Case Study

A call was received from a contact working in non-NHS premises delivering a service to drug and/or alcohol dependent patients in partnership with a charity service provider. There were a number of concerns raised regarding staff and patient safety related to security and safe access/egress in the building, availability of accurate patient information and lack of adequate staffing numbers with the necessary skills to deliver the service. The caller requested that action be taken to address these shortcomings and to communicate to all staff the planned timetable for change. The details of this call were escalated as a red/amber status. The Trust directors took immediate action by visiting the site on the next working day to meet with staff to discuss the situation and answer all questions. They undertook to develop a plan that will be cascaded to all staff once agreed.

This was a serious issue for staff. There was a possibility that the staff member concerned would have taken the issue to the CQC and/or local councillors had GSL not been involved.

Case Study

A call was received from a young administrative clerical employee who wanted advice about participating in an investigation of sexual harassment where she had been subjected to numerous comments and inappropriate touches during a 5-day training course. Several occurrences took place during the course and while travelling, having accepted a lift, with the trainer and a colleague. The caller was considering making a complaint in the formal way, but a colleague who was a witness did so instead and so took away this option. The caller wanted to talk through the process and was nervous about making a statement as to whether there could be repercussions, etc. This call was not escalated to the Trust as the caller was committed to taking part in the formal process. The Guardian Service was able to reassure the caller that the Trust was committed to dealing with such complaints, which was one of the reasons that our organisation had been commissioned to provide this service.

Once a formal process has commenced GSL cannot involve themselves as to do so would be to interfere in the employer/employee legal relationship. In this instance providing reassurance to the contact was critical and provided confidence to the individual to progress matters.

Case Study

Contact was made by a senior Consultant concerned about their contract situation. The Consultant had a set of skills in high demand and difficult to find. During the interview process the Consultant explained that as they lived 30 miles from the Trust and could not commit to the “on call “rota, but at all times would support it in any way they could within reason. Relocation was not an option for the individual. The Trust accepted these provisos, keen to secure the skills of the Consultant. The Consultant signed the employment offer and commenced employment. In the six months that followed the Trust refused to counter sign the agreement and wanted to include mandatory “on call” responsibilities. Colleagues became aware of the situation and increased pressure on the Consultant by ostracising them and suggesting they were not a team player.

The Consultant became seriously stressed and was on the verge of resigning when they approached a Guardian. The Guardian immediately collated the facts and sought an urgent meeting with the CEO deeming the issue a “red alert”. Following facilitation of meeting by the Guardian with the CEO and the Consultant, the original terms of the employment offer were honoured and the Consultant remains in place and relationships have been repaired.

The action of the Guardian in this instance secured the services of the Consultant for both the Trust and patients, supported the Consultant and Trust to reach a satisfactory accommodation and saved the Trust from a very expensive legal action, which would have been the next step had the Consultant resigned.