Whistle blowing

Whistleblowing is an important part of an organisations ability to safeguard children, young people and adults with care and support needs.

A whistle blower is an employee, a former employee or member of an organisation who raises a concern about dangerous, illegal activity or any wrong doing within their organisation, e.g:

• potentially vital information about health and safety risks
• possible fraud
• harm of children or adults
• concern worried about someone’s behaviour.

Staff have a duty of care, to draw attention to poor practice in the workplace. This includes practice that may cause harm, be abusive and/or neglectful. Failure to report amounts to collusion with the person alleged to have caused harm or the abuse.

A Whistleblowing policy provides protection for any member of staff (whether paid or voluntary) who raises a concern about policy, procedure or practice (of individuals or the organisation or service as a whole) which impacts on the safety and / or wellbeing of anyone using the service. The protection is from being treated unfairly or losing their job.

Each organisation should have its own policy/guidance about whistleblowing that is easily available for staff to read; staff must be made aware of these policies

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