Our values
Our strategy and values
Our values describe who we are as an organisation and help shape our Guy’s and St Thomas’ culture. They guide us in everything that we do and are central to how we deliver our strategy.
We updated our values in September 2024 to express what we expect of ourselves and each other, both now and in the future. Almost 1,800 colleagues from across the Trust, helped develop these to summarise what matters to us as an organisation.
Caring: we put patients first
Ambitious: we innovate and strive for excellence
Inclusive: we respect each other and work collaboratively
Living our values and behaviours
Our behaviours framework gives examples of what people should see or hear when we are demonstrating our values. By behaving in this way we are helping to create a caring, ambitious and inclusive organisation for our patients and carers, our staff and the communities we serve.
Behaviours framework
The framework has 3 levels.
- Behaviours for everyone – these are for everyone at Guy’s and St Thomas’
The second and third level give examples of additional behaviours for when we are:
Behaviours for everyone
These behaviours apply to everyone at the Trust.
There are additional behaviours for when we are managing and supporting others, and when we are leading other people or the organisation.
- I greet and welcome others, being respectful at all times.
- I provide care or a service which is patient and person-centred, involving others in decisions that affect them.
- I take time to check on the wellbeing of patients and colleagues, being considerate of their needs by showing understanding and kindness.
- I listen with compassion and empathy, helping others to feel supported.
- I share relevant information with patients and colleagues to enable the best decisions to be made, always respecting confidentiality.
- I pay attention to my own wellbeing, so that I can support and care for others, asking for help if needed.
- I reflect on my actions and behaviours, taking responsibility for the impact I have on others.
- I speak up about any risks to the safety or experience of patients or colleagues.
- I take pride in maintaining high standards and delivering an excellent service to patients and colleagues.
- I act on feedback from colleagues and patients to improve how I do my work.
- I am flexible in my approaches and open to change.
- I respond to the needs of patients and my colleagues, looking for ways to improve their care and experience.
- I fully contribute in all I do, exploring and participating in new and innovative ways of working.
- I use equipment, resources and time in the most efficient, safe and sustainable way possible.
- I am committed to personal development, taking responsibility for my learning and sharing my knowledge with others.
- I act with honesty and integrity, being professional at all times.
- I value and learn from the rich and diverse views of others, seeking to listen and understand other people’s experiences.
- I act quickly and take appropriate action when I see any form of unfairness, discrimination or inequality.
- I actively take part in creating an anti-racism organisation.
- I look for ways to collaborate with others, learning from new ideas and insights.
- I address patients and colleagues as they wish to be addressed, using the pronouns and name they prefer.
- I respect and show sensitivity towards diversity of culture in my interactions, using inclusive, clear and respectful language.
- I support my colleagues to be their whole selves at work, including their different cultures, beliefs and life experiences.
Behaviours when managing and supporting others
These behaviours are in addition to those which apply to everyone, and outline how we should behave when we are managing and supporting others. There are further behaviours for when we are leading other people or the organisation.
- I create and maintain an environment where colleagues feel safe and everyone is respected.
- I am fair and consistent in my actions, building and maintaining trust.
- I take quick action to resolve issues for patients and colleagues, providing the right support when needed.
- I prioritise appraisals and regular 1:1s with my team.
- I provide frequent, constructive feedback, motivating and inspiring others to reach their full potential.
- I act with compassion, treating the wellbeing of my team as a priority and checking in with them regularly.
- I acknowledge the work of others and show my appreciation of their effort.
- I set clear, aspirational objectives and translate these into specific actions for myself and others.
- I champion the effective and sustainable use of resources within my team.
- I welcome and encourage fresh views and ideas to bring innovation to our services.
- I am committed to my team’s development, helping colleagues to build knowledge, skills and their careers.
- I openly seek feedback on my and my team’s performance so that we can continuously improve.
- I take an open and flexible approach to how my team delivers our services.
- I include diverse ideas and contributions when making decisions, remaining open to views different from my own.
- I quickly address the impact of inappropriate actions or behaviours with those responsible.
- I make sure the service we provide is accessible and personalised.
- I make adjustments to support people at work, so that all can contribute fully.
- I encourage open, clear discussion, supporting team members to speak up about any personal or professional barriers they experience.
- I make opportunities to bring others together to share information and best practice and to build relationships.
- I stand up to inequity and discrimination in all forms.
Behaviours when leading
These behaviours are in addition to those which apply to everyone, and when we are managing and supporting others.
These outline how we should behave when we are leading other people or parts of the organisation.
- I lead with compassion, ensuring all patients and colleagues are heard and feel respected.
- I actively seek the opinions of others, championing the sharing of ideas and information across the Trust and wider system.
- I ensure my teams work in psychologically safe environments, are able to speak up and are confident action will be taken.
- I celebrate achievements, acknowledging the success of individuals, teams, the Trust and wider system.
- I give expert and timely direction and support to others when navigating complex and new situations.
- I motivate my staff and colleagues by encouraging their ideas and aspirations for the future.
- I contribute to the Trust’s success by translating national agendas and organisational objectives into departmental and service goals.
- I plan, allocate and review budgets and resources to deliver high quality services.
- I seek innovative ways to improve the sustainability, efficiency and capability of the Trust, learning from partners in the wider system.
- I regularly review outcomes and drive best practice, to make a difference to our patients and communities we serve.
- I take timely and appropriate action to resolve challenging or sensitive situations.
- I role model and act as an ambassador for the Trust, encouraging peers and others to do the same.
- I actively build creative partnerships with other services, clinical/delivery groups and organisations to deliver the very best patient care and staff experience.
- I develop and champion inclusion initiatives to ensure all staff have fair access to resource and opportunity.
- I seek to learn from any discomfort I may experience regarding equality, diversity and inclusion to develop my understanding.
- I take a stand and act promptly to ensure positive experiences for all, standing up to discrimination in any form.
- I ensure that key decisions are made involving the views and concerns of those who are impacted or have lived experience.
- I actively attract and develop talent from diverse backgrounds to reflect the demographics of the populations we serve.
