Whistleblower channel absence
Lack of independent or unconnected channels for staff to report concerns, especially when management or ownership involves close relationships.
66 items
9 sources
10 inquiries
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Inquiry recommendation
70match
BAHA-18 - Whistleblower Protection
JDP 1-10 should address the protection that will be afforded to service personnel who make complaints or allegations in good faith of the mistreatment of CPErS. It should give guidance as to those who can be approached when service personnel have concerns about the treatment of CPErS.
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Committee recommendation
70match
#16 - Whistleblower experience feedback not systematically collected across government departments.
The annual RAC data collection does not cover the treatment of whistleblowers; for example whether a whistleblower in a specific case has experienced any mistreatment, such as victimisation or bullying.39 The ‘whistleblowing heath check’ guidance issued by the Cabinet Office suggests departments should gather feedback from individuals on whether their concerns have been handled responsibly, professionally and in...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Committee recommendation
66match
#29 - Government must improve valuing whistleblowers, addressing Sellafield mistreatment allegations.
The previous Committee took evidence on how the civil service responds to whistleblowing, and found that the government needs to do more to signal the value of whistleblowers.85 It is particularly important that everyone working on a site as hazardous as Sellafield feels free to raise any concerns they have. This Committee–and its predecessors–have received a number of...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Committee recommendation
62match
#18 - Systematic interviews capturing whistleblower experience are not routinely conducted by departments.
We asked the Cabinet Office if any interviews are undertaken with whistleblowers to capture their perspective of the experience. It told us it is not aware of interviews taking place currently. There was a hesitancy from the Cabinet Office on the method of capturing feedback as it believed this could create a potential barrier to people coming forward.45...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Inquiry recommendation
61match
L81 - Enhanced Whistleblower Protection
An enhanced system for protection of whistleblowers and for providing assistance for the Police Service on general ethical issues should at least comprise the following: (a) greater prominence should be given to the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) telephone line operated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC); (b) there should be an 'ethics line' to the IPCC,...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Inquiry recommendation
61match
DM-13 - HMICFRS review of whistleblower protections
It is recommended that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services conduct a thematic investigation of the operation of the practices and procedures introduced following the adoption of the Code of Ethics in 2014 to determine whether sufficient resources are available to ensure appropriate protection of those police officers and police staff who wish to...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Committee recommendation
61match
#19 - Collecting systematic feedback from anonymous whistleblowers presents significant challenges for departments.
The Cabinet Office told us that it is considering ways of capturing feedback from people who have come forward anonymously. DWP acknowledged it finds it hard to collect information from whistleblowers who are anonymous and HMRC told us it has 39 Q 11 40 Q 11; C&AG Report, para 2.22 41 Q 81 42 Q 8 43 Qq...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Committee recommendation
60match
#14 - High anonymity rates among whistleblowers reflect ongoing trust issues in civil service
The Cabinet Office told us that just under half of whistleblowers come forward anonymously, acknowledging that this fact shows it has more work to do to convince people it is safe to speak up.31 We asked HMRC and DWP how they embed a culture that encourages people to raise concerns.32 HMRC told us it sets standards it expects...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Committee recommendation
59match
#31 - Fifty-Second Report - Ministry of Defence Equipment Plan 2021–31
We asked about the lack of tolerance of those involved in projects to voice their concerns without facing serious repercussions. The Permanent Secretary told us that “there are some particular challenges within the uniform chain of command about how you raise concerns” and he wanted the Department to have “the kind of safety culture where people feel able...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
57match
#17 - Whistleblower support predominantly relies on nominated officers and case-by-case handling.
We asked both HMRC and DWP how they currently support whistleblowers. HMRC told us the majority of support comes from nominated officers within the department but it also points people to other sources of advice and support, such as the employee assistance programme, the trade unions or the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).43 The Cabinet Office also...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Inquiry recommendation
57match
26 - Clear national whistleblowing policy
We commend the introduction of a clear national policy on whistleblowing. As well as protecting the interests of whistleblowers, we recommend that this is implemented in a way that ensures that a systematic and proportionate response is made by Trusts to concerns identified. Action: the Department of Health.
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Detention investigation recommendation
57match
Independent Investigation into Concerns about Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre - Rec R8
Managers should undertake a review of present local policies and arrangements for whistleblowing and reporting matters of concern. They should devise policies and arrangements that are easily understood by staff, command the confidence of staff and encourage and support them to report colleagues whose behaviours are inappropriate or below standard.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
56match
#3 - Ensure departments build a positive environment encouraging civil service whistleblowing concerns to be raised.
A ‘speak up’ environment is not yet embedded throughout departments to encourage people to comfortably raise concerns. There are still negative perceptions 6 Investigation into whistleblowing in the civil service of whistleblowing which can create barriers to achieving the right environment for speaking up. The annual Civil Service People Survey in 2022 had a median organisational score of...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
PFD report
53match
Leigh Wilde
The company lacked documented rationale for employee suspension, failed to consider risk factors or offer support services, and kept inadequate meeting records, raising concerns about employee welfare.
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
52match
#26 - Third Report - The MoD’s tackling of economic crime and misconduct
We asked the Department about the feedback given to whistleblowers from the Confidential Hotline. The Department told us that feedback is provided to whistleblowers in every case, noting that details provided would be case-specific. However, the separate case management systems operated by counter-fraud and police teams and limited visibility over them may mean it is difficult for the...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Committee recommendation
52match
#4 - Require all departments to collate feedback from whistleblowers at the end of the process.
The Cabinet Office and other departments do not seek feedback from whistleblowers and so are missing vital insights into the effectiveness of the process. The ‘whistleblowing heath check’ guidance from the Cabinet Office suggests departments should gather feedback from individuals on whether their concerns have been handled responsibly, professionally and in a positive manner. Feedback can provide a...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Inquiry recommendation
48match
WATE-(8) - Establish clear whistleblowing procedures for staff reporting child welfare concerns.
Every local authority should establish and implement conscientiously clear whistleblowing procedures enabling members of staff to make complaints and raise matters of concern affecting the treatment or welfare of looked after children without threats or fear of reprisals in any form. Such procedures should embody the principles indicated in recommendation (7) and the action to be taken should...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
48match
27 - Professional duty to report concerns
Professional regulatory bodies should clarify and reinforce the duty of professional staff to report concerns about clinical services, particularly where these relate to patient safety, and the mechanism to do so. Failure to report concerns should be regarded as a lapse from professional standards. Action: the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Professional Standards Authority...
Matched on
classifier match
IOPC learning recommendation
48match
Investigation into recruitment irregularities and the actions of a civilian staff member – British Transport Police, June 2018
The IOPC recommends that British Transport Police reviews how it manages interactions with people who report wrongdoing through the internal CARS reporting system. This should include both how they are kept informed and their involvement in providing information to the investigation. This follows an IOPC investigation in relation to a report made by way of the CARS system....
Matched on
classifier match
Detention investigation recommendation
48match
Independent Investigation into Concerns about Brook House Immigration Removal Centre - Rec R51
The SMT and G4S managers should review the policy and arrangements for raising concerns and their own handling of such matters to ensure that they encourage and support staff to report wrongdoing or misconduct or inappropriate behaviour by colleagues and managers. (To be completed within 3 months)
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
47match
#7 - Cabinet Office whistleblowing data has improved but lacks outcome and whistleblower perspective
Cabinet Office’s information on concerns and arrangements across the civil service has improved but it still has several quality limitations. For example, there is no method for capturing outcomes for concerns that are ‘ongoing’ at the point of an annual data collection and no structured data on what the process is like from the whistleblowers’ perspective.10 The Cabinet...
Matched on
terms: whistleblower
Committee recommendation
47match
#8 - Cabinet Office does not centrally track whistleblowing investigation lengths from departments
HMRC told us it understands that it is important to whistleblowers that it investigates as quickly as possible, and both HMRC and DWP monitor the length of time cases take.13 But the Cabinet Office is not collating this metric from departments.14 HMRC told us that more complex cases can cause delays to investigations, either due to being particularly...
Matched on
terms: absence, whistleblower
CQC action
45match
Standon Gardens Domiciliary Services
Consideration should be given to how staff could report concerns, should they have any, to someone unconnected to these relatives or relationship groups.
Matched on
classifier match
HMICFRS recommendation
45match
FRS 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
Cause of concern: The service needs to do more to ensure that its staff routinely demonstrate behaviours in line with its values. We found strong evidence of behaviours that weren’t in line with service values. We were told about cultures among some teams where staff demonstrate unacceptable behaviour. And staff don’t always have the confidence to report these...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#8 - Seventh Report - Progress on tackling the sexual exploitation and abuse of aid beneficiaries
An audit will also help the FCDO along with other donors to hold aid organisations accountable for their treatment of whistle-blowers. The results of an audit could help donors to develop incentives for managers to encourage effective reporting on standards of conduct.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#7 - Seventh Report - Progress on tackling the sexual exploitation and abuse of aid beneficiaries
A full and transparent audit of whistleblowing in the aid sector has still not taken place. The FCDO should undertake an audit to provide a full understanding of how whistleblowing practices are being implemented and used, to give confidence that whistle-blowers are actively supported and not retaliated against by their organisations.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#9 - Second report - The cost of complacency: illicit finance and the war in Ukraine
Journalists, however, are not the only truth-tellers who need protection. They often rely on whistle-blowers inside companies and organisations. These whistle-blowers need protection. The FCDO should therefore push for a Whistleblowing Bill to offer protection to those who speak out against, or uncover, economic crimes and other wrongdoing.
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classifier match
CQC action
45match
Verve Health
The service must ensure that staff are aware of how to use the whistleblowing process.
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
44match
BRIS-114 - Grant immunity for NHS staff reporting sentinel events within 48 hours
Members of staff in the NHS should receive immunity from disciplinary action by the employer or by a professional body if they report a sentinel event to the trust or to the national database within 48 hours, except where they themselves have committed a criminal offence.
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
44match
IHRD-30 - Confidential Reporting of Clinical Concerns
Confidential on-line opportunities for reporting clinical concerns should be developed, implemented and reviewed.
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
44match
#9 - Seventh Report - Progress on tackling the sexual exploitation and abuse of aid beneficiaries
We are concerned that the use of non-disclosure agreements in the aid sector could be used to cover-up misconduct and will exacerbate power imbalances. As part of its due diligence processes the FCDO should require organisations it funds to report to it the number of non-disclosure agreements they have signed, to help the FCDO to ensure that its...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
44match
#2 - Set out specific actions to analyse civil service whistleblowing data for improved knowledge.
There is a lack of data analysis and sharing of insights regarding whistleblowing across of the civil service. The Cabinet Office does not utilise its central position to analyse the cross-government data it collects. This could help identify trends and valuable insights that could be shared across the civil service. Currently, the Government People Group (GPG) produces summary...
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
41match
L46 - Whistleblowing Hotline
A regulatory body should establish a whistleblowing hotline for those who feel that they are being asked to do things which are contrary to the code.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
41match
#20 - Good whistleblowing practices exist but are not consistently shared across civil service departments.
There are some examples of good practice across the civil service when it comes to whistleblowing processes, but they are not always shared between departments and agencies. For example, HMRC has ‘help cards’ to improve the quality of information on concerns raised anonymously and DWP has multiple routes for raising concerns so people have different options.50 Also, the...
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
40match
F179 - Restrictive contractual clauses
"Gagging clauses" or non disparagement clauses should be prohibited in the policies and contracts of all healthcare organisations, regulators and commissioners; insofar as they seek, or appear, to limit bona fide disclosure in relation to public interest issues of patient safety and care.
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
40match
RHI-32b - Civil Servants Raising Concerns
Civil servants should be encouraged not to feel in any way inhibited about disclosing possible or emerging problems, raising concerns, negative aspects or adverse criticisms of a project as necessary to ensure that decisions are properly informed.
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classifier match
IMB recommendation
40match
Scotland and Northern Ireland short-term holding facilities (STHF) (2025)
What mechanisms are in place to detect and address unusually low levels of complaints or staff whistleblowing at the facilities we monitor?
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
40match
F160 - Training and training establishments as a source of safety information
Proactive steps need to be taken to encourage openness on the part of trainees and to protect them from any adverse consequences in relation to raising concerns.
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classifier match
IMB recommendation
40match
North East Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber STHF (2024)
We recommend that Swinderby RSTHF centre management and the Home Office contract compliance team review existing processes around staff culture, professional standards and whistle blowing to ensure they are sufficient, effective and robust.
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classifier match
Detention investigation recommendation
36match
Investigation into Allegations of Racism and Mistreatment of Detainees at Oakington Immigration Reception Centre - Rec 13
I recommend that the whistleblowing policy be ‘talked up’ during initial training and further endorsed during subsequent training.
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
36match
BRIS-116 - Provide opportunity to report sentinel events in confidence
The opportunity should exist to report a sentinel event in confidence.
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
36match
RHI-35 - Early Warning Systems
Better systems are needed for spotting early warnings and concerns from the public and businesses that something unexpected could be happening or going wrong with an initiative. Simply updating existing complaints and whistle-blowing policies, although helpful, will not be sufficient, since relevant intelligence often does not come through these routes. The default response amongst officials should be one...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
36match
#6 - Cabinet Office introduced whistleblowing data collection and health check tools in 2017
In 2017, the Cabinet Office introduced data collection from departments following this Committee’s recommendations in 2016.7 The data collection process is known as the annual Raising a Concern (RAC) collection exercise, which includes a qualitative survey and a quantitative return. The information collected includes the number of whistleblowing cases and nature of those cases. There is also a...
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classifier match
LGO / SPSO decision
36match
24-020-464 - Brighton & Hove City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about whistleblowing. It is appropriate for the complainant to escalate any concerns to the relevant prescribed body.
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classifier match
LGO / SPSO decision
36match
25-010-866 - Gloucestershire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this whistle-blowing complaint about matters principally involving staff safety at temporary accommodation contracted by the Council. We are not a responsible body for whistle-blowing complaints and other bodies are better placed than us to deal with this matter.
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
35match
SP67 - Law Commission review of duty to warn/report
The Law Commission should be asked to review the merits of legal reform concerning whether specified categories of persons ought to be under a legal duty to warn about, or a duty to report, the criminality of another.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
35match
#8 - 72nd Report - BBC World Service
Whistleblowing concerns, particularly about BBC Arabic’s phase-one restructuring, led the BBC Whistleblowing team to find insufficient documentation and analysis for key decisions; the Service addressed these recommendations inconsistently and with delays.14 More broadly, governance and responsiveness were weak, including governance structures having been set up late and underdeveloped planning and risk management. The 2022 language service restructure did...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
35match
#23 - Departments inconsistently apply whistleblowing guidance to their associated arm’s-length bodies.
The Cabinet Office guidance specifies that departments should cover their agencies as well as themselves when responding to health checks, but this is not followed by all 48 Qq 80, 82 49 Q 2 50 NAO insight - good practice guide, Whistleblowing in the civil service, 21 February 2024 51 C&AG’s Report, Figure 4 52 Qq 52, 53...
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
32match
L47 - Journalist Contract Protection
The industry generally and a regulatory body in particular should consider requiring its members to include in the employment or service contracts with journalists a clause to the effect that no disciplinary action would be taken against a journalist as a result of a refusal to act in a manner which is contrary to the code of practice.
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
31match
BRIS-117 - Require contractual stipulation for confidential, non-disciplinary reporting of sentinel events.
There should be a stipulation in every healthcare professional’s contract that sentinel events must be reported, that reporting can be confidential, and that reporting within a specified time period will not attract disciplinary action.
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classifier match