Freedom to Speak Up Bolton

10/11/2025

It usually starts small.
A sharp tone in a meeting.
An eye roll when someone shares an idea. 👀
A “joke” that doesn’t quite land.

Everyone notices, but no one says anything.
“It’s not worth making a fuss.”
“They didn’t mean anything by it.
“It’s just who they are…”

And so, it continues. The tension builds quietly. The trust starts to erode.

And before long, one person avoids speaking up, another stops contributing, and what was once was a cohesive team starts to fracture.

This is how culture erodes, not overnight, but little by little. 💔

When we don’t address inappropriate behaviour early, we tell people it’s okay to look the other way.

It’s not about catching people out, it’s about setting a standard. It’s leaders having the confidence to say, “That’s not how we do things here.”

When you see behaviour that doesn’t sit right, speak up. It’s not always easy but silence costs more than discomfort ever will.

22/10/2025

Think your team feels safe to speak up?
Most leaders are surprised to learn this:

They overestimate the level of psychological safety on their team.
The biggest blind spot? Confusing comfort with safety.
They see their comfort and assume everyone else is fine.

The problem? Many people still think psychological safety means:

➡️ Always agreeing with each other
➡️ Avoiding conflicts at all costs
➡️ Letting the leader handle all the hard stuff

But here’s what I’ve learned about what psychological safety really is:

1️⃣ Turn conflict into progress
Thank those who challenge your ideas
Celebrate “failed” experiments that taught valuable lessons
Respond to bad news with “thank you”

2️⃣ Share the stage
Use “we” for problems, “I” for ownership
Rotate meeting leaders
Give credit for raising red flags early

3️⃣ Make courage easy
Use anonymous polls for sensitive topics
Share agendas 24h ahead
Track talk-time and rebalance if skewed
Clearly define decision owners

Here’s the truth: your team doesn’t need more comfort.
They need clarity, fairness, and structured ways to speak up.

19/10/2025

People don’t leave organisations.

They leave cultures that don’t support.
And leaders they can’t trust.

You can have strong policies, procedures, and risk assessments.

You can run mandatory training after mandatory training.

But if your team feels unsupported, unseen, or that concerns won’t be taken seriously, they’ll step back, or leave altogether.

Workers disengage when:

↳ Leadership doesn’t act
↳ Concerns ignored or dismissed
↳ Feeling unsupported or isolated
↳ Culture where speaking up feels risky
↳ Poor leadership around difficult situations
↳ Burnout from juggling safeguarding with everything else

If you want workers to stay, and to safeguard effectively, lead with care and clarity.

Here are 8 approaches that make the biggest difference:

1️⃣ Call out unsafe or harmful behaviour.
Ignore it once and you lose trust. Ignore it twice and you risk losing your team, as well as compromising safety.

2️⃣ Listen before you lead.
Actually hearing concerns matters more than any policy or procedure ever will.

3️⃣ Swap micromanagement for trust.
People will follow rules because they have to. But they’ll commit because they feel trusted.

4️⃣ Notice the good.
Celebrate safe practices, tough decisions, and doing the right thing - even when it’s hard. Silence drains energy.

5️⃣ Always be fair and transparent.
Inconsistent responses break teams. Playing favourites breaks your safeguarding culture.

6️⃣ Look after people as much as compliance.
Burnout isn’t a badge of honour. Teams that are cared for do better and keep others safer.

7️⃣ Focus on learning, not just ticking boxes.
Honest feedback, mentoring, and reflection help to grow people, and strengthen safeguarding.

8️⃣ Give feedback that builds, not blames.
People grow from guidance that comes from belief, not fear of blame.

A strong safeguarding culture isn’t accidental.
It’s built, cared for, and nurtured - intentionally, step by step.

17/10/2025

As Freedom to Speak Up Week 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on the theme of Follow Up in action and the ongoing commitment required to create psychologically safe healthcare workplaces.

Following up isn't confined to one week – it's an integral part of organisational culture. Healthcare managers who turn listening into lasting change demonstrate that speaking up has value. When organisations act on concerns raised, they drive continuous improvement and create the working environment that healthcare staff need and deserve.

16/10/2025

Great to see some of the FTSU Stands that our FTSU Champions have done for Speak Up Week.
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust

15/10/2025

💚A Great Wear Green Wednesday as part of National Speak Up Week. Our IFM FTSU Champions also held an awareness stall in the University Building talking to Medical Students about speaking up in healthcare 💚

14/10/2025

Our theme for Speak Up Week 2025 is Follow Up in Action – to help you, we’re sharing a Top Tip each day.

Today it's the importance of regular, structured updates to those who have spoken up. Set out and stick to an update schedule, even if progress is limited, stating what has been done and what is still outstanding.

What top tips would you suggest to support people to follow up in action?

14/10/2025

Want to become a FTSU Champion?

This animation is offered as a tool to support organisations in embedding and strengthening the role of Freedom to Speak Up champions.

13/10/2025

Our theme for Speak Up Week 2025 is Follow Up in Action – to help you, we’re sharing a Top Tip each day.

Our first top tip is about offering personal support. Check in with the individual who raised the concern and ask how they are doing. Signpost to wellbeing support if needed.

Please share

09/10/2025

Saw this on Linked In - really helpful

Everyone’s talking about leading teams.
But not everyone’s leading the right way—for the people in front of them.

Today’s workforce spans 4 generations.
Each with different values.
Different styles.
Different motivators.
Want to lead well? Start here 👇

1️⃣ Boomers (1946–1964)
→ What they value: Stability, loyalty, and respect for experience
→ How they work: Prefer structure, formal communication, and hierarchy
→What motivates them: Recognition for their expertise, job security, and opportunities to mentor
→ How to connect: Acknowledge their experience, show appreciation for their contributions

2️⃣ Gen X (1965–1980)
→ What they value: Independence, efficiency, and work-life balance
→How they work: Self-reliant, results-driven, comfortable with technology but prefer straightforward methods
→What motivates them: Autonomy, respect for their time, and opportunities for advancement without micromanagement
→ How to connect: Give them space to deliver results, offer recognition without intrusion

3️⃣ Millennials (1981–1996)
→ What they value: Purpose, innovation, and meaningful work
→ How they work: Collaborative, tech-driven, value transparency and flexibility
→What motivates them: Growth opportunities, recognition, and alignment with company values
→ How to connect: Be transparent, provide feedback, and involve them in decision-making

4️⃣ Gen Z (1997–2012)
→ What they value: Authenticity, social impact, and diversity
→ How they work: Digital-first, prefer flexibility, and often gravitate toward project-based work
→ What motivates them: Making a difference, feeling heard, and career growth opportunities
→ How to connect: Offer them purpose-driven work, be authentic, and use digital platforms to engage

One team, four realities.
Great leaders don’t force sameness—they adapt with empathy.

08/10/2025

Wednesday 15 October is Wear Green Wednesday- a brilliant opportunity to show your support and commitment to a Speak Up Culture where staff feel psychologically safe to speak up, where they will be listened to and actions taken.

Please wear GREEN and support us to spread this message and show everyone that your voice is important and that as a leader you will listen.

08/10/2025

Love this poem 💚

Today I said “I’m fine”, not once
But five times altogether
When people asked “how are you?”
Then made small talk of the weather

And so I hid behind my mask
The one I’d worn a while
I set in place my bravest face
And dressed it with a smile

And that was how the day went
All “I’m fine” and talk of rain
Until somebody asked me how I was
Then asked again

They asked if I was truly fine
And I said I was not
And they said they were sorry
That they couldn’t do a lot

But then they sat beside me
Whilst I spoke the truth at last
They listened and they held me
As the tears slipped through my mask

And where before, I’d felt I should
Maintain this brave façade,
I realised there was much to gain
By letting down my guard

See, though my load was still the same
It now was not as heavy
‘Cause sitting and offloading it
Had helped a bit already

Today they asked “how are you?”
And I told them I was fine
‘Til someone saw behind the mask
And asked me one more time

And though they may have felt
That there was little they could do
They’ll never know how much it meant
To tell someone the truth

Becky Hemsley 2022