Exam Pass Notes

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Candour and Openness

• Candour means being honest and open when something has gone wrong.
• Frontline errors can affect access, messages, appointments, confidentiality or handover.
• An apology can acknowledge distress without assigning blame or speculating about causes.
• Do not hide errors or alter records to conceal mistakes.

Speaking Up

• Report unsafe systems, repeated near misses and unresolved risks.
• Use the local route for concerns about managers, clinicians, safeguarding, information governance or complaints.
• If local routes do not resolve the issue, Freedom to Speak Up channels can help raise concerns further.
• Escalation is complete only when someone with responsibility accepts ownership and action is taken.

Records and Learning

• Record facts plainly: exact words, times and actions taken.
• Keep audit trails and any supporting evidence intact.
• Use near misses as prompts for learning before harm occurs.
• Include reception and administrative perspectives in incident reviews.

Culture

• A just culture supports openness and a fair review of incidents.
• Staff should not be penalised for raising genuine concerns.
• Deliberate concealment must be treated differently from human error.
• Learning from incidents should lead to clear, visible system changes.