Speak up Officer / Confidential Contact Advisor
Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom Full-time Posted 6 days ago
Fixed Term / Secondment to 01/08/2027
NHS Highland is seeking a highly skilled and compassionate Speak Up Officer / Confidential Contact to join our Corporate Governance team. This is a unique opportunity to play a vital role in supporting psychological safety, promoting a culture of openness, and ensuring colleagues feel empowered to raise concerns safely and confidentially.
About The Role
As a Speak Up Officer, you will provide a confidential, impartial and supportive service for staff across NHS Highland who wish to raise concerns or seek advice. You will act as a key point of contact for whistleblowing under the National Whistleblowing Standards, offering guidance, undertaking initial investigations, and supporting the organisation to respond effectively and transparently.
You will manage a diverse and often complex caseload, working autonomously while collaborating closely with the Head of Corporate Governance, senior managers, and colleagues across the organisation. You will also play a central role in promoting the Speak Up service, analysing data to identify themes, and contributing to organisational learning and improvement.
Key Responsibilities
We are seeking individuals who are:
NHS Highland covers one of the largest and most geographically diverse areas in Scotland, serving a population of over 320,000 across remote, rural and island communities. This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference across a complex and varied health system.
For more information please contact Dominic Watson; email:
NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
Additional Information For Candidates
We employ over 10,700 people, making us one of the biggest employers in the area. As an organisation, we make a very significant contribution to the local economy.
Our staff are also important members of our communities. Our greatest asset is our workforce, and the way we go about our work comes from the values and behaviours we demonstrate on a daily basis. As a board we strive to ensure the environment is conducive to nurturing a positive culture, supported and delivered through .
NHS Highland is seeking a highly skilled and compassionate Speak Up Officer / Confidential Contact to join our Corporate Governance team. This is a unique opportunity to play a vital role in supporting psychological safety, promoting a culture of openness, and ensuring colleagues feel empowered to raise concerns safely and confidentially.
About The Role
As a Speak Up Officer, you will provide a confidential, impartial and supportive service for staff across NHS Highland who wish to raise concerns or seek advice. You will act as a key point of contact for whistleblowing under the National Whistleblowing Standards, offering guidance, undertaking initial investigations, and supporting the organisation to respond effectively and transparently.
You will manage a diverse and often complex caseload, working autonomously while collaborating closely with the Head of Corporate Governance, senior managers, and colleagues across the organisation. You will also play a central role in promoting the Speak Up service, analysing data to identify themes, and contributing to organisational learning and improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide a confidential contact service for staff raising concerns, including whistleblowing matters.
- Offer clear, accurate advice in line with the National Whistleblowing Standards.
- Meet with individuals to understand concerns, agree approaches, and support them throughout the process.
- Conduct initial whistleblowing investigations and produce Stage 1 reports.
- Support Stage 2 investigations, including arranging interviews, taking statements, collating evidence and drafting reports.
- Maintain accurate case records and manage a confidential case management system.
- Produce quarterly and annual whistleblowing and Speak Up reports for governance committees.
- Analyse data from multiple sources to identify trends and systemic issues.
- Promote the Speak Up service, including coordinating Speak Up Week and awareness campaigns.
- Deliver training on whistleblowing standards and confidential contact awareness.
- Facilitate discussions between individuals and support team development sessions.
- Maintain confidentiality while sharing themes that support organisational improvement.
- Provide empathetic support to distressed or vulnerable staff and signpost to appropriate services.
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
- Associate CIPD membership or evidence of equivalent professional experience.
- Significant experience in an HR or similar advisory role.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive and complex issues.
- Strong written communication skills, including report writing and presenting information to varied audiences.
- Experience working in a unionised environment and within partnership working models.
- Skilled in conflict resolution, negotiation, facilitation or mediation.
- Ability to work autonomously, manage a complex caseload and prioritise under pressure.
- High level of cultural and political awareness and sensitivity.
- Strong IT skills, including MS365 and case management systems.
- Commitment to confidentiality, psychological safety and continuous professional development.
We are seeking individuals who are:
- Empathetic, objective and resilient.
- Able to build trust quickly and maintain professional boundaries.
- Confident in challenging situations and able to navigate conflict constructively.
- Skilled at analysing information and identifying themes or risks.
- Passionate about supporting colleagues and improving organisational culture.
NHS Highland covers one of the largest and most geographically diverse areas in Scotland, serving a population of over 320,000 across remote, rural and island communities. This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference across a complex and varied health system.
For more information please contact Dominic Watson; email:
NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
Additional Information For Candidates
- Please ensure the address on your application form reflects your current place of residence for your present workplace and can be verified through your identification documents.
- Applications are welcome from Gaelic speakers. / Tha fàilte air tagraidhean bho luchdlabhairt na Gàidhlig.
- You should apply for this post by completing the application process on Jobtrain.
- DO NOT upload a CV as this will not be used for short listing purposes
- Posts close at midnight on the indicated date
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- Once you have submitted your application form you will be unable to make any amendments
- Some of our vacancies are for internal candidates only. If you are a member of staff, please ensure you update your Jobtrain profile to reflect that you are employed by NHS Highland
We employ over 10,700 people, making us one of the biggest employers in the area. As an organisation, we make a very significant contribution to the local economy.
Our staff are also important members of our communities. Our greatest asset is our workforce, and the way we go about our work comes from the values and behaviours we demonstrate on a daily basis. As a board we strive to ensure the environment is conducive to nurturing a positive culture, supported and delivered through .
