Whistleblowing
The Council is committed to the highest possible standards of openness, probity and accountability. We are committed to conducting our business with honesty and integrity, and we expect all staff to maintain high standards. All organisations however, face the risk of things going wrong from time to time, or of unknowingly harbouring illegal or unethical conduct. A culture of openness and accountability is essential in order to prevent such situations occurring or to address them when they do occur. Employees are often the first to realise that there may be something seriously wrong with the way that certain activities are carried out within the Council. We therefore encourage employees and others with serious concerns about any aspect of the Council’s work, to come forward and voice those concerns. Some employees may feel however, that speaking up would be disloyal to their colleagues or to the Council. They may also fear harassment or victimisation as a result of their actions. The Council’s Whistleblowing Policy makes it clear that staff can report their concerns without fear of reprisals. The policy:
- encourages staff to report suspected wrongdoing as soon as possible, in the knowledge that their concerns will be taken seriously and investigated as appropriate, and that the employees confidentiality will be respected.
- provides guidance and avenues for staff to raise concerns and receive feedback on any action taken
- allows staff to take the matters further if they are dissatisfied with the Council’s response
- reassure staff that you should be able to raise genuine concerns without fear of reprisals or victimisation for whistleblowing, even if they turn out to be mistaken
For more information on Whistleblowing please see the Policy by clicking here.