Whistleblowing Policy and Procedure 2021 to 2022

This policy and procedure is founded on the following principles:

• employees and workers have a legal right to report their concerns if they have a reasonable belief that wrongdoing may be occurring, or may have occurred, within the Council

• the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects employees and workers from reprisal, victimisation or harassment at work if they raise a concern that they reasonably believe is in the public interest

• any matter raised under this procedure will be investigated thoroughly, promptly and confidentially, and the outcome of the investigation reported back to the worker who raised the issue

• if a concern is raised in confidence, the employee’s or worker’s identity will not be disclosed without their consent, unless required by law

• all parties involved in the whistleblowing process will maintain strict confidentiality throughout by ensuring that only the people who need to know have access to details of the case (with the exception of any legal obligations requiring action from the Council, e.g. in health and safety matters)

• the employee or worker has a right to be accompanied by an accredited trade union representative or work colleague at any meeting during the Whistleblowing process

• if you have any misgivings about either the process or the managers leading it, you should tell us openly (see section 4) so that we can address your concerns. Any meeting recorded without the consent of all those present (covert recordings) will be treated as a conduct matter

• maliciously making a false allegation is a disciplinary offence, which may be dealt with under the Conduct and Disciplinary Policy and Procedure

• trying to identify, harassment or victimisation of a whistleblower (including informal pressures) will be treated as a disciplinary offence, which will be dealt with under the Conduct and Disciplinary Policy and Procedure

• any person who deters or attempts to deter any individual from genuinely raising concerns under this policy may also be subject to the Council’s Conduct and Disciplinary Policy and Procedure

• issues raised by an employee about their own employment should be dealt with through the Grievance Policy and Procedure or through discussions with their line managers where it is appropriate to do so

• the role of the Council’s Monitoring Officer (Deputy Chief Executive) is to promote and maintain high standards of conduct across the Council and to ensure lawfulness and fairness of decision making

• all concerns raised relating to Buckinghamshire Council and Schools will be recorded on a central register, held by the Business Assurance function on behalf of the Council’s Monitoring Officer

• as part of the ongoing review of the effectiveness of this policy, an annual report will be issued to the Buckinghamshire Council’s Audit and Governance Committee of all concerns raised under the Whistleblowing policy

• there will be no unlawful discrimination against any individual in the application of this policy because of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, maternity and pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or other grounds protected in law (covered by the Equality Act of 2010)