Whe r all m e we a di ake ffere nce
Freedom to speak up
Introducing the Trusts new Freedom to Speak Up Guardian... Neal Jones - Assistant Director of Patient Safety and Human Factors has been appointed as the Trusts Freedom to Speak up Guardian. Freedom to Speak up Guardians have a key role in helping to raise the profile of raising concerns across the Trust, providing confidential advice and supporting staff in relation to concerns they have about patient safety and/ or they way their previous concerns have been handled.
Guardians don’t get involved in investigations or complaints, but help to facilitate the raising concerns process where needed, ensuring that your concerns process is handled appropriately. You can contact Neal at either neal.jones@rlbuht.nhs.uk or on Ext 4058.
Your Freedom to Speak up Guardian Your Freedom to Speak up Guardian is empowered to act in an independent capacity, ensuring that your concerns are taken seriously, and actions taken to mitigate any risks identified. The Freedom to Speak up Guardian(s) will help support the Trust to become a more open, transparent place to work by listening to staff and supporting them to raise concerns.
What is it like to speak up? Raising concerns can feel difficult at times, perhaps your concern is related to a colleague and you may feel conflicting emotions that create understandable anxieties. Speaking up isn’t ‘telling tales’ or getting somebody into trouble, it’s an impartial process to facilitate the improvement in the quality and safety of patient care, and is not part of the Trusts formal disciplinary process. We all have a duty of care to both our patients and fellow staff, it is therefore essential that speaking up about concerns becomes an easy, positive experience and becomes part of our normal working practice.
About Freedom to Speak up Guardians
Independant
Visible
Effective
Supported
Empowered
Forward thinking
Impartial
Empathetic
Influential
Credible
Knowledgeable
Self aware
Trusted
Inclusive
Freedom to Speak up Guardian regional networks are there to: • • • • •
Provide local support to Freedom to Speak up Guardians. Support consistency in the approach Freedon to Speak up Guardians take across all aspects of their role. Provide an arena for sharing and learning, and to support continuous improvement. Provide a focus for discussion of the challenges and opportunities of the Freedom to Speak up Guardian role. Act as a source of intelligence on Freedom to Speak up matters, feeding back views and experience on key issues to the National Guardian’s Office.
Freedom to Speak up champions The Trust has appointmed four Freedom to Speak up champions to ensure that whatever your concern or whenever it arises, you will be able to speak to a member of the Freedom to Speak up team.
The champions are: Margaret McLoughlin, Quality Matron Email: Margaret.McLoughlin@rlbuht.nhs.uk Telephone: 0151 706 4052
Anita Nasser, Matron Email: Anita.Nasser@rlbuht.nhs.uk Telephone: 0151 706 1932
Marie Dewhurst, Development manager Email: Marie.Dewhurst@rlbuht.nhs.uk Telephone: 0151 706 3301 Kirstin Gregson, OD Practitioner Email: Kirstin.Gregson@rlbuht.nhs.uk Telephone: 0151 706 3044
Further information for speaking up Our Trust is committed to developing an open and honest culture, where staff can speak out about any concerns about unsafe patient care. We work to ensure our staff feel confident and their concerns are welcomed and taken seriously, and that they will be heard, investigated and responded to quickly. We’d like to remind all staff; if in doubt, please speak up. It doesn’t matter if you are mistaken, as long as you are genuinely concerned. Safe and respectful treatment of our patients and service users is our main aim and all our staff, trainees and students are the ones best placed to identify if care standards are not at the high level they should be. If poor practice or wrongdoing is taking place, then it is everyone’s responsibility in our organisation to recognise and raise this, rather than to turn a blind eye.