Speaking up is essential not aspirational: Lessons from the Casey Review

Introduction

This response focuses on the workforce culture described in Baroness Casey’s Final Report, particularly where this impacts on speaking up. It seeks to draw out learning points for the Met and the health sector, based on the Guardian Service’s decade of support for speaking up in health.

It is clear that it will not be possible to change culture in the Met overnight. Whilst the right steps are taken, we believe that members of the force, particularly women, black, Asian and minority ethnic, those with long-standing conditions or disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people, will remain vulnerable. We urge that this fact is acknowledged and responded to. We believe that the implementation of a Guardian role, independent of the Met, building on the expertise that has grown in the health sector, is a simple, practical step to take. It will help protect vulnerable staff and initiate the beginnings of a wider change in culture.

We have set out our response in three sections:

• Looking at the findings through the lens of speaking up In this section we look at the report through the lens of speaking up, basing our commentary on what we have observed in supporting the health sector for nearly a decade.
• The need to go further In this section we reflect on the changes to speaking up processes that appear to be underway but urge for further immediate action. Without immediate support for speaking up we believe that an opportunity to expedite culture change will be lost and, more importantly, the workforce, particularly those in minority groups, will suffer for the foreseeable future.
• An independent Guardian

Based on our experience, we describe what an effective, independent Guardian support for the Met should look like. This builds on what has been learnt in the health sector and draws on the Guardian Service’s extensive experience.