Speaking Up and Raising Concerns

FREEDOM TO SPEAK UP

 

Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) is a free, confidential, impartial and independent service for staff, designed to support them raising a concern.

 

At gesh, we are committed to ensuring our staff feel safe to speak up about anything that could affect patient safety and the wellbeing of our staff. When things go wrong, we need to make sure that lessons are learnt, and things are improved as a result.

 

If we think something might go wrong, it’s important that we all feel able to speak up so that potential harm is prevented.  Speaking up is vitally important - it will help us to keep improving our services for patients, and the working environment for our staff.

 

How Freedom to Speak Up can help you

 

Freedom to Speak Up is about encouraging a positive culture where people feel they can speak up, and that their voices will be heard. Freedom to Speak Up Guardians cannot investigate but can support staff to speak up when they feel that they are unable to do so by other routes, such as via colleagues or their line manager.

 

We understand that speaking up is not an easy thing to do. As a result, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians ensure that people who speak up are thanked and supported, and that the issues they raise are responded to. They also make sure that the person speaking up receives feedback on the actions taken.

 

If a concern has been raised about you, please gain support from the Occupational Health (OH) team or Counselling Service should you need to. Contact information can be found on the Trust Intranet.

 

Training

 

You can access Freedom to Speak Up training at 

https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/freedom-to-speak-up/

This training is for everyone working in healthcare – whatever your role - and explains in a clear and consistent way what speaking up is, and its importance in creating an environment  in which people are supported to deliver their best. It will help you understand the vital role you can play and the support available to encourage a healthy speaking up culture for the benefit of patients and workers.

 

You can read more about the speaking up agenda on The National Guardian’s Office website  https://www.nationalguardian.org.uk/

 

Champions

 

Freedom to Speak Up are developing a team of Champions across all sites so that staff have someone nearer to them that they can approach for advice and support when needed. Please see the links below for more information on becoming a Champion, what this involves and for a list of staff who have already joined the team.

 

While we encourage staff to raise any concerns internally within the Trust, you may also want to seek advice from independent sources.

 

·       The National Whistleblowing Helpline is available on 080 0072 4725, and provides staff working within the NHS with free and independent advice

·       Public Concern at Work contains further information and details on raising concerns and whistleblowing.  www.pcaw.org.uk

·       Institute of Business Ethics Speak Up toolkit  https://www.ibe.org.uk/speakuptoolkit .

  Useful Resources 

 

Contact us

Click here for the contact of your Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Team.