The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has published a new case study highlighting a groundbreaking toolkit developed by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW).
The Raising Concerns Reflective Toolkit offers healthcare learners clear guidance on identifying and addressing concerns, while fostering a culture of safe and supported communication. This case study highlights HEIW’s innovative approach, promoting the toolkit’s principles and emphasising the importance of being able to speak up safely.
Created in response to challenges faced by healthcare learners, the toolkit tackles barriers such as hesitation to speak out about unprofessional behaviour, bullying, discrimination, or unsafe practices. By offering practical guidance, templates, and real-life examples, the toolkit empowers learners to identify, document, and escalate concerns with confidence, all while ensuring they feel supported throughout the process.
The toolkit is a key step toward fostering open communication in healthcare education and ensuring that both learners and professionals contribute to a culture of safety, respect, and excellence to ultimately improve staff morale and patient safety.
Adam Haxell from the HCPC said:
“As part of the HCPC’s work on promoting sexual safety, we are keen to highlight examples of good practice and the different ways in which organisations are driving cultural change and supporting people to raise concerns.
We know that issues of sexual safety in particular are under-reported. Health and care professionals have a duty to speak up and act on concerns about safety and when they witness behaviours that are wrong. However, speaking up can be daunting, so It's important that organisations take steps to create environments where people feel safe to do so.
Health Education and Improvement Wales’ toolkit highlights the type of practical steps an organisation can take to actively support people to raise a concern - from providing advice about what constitutes a concern, through to demystifying the process, and providing support at each stage of the process.”
The toolkit has already been shared with universities across Wales, and it is frequently referenced at nursing conferences and events. Expanding its promotion on a national level will raise awareness and increase its use, leading to a more positive and supportive workforce.
Simon Cassidy, Head of Placement Experience and Improvement at HEIW, said:
“The development of the toolkit has benefited from close collaboration and coordination across education and placement providers in Wales, helping to address cultural issues about speaking up. This work has strong potential to resonate across the UK and could be scaled up or replicated elsewhere.”