Speak up reflection: fostering a culture of transparency and support at Active Care Group

Speak up reflection: fostering a culture of transparency and support at Active Care Group

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At Active Care Group, we place immense value on creating a workplace environment where every colleague feels safe, heard, and supported. Over the past year, our commitment to this principle has been unwavering, and the results of our 2024 colleague engagement survey reflect the positive strides we’ve made. An impressive 90% of our colleagues reported knowing how to speak up if they encounter something concerning or upsetting. This is a significant achievement, showcasing our collective effort to cultivate a psychologically safe workplace.

Promoting psychological safety and wellbeing

Our colleagues have expressed relief at being listened to, and importantly, in seeing their concerns addressed. This responsive approach has been pivotal in enhancing worker wellbeing and improving staff retention. Ultimately, this commitment to psychological safety has translated into better quality care for those we serve.

Looking ahead: strengthening our Speak Up culture

As we continue to foster a culture of openness and transparency, our next goal is to recruit Speak Up Champions. We aim to have at least 11 colleagues across all divisions and within each hospital dedicated to this cause. These champions will be instrumental in driving our initiatives forward, ensuring the lessons learned from feedback are implemented effectively.

Working closely with our leaders, I will continue to promote and embed the principles of speaking up, listening up, and following up. My journey over the last 12 months has involved visiting most of our services, meeting with service managers and hospital directors, and prioritising sites that require improvement.

Empowering leadership and colleagues

For our speak up culture to thrive, it’s crucial that both leadership teams and colleagues are fully informed about the process, its benefits, potential barriers, and the support available. Understanding the profound impact of speaking up is essential for everyone in our organisation.

To support this, we’ve introduced various initiatives, including Speak Up/Closed Culture training sessions, induction training for new hires, and a feedback mechanism for managers to receive suggestions for improvement. These measures have significantly enhanced our practices, increased confidence in speaking up, and strengthened our overall process.

Reflecting on a year of progress

In April 2023, I joined Active Care Group as the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, bringing with me a background in mental health law and extensive experience in the healthcare sector. My primary responsibility remains to protect the safety of our patients, residents, and colleagues, while promoting a deep understanding of our Speak Up policy.

Our dedication to fostering a positive Speak Up culture is not just a priority — it is a cornerstone of Active Care Group. This commitment was further recognised in the recent CQC Well-Led Report, which acknowledged our efforts and highlighted the need for more robust processes to facilitate the raising of concerns by colleagues.

The impact of our efforts is best reflected in the words of our colleagues:

“As an anxious person going through a difficult time at work, I could not have asked for a better person than Davina. She reassured and supported me through a challenging period.”

“Your support, guidance, and active listening were greatly appreciated.”

“I am grateful that I reached out to you when I needed it. Your presence made a great difference in my case. Thank you again for everything!”

Moving forward together

I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported me in my role so far and to those who have had the courage to speak up. Your confidence and trust are the driving forces behind our ongoing efforts to create a supportive and transparent workplace.

Thank you for being a part of this journey.

This blog was written by Davina Dorival, Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, Active Care Group.