Whistleblower channel absence
Lack of independent or unconnected channels for staff to report concerns, especially when management or ownership involves close relationships.
25 items
1 source
15 inquiries
Source spread
Where this theme appears
Whistleblower channel absence has been flagged across 1 independent accountability source:
25 inquiry recs
This theme has been identified in one data source. As more data is added, cross-references may emerge.
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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Inquiry Recommendations (25)
30 — Protection of safety representatives
Recommendation: Safety representatives should be protected against victimisation by a provision similar to Sec 58(i)(b) of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 (para 21.86).
Unknown
71 — Research on duty to report wrongdoing
Recommendation: Research should be conducted on how effective the obligation to report wrongdoing – and the designation of a failure to do so as a disciplinary offence – has been. This should be done by comparing the number of instances of …
Unknown
69 — Whistleblowing policy routes for staff
Recommendation: The Prison Service’s policy on whistleblowing should identify the most appropriate way for staff, in an exceptional case, to get confidential advice from an independent outsider and to raise their concerns outside the Prison Service. It should also ensure that …
Unknown
16 — Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Recommendation: The functions of the National Guardian’s Office should be taken over by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in England. The Ombudsman’s powers must be increased to include: a. investigating complaints that whistleblowing in the NHS has not been dealt …
Gov response: No formal government response published. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care's oral statement of 15 September 2026, made on the day the Inquiry's report was published, names neither this recommendation nor the …
Unknown
37 — Westminster whistleblowing policies for CSA
Recommendation: Government, political parties and other Westminster institutions must have whistleblowing policies and procedures which cover child sexual abuse and exploitation. Every employee must be aware that they can raise any concerns using these policies and that the policies are not …
Words of: HM Government, Government response to the IICSA Westminster report, published by the Cabinet Office, 18 September 2020
Gov response: Government Departments All government departments have whistleblowing policies in place. To support departments in ensuring their policies are effective, a model policy is provided by Civil Service Employee Policy, part of Civil Service HR. This …
Noted
No update 2+ yrs
R80 — NED for confidential staff reporting
Recommendation: Consideration should be given to the creation of a role for a NED in each HSCT with the specific remit to receive confidential reports from members of staff. The individual should receive training via a programme focused on safeguarding and …
No response yet
L46 — Whistleblowing Hotline
Recommendation: 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.
Words of: David Cameron, Prime Minister, statement to the House of Commons on the Leveson Inquiry report, 29 November 2012 (HC Deb vol 554 cols 446-448)
Gov response: In volume IV of the report, Lord Justice Leveson sets out proposals for independent self-regulation organised by the media. He details the key “requirements” that an independent self-regulatory body should meet, including independence of appointments …
Accepted in part
26 — Clear national whistleblowing policy
Recommendation: 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 …
Words of: Department of Health, Learning not blaming (Cm 9113), government response to the Morecambe Bay Investigation and two other reports, July 2015
Gov response: 50. We accept this recommendation. The Department has accepted in principle the recommendations made by Sir Robert Francis QC in his Freedom to Speak Up report; and has consulted on a package of measures to …
Accepted
BAHA-18 — Whistleblower Protection
Recommendation: 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 …
Words of: Liam Fox, Secretary of State for Defence, statement to the House of Commons, 8 September 2011 (HC Deb vol 532 col 571), as published by the Ministry of Defence
Gov response: I can inform this House that I am accepting in principle all of his recommendations with one reservation.
Accepted in part
WATE-(8) — Establish clear whistleblowing procedures for staff reporting child welfare concerns.
Recommendation: 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 …
Unknown
BRIS-114 — Grant immunity for NHS staff reporting sentinel events within 48 hours
Recommendation: 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 …
Unknown
IHRD-30 — Confidential Reporting of Clinical Concerns
Recommendation: Confidential on-line opportunities for reporting clinical concerns should be developed, implemented and reviewed.
Words of: Mr Swann, Minister of Health, written ministerial statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly, 25 March 2021
Gov response: My Department accepts the recommendations of the O'Hara Report in their entirety.
Accepted
F179 — Restrictive contractual clauses
Recommendation: "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 …
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. We understand the critical importance of fostering and sustaining an open culture in which concerns about care can be raised, investigated and acted upon without fear of retribution. Our policy is clear that any …
Accepted
L81 — Enhanced Whistleblower Protection
Recommendation: 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 …
Words of: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Government response to the consultation on the Leveson Inquiry and its implementation, 1 March 2018
Gov response: The Metropolitan Police Service, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and the College of Policing have implemented or are implementing all of the Inquiry’s recommendations in relation to law enforcement. For …
Accepted
27 — Professional duty to report concerns
Recommendation: 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 …
Words of: Department of Health, Learning not blaming (Cm 9113), government response to the Morecambe Bay Investigation and two other reports, July 2015
Gov response: 53. We accept this recommendation. A review of professional codes is under way. 54. Dr Kirkup found that many staff did not raise any concerns about standards of care in the maternity units across Morecambe …
Accepted
In progress
RHI-32b — Civil Servants Raising Concerns
Recommendation: 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.
Words of: Northern Ireland Executive, Executive Response to the RHI Inquiry Report Recommendations and Action Plan, Annex A, 7 October 2021
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been partially addressed through: • the revision of the NICS Code of Ethics; • the GIAFIS review of whistleblowing; • the Leadership Development training for senior …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
DM-13 — HMICFRS review of whistleblower protections
Recommendation: 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 …
Words of: Home Office, Government response to the report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel (CP 857), presented to Parliament by the Home Secretary, 15 June 2023
Gov response: 2.2.3. The then Home Secretary acted immediately to concerns raised in the Panel’s report by commissioning HMICFRS to undertake a thematic inspection into corruption within the MPS. It published its findings on 22 March 2022. …
Noted
BRIS-116 — Provide opportunity to report sentinel events in confidence
Recommendation: The opportunity should exist to report a sentinel event in confidence.
Unknown
F160 — Training and training establishments as a source of safety information
Recommendation: 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.
Speaker not recorded. Source: Department of Health, Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, volume 2 (Cm 8777-II), November 2013
Gov response: Accepted. The General Medical Council has made clear its commitment to build on the progress to date in this area (the inclusion of a patient safety question in the National Training Survey, the development of …
Accepted
In progress
L47 — Journalist Contract Protection
Recommendation: 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 …
Words of: David Cameron, Prime Minister, statement to the House of Commons on the Leveson Inquiry report, 29 November 2012 (HC Deb vol 554 cols 446-448)
Gov response: In volume IV of the report, Lord Justice Leveson sets out proposals for independent self-regulation organised by the media. He details the key “requirements” that an independent self-regulatory body should meet, including independence of appointments …
Accepted in part
RHI-35 — Early Warning Systems
Recommendation: 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, …
Words of: Northern Ireland Executive, Executive Response to the RHI Inquiry Report Recommendations and Action Plan, Annex A, 7 October 2021
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been partially addressed through: • the revision of the NICS Code of Ethics; • the GIAFIS review of whistleblowing; • the Leadership Development training for senior …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
SP67 — Law Commission review of duty to warn/report
Recommendation: 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.
Words of: HM Government, Government Response to Phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry (CP 1623), presented to Parliament by the Home Secretary, 2 July 2026
Gov response: Ministry of Justice is the sponsoring department for the Law Commission and will work with the Law Commission, the Home Office and other relevant departments on this recommendation. Progress and next steps: - The Law …
Accepted
BRIS-117 — Require contractual stipulation for confidential, non-disciplinary reporting of sentinel events.
Recommendation: 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.
Unknown
IHRD-6 — Support for Candour Compliance
Recommendation: Support and protection should be given to those who properly fulfil their duty of candour.
Words of: Mr Swann, Minister of Health, written ministerial statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly, 25 March 2021
Gov response: My Department accepts the recommendations of the O'Hara Report in their entirety.
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
BAHA-17 — CPERS Complaints Procedure
Recommendation: JDP 1-10 should incorporate the requirement that on entry to and exit from a theatre level detention facility, CPERS are proactively asked whether or not they have any complaints concerning their treatment. This should not be done in the presence …
Words of: Liam Fox, Secretary of State for Defence, statement to the House of Commons, 8 September 2011 (HC Deb vol 532 col 571), as published by the Ministry of Defence
Gov response: I can inform this House that I am accepting in principle all of his recommendations with one reservation.
Accepted in part