Whistleblowing Policy Essay

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Leicester City Council _________________________________________ Whistleblowing Policy for Employees Based in City Schools/Colleges and other Establishments Why do we have a Whistleblowing Policy? Employers are recommended to develop a clear and accessible Whistleblowing Policy under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. Such a Policy is valuable as, although Schools/Colleges pride themselves on acting with high standards of conduct and providing quality services to the community, sometimes there may be a lapse, or the suspicion of a lapse, in these standards. The simple fact is that an employee may suspect something is going wrong long before anyone else finds out about it: in the worst case, this may not be until an accident has happened or serious damage has been caused. So if something at work is troubling you enough for you to mention it to your family or friends, please report it straight away. It is natural that you may feel unable to express your concerns out of a feeling of disloyalty, however, such feelings must never result in a potentially illegal or dangerous situation going unreported. This particularly applies where the welfare of children may be at risk: all staff have a duty to report any child protection concerns to their school’s designated person for child protection - make sure you know their name. Remember, it is often the most vulnerable children or young people who are targeted: they need someone like you to safeguard their welfare. Don't think “what if I'm wrong?” - think “what if I’m right?” What is a Whistleblowing Policy? ‘Whistleblowing’ has been described as “providing a safe alternative to silence” (Public Concern at Work). It is the mechanism for you to voice your concerns without fear of repercussion, even if the concern later proves to be unfounded. When you raise a concern via this route, this is known as making a
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