Following engagement with guardians, we have reviewed the Champions and Ambassadors Guidance to provide greater clarity on expectations of these vital roles. Thank you to all those who contributed to the review of the guidance.
This revised Champion and Ambassador guidance provides a clear distinction between the roles of Champion/Ambassador and Guardian.
Updates to the guidance include the removal of reference to ring fenced time, and the additional requirements that line managers will need to be aware of the expectations of the role and allow the champion to meet those expectations. We have introduced information on safeguarding to the champion information session template and created an action log for champions to be able to share vital learning and intelligence with their Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
Freedom to Speak Up Champions/Ambassadors have a vital role in:
- Awareness raising – Ensuring workers understand the importance of speaking up, listening up and following up.
- Signposting – Discussing concerns with workers and providing details of speaking up routes as stated in their organisation’s Freedom to Speak Up Policy.
- Promoting a positive speaking up culture- Supporting their organisation to welcome and celebrate speaking up.
Lunch and Learn Webinar: Champions/Ambassador guidance
Jenni Fellows, Senior Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Support Manager at the National Guardian’s Office discussed the changes to the updated champion and ambassador guidance in the latest Lunch and Learn webinar. She was joined by Kerry Bosworth Freedom to Speak Up Guardian from Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, who shared how she supports her growing network of champions.
We also shared the new Champion and Ambassador resources which are now available to download on the Raising Awareness page.