Exclusive:Historic Environment Scotland staff deliver damning verdict on working life at quango
A leaked survey reveals collapse in morale at heritage body, with three in five employees unwilling to recommend it as a place to work
Scandal-hit quango Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is facing a deepening crisis of confidence among its workforce, a staff survey shows.
A damning internal study reveals staff have lost faith in senior management and believe the organisation lacks openness, transparency and accountability.
The confidential report, obtained by The Scotsman, paints a picture of staff increasingly disillusioned with those running the heritage body.
Its headline employee engagement score, which measures motivation and commitment, was 5.3 out of 10, down from 6.8 in 2024.
The employee net promoter score (eNPS), which measures how likely employees are to recommend their organisation as a good place to work, was minus 46. In 2024 it was zero.
Almost two thirds of respondents - 60.5 per cent - were classified as detractors, compared with just 14.3 per cent who were promoters.
The report describes the result as a “low and concerning” score.
Elsewhere in the internal survey, the sharpest criticism is reserved for the executive leadership team.
Asked whether they trusted the chief executive, chief operating officer and directors to act in the best interests of HES and its employees, staff gave an average score of just 3.2 out of 10.
On whether there was a sense of openness and transparency within the organisation, the score was even lower, at 3.1.
Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr has been campaigning for improvements in the governance of HES, which is currently overseen by an interim CEO and interim chair.
Both the CEO and chair of the organisation stepped down earlier this year following a string of high profile scandals involving the heritage body.
Mr Kerr said: “Whistleblowers tell me that nothing has changed for them and that deep distrust of the leadership persists right across the organisation.”
The MSP described staff as “good people who take pride in their work” but who are “sick of waiting for change”.
Mr Kerr added: “The interim chief executive Stephen Uphill talked about ‘stability and continuity’ when he took over.
“His first statement gave me little confidence that he grasped the urgency of changing the culture. “He even came across as dismissive, if not aggressive, towards whistleblowers.”
HES is responsible for looking after more than 300 historic properties, including Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle.
Mr Uphill had been called to Holyrood in September to give evidence to MSPs, saying the staff survey results would “not be pretty”.
READ MORE:Historic Environment Scotland CEO Katerina Brown 'to step down' from role at crisis-hit quango
The report contains little by way of optimism, including staff giving a score of 4.5 when asked whether senior leaders were visible and approachable.
Pride in working for HES had fallen from 7.4 to 5.6, while the proportion of employees inclined to recommend it as a workplace had also deteriorated sharply.
There were also concerns about workloads, understaffing, recruitment difficulties and unfilled vacancies.
The results come against a backdrop of a prolonged period of turmoil at HES, which has faced allegations of bullying, racism and inappropriate workplace behaviour, alongside serious questions about governance and financial controls.
A spokeswoman for HES described the results as “not unexpected”, adding that they reflect what staff have said over a “challenging period” for the quango.
She added: ”Culture change takes time, and we understand that rebuilding trust and confidence will not happen overnight.
“The survey provides valuable insight that will help us focus our efforts, and we are committed to being open about the results and the actions we are taking in response."
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