Investigation into whistleblowing in the civil service

a In order to build a fuller understanding of whistleblowing outcomes and what happens to whistleblowers, Cabinet Office should work with departments to improve the completeness of data, broaden the categories of data it collects and deepen the analysis it undertakes. Additional categories of data could include information on cases that were previously ongoing, time taken for investigations, whether whistleblowers have made claims of victimisation and how these claims were responded to;

b Cabinet Office should work with departments to encourage them to use every concern raised as an opportunity to learn from whistleblowers, including those concerns where no wrongdoing is found;

c When data is available Cabinet Office should use it to establish the extent of whistleblower complaints of intimidation or victimisation, build an understanding of the number of and patterns in complaints, and consider any need to coordinate departmental action

d Cabinet Office should build on its efforts to help departments learn from different approaches to whistleblowing, focusing on areas such as supporting effective assurance by senior leaders and Audit and Risk Assurance Committees, understanding whistleblowers? experience and supporting the people that work with whistleblowers.