In the 2022 NHS Staff Survey, Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust had the most improved Freedom to Speak Up subscore.
I was appointed Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust Freedom to Speak Up Guardian in November 2021. Our Trust is small with approximately 450 staff working across a diverse range of services. It is relatively new in the NHS having launched in April 2020. At that time the country was experiencing the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and most staff were working remotely where it was clinically effective to do so.
From the start the Trust encouraged open and regular engagement through meetings with the Executives and CEO. Staff transferred from several NHS and non-NHS organisations, and I was part of staff transferred from Dudley CCG. We were all warmly welcomed into this new Trust. Those first few months set the tone for the culture of the organisation. So, when the opportunity arose to take on the role of Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, though nervous, I felt supported and encouraged by the Trust.
Prior to my appointment, the Trust accessed the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Services from Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust who also provided much needed guidance to me. I also receive support from the West Midlands Guardians Network.
In those first few months my priority was clear, to raise awareness of what Speaking Up is and work with others to create a culture where staff felt safe to raise concerns. Over the next year, I met with teams and individuals face to face and online to explain the role of Speaking Up using the helpful National Guardian’s Office resources. I also attend the induction meetings for new staff and all staff meetings where I anonymously and appropriately share the concerns, learning and actions that I had or that were brought to me. It is a privilege that staff trust me with the concerns or suggestions for improvement.
I am grateful that our Trust Board and Senior Executives have embraced the Freedom to Speak up principles. Our Communications and Engagement team encourage staff to attend the Staff Forum, Staff Voice Groups, and other Listening Events which I also attend. A representative from our Executives is also present at the Staff Forum to receive feedback from staff directly.
We have all worked hard to create this culture that led to the improvement in our NHS Staff Survey results, and it is something we are deeply proud of and will continue to work on.
This case study appears in the National Guardian’s Office 2022-23 Annual Report