusts within both regions and ICSs are also available broken down by various background variables (such as gender and ethnicity). Question results are presented both as single percentages (e.g. % of staff agreeing/strongly agreeing) as well as the proportions choosing each response option.

These dashboards have most of the same functionality/filters as the equivalent National dashboards. In addition to organisation type, however, you can filter on either Region or ICS and this will enable you to view the results for organisation within each selected region or ICS.

Organisational dashboards

These dashboards provide the results for each participating organisation and benchmark data on all People Promise elements, themes, sub-scores, and questions.

Organisations are assigned to a benchmark group based on the services they offer. This means that comparisons are only made between organisations of a similar type and ensures comparisons are fair.

Question results are presented both as single percentages (e.g. % of staff agreeing or strongly agreeing) as well as the proportions choosing each response option.

Results are also presented broken down by various background variables (such as gender and ethnicity) where possible.

BWRES and WDES dashboards

These dashboards provide data for each organisation based on indicators used in the Bank Workforce Race Equality Standard (BWRES) and the Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES).

1. BWRES: Data for each organisation required for the NHS Staff Survey indicators used in the Workforce Race Equality Standard
2. WDES: Data for each organisation required for the NHS Staff Survey metrics used in the Workforce Disability Equality Standard

It is also possible to compare individual organisation BWRES/WDES results against the following benchmark group:

• 'Median': the median percentage from the organisation's mean results within the given benchmarking groups
• BWRES: 'White Staff' and 'Staff from all other ethnic groups'
• WDES: 'Staff with a long lasting health condition or illness' and 'Staff without a long lasting health condition or illness'

Further information about the indicators/metrics used in the BWRES and WDES can be found in Appendix B of the Technical Guide for bank only workers, which is available here.

Please note:

• Results presented are unweighted.

Response rates dashboards

These dashboards are available at national, regional, ICS and organisational levels and they show the proportion of staff who were invited to take part who then completed the survey.

Please note:

• Higher response rates cannot automatically be assumed to imply more representative data – or a more engaged workforce. Response rates only give a broad sense of response to the survey as a proportion of who was asked; they can be misleading; and they must not be viewed as an indicator of staff engagement.
• NHS organisations should be cautious about focussing too heavily on response rates – particularly if this is at the expense of a focus on survey results or outcomes that are more important to staff, such as their self-reported engagement, morale, and working experiences. Evidence shows that a focus on responding to results will improve not only experience and morale but likely response rates in turn.
• Response rate data are unweighted and not available for different demographic profiles.