MANY CHAPTERS is committed to being open, honest and accountable. This policy aims to help employees/contractors/volunteers to raise any serious concerns they may have about colleagues or their employer with confidence and without having to worry about being victimised, discriminated against or disadvantaged in any way as a result. It is written in the context of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 which protects employees who ‘blow the whistle’ on malpractices within their organisation.
Whistleblowing, or public interest disclosure, is when a worker reports a concern about the improper actions or omissions of their colleagues or their employer which may cause harm to others or to the organisation. Obvious examples of such improper actions include theft, fraud, abuse, breaches of health & safety. The disclosure should be made ‘in good faith’. In other words, the disclosure must be made out of real concern about wrongdoing. Knowingly and maliciously making false accusations for ulterior motives is not whistleblowing. The whistleblower should reasonably believe the information and allegation is substantially true, even if the information later turns out to have been incorrect. Whistleblowing is not the same as making a complaint or raising a grievance, where the individual is saying that they have personally been poorly treated. A whistleblower is usually not directly or personally affected by the concern and therefore rarely has a direct personal interest in the outcome of any investigation into their concerns. The whistleblower raises the concern so that others can address it.
The policy is intended to deal with serious or sensitive concerns about wrongdoings such as the following:
It is not necessary for individuals who raise the concern to prove the wrongdoing that is alleged to have occurred or is likely to occur. However if an individual knowingly or maliciously makes an untrue allegation (eg: in order to cause disruption with MANY CHAPTERS), MANY CHAPTERS will take appropriate disciplinary action against them. It may constitute gross misconduct. Individuals should note that they will not be protected from the consequences of making a disclosure if, by doing so, they commit a criminal offence.
1. Individuals should in most cases, first report their concern to MANY CHAPTERS director or their Line Manager, who are expected to respond to that matter.
2. Individuals are encouraged to raise their concerns in writing where possible, setting out the background and history of their concerns (giving names, dates and places where possible) and indicating the reasons for their concerns. Individuals may seek the assistance of their trade union representative before raising the concern. The employee/contractor/volunteer may also invite a trade union representative or colleague to be present during any meetings or interviews about the concerns they have raised.
3. If an individual raises a concern which they believe to be true, MANY CHAPTERS will take appropriate action to protect the individual from any harassment, victimisation or bullying. Employees who raise a genuine concern under this policy will not be at risk of losing their job/position, nor will it influence any unrelated disciplinary action or redundancy procedures. The matter will be treated confidentially if the individual requests it and their name or position will be not be revealed without their permission unless MANY CHAPTERS has to do so by law. If in other circumstances the concern cannot be resolved without revealing the individual’s identity, the Director will discuss with the individual whether and how to proceed.
How the concern will be dealt with, will depend on what it involves. It is likely that further enquiries and/or investigation will be necessary. The concern may be investigated by MANY CHAPTERS director or the employees line manager in school. It may be necessary for the individual to give evidence in criminal or disciplinary proceedings. MANY CHAPTERS will give the individual feedback on the progress and outcome of any investigation wherever possible. If the suspicions are not confirmed by an investigation, the matter will be closed. Staff will not be treated or regarded any differently for raising the concern, and their confidentiality will continue to be protected.
For effective risk management, employees and volunteers need to be confident that they can raise matters of concern without suffering any detriment. Not dealing with problems early could have a devastating effect on organisations with costly fines, compensation, higher insurance premiums, damaged reputation, regulatory investigation, lost jobs, and even lost lives. Whistleblowing can be an early warning system for employers and an effective policy can provide a clear framework for action for employees and employers alike. Following its public consultation on whistleblowing, the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) found that: A whistleblowing policy will improve the trust and confidence among workers by creating what one respondent called a "culture of honesty and openness" by encouraging workers to report internally. This was seen as "good for the morale of workers", giving them confidence to come forward with concerns. A whistleblowing policy can provide a clear framework for constructive problem solving in a reasonable, appropriate and controllable way.
MANY CHAPTERS