Whistleblowing Policy September 2024 - Legal Protection for Workers with Concerns at Work
In this section
- What is this about?
- What legal protection do I have?
- Will I be protected if I make a public disclosure?
- What support can I expect?
- What is the Council’s attitude to malpractice in the workplace?
- Who can blow the whistle?
- What can I blow the whistle about?
- How does the policy fit in with other Council policies?
- What if I am already involved in another HR procedure?
- How does this policy fit with the Members’ Code of Conduct?
- What if I want to make anonymous allegations?
- Is my identity kept confidential?
- How do I raise a concern?
- What happens after I have raised my concerns?
- How will we deal with your concerns?
- What happens if my concerns are not confirmed after an investigation?
- What happens if I am not happy with the Council’s response?
- Who is responsible for this policy?
- What happens to your ‘information’ and ‘personal data’?
- Appendices
What is this about?
1. We (the ‘Council’) want to ensure a working environment where you (the ‘worker’) feel confident to raise any concerns about malpractice within the Council. However, some people are reluctant to voice their concerns because of fears about possible repercussions, or a feeling of disloyalty to colleagues. Some might consider it easier to ignore the concern rather than report what may just be a suspicion of malpractice.
2. Malpractice can include fraud, corruption, bribery, dishonesty, financial irregularities, serious maladministration because of deliberate and improper conduct, unethical activities (which may be of a criminal nature) and dangerous acts or omissions which create a risk to health, safety or the environment, criminal offences, or failure to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
3. Whistleblowing does not include mismanagement as this may arise from weak management, for example, rather than malpractice. Mismanagement may be dealt with under the Council’s Capability Policy or Disciplinary Procedure, as appropriate.
4. This policy is intended to encourage and support you to raise serious concerns within the Council safely and with confidence and view this as a duty, rather than overlooking the problem. ‘Whistleblowing’ refers to the disclosure, by workers, of malpractice as well as illegal acts or omissions at work.
5. This policy will be applied consistently to everyone irrespective of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, language, disability, religion, belief or non belief, age, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, parental, marital or civil partnership status.
6. If you have any equality and diversity concerns in relation to the application of this policy and procedure, please contact a member of the HR Team who will, if necessary, ensure the policy/procedure is reviewed accordingly.