Freedom to Speak Up Bolton

26/11/2025

There are so many changes within healthcare at the moment, it's important to remind ourselves that professional courtesy goes both ways.

It’s completely human to feel heightened emotions when we’re navigating uncertainty. We’ve all been there. But it’s important to remember that uncertainty is not an excuse for consistently poor behaviour or for disregarding the impact we have on others.

Many people around us will be doing their best to be mindful, patient, empathetic and considerate. Even when they, too, may be under pressure. That effort deserves to be acknowledged and reciprocated.

In challenging moments, choose to see the bigger picture.

Choose respect.
Choose courtesy.
Choose to treat others as you would hope to be treated.

Workplaces function best when we remember that professionalism isn’t just about competence, it’s about how we show up for each other.

If you're struggling in any way, reach out to someone, they may be experiencing the same. 💚

25/11/2025

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23/11/2025

As FTSU Guardians we often see staff who are off sick and speak up about a perceived lack of support from their manager about getting back to work which leaves them feeling not valued.

I saw this on another site and thought it was really useful for managers dealing with long term sickness and supporting staff to return to work;

5 direct questions you should ask long-term sick employees (that most managers are too scared to ask) to help get them back to work.

When dealing with long-term sickness absence, most managers default to the classic lines:
“How are you feeling?”
“Do you think you’ll be back soon?”

Nothing wrong with asking these, asking how someone is feeling is human.

But, they rarely move the situation forward.
After these questions, most managers then crumble…

They avoid direct questions.
They don’t want to say the wrong thing.
And the case drags on for months longer than it needs to.

If you want clarity, honesty and a realistic return plan, these are the questions you need to ask:

1. “Right now, what specifically is the biggest thing stopping you from coming back to work?”

Cuts through vague answers. Gets the real barrier.

2. “What specifically would help you to return?”

Shifts the focus from problems → solutions. Offers support and gives your employee a voice to feel heard.

3. “If we applied [the support they need] to reduce [their biggest barrier]… how would that look to you?”

You've acknowledged their answers. You're using them constructively. This is where the employee starts building their own return plan.

4. “What else would help you feel more confident about returning?”

Uncovers fears, triggers and practical adjustments. Often the real answers come out here.

5. “If we put the right support in place, do you think returning to this role is realistic for you? If not, have you had a think about what your other options might be?”

This is the question managers avoid - But it’s the one that prevents long-term drift and opens up honest conversation about capability, redeployment or alternative outcomes.

Use these five questions and you’ll get clearer answers, faster resolution, and far more successful return-to-work plans, without conflict or cases dragging on for months longer than they should.

13/11/2025

World Kindness Day is a yearly event created to celebrate kindness and all of its wonderful benefits. This special day is a fantastic opportunity to promote kindness in all forms, such as acceptance, diversity and love!

Even if you are always kind to others - do something extra kind today and keep it going 💚❤️

The world would be such a better place if we could all show more kindness to one another x

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.