Dr Anna Forrest
Creating a workplace where staff feel safe, supported and empowered to do their job is what I am passionate about and if we have staff who are struggling, we must not be ignoring problems. Too often I have noticed that frustrations can build up and sometimes staff even end up leaving jobs they enjoy, because they don’t feel able to raise their concerns. We want to change that!
I became a Freedom To Speak Up (FTSU) Ambassador earlier this year. FTSU is about being able to say if something is not right in the workplace. Raising your concern to one of the Ambassadors or the FTSU Guardians gives you the opportunity to raise your issue in confidence and the team can work with you to try and resolve it. Since taking on the role, I have spoken to a number of staff in my capacity as a FTSU Ambassador. We have discussed what has happened to them, and I have listened, offered support and helped them think about how they wish to proceed. It takes a lot for people to raise a concern and I never underestimate the impact this has on people.
Although these conversations do sometimes raise issues that we would prefer were not happening at CPFT, it is right that we are addressing these matters and trying to do something about it. We are not going to continue to improve our organisational culture without this work.
Dr Anna Forrest is a consultant clinical psychologist and professional lead for psychology in OPAC & Freedom to Speak Up Ambassador.
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