Deputy Freedom to Speak Up Guardian | Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust


Company:	Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Salary:	Dependant on experience
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Nottingham, NG6 9DR
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	23 Sept 2026
Closing date:	8 Nov 2026

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Summary

We are seeking two experienced, compassionate, and highly motivated individuals to join our Freedom to Speak Up Service as Deputy Freedom to Speak Up Guardians. These exciting fixed-term opportunities come at an important time for our organisation as we continue to transform and improve our services and deliver the ambitions of our Making a Difference 2026-2029 Strategy. Reporting to the Lead Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, the post holders will support the delivery and development of the Freedom to Speak Up Service across Nottinghamshire Healthcare. They will help create a culture where staff feel safe to raise concerns, support organisational learning, and contribute to improving staff experience, patient safety and the quality of services provided to our communities.

MAIN DUTIES OF THE JOB

• Deliver a responsive, accessible, and high-quality Freedom to Speak Up service across the Trust.

• Provide confidential, impartial, and independent support to workers who raise concerns.

• Promote a culture of openness, inclusion, and psychological safety, ensuring staff feel empowered to speak up.

• Identify emerging themes, risks and learning from concerns raised and support appropriate escalation and reporting.

• Support the implementation and ongoing development of the Trust's digital Freedom to Speak Up case management system, including the recording, monitoring, and reporting of activity.

• Use data and insight to support organisational learning and inform governance processes.

• Provide support, guidance, and development to three Associate Freedom to Speak Up Guardians.

• Support, develop and maintain the Trust's network of 80+ Freedom to Speak Up Champions, ensuring Champions are equipped to promote speaking up, increase visibility of the service, and provide appropriate signposting to colleagues across the organisation

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, managers, staff networks and key stakeholders.

• Support the delivery of engagement, awareness and training activities that promote the Freedom to Speak Up agenda.

• Share learning and good practice to support positive organisational culture and improve outcomes for staff, patients, and communities.

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 10,500 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health and forensic health services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 80 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings and secure environments.

We are one of the largest mental health and community health Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION & MAIN RESPONSIBILLITIES

Values & Behaviours

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust’s expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation Qualifications

• Educated to master’s level, or able to demonstrate equivalent professional or managerial experience, including leadership and management training.

• National FTSU Guardian Training

• Delivery of training to all levels of staff Experience

• Educated to master’s level, or able to demonstrate equivalent professional or managerial experience, including leadership and management training.

• Production of reports, presentations at Board level

• Experience of supporting staff and listening to staff

• Experience of managing complex casework

• Experience at senior role, reporting to and engaging with Board members

• Experience of stakeholder engagement Knowledge

• Knowledge of Trust’s values, key priorities, and challenges

• Full understanding of raising concerns including the barriers to raising concerns

• Understanding of data protection and managing confidential matters Skills The post holder will demonstrate competent keyboard skills and effective use of digital systems.

• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands

• Ability to exercise judgement to identify and assess when situations need escalating and understand the potential implications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff

• Emotional resilience due to occasional exposure to distressing or emotional situations

• Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own work, working on own initiative to develop the FTSU agenda

• Ability to work with a range of key stakeholders (internal and external) and develop collaborative networks

• Presentation skills

• Facilitation and mediation skills Contractual requirements

• Requirement to travel across all Trust sites attending varying levels of meetings across the working day

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.