Trust to ‘Listen Up’ for Speak Up Month 2024

Every year in October we celebrate Speak Up Month – a month to raise awareness of freedom to speak up (FTSU) and make speaking up business as usual for everyone.

This year, the theme is “Listen Up” and we will be focusing on the power of listening, and the important part which listening plays in encouraging people to feel confident to speak up. This Speak Up Month is an opportunity for all of us to show that we are here to listen and our commitment to fostering a speak up, listen up, follow up culture in our teams and throughout SWYPFT.

Chief executive Mark Brooks said: “Speak Up Month is important because it allows our colleagues to have a voice and encourages people to speak up. Here at South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPFT), we want to create a culture where people feel safe, confident to speak up and reassured they will be listened to and supported. The theme of listening up is vital in making our Trust a great place to work by listening to our staff and taking the opportunity to learn and improve.

“We want everyone who works here to feel confident to speak up. Confidence to speak up comes from knowing that if you speak up, you will be listened to, and that appropriate action will be taken. We all have a part to play in listening to one another with respect and compassion.”

FTSU guardian Estelle Myers talks about Speak Up Month:

We are encouraging everyone to complete the freedom to speak up ‘Listen Up’ elearning and make a ‘Listen Up’ pledge.

Only by listening to understand can we take the action needed for speaking up to make a difference. Remember…We are #HeretoListen.

When you speak up, you can help us learn and improve. By listening up, we can make sure we understand what needs to change. By following up we can ensure that our learning leads to action and make our Trust a great place to work and receive care.

To celebrate Speak Up Month our FTSU guardians; Estelle Myers, Ruth Neil and Eve Winstanley will visit Trust sites on:

• Thursday 10 October: Kendray Hospital restaurant, Barnsley – 11am – 1pm
• Tuesday 15 October: Laura Mitchell reception, Halifax – 11am-1pm
• Tuesday 22 October: Folly Hall Mills reception, Huddersfield – 11am-1pm
• Thursday 24 October: Fieldhead Hospital restaurant, Wakefield – 11am-1pm
• Tuesday 29 October: Cheswold Park Hospital, Doncaster – all day
• Wednesday 30 October: Priestly Unit reception, Dewsbury – 11am-1pm

Our FTSU guardians added: “We hope to see many of you when we are out and about over October. Together we can speak up and ask our leaders to listen up and follow up to make the Trust the best place to work. The Freedom to speak up guardians are here to support our staff to be heard.”

The National Guardians Office are encouraging everyone to take part in “Wear Green Wednesdays” throughout October to show that they are hear to listen and  their visible support for Freedom to Speak Up.

You can get involved with Speak Up Month on social media. We’ll be using the hashtag #ListenUp. Find out more from www.nationalguardian.org.uk