Job summary
We are looking for a confident, empathetic, and resilient individual with a track record of supporting and listening to staff to join our team as the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian. This is a rewarding role and creates a fantastic opportunity for the successful candidate to make a difference across the organisation.
You will work closely with the Board and members of the executive team to support the organisation to become a more open, transparent place to work by identifying and removing barriers and providing opportunities that support our workforce to speak up.
As the voice of our workforce, you will ensure the Board and Executive team are fully sighted on all Freedom to Speak Up matters and issues raised. You will be responsible for ensuring individuals receive thanks for speaking up and are given receive feedback on the actions taken.
Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the guardian values and those of the trust and the NHS constitution in their daily working lives.
This is an exciting time to join the team as the Trust are investing into the development of this service.
As a Trust, we recommend that individuals employed in patient facing roles,or those located on a ward or department where patients receive a service are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Main duties of the job
Working alongside the Board, Chief Executive, and executive team, you will develop a range of mechanisms, in addition to the formal processes, which empower and encourage staff to speak up safely.
As a highly visible individual, you'll act in an independent and impartial capacity, listening to staff and supporting them to raise concerns using the available structures and policies, both within the organisation and outside, raising any issues that cannot be resolved locally with the National Guardian's Office.
You'll work with a range of stakeholders to ensure that lessons are learnt, themes identified, and necessary changes are made and will be responsible for maintaining secure, accurate written records and developing systems to measure the speaking up culture within the organisation.
About us
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a large, integrated provider of acute and community services to the 445,000 population of the Fylde coast health economy and the estimated 11 million visitors to the seaside town of Blackpool. With patients and families at the heart of all we do, we are committed to creating a culture that empowers our staff and inspires us all to deliver first class clinical care. We form a central part of the Healthier Fylde Coast Integrated Care Partnership and our progressive approach to partnership working in the area provides an enviable opportunity to redesign and deliver services that meet the challenges of today's health system.
We are not underestimating the challenges facing today's health system but believe there are the foundations here in Blackpool to deliver truly excellent, integrated services that can make a major impact on the lives of the thousands of people we serve.
For further information about the role, please contact Louise Ludgrove
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Work with the Chief executive and Board to help create an open and transparent culture based on listening and learning and in line with Restorative Just & Learning Culture.
- Promote local speaking up processes and sources of support and guidance, demonstrate the impact that speaking up is having in the organisation, and celebrate speaking up.
- Address any barriers staff experience to speaking up in the Organisation, ensuring that staff with disabilities and those from black and other minority ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to speak out and are not disadvantaged by doing so.
- Develop and support a diverse network of champions to ensure that Freedom to Speak Up reaches all parts of the organisation and everyone has easy access to someone outside their immediate line-management chain who can advise and support them.
- Take part in National Guardian Office activities and training, actively supporting fellow Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, developing personal networks and peer-to-peer relationships, contributing to wider networking events, and sharing and learning from best practice.
- Raise issues that cannot be resolved locally with the National Guardians Office, including where the Organisation may appear to be failing in their obligations.
- Keep abreast of developments from National Guardians Office and best practice, assessing own development and training needs, and seeking support in addressing these.
- Ensure that information about those who speak up is kept confidential at all times, create a psychologically safe service for staff to access and ensure staff are aware of confidentiality is subject to requirements around safeguarding and illegality
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Work with the Chief executive and Board to help create an open and transparent culture based on listening and learning and in line with Restorative Just & Learning Culture.
- Promote local speaking up processes and sources of support and guidance, demonstrate the impact that speaking up is having in the organisation, and celebrate speaking up.
- Address any barriers staff experience to speaking up in the Organisation, ensuring that staff with disabilities and those from black and other minority ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to speak out and are not disadvantaged by doing so.
- Develop and support a diverse network of champions to ensure that Freedom to Speak Up reaches all parts of the organisation and everyone has easy access to someone outside their immediate line-management chain who can advise and support them.
- Take part in National Guardian Office activities and training, actively supporting fellow Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, developing personal networks and peer-to-peer relationships, contributing to wider networking events, and sharing and learning from best practice.
- Raise issues that cannot be resolved locally with the National Guardians Office, including where the Organisation may appear to be failing in their obligations.
- Keep abreast of developments from National Guardians Office and best practice, assessing own development and training needs, and seeking support in addressing these.
- Ensure that information about those who speak up is kept confidential at all times, create a psychologically safe service for staff to access and ensure staff are aware of confidentiality is subject to requirements around safeguarding and illegality
Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent qualifications or experience
- Postgraduate (Masters) qualification or equivalent clinical/professional knowledge, training and experience
Desirable
- Professional registration with a clinical professional body
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Substantial NHS experience working with stakeholders at all levels
- Experience of developing and reviewing cross organisational policies or initiatives
- A demonstrable track record of supporting and listening to staff and of providing impartial advice
- Experience and understanding of the effective use of mediation and of managing highly confidential matters
- Committed to professional development.
- Substantial experience of office IT applications including word, excel and power point
Desirable
- Previous experience as a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Mediation skills
Skills & Attributes
Essential
- Ability to positively role model Trust values and behaviours at all times.
- Ability to deal with confidential issues in professional and sensitive manners.
- Approachable and confident
- Positive and resilient attitude
- Empathetic
- Ability to communicate with healthcare professionals at all Levels
- Ability to plan and prioritise own workload and respond positively to changing demands
- Ability to concentrate on and carry out complex tasks and manage unpredictable interruptions
- Ability to measure effectiveness of the service
- Ability to remain responsive and resilient working under pressure whilst continuing to deliver results
- Ability to behave confidently and assertively to influence staff at all levels
- Ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines whilst continuing to deliver results
- Ability to motivate own self and team members to maintain work effectiveness, and to support managers
Other
Essential
- Flexible approach towards role
- Flexibility to work in a way that includes the whole organisation
- Flexibility to be available outside core hours
- Demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and addressing barriers to these
Values
Essential
- Values and respects others, treats everyone as an individual, is non-judgemental
- Motivated to be genuinely kind and caring
- Helps and co-operates with colleagues
- Pro-active and takes responsibility
- Willing to learn, open to change
- Motivated to make a difference in whatever way they can
- Takes pride in themselves, their appearance, their role and where they work.
Person Specification
Education and Qualification
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent qualifications or experience
- Postgraduate (Masters) qualification or equivalent clinical/professional knowledge, training and experience
Desirable
- Professional registration with a clinical professional body
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Substantial NHS experience working with stakeholders at all levels
- Experience of developing and reviewing cross organisational policies or initiatives
- A demonstrable track record of supporting and listening to staff and of providing impartial advice
- Experience and understanding of the effective use of mediation and of managing highly confidential matters
- Committed to professional development.
- Substantial experience of office IT applications including word, excel and power point
Desirable
- Previous experience as a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Mediation skills
Skills & Attributes
Essential
- Ability to positively role model Trust values and behaviours at all times.
- Ability to deal with confidential issues in professional and sensitive manners.
- Approachable and confident
- Positive and resilient attitude
- Empathetic
- Ability to communicate with healthcare professionals at all Levels
- Ability to plan and prioritise own workload and respond positively to changing demands
- Ability to concentrate on and carry out complex tasks and manage unpredictable interruptions
- Ability to measure effectiveness of the service
- Ability to remain responsive and resilient working under pressure whilst continuing to deliver results
- Ability to behave confidently and assertively to influence staff at all levels
- Ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines whilst continuing to deliver results
- Ability to motivate own self and team members to maintain work effectiveness, and to support managers
Other
Essential
- Flexible approach towards role
- Flexibility to work in a way that includes the whole organisation
- Flexibility to be available outside core hours
- Demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and addressing barriers to these
Values
Essential
- Values and respects others, treats everyone as an individual, is non-judgemental
- Motivated to be genuinely kind and caring
- Helps and co-operates with colleagues
- Pro-active and takes responsibility
- Willing to learn, open to change
- Motivated to make a difference in whatever way they can
- Takes pride in themselves, their appearance, their role and where they work.
Additional information
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).
