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Join our team of Freedom to Speak up Guardians

March 29, 2023

Our Trust values are Ambition, Respect and Compassion. Without an effective and healthy speak up culture we cannot live by these values. Speak up is a crucial factor in all three.

So, are you a colleague who:

  • Cares passionately about Freedom to Speak Up?
  • Cares passionately about building a just and fair culture in our Trust?
  • Is compassionate, a listener, naturally supportive?
  • Do you want to help build a culture in our Trust where there is no fear of detriment or reprisal for speaking up, where speaking up is welcomed?

Then please consider joining our team.

We are increasing the number of Freedom to Speak up Guardians in our Trust, from the current three, to ten. We are seeking expressions of interest from all professions across our workplace – preferably from colleagues who have roles from the width and breadth of the organisation to take forward this crucial function.

Our vision is to become a national leader in speak up culture; and you can help us achieve it. You will be working in a team of ten, with the lead Freedom to Speak up Guardian and the lead executive for Speak Up, Dinah McLannahan – Chief Finance Officer.

If you are successful, we will work with your line manager to agree the amount of time you will be able to dedicate to this role. You won’t have to know everything as we will give you training and support to fulfil the role.

Your role will be to promote the Speak Up culture in our Trust, and to support those that contact you with concerns. In the Speak Up team we are working to improve our data collection on Speak Up so that we can triangulate issues and themes and use the information to improve the quality and safety, and leadership culture in our Trust.

If the above interests you, please put in an expression of interest by answering the following questions, in no more than 300 words in total.

We would like to know:

  1. Which role you currently occupy in the Trust
  2. Why you want to become a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
  3. What skills and qualities you can bring that are relevant to the role.

Please send your expression of interest to swbh.freedom-to-speak-up-guidance@nhs.net by Friday 14 April.

If you would like a confidential discussion about the role, please feel free to contact our existing guardians;

Further information about Freedom to Speak Up is available from the National Guardian’s Office website www.nationalguardian.org.uk