February 2022
Latest Freedom to Speak Up news and updates from the National Guardian’s Office
|
|
Welcome from the National Guardian
Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark
|
|
|
The importance of workers having the confidence to speak up at work has been much in the news this month.
The update on the investigation into alleged gatherings on government premises during COVID restrictions shares the finding that “some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but at times felt unable to do so”.
The report highlights how vital it is that everyone, no matter where they work, is able to speak up about anything which doesn’t feel right in the workplace: “No member of staff should feel unable to report or challenge poor conduct where they witness it. There should be easier ways for staff to raise such concerns informally, outside of the line management chain.”
In the healthcare sector, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians provide an invaluable additional channel for workers to speak up when they feel that they are unable to do so by other routes.
We hope other sectors will learn from their important work.
Their role is a complex and demanding one, combining the reactive and the proactive. They thank and support workers so that their voices are heard and responded to; but they also work with their organisations to identify ways to improve the organisational culture and the speaking up experience for everyone.
Each time someone speaks up, there is an opportunity for learning and improvement. In this month’s newsletter, we share two examples of Freedom to Speak Up Guardians highlighting both the reactive and proactive elements of their role.
|
|
Speaking up provides reassurance about COVID safety
|
|
A speaking up case at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust presented the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian with an opportunity to improve cross-team communication.
|
|
|
When a worker spoke up to John Verity about COVID-19 biosecurity, he was able to reassure all workers and share useful helplines for future queries.
In our latest 100 Voices story, you can read about the proactive and reactive work that John did after a worker spoke up to him.
|
|
RespectED: Empowering people to speak up against bullying and harassment
|
|
In our latest guest blog, Jayne Hidderley from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) explains how emergency department workers are vulnerable to bullying and incivility.
You can read more about RCEM’s campaign, RespectED, which aims to empower people to speak up about bullying and harassment.
|
|
Promoting accessibility to support hard-to-reach groups
|
|
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust reached the final of the 2021 HSJ Awards after demonstrating a commitment to supporting all workers to speak up.
You can read more about the work of Melanie Hurdman, Freedom to Speak Up Guardian at WAH, who has engaged in proactive work to ensure all workers across the organisation feel able to speak up. This includes raising awareness, joining networks to contact diverse groups of workers, and creating a Freedom to Speak Up ‘portal’.
|
|
Contacting the NGO
Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for further updates. Or email enquiries@nationalguardianoffice.org.uk.
All enquiries will be acknowledged and we will aim to provide a full response within 20 working days.
Confidentiality
Read our privacy statement here.
|
|
|
|
