Freedom to Speak Up Services

This is an Open Procedure Tender in accordance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015. <br/><br/>North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) are looking for a dedicated Guardian for the Organisation. The appointees will take responsibility for all meetings and will in the first instance familiarise themselves with the relevant policies of the organisation, the agreed escalation process in the service level agreement, meet with all relevant personal in respect of the service and the escalation process.<br/>The service provider will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation and effectiveness of the Freedom to Speak Up Service.<br/><br/>Goals of the Freedom to Speak Up Service:<br/>

• Improvements in staff survey results<br/>
• Reduction in the number of claims of bullying<br/>
• Reduction in the number of formal grievances<br/>
• Reduction in the number of grievances becoming litigious.<br/>
• Reduction in organisational time and resources in handling complaints, grievances, etc.<br/>
• Increased staff engagement with the service provider to highlight areas of concern.<br/><br/>These goals aim to foster a supportive and transparent work environment, enhancing the overall wellbeing and satisfaction of the staff within the NLFT. Take-up of the service determines the number of Guardians required and is reviewed constantly. Contact volumes are carefully monitored, and additional Guardians are made available as warranted.<br/><br/>Strategic Mobilisation & Communication<br/>The provider will be expected to deliver the following requirements as part of the initial mobilisation and ongoing delivery of engagement for the contract provision:<br/> Provide a communication plan (monthly plan for the raising awareness of the services across the patch on site)<br/> Inclusion in the induction programme of all staff to the Organisation<br/> Targeted interventions for staff groups that are underrepresented in volumes which have traditionally accessed the service, such as the Medical Workforce<br/> Plan for supporting the change of perspective that FTSU does not relate to clinical/patient concerns.<br/> Monthly meetings with HR and Clinical operational leads to triangulate information, develop action plans and implement.<br/> Themed presentations with NED (Non-Executive Directors) and ED (Executive Directors) Lead and discussions on focussed work going forward.<br/> Monthly planned on site visits, including at the following main locations:<br/>St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, NW1 0PE<br/>St Ann’s Hospital, St Ann’s Road, Tottenham, N15 3TH<br/><br/>Service Delivery <br/>Staff at NLFT should be offered a number of initial contact options including telephone, email and in person (face to face) appointments.<br/>Initial contact is designed to agree a face-to-face meeting. Meetings as required take place on-site in an agreed location. However, there may be times when a member of staff prefers that the meeting take place off-site to accommodate such requests a suitable and accessible location will be identified by the Guardian and agreed with the Trust. In some instances, a staff member may wish to conduct the session by telephone (or online), and this will be accommodated according to their preference. The Trust utilises close to 120 contacts per annum; however, this figure can change during the lifecycle of the contract with the provider expected to meet the requirements accordingly if they vary. <br/><br/>On completion of the initial meeting a determination should be reached on next steps which should include or limited to:<br/>a) no further action<br/>b) for the individual to adjourn and consider matters considering the conversation and then determine next steps<br/>c) agree a further meeting or <br/>d) escalate in line with agreed processes.<br/><br/>All records of the exchange between the individual and the Guardian should be recorded securely, in passworded electronic files. Paper records should be shredded, following upload to electronic records by scanning. Each Guardian is responsible for the management of their records. Any scanned notes required beyond a six-month period must be authorised by the Trust and FTSU managers following a written justification from a guardian. This contains the extended period and outer date for the record’s permanent removal. Coded case numbers and broad subject matter overviews should be maintained by the Guardian Service for reference purposes. No names or other identifying information should be recorded or maintained on any individual. All records and information of any form in relation to the service are confidential and expressly excluded under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/contents ↗). <br/><br/>At the outset and at the end of a meeting the staff member should be asked if they wish to remain anonymous. If the case needs to be escalated the staff member will be asked if they would like to provide their name. This is not essential, and escalation can take place whilst maintaining the staff members anonymity.