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April 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 vital importance of workers having the Freedom to Speak Up has been a central news story this past month.

The publication of Donna Ockenden’s final report highlights that where workers are fearful of speaking up, this can correlate with tragic lapses in safety and quality.

This month, I am reflecting on the critical role leaders play in fostering positive speaking up cultures in the workplace.

The most recent NHS staff survey tells us that only 62% of staff agree that they feel safe to speak up about anything that concerns them.

Similarly, in our latest Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Survey, the proportion of guardians who reported a positive culture of speaking up has dropped by more than five percentage points to 62.8%

These figures give me cause for concern and I would encourage all readers of this newsletter to use them as a call to action. Freedom to Speak Up Guardians can provide valuable insight into workers’ experience and the culture of their organisations. Use these figures as a prompt to have a conversation with your Freedom to Speak Up Guardian if you have one. Be curious as to how you can use the learning they share from speaking up to strive for excellence.

Leaders must assure workers that speaking up is actively encouraged, taken seriously and actions taken as a result. This is why I am pleased that being able to speak up safely has been included as a core principle in the recently published Principles for Advanced Care Planning; and why the National Guardian’s Office has called for the Terms of Reference for the COVID-19 Inquiry to include the response to workers’ speaking up.

As the sector works to recover from the pandemic, collaborative and compassionate leadership in healthcare is now more important than ever.

Today, we have published a new “Follow Up” training module. This elearning is designed for leaders at all levels to help them foster a strong speaking up culture in their organisations. I commend the elearning to you for your own learning and development and would encourage all my fellow leaders in healthcare to do the same. Undertake this short training and use it as a stimulus for leadership discussions about what more you can be doing to ensure your organisation’s behaviours and culture support a positive speak up, listen up, and follow up culture.

NGO News: Follow up training launches

National Guardian’s Office launches ‘Follow Up’ training to support leaders to improve the speaking up culture of their organisations.

Our ‘Follow Up’ training module aims to promote a consistent and effective Freedom to Speak Up culture across the system which enables workers to speak up and be confident they will be listened to and action taken.

This elearning module has been developed for senior leaders throughout healthcare - including executive and non-executive directors, lay members and governors.

Access the training here

National Guardian’s response to the Ockenden Report

Donna Ockenden’s Independent Review of Maternity Services at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust was published earlier this month. 

The report highlights the tragic consequences of a culture where workers are fearful of the consequences if they speak up.

Our thoughts are with the families whose devastating experiences are at the heart of the review.

Read the report

Read the National Guardian's response

NGO News: Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Survey published

The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Survey has been published on the National Guardian’s Office website.

The survey shows the experience of guardians amid the continued pressure of the pandemic on the healthcare sector. While the majority of guardians who responded were positive about the speaking up culture in their organisation, there are warning signs that more action is needed. 

Read the survey report

NGO News: Principles for Advanced Care Planning

We are pleased to be one of the 28 named organisations who have supported the development of, and contributed towards the publication of The Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning.

Principle six says, ‘Anyone involved in Advance Care Planning is able to speak up if they feel that these universal principles are not being followed’.

Jayne shares her thoughts on the principles and why speaking up about end of life care is so important

Read the National Guardian’s response

Read Jayne's blog

NGO News: Our response to the COVID-19 Inquiry

We have requested freedom to speak up to be included in the draft Terms of Reference of the Government’s forthcoming public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jayne said: “Workers’ ability and desire to speak up – and the confidence that they will be met with an appropriate response when they do – is crucial for the safety and wellbeing of service users, the public and workers themselves. In healthcare, freedom to speak up is critical for patient safety.

“Yet during the pandemic, workers’ freedom to speak up and the responses they received were variable – sometimes good and sometimes poor. This is why the National Guardian’s Office has requested that the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry should include freedom to speak up.”

Read our full response

Case Study: The value of role modelling Speak Up, Listen Up, Follow Up from the top

The commitment of senior leaders to listen to workers earned Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLG) a place in the final of the 2021 HSJ Awards.

This case study shows the value in having a supportive culture from the top down and highlights the positive outcomes that can happen when workers feel able to speak up.

Read the case study

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.

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