Freedom to speak up (FTSU) | 15 September 2023

As part of its mission to promote good governance, GGI has been hosting facilitated virtual meetings to give NHS non-executive directors an opportunity to share their concerns, challenges and ideas as we rethink the future of health and social care.

The goal is to collectively think about the role NEDs play as part of the controlling mind of their organisations, to discuss immediate safeguarding issues and to ensure we all learn from this experience to assure better outcomes for citizens in the future. If you would like to join this meeting, please email events@good-governance.org.uk.

ABOUT:

GGI has been asked to convene an additional meeting of our regular forums for NHS NEDs around speaking up and raising concerns. It’s not just the Letby case, but many recent reviews and CQC downgrades of ratings have identified weak or untrusted Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) arrangements.

The guidance can be read in many ways, evidenced by national reviews FTSU locally showing huge variation in structures and investment. But the acid test is around a strong speaking up culture, and this expectation is included in the new Code of Governance for NHS Providers requiring boards to review and understand their trusts' culture. So what should boards want to be assured is in place? What are your NED colleagues’ concerns, ideas and questions?

This session will include a short briefing on recent FTSU issues, with perspectives from NED peers on what boards should be asking and ideas that are fruitful to promote.

The format of the meeting will be a short 'In conversation with ...' to start the dialogue, followed by a peer-to-peer discussion welcoming feedback, questions and comment. This meeting is by invitation and is open to all NHS non-executive directors, chairs and associate non-executive directors of NHS providers.

As usual, the real richness will come from the contributions of participants in this unique NHS NEDs-only forum operating to the Chatham House Rule – candid discussions and insights to help share ideas and any learning points.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This meeting is by invitation only and is open to all NHS non-executive directors, chairs and associate non-executive directors of NHS providers. Others may attend by special invitation. For further details, comments, questions and suggestions please contact: events@good-governance.org.uk.

To register for this event, please click the link below:

We hope that you will join us for what will be an interesting and insightful discussion.

Should you have any questions, please contact events@good-governance.org.uk.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Beatrice Fraenkel, Non-Executive Director, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Beatrice is a qualified industrial design engineer and ergonomist with over 30 years’ experience in regeneration, housing, health and regulation.

She has chaired several local, regional and national public sector boards, including ARB, the regulatory body for architects; the Ropewalks Partnership in Liverpool, a housing association, and the northwest regional regeneration body ‘Renew Northwest’.

She set up and chaired South Liverpool Primary Care Trust then was chair of Mersey Care NHS FT for 14 years until October 2022. Over that period she led the trust in becoming a FT, establishing a no-blame and learning culture and developing ‘no restraint’ and ‘zero suicide’ policies.

As an NHS and trust design champion she oversaw the development of the estate by building five beautiful new hospitals based on an innovative user-centred approach that enhances staff environments, enhances recovery and improves safety. As chair she led the board through three acquisitions – Calderstones NHS FT, Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust and NW Boroughs NHS FT.

She was a CQC inspector, helping to shape the ‘well led domain’, a trustee on the NHS provider board, and a member of the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network. Currently, Beatrice is a trustee of the Design Council and chairs the stewardship committee, a trustee of Design in Mental Health and a member of the NHS Confederation Housing and Mental health working group. She works as an independent consultant in organisational change and design. She is a member of the Government High Street Taskforce and a member of the Department for Levelling up Housing and Communities expert panel of Design code pathfinders.

Beatrice has an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects (Hon.FRIBA) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. (FRSA).