Job description

Job responsibilities

Purpose

The Freedom to Speak up Guardian (FTSUG) will work collaboratively to embed a culture across the organisation where staff feel supported and able to raise concerns without fear of detriment. To improve patient care, both quality and safety, and the working experience of colleagues.

The FTSU Guardian will support staff in speaking up, ensure any barriers to speaking up are addressed, a positive culture of speaking up is fostered and any issues raised are used as opportunities for learning and improvement.

Whilst the FTSU Guardian is employed by CSH and accountable to the Director of People, a key element of an effective Guardian is their responsibility to act autonomously of the organisation when necessary.

This post is suitable for either a clinically qualified practitioner or a non-clinically qualified individual.

Principal duties:

• Responsibility for inputting information into the CSH reporting tool and other recording systems. Cases are recorded according to National Guardian Office guidance.
• Responsible for managing a case load of freedom to speak up concerns.
• Responsible for designing and leading on the delivery of FTSU training across the organisation.
• The postholder will be responsible for ensuring that clinical risks identified during FTSU processes are escalated in a timely and proportionate manner, ensuring that the safety of patients is paramount.
• A large part of the postholders duties will include listening to and supporting staff who speak up, ensuring their concerns are addressed with the appropriate leads of the organisation/division and ensuring feedback to individuals who are speaking up.
• Responsibility for identifying and escalating instances of detriment suffered by staff as a consequence of speaking up.
• Where necessary, challenge senior leaders or investigators where the response to Freedom to Speak up concerns is lacking protracted or inadequate.
• The individual will also be responsible for managing a small budget as part of the HR Services wider budgeting process, including authorising training resources and ordering supplies.
• Operate independently, impartially, and objectively, whilst working in partnership with individuals and groups throughout the organisation, including their senior leadership team.
• Seek guidance and support from and, where appropriate, escalate matters to, bodies outside their organisation.
• Support, and contribute to, the national Freedom to Speak Up Guardian network, comply with National Guardian Office guidance, and support each other by providing peer-to-peer support and sharing learning.
• The postholder will participate in National Guardian Office activities and training.
• The postholder will attend Regional Guardians networks where appropriate for pastoral care and sharing best practice.
• Raise the profile of speaking up, with a focus of reaching staff from all diverse backgrounds and working across the multiple sites of CSH.
• The postholder will be a highly visible individual, who spends time with front line staff providing specialist knowledge in developing a safe culture which supports and encourages staff to speak up and if necessary, advising them on how to raise concerns and support, escalate as appropriate to do so.
• Assess the effectiveness of speaking up processes making recommendations for improvement as and when identified.

Job responsibilities

Purpose

The Freedom to Speak up Guardian (FTSUG) will work collaboratively to embed a culture across the organisation where staff feel supported and able to raise concerns without fear of detriment. To improve patient care, both quality and safety, and the working experience of colleagues.

The FTSU Guardian will support staff in speaking up, ensure any barriers to speaking up are addressed, a positive culture of speaking up is fostered and any issues raised are used as opportunities for learning and improvement.

Whilst the FTSU Guardian is employed by CSH and accountable to the Director of People, a key element of an effective Guardian is their responsibility to act autonomously of the organisation when necessary.

This post is suitable for either a clinically qualified practitioner or a non-clinically qualified individual.

Principal duties:

• Responsibility for inputting information into the CSH reporting tool and other recording systems. Cases are recorded according to National Guardian Office guidance.
• Responsible for managing a case load of freedom to speak up concerns.
• Responsible for designing and leading on the delivery of FTSU training across the organisation.
• The postholder will be responsible for ensuring that clinical risks identified during FTSU processes are escalated in a timely and proportionate manner, ensuring that the safety of patients is paramount.
• A large part of the postholders duties will include listening to and supporting staff who speak up, ensuring their concerns are addressed with the appropriate leads of the organisation/division and ensuring feedback to individuals who are speaking up.
• Responsibility for identifying and escalating instances of detriment suffered by staff as a consequence of speaking up.
• Where necessary, challenge senior leaders or investigators where the response to Freedom to Speak up concerns is lacking protracted or inadequate.
• The individual will also be responsible for managing a small budget as part of the HR Services wider budgeting process, including authorising training resources and ordering supplies.
• Operate independently, impartially, and objectively, whilst working in partnership with individuals and groups throughout the organisation, including their senior leadership team.
• Seek guidance and support from and, where appropriate, escalate matters to, bodies outside their organisation.
• Support, and contribute to, the national Freedom to Speak Up Guardian network, comply with National Guardian Office guidance, and support each other by providing peer-to-peer support and sharing learning.
• The postholder will participate in National Guardian Office activities and training.
• The postholder will attend Regional Guardians networks where appropriate for pastoral care and sharing best practice.
• Raise the profile of speaking up, with a focus of reaching staff from all diverse backgrounds and working across the multiple sites of CSH.
• The postholder will be a highly visible individual, who spends time with front line staff providing specialist knowledge in developing a safe culture which supports and encourages staff to speak up and if necessary, advising them on how to raise concerns and support, escalate as appropriate to do so.
• Assess the effectiveness of speaking up processes making recommendations for improvement as and when identified.

Person Specification

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Good understanding of raising concerns including the barriers to raising concerns.
• Skills in mediation and managing highly sensitive and confidential issues.
• Ability to develop, deliver and evaluate training in line with local and national requirements.
• Ability to hold senior colleagues to account to create a positive speaking up culture.
• Ability to develop rapport with staff at all levels, demonstrating compassion and understanding.
• Standard IT skills and knowledge of using and delivering on various virtual platforms.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters Level qualification in a business, scientific or clinical field or equivalent, relevant experience.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Willingness to undertake additional training where required.
• Evidence of Training/knowledge of coaching.
• Evidence of project management skills.

Desirable

• National Freedom to Speak Up training delivered by the National Guardian Office.
• Attendance at the leadership and development and improvement programme (4.5 days).

Experience

Essential

• Track record in supporting and listening to staff and in demonstrating the values of CSH.
• Ability to facilitate conversations between staff of differing levels including manager and direct report.
• Ability to support and speak for members of staff who do not feel able to speak for themselves whilst managing expectations at the same time.
• Experience of and the ability to deal with complex human interactive issues.
• Experience in reporting, monitoring, and maintaining comprehensive IT records.
• Experience of managing matter of a confidential nature.

Desirable

• Training in mentoring or supervision.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Ability to work under pressure, and prioritise workload with competing demands and reprioritisation of workload.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively and cooperatively with colleagues and other partners.
• Ability to analyse complex issues and provide practical and creative solutions to problems.
• Ability to assess the need for situational escalation. Ability to motivate self and others and have personal resilience and confidence.
• Handling sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to maintain an impartial but empathetic source of support. Display excellent written and verbal communication skills in a wide variety of circumstances.
• Ability to work with confidential and sensitive information in an appropriate manner.

Other

Essential

• Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the CSH footprint in line with service needs.
• Willing to work flexibly to engage with staff from different shift patterns.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Good understanding of raising concerns including the barriers to raising concerns.
• Skills in mediation and managing highly sensitive and confidential issues.
• Ability to develop, deliver and evaluate training in line with local and national requirements.
• Ability to hold senior colleagues to account to create a positive speaking up culture.
• Ability to develop rapport with staff at all levels, demonstrating compassion and understanding.
• Standard IT skills and knowledge of using and delivering on various virtual platforms.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters Level qualification in a business, scientific or clinical field or equivalent, relevant experience.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Willingness to undertake additional training where required.
• Evidence of Training/knowledge of coaching.
• Evidence of project management skills.

Desirable

• National Freedom to Speak Up training delivered by the National Guardian Office.
• Attendance at the leadership and development and improvement programme (4.5 days).

Experience

Essential

• Track record in supporting and listening to staff and in demonstrating the values of CSH.
• Ability to facilitate conversations between staff of differing levels including manager and direct report.
• Ability to support and speak for members of staff who do not feel able to speak for themselves whilst managing expectations at the same time.
• Experience of and the ability to deal with complex human interactive issues.
• Experience in reporting, monitoring, and maintaining comprehensive IT records.
• Experience of managing matter of a confidential nature.

Desirable

• Training in mentoring or supervision.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Ability to work under pressure, and prioritise workload with competing demands and reprioritisation of workload.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively and cooperatively with colleagues and other partners.
• Ability to analyse complex issues and provide practical and creative solutions to problems.
• Ability to assess the need for situational escalation. Ability to motivate self and others and have personal resilience and confidence.
• Handling sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to maintain an impartial but empathetic source of support. Display excellent written and verbal communication skills in a wide variety of circumstances.
• Ability to work with confidential and sensitive information in an appropriate manner.

Other

Essential

• Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the CSH footprint in line with service needs.
• Willing to work flexibly to engage with staff from different shift patterns.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

CSH Surrey

Address

4th Floor, Dukes Court

Dukes Street

Woking

Surrey

GU21 5BH

Employer's website

https://www.cshsurrey.co.uk/about-us/about-csh-surrey (Opens in a new tab)