Lead Freedom to Speak Up Guardian

As the Trusts independent expert, work with the Chief Executive, the designated Non-Executive Director, and the Trust Board to create an open culture which is based on listening and learning. Develop with the Board, Chief Executive and Non-Executive Director, a strategy to empower and encourage staff to Speak Up safely, developing local policy and mechanisms allowing for staff to Speak Up safely and in confidence. Operate independently of the executive team, providing challenge to senior members of staff, and reporting to the Board or externally as required. Develop strong and open working relationship with the Trust Board, having direct access to Trust Leaders as required. Support the designated Non-executive Director in championing Freedom to Speak Up in the Trust and at Board level. Meet quarterly with the Chief Executive to feedback themes and trends from the concerns raised and share positive and negative experiences and outcomes. Develop and produce regular reports to monitor the outcomes and impact of Freedom to Speak Up through the Freedom to Speak Up policy. Ensure the Chief Executive, designated Non-Executive Director and the Board are updated regularly, with formal reporting at least every six months to the Board. Produce an independent public annual report. Work collaboratively with the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Team at Walsall Healthcare Trust, to support the alignment of Speak Up processes across both organisations. Work across all Royal Wolverhampton sites to provide an accessible service for all staff. Gather and analyse external data through the national Guardian network to benchmark the Trusts performance on Speaking Up and identify and share good practice which will enhance the Trusts performance. Develop and deliver specialist training to the Board, managers, and staff, and ensure that speaking up is integrated effectively into the Trusts wider learning and development programmes to enable all staff to understand how they can raise concerns and enable managers to understand how they should respond to concerns and support staff appropriately. To lead and develop safe speaking up environments across the Trust and support the organisation in improving staff experience. Develop and implement policy to support the Freedom to Speak Up agenda. Ensure the profile of Speaking Up and the Raising Concerns policy is maintained through a Trust wide communication and engagement strategy. Be highly visible to front line staff and managers providing expertise in developing a safe, open, and transparent culture and empowering staff to Speak Up using the local procedures. Work with internal partners including HR and trade unions, to ensure that the Freedom to Speak Up Policy works effectively with other policies and mechanisms and reflects best practice. Work with external partner organisations to ensure that they are aware of, support and promote the FTSU Guardian. Ensure that all staff with protected characteristics are encouraged to Speak out and are not disadvantaged by doing so, working in partnership and maintaining strong links with the EDI lead, employee voice groups of the Trust, sharing and triangulating data, referring employees appropriately. Ensure that the Speak Up Champions are trained, developed and supported to raise the profile of Speak Up at the Trust and that they act in line with the National Guardians Office guidance for champions and ambassadors. Support the Deputy Freedom to Speak Up Guardian in managing the Speak Up Champion volunteers, providing intervention if volunteers are acting outside their agreed remit. Personally, act in an independent and impartial capacity, listening to staff and supporting them to raise concerns they may have by using Trust structures and policies, or external structures and mechanisms. Independently review any complaints from members of staff about the way they have been treated as a result of raising a concern and report back to the individual and, with their agreement, to their manager, the chief executive and the director of human resources if staff have been treated in a disadvantageous or demeaning way. Ensure members of staff who Speak Up are treated fairly through the investigation, inquiry, or review process and that there is effective and open communication during this time. Manage a delegated budget to support the development and promotion of Freedom To Speak Up across the Trust. Ensure that information about those who Speak Up is always kept confidential, subject to requirements around safeguarding and illegality. Participate in the national network for the guardians, sharing and helping to develop excellent practice in supporting members of staff who Speak Up.