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Freedom to Speak Up Guardians (FTSU) play a vital role in supporting the NHS by creating a culture of openness, safety, and continuous improvement. We understand that their primary responsibility is to ensure that hundreds of NHS staff in their Trust feel confident, safe, and supported when raising concerns about anything that could negatively affect patient care, staff wellbeing or organisational integrity.

The NHS People Plan places compassionate and inclusive cultures at the heart of the NHS, yet unacceptable levels of bullying and harassment still widely exists across the NHS, described by the BMA as a ‘corrosive culture’.

A look at how the RUH is putting staff wellbeing, sexual safety and inclusion at the centre of its patient and people strategy.

Workplace bullying and harassment is a major problem for employers and affects more than 9 million workers in the UK – that’s more than the population of Wales and Scotland combined. Collectively it costs UK businesses £18 billion per year and according to TUC, it’s the second biggest workplace issue after stress. Acas receives over 20,000 phone calls each year in relation to bullying, signalling it’s a widespread issue that is not being dealt with effectively.

Establishing a speak up culture isn’t just a nice to have for organisations, it’s an essential part of your people and wider business strategy. The research is clear, organisations with a healthy workplace culture are 21% more profitable than those without* and positive culture is linked to increased levels of productivity, high employee retention and advocacy rates and a better reputation.

The problem is not that organisations don’t invest in culture, it’s that they misunderstand how it changes. Culture transformation has become a familiar ambition inside most organisations - it shows up in strategy decks, leadership offsites, and company-wide communications.

Most organisations say they want a speak up culture, few actually have one. Not because employees are unwilling to speak up, or because they don’t understand how. In most cases, people are perfectly capable of raising concerns.

Most organisations believe they have a reasonably clear view of what is happening in their workplace. They have reporting systems. They have HR data. They have engagement surveys, exit interviews, case management records.

Most organisations believe they have misconduct under control because they have processes for it - policies exist, reporting routes are defined, HR teams are trained, and investigation procedures are documented. On paper, the system looks complete, but misconduct - whether it is harassment, bullying, discrimination, or other inappropriate behaviour - persists.

If asked to consider who is most likely to champion business culture and fly the flag for cultural change in an organisation, Chief Financial Officers are not necessarily the first people that would come to mind.

With the new OfS E6 regulation now in force, here are eight reasons higher education providers are choosing Culture Shift to meet the new student protection duties.

When it comes to investing in business culture, one of the most common rebuttals we come across from business leaders is the belief that there is no unwanted behaviour happening in their organisation. In their eyes, they don’t need to make improvements to their workplace culture or have any need for an anonymous reporting platform because they aren’t aware of its existence.

Investing in an anonymous reporting platform for employees is a step towards creating an open and ethical work environment. With regulatory and employee expectations on the rise, an anonymous reporting tool is an essential investment for modern HR leaders.

Choosing the right employee misconduct anonymous reporting platform software is vital to help you improve reporting rates, understand what is truly happening in your business, giving your employees a safe and secure way to report misconduct in the workplace and building a speak up culture.

Whistleblowing can feel like a taboo word. A serious, scary consequence of systemic failures. A media headline. Risk, reputation, regulatory exposure. Employees are told how they can blow the whistle if they need to, while organisations hope the need never arises. But whistleblowing itself is not the problem to be managed.

Data-driven decision making has become a non-negotiable for organisations because it allows CEOs, C-Suite and managers to monitor, track and improve their KPIs based on real information rather than relying on guess work.

In today’s economy, people are at the centre of almost all that we do. For most organisations, people drive everything of value to them from IP and innovation, adaptability and attitude towards risk, through to productivity, retention and ultimately revenue.

On the 19th of March 2025, in a night dedicated to recognising individuals and teams making a real difference, Culture Shift celebrated those working tirelessly to foster safer, more inclusive environments across workplaces and educational institutions. The awards honoured those committed to ending harmful behaviours, often working behind the scenes to create lasting change.

To date, more than 270 organisations have signed the NHS Sexual Safety Charter, including all 215 NHS Trusts and 10 ambulance bodies in the UK their commitment to improving sexual safety in the NHS. If you’re part of one of those organisations, you already understand the scale of the problem and by signing the charter have made a commitment to improving sexual safety and other unwanted behaviour in your Trust such as sexual misconduct, violence, microaggressions, bullying and harassment. Tackling these harmful behaviours headfirst will contribute to driving systemic change across the NHS making it a safer, happier place to work.

Employee engagement in the UK is chronically low, a 2023 survey found a staggering 90% of employees feel disengaged at work, lacking enthusiasm for their role. Toxic workplace cultures play a large role in employee disengagement and poses multiple challenges for organisations. 75% of UK employees have experienced a toxic work culture at some point in their career, with 85% of respondents saying toxic culture has negatively affected their mental health.

Two-Way Messaging is a powerful tool for organisations looking to enhance their reporting processes, especially when it comes to engaging anonymous reporters.

Workplace cultures have a big impact on how employees feel and their attitude to work. According to a recent CIPD poll, 1 in 2 employees would call in sick to avoid a negative workplace. When employees are experiencing unsustainable workloads, high levels of stress, unsupportive managers, bullying from colleagues and other types of unwanted behaviour that goes unchecked, it has a detrimental impact on people’s health and well-being.

Hospitality workers play a key role in the experience of guests, from late night bars and busy restaurants to luxury hotels, they’re vital in providing great service to shape memorable customer experiences. But behind the scenes, the hospitality industry struggles with a pervasive cultural issue, sexual harassment.