Freedom to Speak Up

We are Helen Fearnley and Sue Franklin – the Freedom to Speak Up Guardians for Bradford Teaching Hospitals.

Our role, alongside the Freedom to Speak Up Ambassadors, is to provide guidance and advice on how those working in our hospitals may raise and escalate concerns, outside of usual line management or reporting structures.

We all want to have a culture where we feel confident and supported to raise and report concerns, and one that is free from bullying and / or harassment.

If you’re a Bradford Teaching Hospitals staff member and you’d like to raise and escalate concerns, please find out more below.

FTSU Helen and Sue

Speak up – we will listen

Speaking up about any concern you have at work is really important. In fact, it’s vital because it will help us to keep improving our services for our patients and the working environment for our staff.

You may feel worried about raising a concern, and we understand this. But please don’t be put off. In accordance with our duty of candour, our senior leaders and entire board are committed to an open and honest culture.

We will look into what you say and you will always have access to the support you need. If you raise a genuine concern under this policy, you will not be at risk of losing your job or suffering any form of reprisal as a result.

You can raise a concern about a risk, malpractice or wrongdoing that you think may be harming the service we deliver. Just a few examples of this might include:

  • unsafe patient care
  • unsafe working conditions
  • inadequate induction or training for staff
  • lack of, or poor, response to a reported patient safety incident
  • suspicions of fraud (can also be reported to our local counter-fraud team)
  • a bullying culture (across a team or organisation rather than individual instances)

Remember that if you are a health professional you may have a professional duty to report a concern. If in doubt, please raise it.

Don’t wait for proof. We would like you to raise the matter while it is still a concern. It doesn’t matter if you turn out to be mistaken as long as you are genuinely troubled.

This procedure is not for people with concerns about their employment that affect only them, that type of concern should be raised in line with the Trust’s grievance policy.

How to speak up

If you have a concern about a risk, malpractice or wrongdoing at work, we hope you will feel able to raise it first with you line manager, lead clinician or tutor (for students). This may be done orally, in writing or via the online incident reporting system. However, if you feel unable to do this, please raise the matter with your Freedom to Speak up Guardians or Ambassadors. They have been given special responsibility and training in dealing with your concerns.

Visit the Freedom to Speak Up page on the Trust’s intranet to find out how to raise a concern or email: Speakup.Guardian@bthft.nhs.uk

The process that you need to follow to raise a concern

  1. We will always thank you for raising your concerns and will treat you with respect at all stages of the process.
    Your concern can be raised in three ways:
    By emailing Speakup.Guardian@bthft.nhs.uk
    OR
    By visiting the BTHFT FTSU free App (use the QR or link below)
    OR
    By Contacting the FTSU Guardian or an Ambassador directly by telephone, email or in writing
  2. Your concern will be acknowledged within 2 working days and our FTSU Guardian or an Ambassadors will contact you to discuss your concerns (unless the concern has been raised anonymously)
  3. An independent, objective and evidence based investigation will be undertaken within a reasonable time frame agreed with you
  4. You will receive updates to inform you of the progress of the investigation
    If possible, the full investigation report will be shared with you (while respecting the confidentiality of others)

The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and Ambassadors have been given special responsibility and training in dealing with your concerns. They will:

  • Provide confidential advice and support to staff in relation to their concerns
  • Make sure staff feel free and safe to speak up and raise concerns
  • Support staff to ensure that no detriment comes to individuals who raise concerns in the interest of patient and staff safety
  • Help to raise the profile of raising concerns in our Trust

If you raise a concern anonymously then the issue will be harder to address – but your concern will be looked into. However no personal feedback will be possible.