Band 8b Freedom to Speak up Guardian

NHS; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 62,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian to enhance the speaking up culture. This role involves working closely with leadership to ensure psychological safety, support colleagues, and drive change through data analysis. Successful candidates will possess strong compassionate leadership skills and a solid understanding of the barriers to speaking up.

Qualifications

• Educated to master's level qualification or evidence of working at a senior level in people development.
• Commitment to CPD and experience in coaching or mediation.

Responsibilities

• Lead a network to support 25,000 colleagues in speaking up safely.
• Analyze speaking up data and implement training programs.
• Facilitate cultural change across multiple sites.

Skills

Leadership

Compassionate Communication

Data Analysis

Problem Solving

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Job description

Job summary

Making voices heard in a Trust that will listen and learn

This isn't just another Freedom to Speak Up Guardian role -- it's a chance to shape the speaking up culture at one of the country's largest NHS Foundation Trusts.

With 25,000 colleagues across our Hospitals, Community Services and corporate teams, you'll be joining an organisation where your role as Guardian genuinely matters to amplify the voice of our people to the highest level.

Our new operating model is creating fresh opportunities to embed psychological safety deep into our everyday culture, and we need someone who can turn that vision into lived reality for every single colleague.

Our Board are absolutely committed to this work -- it is more than a requirement for us, it is fundamental to the safety of patients and staff. We know that when people feel safe to speak up, patient care improves, innovation flourishes, and our colleagues thrive.

You'll have direct access to the Chief People Officer as your Executive lead, and you will inform and influence the senior leadership. You will have ring-fenced time to do the role well, and the resources to build something courageously transformative. It's a journey we're on.

Main duties of the job

You'll be the independent voice that helps our 25,000 colleagues speak up safely and effectively. Working across our multiple sites, you'll build and lead our Champion network, ensuring every corner of our Trust has someone who understands the barriers people face and knows how to address them. You'll present directly to our Board, challenge senior leaders when needed, and use data to drive real change in how we respond to and learn from concerns.

This role requires someone who can hold difficult conversations with compassion, analyse complex patterns of speaking up data, and turn individual concerns into organisational learning. You'll support colleagues through challenging situations, develop training programmes, and work closely with leaders across the Trust to embed preventions and share good practice.

Our values of being Kind, Connected and Bold aren't just words on a wall -- they'll guide how you approach every conversation, every challenge, and every opportunity to make UHB a place where speaking up strengthens rather than threatens relationships

About us

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Details Date posted

02 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£62,215 to £72,293 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

304-1094745

Job locations

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Job description Job responsibilities

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

Job description Job responsibilities

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• *Educated to masters level qualification or evidence of working at a senior level in people development or similar related field.
• *Evidence of commitment to CPD.
• *Coaching and/or mediation qualification or evidence of experience

Experience Essential

• *Comprehensive understanding of the issues and implications relating to the Freedom to Speak Up.
• *Understanding of the issues relating to cultural change, staff engagement and EDI best practice.
• *Knowledge of safeguarding principles and practice
• *Detailed knowledge of speaking up and the barriers that can exist for those who speak up.
• *Understanding of and commitment to the principles, practices and promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• *Experience of and the ability to deal with highly complex human interactive and interpersonal issues on a regular basis.
• *Experience and commitment to quality.
• *Experience of personal accountability for service delivery.
• *Comprehensive track record of supporting and listening to staff, and turning listening into action.
• *Ability to demonstrate strong compassionate leadership skills.
• *Experience of managing matters of a complex and confidential nature.
• *Experience of working with people at all levels of an organisation, including very senior managers and directors.

Additional Criteria Essential

• *Personal resilience and confidence.
• *Ability to maintain an impartial but empathetic standpoint.
• *Commitment to creating and open and transparent organisational culture.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• *Educated to masters level qualification or evidence of working at a senior level in people development or similar related field.
• *Evidence of commitment to CPD.
• *Coaching and/or mediation qualification or evidence of experience

Experience Essential

• *Comprehensive understanding of the issues and implications relating to the Freedom to Speak Up.
• *Understanding of the issues relating to cultural change, staff engagement and EDI best practice.
• *Knowledge of safeguarding principles and practice
• *Detailed knowledge of speaking up and the barriers that can exist for those who speak up.
• *Understanding of and commitment to the principles, practices and promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• *Experience of and the ability to deal with highly complex human interactive and interpersonal issues on a regular basis.
• *Experience and commitment to quality.
• *Experience of personal accountability for service delivery.
• *Comprehensive track record of supporting and listening to staff, and turning listening into action.
• *Ability to demonstrate strong compassionate leadership skills.
• *Experience of managing matters of a complex and confidential nature.
• *Experience of working with people at all levels of an organisation, including very senior managers and directors.

Additional Criteria Essential

• *Personal resilience and confidence.
• *Ability to maintain an impartial but empathetic standpoint.
• *Commitment to creating and open and transparent organisational culture.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details Employer name

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Employer's website

https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Employer's website

https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)