Ms Linda Kelly:

This ties in with the question Deputy Shortall had about grievances and the dignity at work policy. Since the Protected Disclosures Act came in, it has not bedded down in terms of real cultural change or understanding across the structures as to what it is, how people access it and what training is available. Does it even feature as part of induction when one joins the health service? I very much doubt it. This is something that needs to be looked at. What we are talking about is a toxic culture that needs to change and needs to be far more proactive about addressing these issues. They are all interlinked.

In order to keep the dedicated staff we have in their jobs and doing what they do best, the retention plan must address how they raise complaints and grievances. Staff should not have to get to the stage of protected disclosure. There should be an effective and local informal process long before that stage. As unions, that is something we always advocate for on behalf of our members. On the specific protected disclosures piece, it has not bedded down and I do not think there is a dedicated training aspect to it within the system either. It is not dissimilar to the grievance piece in that regard.