It’s Speak Up Week and this year the theme is Follow Up in Action. With so many ways to speak up at CHFT, today’s message from our Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) guardians Carol Gregson and Caroline Lane, is to follow up if you’ve raised a concern and not heard back, or if someone has raised a concern with you.

Carol, pictured left with Caroline, said: “In line with the theme this year, we’re encouraging colleagues not to leave their concerns unanswered. We have so many ways to speak up and its important colleagues feel listened to and to get a reply.

“Alongside Freedom to Speak Up and our super network of ambassadors, you can talk to your manager, ask anonymous questions on CHFT Live, Ask Rob via the intranet or Lindsay through her nursing forum. We also have sexual safety reporting which can be through Workforce and OD, or anonymously through FTSU.

“Last year saw us launch our drop-in sessions at HRI and CRH and we have seen a steady growth in the number of colleagues who do just that, drop-in and share their concern – we then signpost, empower or raise a concern on their behalf.

“We’ve had a busy year growing our ambassador network, getting out and about, raising awareness about Freedom to Speak Up at every induction and preceptor session.

“In June, 346 colleagues completed our questionnaire so we could understand awareness around speaking up at CHFT. Around 61% of respondents had raised a concern before, 55% through their line management structure, 21% shared concerns with colleagues, 84% knew about Freedom to Speak Up, but only 44% knew who the guardians are. So, we will Follow Up in Action and commit to continuing to raise the profile of speaking up at CHFT, spreading the word along with who we are and how we can be contacted."

What’s happening this week?

Caroline, Carol and our ambassadors will be walking the wards, will be out in community teams, and manning stalls outside both CRH and HRI restaurants. They’ll be Wearing it Green to represent FTSU at on Wednesday 11:30 to 13:30 and CRH and HRI. They’ll be joined by our executive and non-executive teams, so please go along and have a chat. 

The NHS Staff Survey is still open for responses. It is all anonymous and your responses about what it's like to work at CHFT and help us change things for the better. Colleagues said last year they were reasonably confident in speaking up but not as confident that something would be done as a result, which is something we are working hard on as a Trust. 

How to contact our FTSU guardians

You can reach Caroline and Carol on 07442 802938 or 07442 821120, via email caroline.lane@cht.nhs.uk or carol.gregson@cht.nhs.uk

Drop-in sessions:

• HRI on a Tuesday, 13:30 – 15:30, main corridor, almost across from General Office.
• CRH on a Thursday, 09:00 – 11:00, the old hospital, above medical engineering outside of old ward 3.

Or find out more using the green 'Freedom to Speak Up' button on the Trust intranet homepage.