Freedom to Speak up GuardianinHarrogateinHarrogatePUBLISHED WED 26 MAR 2025
Opportunity to advocate for colleagues and promote a culture of speaking up, fostering a safer work environment.
Role provides a platform to influence cultural change within the organization, aligning with Trust Values such as Kindness, Integrity, Teamwork, and Equality.
Act as an impartial resource that supports staff in navigating concerns, ensuring they feel heard and protected against detriment.
Collaborative work with diverse teams allows for the embedding of best practices in patient safety and feedback mechanisms.
Contribute to national and regional networks, gaining insight and sharing knowledge related to Freedom to Speak Up initiatives.
Engage in staff training and development, equipping colleagues with the skills and confidence to raise concerns effectively.
Recognized by the Trust through awards and support services, promoting both professional growth and personal well-being.
Join Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust as a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian!
Are you passionate about uplifting your colleagues and fostering a culture of open communication? This rewarding role is perfect for those who want to be the voice of integrity and support within the NHS. As a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, you will serve as an impartial advocate, ensuring that staff feel empowered to speak up about concerns without fear of repercussions. You'll collaborate with diverse teams across our Trust, championing best practices that enhance patient safety and promote a culture of trust and transparency. Your ability to encourage and uplift others will be key as you work to minimise barriers and enhance the experience of all staff members, particularly those who may face unique challenges.
At Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional care not only to our patients but also to our dedicated workforce. We value kindness, integrity, teamwork, and equality, making this an ideal environment for those who care deeply about their work and colleagues. With fantastic employee benefits and recognition programmes, we ensure that your contributions are celebrated and your voice is heard. If you’re ready to make a significant impact in a supportive setting that values your whole self, we’d love to hear from you. Join us in creating a positive change where everyone feels safe and respected to speak up!
Opportunity to advocate for colleagues and promote a culture of speaking up, fostering a safer work environment.
Role provides a platform to influence cultural change within the organization, aligning with Trust Values such as Kindness, Integrity, Teamwork, and Equality.
Act as an impartial resource that supports staff in navigating concerns, ensuring they feel heard and protected against detriment.
Collaborative work with diverse teams allows for the embedding of best practices in patient safety and feedback mechanisms.
Contribute to national and regional networks, gaining insight and sharing knowledge related to Freedom to Speak Up initiatives.
Engage in staff training and development, equipping colleagues with the skills and confidence to raise concerns effectively.
Recognized by the Trust through awards and support services, promoting both professional growth and personal well-being.
Are you passionate about encouraging and advocating colleagues to speak up?
To be a guardian requires strong partnership working at all levels within the organisation to identify appropriate contacts and escalation routes as sources of support for anything that might be spoken up about.
The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian (FTSUG) will act as an impartial and independent, expert and professional resource for Trust colleagues on all aspects of practice relating to Freedom to Speak Up and associated cultural change in line with our Trust Values; to encourage the embedding of best practice in enabling and supporting Trust staff to raise concerns where they see evidence of risk and unsafe practice.
This role will operate independently, impartially, and objectively, whilst working in partnership with individuals and groups throughout the organisation. The post holder will seek guidance and support from and, where appropriate and escalate matters as required including to bodies outside the organisation.
The post holder will provide a focus on ensuring that colleagues feel able to speak up without fear of detriment to protect patient safety, identify and develop ways to improve barriers to speaking up, improve experience and promote learning and improvement.
The post holder will, adhere with directives from the National Guardian Office, regularly support and contribute to the national and regional networks.
At HDFT we provide outstanding care to both our patients and our staff and we value Kindness, Integrity, Teamwork and Equality. If you’re looking for an interesting and rewarding career in the NHS, where you can make a real difference to patients’ lives, HDFT could be the place for you!
We Offer Colleagues
Kate Southgate
Associate Director for Quality and Corporate
To be a guardian requires strong partnership working at all levels within the organisation to identify appropriate contacts and escalation routes as sources of support for anything that might be spoken up about.
The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian (FTSUG) will act as an impartial and independent, expert and professional resource for Trust colleagues on all aspects of practice relating to Freedom to Speak Up and associated cultural change in line with our Trust Values; to encourage the embedding of best practice in enabling and supporting Trust staff to raise concerns where they see evidence of risk and unsafe practice.
This role will operate independently, impartially, and objectively, whilst working in partnership with individuals and groups throughout the organisation. The post holder will seek guidance and support from and, where appropriate and escalate matters as required including to bodies outside the organisation.
The post holder will provide a focus on ensuring that colleagues feel able to speak up without fear of detriment to protect patient safety, identify and develop ways to improve barriers to speaking up, improve experience and promote learning and improvement.
The post holder will, adhere with directives from the National Guardian Office, regularly support and contribute to the national and regional networks.
- Embed the F2SU service across the Trust including our community and 0-19 services in line with National Guardian Office guidelines
- To promote a culture where staff are encouraged to speak up by raising the profile of Speaking up including challenging poor practice where this is observed.
- To provide effective and compassionate support and guidance to all staff, ensuring action is taken when an issue is brought to their attention. Ensure confidentiality is respected as appropriate, that there is a fair and effective investigation and that regular feedback on progress is provided.
- To ensure action is taken to ensure that groups that may face particular barriers to speaking up have the support they need. To ensure that senior leaders, including the Trust Board, receive regular reports that include information on the number and types of cases they deal with, barriers to speaking up, and details of opportunities for learning and improvement
- To plan events and facilitate collaborative working with clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure the Freedom to Speak Up agenda is fully understood by staff, implementing new ways of working to support this agenda
- To ensure that staff across the Trust have the capability, knowledge and skills they need to speak up themselves and to support others to speak up through appropriate training, resources and easy access to F2SU Champions.
At HDFT we provide outstanding care to both our patients and our staff and we value Kindness, Integrity, Teamwork and Equality. If you’re looking for an interesting and rewarding career in the NHS, where you can make a real difference to patients’ lives, HDFT could be the place for you!
We Offer Colleagues
- A supportive culture so colleagues can bring their whole selves to work.
- Staff Recognition - as well as regular appraisals, we recognise achievements with our Making a Difference & Team of the Month Awards, along with annual Colleague Recognition Awards.
- Employee Support and wellbeing – we offer a wide range of staff benefits including an Employee Assistance Programme, counselling service and a fast-track Physiotherapy service.
- Due to high levels of interest, posts may close early if we reach a sufficient number of applications
- Visa sponsorship is only available for certain roles. Please ensure the role you are interested in meets the criteria for a visa before submitting your application.
- Please also be aware that the Trust does not offer relocation packages for Agenda for Change roles.
- All job offers are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks.
Kate Southgate
Associate Director for Quality and Corporate
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More about the NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is a cornerstone of healthcare in the United Kingdom, established in 1948 with the simple yet profound principle of providing healthcare to all citizens, free at the point of use. This revolutionary system aimed to ensure that access to medical services would not depend on an individual’s financial situation, a concept that has since become fundamental to British societal values.Learn more...
Useful skills for a Freedom to Speak up Guardian:
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To work as a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian in the UK, you'll need a combination of specific skills, knowledge, and personal attributes. Here are some key skills and qualities that are often important for this role:
1. Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential for effectively engaging with staff, listening to their concerns, and conveying information clearly.
2. Interpersonal Skills: Building trust and rapport with staff is crucial, so having excellent interpersonal skills can help in fostering a safe environment for speaking up.
3. Empathy and Compassion: The ability to understand and relate to the feelings and experiences of others is important for supporting staff who may be anxious or fearful about speaking up.
4. Problem-Solving Skills: You should be able to identify issues and think critically about how to address them, implementing solutions that promote a safer and more open work environment.
5. Confidentiality and Integrity: It's vital to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion. Being trustworthy is essential for this role.
6. Knowledge of Policies and Procedures: Familiarity with relevant organizational policies, whistleblowing procedures, and the legal framework surrounding speaking up is crucial.
7. Conflict Resolution Skills: Being able to manage and resolve conflicts effectively can help address issues that may arise from speaking up.
8. Training and Support Skills: You may be involved in training staff on the importance of speaking up and how to do so effectively, so skills in education and facilitation can be beneficial.
9. Resilience: The role can be challenging, and you may encounter resistance. Being resilient and able to cope with pressure is important.
10. Organizational Skills: The ability to manage your time effectively and handle multiple cases or issues at once is essential.
11. Advocacy: Being an effective advocate for staff concerns and a champion for a speaking-up culture within the organization is key.
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