Whistleblowing - Charity Commission publishes guidance for charity employees

Whistleblowing continues to be a hot topic.  Last month we highlighted a report by Public Concern at Work analysing data from calls made to its whistleblowing advice line in 2014.   This week the Charity Commission, which is on the list of “prescribed persons” to whom workers may in certain circumstances make a protected disclosure, published a detailed guide “Whistleblowing: guidance for charity employees”.    The guide explains:

• how the whistleblowing legislation protects charity employees,
• what type of disclosures are protected
• how the Commission deals with disclosures from whistleblowers. 

 The guide asks whistleblowers to send their reports to the Commission’s dedicated whistleblowing email address.

 The Charity Commission’s guide can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/whistleblowing-guidance-for-charity-employees

 It is worth considering whether your organisation has a clear whistleblowing policy which has been adequately promoted internally. A well-publicised policy will encourage an open culture, reduce the risk of serious wrongdoing remaining uncovered and increase the chance that a whistleblower will give the organisation an opportunity to investigate and address their concerns as an alternative to going straight to an external body.  More information on implementing and publicising whistleblowing policies can be found on the BIS website:  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/415175/bis-15-200-whistleblowing-guidance-for-employers-and-code-of-practice.pdf