Freedom to Speak Up

Every voice matters

At Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, we want every colleague to feel safe, supported and confident to speak up about anything that affects patient care, staff experience or the way we work. Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) helps us build an open, compassionate culture where concerns are listened to and acted upon.

Speaking up means raising a concern about anything that doesn’t feel right, including:

  • Patient safety or the quality of care
  • Staff wellbeing, behaviours or team culture
  • Bullying, harassment or discrimination
  • Working practices, systems or processes that aren’t functioning well
  • Anything that feels unsafe, unfair or out of line with our values

FTSU Guardians were introduced following Sir Robert Francis’ review into the failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Their role is to offer an independent, confidential, and impartial route for colleagues to raise concerns and to ensure the Trust listens, learns, and improves. Above all, the Guardian is there to make sure you feel safe, supported and able to speak up whenever something doesn’t feel right.

Who can Speak Up?

Anyone who works for the Trust, or for an independent organisation that provides services to the Trust, can raise concerns. This includes:

  • Agency workers
  • Bank and temporary workers
  • Students and trainees
  • Volunteers
  • Contractors
  • Governors  

If you work with us in any capacity, you are entitled to a safe, confidential route to speak up.

Our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian

The Trust’s designated FTSU Guardian is provided through The Guardian Service, ensuring that all colleagues have access to an independent, confidential, and impartial route to raise concerns. They work independently of management and have direct access to senior leaders, including the Chief Executive and Trust Board, to ensure concerns are heard and acted upon.

The Guardian Service

The Guardian Service provides a fully independent Freedom to Speak Up service for all Trust staff, offering 24/7 access to confidential support outside internal channels.

Established in 2013, The Guardian Service has extensive NHS experience in the supply of Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, supporting over 350,000 people across more than 100 organisations, including a wide range of NHS Trusts and healthcare providers. This means colleagues can raise concerns with a Guardian who understands the realities of healthcare work while remaining completely independent of the Trust. Above all, the Guardian is there to ensure you feel safe, supported and able to speak up whenever something doesn’t feel right.

They are available for confidential calls from our staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week:

T: 0333 577 5299

E: contact@theguardianservice.co.uk

Reporting our progress

Each year, The Guardian Service provides an annual report to the Trust summarising:

  • Themes and trends
  • Actions taken
  • Learning and improvements
  • Recommendations for strengthening our speaking up culture  

These reports are reviewed through our governance processes and help shape our FTSU action planning and wider organisational learning.

You can find the reports and board coversheets on the Trust documents page.

Support for Members of the Public

The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian does not handle complaints from members of the public. They support Trust staff and those working on behalf of the Trust.

Members of the public wishing to raise a concern should contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

Further information

For more on raising concerns, the role of FTSU Guardians, and national guidance, you may find the following helpful: