October is Speak Up Month

October 13, 2020

October is Speak Up Month and this year, the National Guardian’s Office is drawing up an Alphabet of Speak Up. There are 26 letters of the alphabet and 26 days to explore the issues, the people, the values, the challenges – everything which goes into what Freedom to Speak Up means in health. When things go wrong, we need to make sure that lessons are learnt and improvements made.

This year we will be supporting the National Guardian’s Office looking at the alphabet of speak up, with each day identifying a word and what that means to colleagues across the Trust.​ We are encouraging managers to use this as an opportunity for discussion with your colleagues and team. Speaking up is an important part of a culture that focuses on safety and quality, and we would like you and your teams to play a part in encouraging these conversations to be part of who we are and how we work.

Today’s letter is provided by Ian Galligan, Capital Equipping Manager, Medical Engineering and Speak Up Guardian

J is for Just Culture

A just culture guide helps ensure staff involved in a patient safety incident are treated fairly, and supports a culture of openness to maximise opportunities to learn from mistakes. If you feel you have been affected or you feel the process has not been fair, speak to a Guardian for advice.

 What the video below for more information on Just Culture.