A health and social care partnership at the centre of a row about bullying is extending a ‘speak up’ service for staff to raise concerns.

From the new year council-employed care and social work staff in Argyll & Bute will be able to use the independent guardian hotline.

The 24/7 service, which provides a safe space to discuss concerns relating to workplace concerns and patient care, is already available to staff in the same partnership who are employed by NHS Highland.

In 2019 an independent report by John Sturrock QC exposed “fear, intimidation and inappropriate behaviour” at Highland health board, which includes Argyll & Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).

A row has emerged over claims that the HSCP had not followed one of the key recommendations of the review.

Mr Sturrock said a “specific review of management practices in Argyll and Bute is necessary” and warned that “the nature of some of the allegations implicate management at a very senior level, consideration should be given to this being conducted by someone from outside the area who is viewed as wholly independent”.

Local politicians and staff representatives said the HSCP’s response, which was to commission a staff survey to understand concerns, fell short of this recommendation.

The survey, by market research firm Progressive Partnership, found seven in ten current and former NHS staff had experienced bullying and harassment.

However, it was only open to healthcare employees despite health and social care services being run together.

NHS staff can also access a Healing Process if they have been the victims of bullying but this does not apply for council employees.

The approach has been criticised by a former chair of the Integration Joint Board (IIJB) in charge of the HSCP.

Councillor Dougie Philand said: “If we’re in an integrated joint partnership you should ask everybody. Half of the organisation is not being asked their opinion.”

“It’s not joint….and it’s definitely not integrated.

Speaking yesterday at a meeting of the Argyll and Bute Integration Joint Board NHS Highland Chair Professor Boyd Robertson said: “I want to particularly commend the signing up to the ‘Speak Up’ guardian service pilot at the beginning of next year.

“Given that given that council staff weren’t involved in the piece of work by Progressive Partnership, the staff survey, it’s good that staff will have the opportunity of raising any concerns they might have about harassment or whistleblowing.”

The number of calls will be monitored once the service launches to determine whether it will be extended beyond the January to July 2021 trial period.

Fiona Hogg, NHS Highland’s head of HR, said at the same meeting that the service had handled 54 cases in the three months it had been up and running for health staff across Highland.

Concerns raised were divided between bullying, management behaviour and patient safety, she told the meeting.

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