Freedom to speak up Deputy Guardian

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Deputy Freedom to Speak Up Guardian(s) role is to help protect patient safety and quality of care, improve staff experience at work, andact independently, impartially, and objectively in managing their caseload of concerns, with support from the FTSU guardian. Promote learning and continuous improvement while working with the FTSU team on themes and trends and amplify the voices of individuals, groups/networks to support the speaking up culture with the senior leadership team on the speaking-up culture and agenda across the trust.

Working with the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and Executive Lead responsible for FTSU, ensure that workers are supported in speaking up while identifying and supporting barriers to be addressed and fostering a positive speaking-up culture.

KEY TASKS & Responsibilities:

Cultivate an open, listening culture where staff feel safe to raise concerns about patient and staff safety and experiences.

Act as an independent adviser and expert on speaking up, addressing barriers and building confidence in internal and external processes.

Exemplify the importance of speaking up in line with trust values, ambitions, and National Guardians Office guidance.

Support staff who speak up by listening, signposting resources, and ensuring safety and quality concerns are addressed.

Manage concerns within personal scope and under FTSU guardian guidance, adhering to best practice, legal standards, and guidance.

Address and act on issues of detriment experienced by staff who speak up.

Engage with the national FTSU network, implement NGO guidance, and analyse and act on review recommendations.

Facilitate formal and informal training on speaking up, ensuring managers support staff effectively.

Utilise improvement processes, data analysis, and audits to enhance speaking-up arrangements and address identified trends.

Demonstrate compassion and uphold the Trusts values, ambitions, and the NHS Constitution, prioritising patients, and staff.

MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Collaborate with the FTSU Guardian(s), the Executive lead for FTSU, in creating and delivering strategic plans supporting the speaking-up culture. Ensure alignment with the Trusts values and strategywhile maintaining the NGO guidelines of the role.

To support and supervise the FTSU network of champions and ambassadors across the trust, working with other subject matter experts in maintaining the skills and knowledge needed to undertake the roles.

Lead on recruiting and retaining the FTSU network of champions and ambassadors.

Act as a role model, demonstrating effective and compassionate leadership, challenging or escalating poor practices or behaviours, and maintaining the FTSU service as a place of trust to raise concerns.

Foster good working relationships while providing challenges to support identifying, raising, and addressing barriers to the trust speaking up culture.

ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain an accurate log of speaking up concerns, following the NGOs and Trust's guidance around data management, confidentiality, and support in developing reports from an FTSU data source, including feedback and learning.

Deputise for the FTSU guardian(s) in meetings, submit data and analysis, and provide a voice for those who have spoken up and thebarriers or detriments they have faced.

Contribute to the reports needed for assurance to the trust committees and board.

Work with the FTSU guardian(s)to review, propose changes, and maintain trust policies related to the speaking-up culture within the trust.

To regularly seek feedback from otherson speaking up and accessing the FTSU service to ensure a culture of continuous improvement, along with personal development and learning, is embedded into the role and function.

COMMUNICATION

To receive/listen to and interpret sensitive and complex information and support it being shared via the most appropriate route and level within the organisation. When applicable, act on behalf, or in the best interest, to protect patients and staff safety within the boundaries of trust governance, legal guidance, and safeguarding principles.

Promote awareness, complexity, and value of Speaking up as part of business as usualand, when unsafe or appropriate, the FTSU service.

Educate and use the FTSU champion/ambassador network to promote the importance, barriers, and impact of speaking up and encourage this to happen via business-as-usual or alternative routes.

Share good practices and learn from concerns raised to FTSU, connect with our staff networks and forums, andsupport our diverse staff and patient population so that they have a voice that counts.

Review and support updating the speaking-up arrangements, so they are visible, accessible, and in a style that supports and values speaking up.

Listen to concerns without judgment, ensure feedback is given around the processes for addressing concerns, and be able to recognise and take action to protect patient, staff, or trust safety concerns.

Follow the principles and policies in maintaining confidentiality and its role in supporting a safe culture when staff can speak up.

Person Specification

Requirements

Essential

• Demonstrate understanding of cultural change, organisational development, staff engagement
• Evidence of engagement with patients, clients, and visitors during incidental contact

Desirable

• Experience in staff development, coaching, supervision, and teaching

Shortlisting

Essential

• Demonstrable background working highly complex, sensitive, and contentious information

Desirable

• Ability to analyse and interpret data /evidence and apply it to practice.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters or equivalent experience

Desirable

• Evidence of significant personal development

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Ascot, Frimley, Wexham

Heatherwood Hospital

Ascot, Frimley, Wexham

SL5 8AA

Employer's website

https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)