Freedom to Speak up Guardian in Blackburn

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

Job overview

Freedom to Speak Up Guardians help support patient safety and the quality of care and improve the colleague experience by ensuring that everyone is supported in speaking up and a positive culture of speaking up is fostered.

The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian role is key in delivering the Freedom to Speak Up service here at East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.

The role will work with the Head of Freedom to Speak up to provide confidential support and advice to individuals raising issues or concerns about anything that gets in the way of patient care or affects their working life, ensuring that there are no repercussions for the person who raised the concerns. The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian also works to raise the profile of Freedom to Speak Up across the Trust and ensure that triangulation and escalation of concerns is completed proactively to support organisational risk management. They also ensure the Freedom to Speak Up service here at East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals adheres to the guidelines set by NHS England.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the role include taking a highly visible role on the delivery of the Freedom to Speak Up Strategy with guidance from the Head of Freedom to Speak Up.

Working for our organisation

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To providing expert advice in all aspects of raising and handling concerns and to offer support, guidance and advice to anyone who raises concerns.

To work directly with the Head of Freedom to Speak Up to lead and raise the profile for anyone raising concerns with the Trust.

To develop a range of mechanisms, in addition to formal processes, which empower and encourage colleagues to speak up safely.

To assist in the development and implement local and national policy in relation to the NHS Staff Guardian and Freedom to Speak Up.

To assist in the maintaining of the systems used for recording concerns raised, benchmarking and analysing the data gathered to inform organisational actions.

To be a highly visible individual, spending time supporting the Head of Freedom to Speak Up being with ‘front line’ colleagues, providing advice in developing a safe culture which supports and encourages colleagues to speak up using the local procedures and if necessary advising them on how to raise concerns, including externally.

To meet with colleagues and listen to their concerns ensuring that the concerns are reiterated correctly and precisely through the correct channels as appropriate

To give assurance that colleagues who speak up are treated fairly through the investigation, inquiry and/or review and that there is effective and open communication during this time.

To act as a critical friend in the review of workforce processes and policies (e.g. Induction, Appraisal, HR processes, training initiatives, OD initiatives, etc) to ensure that they promote our Trust values and give colleagues the confidence to seek to deliver high quality services and raise concerns where appropriate. Using benchmarking information in line with NHSi and NHS England including national staff survey.

To highlight to the Head of Freedom to Speak Up or the appropriate Director any issues raised that r epresent an immediate risk to the safety of patients or colleagues.

Training & Qualifications

• Degree level education or equal experience
• A full understanding of Trust HR policies
• Evidence of working in an acute NHS setting
• A full understanding of Trust quality and Safety policy
• NHSE's Office course for Freedom to Speak Up Guardians

Communication and relationship skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication including influencing and negotiating skills
• Experience of writing and presenting reports to Boards and other senior leadership groups
• Is able to share difficult messages in a relevant manner
• Ability to turn speak up scenarios into learning opportunities
• Able to develop written /podcast/verbal presentations and material to support learning
• Effective interpersonal skills, able to maintain confidentiality, able to show and demonstrate an empathic approach
• The ability to remain non-judgemental when presented with information
• Able to build trust and rapport with pace and authenticity

Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS)

If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained.

The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed.

The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will £55.38 and for a Standard Disclosure will £27.38.

This cost is not applicable for a Volunteer post

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust.

We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background.

We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible. By telephone 01254 732075 or email [emailprotected] or write to Employment Services, Parkview Offices, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

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