Barts Charity

About the Organisation

Barts Charity is a healthcare funder working to transform health outcomes for patients and communities in East London. They work closely with their partners to fund innovative medical research, advanced treatments, and projects that improve patient care.

Why They Chose The Survey Initiative

After conducting its annual staff survey internally, Barts Charity decided to bring in an external provider to gain deeper insights, enhance credibility and benefit from specialised expertise. After a great deal of research, The Survey Initiative’s experience within the charity sector, coupled with a professional and reassuring approach during the discovery phase, made the choice straightforward. Barts Charity COO, Fiona Bickley, said, “We chose TSI because you truly understood our needs and made the process feel seamless.”

Objectives and Challenges

The charity’s goals were focused on gaining insights that could not be gathered by conducting surveys internally, including benchmarking their performance against similar organisations and addressing any blind spots. They also aimed to build trust among staff by ensuring the survey process was transparent and unbiased.

How The Survey Initiative’s Services Made a Difference

The Survey Initiative’s involvement elevated the survey process for Barts Charity. Employees welcomed the decision to outsource, as it reassured them of the survey’s impartiality and anonymity, creating a sense of freedom to be open and honest. Whilst our expertise freed up HR resources, enabling the team to focus on implementing meaningful changes based on the results. We also imported historical data, enabling the charity to track progress over time and identify opportunities for growth. This approach provided a comprehensive view of their journey, ensuring the survey became a strategic tool rather than just a data collection exercise.

Survey Results

The results were overwhelmingly positive, with high levels of staff engagement reflecting the charity’s dedication to encourage a supportive workplace culture. While there were no major surprises, the findings reinforced the importance of sustaining these engagement levels and building on their achievements, ensuring the organisation remains proactive and avoids complacency. Says Fiona “Having an external, objective interpretation of the results is so helpful, knowing that we are focusing our efforts on the right areas.”

Positive Feedback and Organisational Impact

The decision to outsource the survey process brought significant benefits, as highlighted by Fiona: “The feedback from colleagues has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s reassuring for staff to know that an external provider was involved, ensuring impartiality and eliminating any sense of ‘marking our own work.’” This emphasis on impartiality resonated strongly across the organisation, helping to establish credibility and trust in the process.

The presentation of the survey results further reinforced this confidence. As Fiona shared, “Gary’s presentation of the survey results was particularly well-received. Colleagues appreciated how clear and engaging it was, as well as comparison to norms and trends and the actionable insights he shared. This has helped to give context to our results and build confidence that the results will lead to meaningful improvements.”

Looking Ahead

The partnership with The Survey Initiative has positioned Barts Charity to maintain its positive workplace culture and prioritise staff engagement as a key element of its mission. By continuing to act on survey insights, the charity is well-equipped to build on its successes and drive meaningful change for both its people and the communities it serves.