Hi - I am Jane Butcher, Head of the Freedom to Speak Up office at ELHT.
I am just going to put this out there straight away – being guest blogger terrifies me but my role is all about encouraging colleagues to be brave and speak out – so here I am, practising what I preach. And the timing couldn’t have been better as we celebrate national Speak Up Month.
I have worked in the NHS for over 24 years now and I can wholeheartedly say that I truly believe speaking up benefits all our working lives and improves the quality and safety of care our patients receive. It is not just having someone listening to your concerns but knowing that the matters raised will be acted upon that makes the Trust a great place to work.
Since I took up the role in 2017, I have seen a significant increase in the number of colleagues contacting me to air their worries or concerns. This is not to say the number of issues has grown, but that more colleagues are feeling empowered to find their voice and speak out about what they have seen or experienced. This is music to my ears as if we don’t know about something, we cannot resolve it. And it is so important to me that every single colleague feels confident enough to speak up without fear of any negative repercussions – that is why I am here and why I love doing what I do.
It is really important to me that you understand at this point that the Freedom to Speak Up office, whilst still employed by the Trust, is completely independent and is guided by the National Guardian’s Office (NGO). This is an overarching body that works closely with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - the main regulator of healthcare services in the UK and they reported that an astounding 20,362 cases were raised nationally in the 2021/22 financial year.
It is a requirement that every NHS trust has a Freedom to Speak Up (FtSU) Guardian to work with colleagues at all levels, to ensure NHS trusts become more open, honest and transparent places to work. And I am as passionate about this today as I was when I first started over five years ago. From the concerns that are raised, we can examine the facts, give feedback and learn lessons and create lasting, real tangible outcomes and improvements that make a difference to the organisation and the care we provide for our patients and the community.
I mentioned earlier that we are currently celebrating national Speak Up Month, but why do we have this awareness campaign? Speak Up Month is our opportunity to highlight the importance of speaking up and to show how much the Trust values it.
The theme for this year is ‘Freedom to Speak Up for Everyone’ and each week we will be focusing on the different impacts Freedom to Speak Up can bring for safety, civility and inclusion. You will see myself and Interim Staff Guardian Alison Sugden out and about throughout the month so please do come and have a chat with us if you see us.
Ensuring the safety of people who use and work in our services is essential so this first week we have been highlighting the importance of speaking up about anything that gets in the way of doing a good job, particularly relating to patient care and worker safety. You may have also seen colleagues out and about this week promoting patient safety around topics such as medicines management, sepsis and early warning scores so it’s the perfect opportunity to speak up if you know something isn’t right.
Next week we will be focussing on being kind to each other and just as importantly, yourself. Civility Saves Lives say that “Almost all excellence in healthcare is dependent on teams, and teams work best when all members feel safe and have a voice.” So please do use this week to connect with colleagues and also work out what you need to make you feel happy.
Building on from last week’s amazing Festival of Inclusion, week three is all about promoting inclusion and breaking down the barriers we know exist to enable all workers to feel safe to speak up and be heard. We are quite clear at the Trust that everyone’s voice is important and every single concern will be dealt with in a consistent and confidential manner. The final week brings together all professions, worker groups and sectors with the focus being on making speaking up business as usual for everyone regardless of job role, background or circumstance.
I am really proud that the passion for patient safety and inclusion already clearly runs through the core of everything we do here at the Trust, so I urge everyone to speak up if they see something that doesn’t fit with this ethos.
I know that some are anxious about what might happen if they speak up. I said this last year when I was guest blogger and I make no apologies for repeating the message that the Guardians, along with the Trust Board, are determined to ensure no one is treated detrimentally because they have spoken up or out and that everyone who does is thanked for doing so.
Colleagues can also approach one of our speak up champions who are on hand to offer advice or just a friendly ear if you are unsure about something you have seen or experienced. You can find out who they are here.
If you are interested in becoming a Freedom to Speak up 
Champion, then look out in week three as we will be approaching our staff networks looking to recruit new champions.
Finally, we are asking as many people as possible to take part in ‘Wear Green Wednesdays’ which is as simple as it sounds, simply wear something green every Wednesday throughout October to show your visible support for Freedom to Speak Up. Myself and Alison did just that last Wednesday which you can see.
Please, get involved with Speak Up Month and share your ‘Wear Green Wednesday’ pictures on Twitter and LinkedIn by using the hashtag #FTSUforEveryone.
Colleagues can find out more about what we do and how you can get involved by checking out our SharePoint page and also by going to www.nationalguardian.org.uk
Jane