Job summary
Are you passionate about creating safe, open, and inclusive workplaces where people feel heard, supported, and empowered to speak up?
BPAS is a national charity committed to reproductive choice and high-quality, compassionate care. We are looking for a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian to play a vital role in strengthening our culture of openness, transparency, and continuous improvement.
This is a unique opportunity to operate independently at the heart of the organisation, ensuring that the voices of our people are listened to and acted upon, and that patient safety and quality of care remain central to everything we do.
As our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, you will be a visible and trusted advocate for our workforce. You will provide confidential, impartial support to anyone raising concerns, particularly those relating to patient safety, quality of care, or workplace behaviours.
You will work independently of operational management when handling concerns, ensuring they are appropriately escalated and that individuals feel supported throughout the process. You will also identify themes and systemic risks, using insight and data to influence learning, improvement, and accountability at the highest levels of the organisation.
This role offers direct engagement with the Executive Team and Board, where you will provide assurance, challenge, and expert insight to help shape a positive and safe organisational culture.
Main duties of the job
- Champion a culture where speaking up is encouraged, valued, and safe
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Provide confidential, non-judgemental support to colleagues raising concerns
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Ensure concerns are appropriately escalated through governance and safeguarding processes
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Build strong, trusted relationships across all levels of the organisation
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Identify trends and themes, using data to inform organisational learning and improvement
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Deliver training and awareness to support psychological safety and respectful challenge
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Work collaboratively with HR, clinical, governance, and safeguarding teams
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Provide regular reports and assurance to the Executive Team and Board
About you
You will be a credible, approachable and values-driven individual with the confidence to challenge constructively and influence at all levels.
You will bring:
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Experience handling sensitive or complex issues with professionalism and discretion
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Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust quickly
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The ability to remain impartial and objective in challenging situations
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Confidence working with senior leaders and presenting insight or reports
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A strong understanding of psychological safety, confidentiality, and organisational culture
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A genuine commitment to patient safety, inclusion, and continuous improvement
- Experience within healthcare, advocacy, HR, governance, or staff wellbeing would be advantageous.
About us
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is the UK's largest independent reproductive healthcare charity, providing evidence-based, not-for-profit reproductive healthcare. We work mainly on behalf of the NHS, offering abortion care, contraception, and STI testing and treatment across the country.
When you join BPAS, you become part of a values-driven organisation where compassion, professionalism, and choice guide everything we do. You will help remove barriers to safe reproductive care while supporting people to make informed choices about their health and futures.
Working with us benefits include:
- 34 days annual leave (including bank holidays)
- Life assurance at 3 salary
- Defined contribution pension scheme
- Access to GP 24/7, 365 days a year
- MyMindPal mental fitness app and 24/7 counselling support
- Online discounts, discounted gym membership, and other lifestyle benefits
- Family-friendly policies to support work-life balance
Safeguarding, Equality & Diversity
BPAS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services, and all staff share this responsibility. Recruitment follows safer-recruitment principles and includes appropriate pre-employment checks.
We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We are proud to be an inclusive employer and will make reasonable adjustments to ensure a fair and accessible recruitment process for all candidates.
Job description
Job responsibilities
At BPAS, our values guide everything we do. We are:
-
People and patient focused placing voices and experiences at the centre
-
Kind and considerate building respectful, compassionate relationships
-
Courageous and dedicated standing up for what matters
-
Innovative and pioneering continuously improving the care we provide
You will be joining an organisation with a clear purpose, where your work will have a direct impact on both patient safety and the experience of our people.
Further Information
A full job description and terms and conditions with salary information is available for you to review and download from this page.
Location: Hybrid working with visits to BPAS Head office once a week
and when required for meetings and team days. Occasional travel may also be
required to other BPAS locations in line with business need.
BPAS
Head office: Orion
House, 2 Athena Dr, Tachbrook Park Dr, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick CV34 6RQ
Salary: £45,000 -
£53,000 depending on experience
Hours Per Week: 36 hours per week
Hours of Work: Monday to Thursday 9:00am 5:00pm and Friday 9:00am 3:30pm.
NB: Shifts that are longer
than 6 hours, will include a 30 minutes unpaid break
We may close this advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications, although we aim to keep it open long enough to ensure a diverse and representative applicant pool.
If you have any questions about the role or require adjustments to support your application, please get in touch, we are happy to help.
Apply now-Interested in making a difference? Apply today to join our team.
Values & eligibility-All applicants must be pro choice and support a woman's right to choose, in line with BPAS values and mission.
References & pre-employment checks-All offers of employment are conditional on satisfactory pre-employment checks. Applicants must provide three years of employment references, including reasons for leaving and details of any gaps in employment.
Job description
Job responsibilities
At BPAS, our values guide everything we do. We are:
-
People and patient focused placing voices and experiences at the centre
-
Kind and considerate building respectful, compassionate relationships
-
Courageous and dedicated standing up for what matters
-
Innovative and pioneering continuously improving the care we provide
You will be joining an organisation with a clear purpose, where your work will have a direct impact on both patient safety and the experience of our people.
Further Information
A full job description and terms and conditions with salary information is available for you to review and download from this page.
Location: Hybrid working with visits to BPAS Head office once a week
and when required for meetings and team days. Occasional travel may also be
required to other BPAS locations in line with business need.
BPAS
Head office: Orion
House, 2 Athena Dr, Tachbrook Park Dr, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick CV34 6RQ
Salary: £45,000 -
£53,000 depending on experience
Hours Per Week: 36 hours per week
Hours of Work: Monday to Thursday 9:00am 5:00pm and Friday 9:00am 3:30pm.
NB: Shifts that are longer
than 6 hours, will include a 30 minutes unpaid break
We may close this advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications, although we aim to keep it open long enough to ensure a diverse and representative applicant pool.
If you have any questions about the role or require adjustments to support your application, please get in touch, we are happy to help.
Apply now-Interested in making a difference? Apply today to join our team.
Values & eligibility-All applicants must be pro choice and support a woman's right to choose, in line with BPAS values and mission.
References & pre-employment checks-All offers of employment are conditional on satisfactory pre-employment checks. Applicants must provide three years of employment references, including reasons for leaving and details of any gaps in employment.
Person Specification
General
Essential
- Do you support a woman's right to choose abortion?
- Are you the family or friend of a current BPAS employee? If yes, please state the name and nature of the relationship
- Do you have your own home office/confidential space to work from when hybrid working?
Desirable
- Would you like to add any further information/statements to support your application.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Demonstrates integrity, impartiality, and professionalism, inspiring confidence and trust among colleagues and stakeholders, with personal credibility and professional presence at all levels.
- Commitment to patient safety, quality improvement, and compassionate care.
- Alignment with BPAS values: being people-focused, kind, courageous, and innovative.
Qualifications
Essential
- Familiarity with HR, safeguarding, governance, or clinical risk processes.
Experience
Essential
- Experience supporting staff or patients in sensitive, confidential, or emotionally complex situations, demonstrating professionalism and sound judgment.
- Experience working with senior leaders, preparing reports or briefings, and providing constructive challenge to influence change.
- Experience contributing to organisational development as a trusted, impartial advisor, acting as a critical friend to leadership.
Desirable
- Experience in healthcare, reproductive health, or the third sector.
- Experience in advocacy, HR, governance, clinical services, or staff wellbeing.
- Experience in coaching, training, or facilitation.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Understanding of the Freedom to Speak Up agenda, confidentiality principles, and psychological safety, including barriers that may prevent individuals or groups from speaking up.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust and handle sensitive conversations at all levels of the organisation.
- Ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, identify trends, and present clear, actionable insights to Chief Officers and the Board.
- Understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion and how organisational culture impacts patient safety.
Person Specification
General
Essential
- Do you support a woman's right to choose abortion?
- Are you the family or friend of a current BPAS employee? If yes, please state the name and nature of the relationship
- Do you have your own home office/confidential space to work from when hybrid working?
Desirable
- Would you like to add any further information/statements to support your application.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Demonstrates integrity, impartiality, and professionalism, inspiring confidence and trust among colleagues and stakeholders, with personal credibility and professional presence at all levels.
- Commitment to patient safety, quality improvement, and compassionate care.
- Alignment with BPAS values: being people-focused, kind, courageous, and innovative.
Qualifications
Essential
- Familiarity with HR, safeguarding, governance, or clinical risk processes.
Experience
Essential
- Experience supporting staff or patients in sensitive, confidential, or emotionally complex situations, demonstrating professionalism and sound judgment.
- Experience working with senior leaders, preparing reports or briefings, and providing constructive challenge to influence change.
- Experience contributing to organisational development as a trusted, impartial advisor, acting as a critical friend to leadership.
Desirable
- Experience in healthcare, reproductive health, or the third sector.
- Experience in advocacy, HR, governance, clinical services, or staff wellbeing.
- Experience in coaching, training, or facilitation.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Understanding of the Freedom to Speak Up agenda, confidentiality principles, and psychological safety, including barriers that may prevent individuals or groups from speaking up.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust and handle sensitive conversations at all levels of the organisation.
- Ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, identify trends, and present clear, actionable insights to Chief Officers and the Board.
- Understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion and how organisational culture impacts patient safety.
