All staff message from Tom Abell, Chief Executive

Dear all,

Following an initial fact find we have taken action in relation to a group of team members for alleged misconduct for sending inappropriate messages on a private social media group. The content of these messages was a betrayal of our values and standards and the trust that we all share with our colleagues and our patients.

Our values and policies are clear in relation to the standards we expect of ourselves and each other. This includes:

• We should never make negative or derogatory comments about colleagues or patients.
• Employees and volunteers should not post anything which may bring our Trust into disrepute or share information which reveals confidential information about a patient or colleague

Furthermore, the HCPC Code of Conduct states that its members should use all forms of communication appropriately and responsibly, including social media and networking websites.

This alleged misconduct has happened despite the wide range of guidance and training that has been provided about acceptable conduct, values and behaviours and in particular the appropriate use of social media within the workplace. 

In the last year, we have taken a range of significant actions to address the deep-rooted cultural issues within our Trust, including:

• Strengthening our disciplinary processes
• Significant progress in resolving historic formal complaints from staff
• Encouraging people to speak up with a 900% increase in people coming forward due to our ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ (Freedom to Speak Up) campaign
• Significant work with local teams to help address culture change issues
• More than half of staff have currently undertaken comprehensive new values and behaviours training

This work has resulted in:

• 5% reduction in bullying and harassment from managers
• 76% reduction of staff currently experiencing sexual harassment
• 41% reduction in staff who have experienced sexual harassment in the past

I am incredibly disappointed that the actions of these people are likely to bring further harm to our organisation and that the necessity of the action we have taken will place more pressure on the rest of us to continue to provide high quality care to our patients within the wider demand challenges we face.

It is incredibly disappointing to hear of the actions of these people which are likely to bring further harm to our organisation. We must eradicate this behaviour from our Trust.

As I talk to you today, I would like you all to reflect and consider this from your respective roles and support us in eradicating this behaviour. If you are involved in anything like this, now is the time to stop what you are doing and come forward. 

This is a formal instruction to immediately stop participating in any forms of inappropriate social media groups or inappropriate comments, and to speak up and formally report any inappropriate groups or accounts via our established processes so that these can be fully investigated and acted upon.

If you want to come forward to report this behaviour, do it now via:

• Freedom Speak Up Guardian or local champion
• Your local cultural champion
• Your manager
• OCE EEAST

I know that most of you come to work each day, wanting to do the best job you can do, with your colleagues, for our patients, and that many of you will be as dismayed as I am about this incident. Please do speak to your line manager for further support.

Kind regards

Tom Abell
Chief Executive

Published 18th May 2022