The document, entitled Freedom to speak Up Guardians - Purpose and key principles of the role includes principle examples. The examples of how a guardian should be are:
- Independent in the advice they give to staff, and trust senior leaders with the ability to hold the trust to account.
- Impartial and able to review fairly how cases have been handled.
- Empowered to take a leading role and report on local progress.
- Visible and approachable to all staff across professions and levels.
- Influential with regular access to trust boards and senior leaders.
- Knowledgeable about Freedom to Speak Up and local processes for raising concerns.
- Inclusive and willing to support people who may otherwise struggle to have their concerns heard.
- Credible with experience that instills confidence in staff.
- Empathetic with good mediation and facilitation skills.
- Trusted to deal with issues sensitively and confidentially.
- Resilient and able to set boundaries and escalate where appropriate.
- Forward thinking with the ability to improve the handling of concerns and suggest ways to do things differently.
- Supported with adequate time allocated to deal with concerns effectively and access to training as and when required.
- Effective by monitoring the resolution of concerns and ensuring action, learning, follow-up and feedback.