Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
Making Speaking up Business As Usual
What is speaking up?
It is about speaking up about anything that gets in the way of doing a great job.
Freedom to Speak Up Guardians support workers to speak up when they feel that they are unable to in other ways.
There are over 800 Freedom to Speak Up Guardians in the NHS and independent sector organisations, in 2022, Leeds City Council became the first local authority to appoint a FTSU Guardian
Anyone can speak up
Freedom to Speak Up is for anyone who works in Leeds City Council.
This includes:- Any employee with a LCC payroll number. Students and volunteers Anyone who has left Leeds City Council's employment in the last 2 years.
What is speaking up?
Evaluation
Making a suggestion
Raising a concern
Highlighting a problem
Feedback
Raising a grievance
Solution-focused discussion
Speaking up is a gift
People who are new to the organisation are brilliant because they are often looking at things from a different perspective. This is the right time to ask questions about the way in which we do things and make suggestions for improvements. Your voices are really valuable.
It is important that everyone has a space to be themselves at work and has equal opportunity to influence decision making and that they are listened to and their voices acted upon. This is what Freedom to Speak Up Culture is all about.
Everyone has the freedom to speak up…. Speaking up is a gift to be celebrated and welcomed.
Individual voices can make a difference
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com
Who can you speak up to?
There are already a number of options employees have available to them to raise concerns or make suggestions.
- Line Manager
- Senior Manager
- Trade Unions
- Human Resources
- Staff Networks
- Head of Service
In most cases it's best to speak with your line manager or supervisor in the first instance.
Often concerns can be resolved locally and it's best practice to allow the opportunity for this to happen
However, sometimes it doesn't feel appropriate or safe to raise a concern or a suggestion with your immediate colleagues or line manager
However, sometimes people find it hard to raise their concerns
The council recognises that speaking up can feel difficult to do. Particularly if you're new to an organisation. It can make people feel vulnerable or exposed but having individual voices is really valuable to us as an organisation.
Holding concerns about the workplace can be damaging to a person's mental and health and wellbeing, also affecting their personal life. This can lead to poor staff retention, negative impact upon the quality of our services and ultimately us not reaching our goal to be the best city in the UK
We need to know what may be going wrong, or about to go wrong so that we can put it right.
The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian will help anyone to voice their concerns.
Who is the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian?
Introducing...
Vanessa Wenham Leeds City Council's Freedom to Speak up Guardian
Based in the Chief Executive's Office in Leeds Civic Hall Vanessa can be contacted via;
- Telephone - 0789 127 68 60
- Email - freedomtospeakup@leeds.gov.uk
- Microsoft Teams
- Insite Contact form (ADD LINK)
The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian's Role.
- Works independently and impartially across the organisation
- Amplifies the voice of the individual into a form that could effect change
- Does not replace any of the existing methods of raising a concern, no pre-conditions to contacting the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
- Psychologically safe space to talk about concerns
- No detriment
What to expect when you speak to Vanessa.
- You will be listened to
- You will be thanked for coming forward and speaking up
- Find a way that feels safe for you to raise your voice to and be heard
- You may not get the outcome that you would like
- You will get a response from the organisation
- Check-ins
- Data collection questions, including equalities monitoring
- Feedback form
- 6 months detriment check
All Council Employees can approach the Guardian:
OPENLY
Where the are willing for their identity to be known to the Guardian and others
CONFIDENTIALLY
Where the Guardian is aware of their identity and will not disclose this without the person's consent
ANONYMOUSLY
Where the Guardian does not known who they are.
Speaking up is a practice not just a position
- Speaking up should be business and usual
- We all have a role to play to achieve the cultural shift
- One voice can make a difference
