My name is Mwamba Bupe Bennett and I am a Freedom to Speak up Guardian at Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust. I have been a FTSU Guardian since December 2021 and undertake the role alongside my full-time role as Senior Contracts Manager. Additionally, I am a Managers in Partnership Union representative and have worked in the NHS for 23 years.
I see the role of Freedom to Speak Up FTSU Guardian as a privilege. I am trusted to listen to staff concerns and compassionately support them in achieving a resolution wherever possible.
Introduction to Freedom to Speak Up Guardians
The National Guardian’s Office and the role of the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian were created in response to recommendations made in Sir Robert Francis QC’s report “The Freedom to Speak Up” (2015).
These recommendations were made as Sir Robert found that NHS culture did not always encourage or support workers to speak up, and that patients and workers suffered as a result.
It is important that when things go wrong or might go wrong, we all feel ale to speak up to make sure that lessons are learned, things are improved, or potential harm is stopped. Even when things are good or could be better, we should feel able to say something and be confident that our suggestion will be used as an opportunity for improvement.
Freedom to Speak Up Guardians provide an additional route to support workers to speak up.
Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, ensure those who speak up are thanked, that the issues they raise are responded to, and make sure that the person speaking up receives feedback on the actions taken. Freedom to Speak Up Guardians also work proactively to support their organisations to tackle barriers to speaking up.
Freedom to Speak Up Guardians adhere to the guardian values of Courage, Impartiality, Empathy and Learning. The National Guardian’s Office is here to support guardians to uphold these values through training, guidance, fortnightly bulletins, webinars, and events.
Guardians contribute to the work of the National Guardian’s Office by providing speaking up data, responding to surveys and telling their stories, so that the impact that speaking up is having in health is shared.
Together we are working to make speaking up business as usual.