Guidance and counselling services

Description

The NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, hosted by Velindre NHS Trust are acting on behalf of Swansea Bay University Local Health Board who are seeking to establish a contract for NHS Independent Raising Concerns Provisions. Swansea Bay University Health Board includes three acute hospitals providing a range of services; these are Singleton and Morriston Hospitals in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot Hospital in Port Talbot. There are a number of smaller community hospitals and primary care resource centres providing important clinical services to our residents outside of the main acute hospital settings. The Health Board also provides mental health services to the populations of Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot, some prison health services and learning disabilities services for the wider South Wales region. The Health Board has carefully appraised the options for providing a mechanism for staff to raise concerns and has piloted with an independent provider for a safe, confidential way for staff to raise any work-related concern for a 12-month period. This action has been in response to the NHS Wales Staff Survey (2018) results and the suggestions from staff around the provision of a confidential and independent service. Swansea Bay therefore, wishes to re-tender with a service to provide independent, confidential and non-judgemental support for staff, students and volunteers who wish to raise concerns. The provider will deliver a whole system accessible solution, which focuses on supporting individuals and is resolution-focused. This could be in relation to any worry or risk in the workplace, including patient safety. The Health Board welcome tenders from organisations that have a track record of providing this service on a 24/7 basis within the public sector or NHS, providing nominated ‘guardians/freedom to speak up individuals’ to support individuals and face to face as requested. The provider will also work on a partnership basis with the Heath Board and will be data driven to enable the Health Board to learn and improve. The Freedom to Speak Up Review (Francis 2015) was set up in response to continuing disquiet about the way NHS organisations deal with concerns raised by NHS staff and the treatment of some of those who have spoken up. Although this review was aimed at the NHS England the lessons are universal to Wales. The review advocates the setting up of ‘Freedom to speak up Guardians’. Speaking up is essential in any sector where safety is an issue. Without a shared culture of openness and honesty in which the raising of concerns is welcomed, and the staff who raise them are valued, the barriers to speaking up identified in the Freedom to Speak Up Review will persist and flourish. Appointing a guardian/freedom to speak up service for the organisation will ensure a continued consistent approach and a coordinated drive to create the right culture and one that is aligned to our organisational values.