"Everyone should feel safe when they want to talk about times when things haven't gone quite right at work" - Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative.

Safe to Speak Up campaign aims to help vets feel comfortable suggesting alternative ways of doing things.

A new campaign to encourage psychological safety in the veterinary workplace has been launched by the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative in collaboration with VetLed and the BVNA.

Psychological safety is the feeling of being able to raise concerns, challenge accepted ways of doing things and ask questions of colleagues. In the workplace, it can help people feel more at ease when sharing ideas, encourage people to speak up about the issues they face, and develop more collaborative working relationships.

The new campaign, entitled Safe to Speak Up, aims to help vet professionals feel comfortable suggesting alternative ways of doing things, call out unacceptable behaviour, and talk about the challenges they face with their colleagues.

It will include a two-week social media push to raise awareness of psychological safety, a new online 'civility hub' with resources in workplace civility, and a series of free workshops that anyone in the veterinary team can attend.

Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative manager, said: “Everyone should feel safe when they want to talk about times when things haven’t gone quite right at work.

"Psychological safety is a term that many people aren’t familiar with, so we hope this campaign will raise the awareness of the benefits that promoting psychological safety in the workplace can bring and help more vet nurses to feel confident and supported at work.” 

More information about the Safe to Speak Up campaign and how to book onto the workshops is available at vetmindmatters.org