Updated September 2024
Introduction
At Partnership One, we’re committed to maintaining the highest possible standards of openness, integrity, honesty, and accountability. We expect all employees to maintain these high standards, which is why any suspected wrongdoing should be reported as soon as possible.
‘Whistleblowing’ is when an employee discloses some wrongdoing or concern regarding an issue that impacts the public interest. It is in the interests of Partnership One and its employees to ensure malpractice does not occur. Partnership One, therefore, fully supports the disclosure of any reasonable suspicions regarding irregularities in the running of the company or of the activities of colleagues working within the company.
We won’t penalise any employee for raising a concern under this policy, even when it’s not upheld – it’s more important to us that something is said rather than not so we can investigate as early as possible. There’s also legislation in place that makes it automatically unfair to dismiss an employee because they’ve made a protected whistleblowing disclosure.
Employees are often the first to realise that there may be something seriously wrong within a company but may not express their concerns because they feel that speaking up would be disloyal to their colleague or to Partnership One. It may feel like it’s easier to ignore the concern rather than report what may be serious malpractice. This policy aims to encourage and enable employees to raise serious concerns within Partnership One rather than overlooking the problem or ‘blowing the whistle’ outside.
This policy conforms with the guidance in the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and protects individuals who disclose certain information where it’s done without malice and with the belief it’s in the public interest.
Scope
This policy is intended to cover concerns that fall outside of the scope of other Partnership One policies and procedures. It’s intended to assist individuals who believe they’ve discovered malpractice or impropriety which may be a matter of public interest. Such concerns could include:
- Possible fraud and corruption
- Financial irregularities
- Criminal activity
- Improper conduct or unethical behaviour
- Failure to comply with a legal obligation
- Health and safety risks/dangerous working conditions
- Damage to the environment
- Attempts to conceal any of these.
This list is not exhaustive but illustrates the types of concerns that could arise, and which would be covered by this policy.
If you wish to formally raise a concern relating to your own employment, you should refer to our Grievance Resolution procedure.
What to do when you have a concern
If you have concerns that you believe are in the public interest, such as those listed in the ‘scope’ section, and wish to raise them under this policy, you should raise them as soon as possible so we can investigate and put things right.
It’s hoped that you can raise your concern internally and there are three routes available for you to do so. You should choose whichever you feel most comfortable with and your concern can be either verbally or in writing. The reporting routes are as follows:
- Your leader
- Your HR Consultant
- Your Chief Executive Officer
We’d prefer you to raise a concern with someone within Partnership One rather than not at all, but if you feel unable to raise internally, you may wish to seek advice from:
- Relevant professional bodies or regulatory organisations (known as ‘prescribed people and bodies’)
- Citizens Advice
- A solicitor
- The police
- A relevant voluntary organisation
- Public Concern at Work.
Concerns raised from external sources
Anyone who becomes aware of a customer or supplier’s wish to raise a concern should put them in touch with one of our HR Consultants, or the Chief Executive Officer.
Making your claim confidentially or anonymously
Employees are encouraged to put their name to any disclosures they make, however please tell us from the outset if you want to raise any matter in confidence. We’ll make every effort we can to protect your identity. However, there may be circumstances where this isn’t possible. We don’t tolerate bullying or harassment of anyone raising a concern, but appreciate people are sometimes more comfortable raising a concern in confidence.
If you ask us to protect your identity, we won’t disclose it without your consent, and we’ll discuss with you how we can proceed should we be unable to resolve your concern without revealing your identity (for example, because your evidence may be needed in court).
If you don’t want to reveal your name at all, anonymous complaints will be investigated and acted upon as the person receiving the complaint sees fit. They’ll regard the seriousness of your concern, the credibility of the concern, the prospects of being able to investigate and fairness to any individual(s) mentioned.
How we’ll investigate your concerns
It’s our responsibility to investigate any concerns you raise as soon as possible. Any concerns will be investigated in a confidential and sensitive manner.
We’ll start with an initial interview with you to find out more and assess what further action to take, which will include:
- The details of your concern(s), including the people involved, nature, dates, and location etc.
- The reason(s) why you feel concerned and the grounds for them.
- You don’t need to provide proof, but we’ll expect you to explain in detail the reasons for your concern. You may also bring a colleague or Trade Union representative with you, providing they’re not involved in work relating to the concern, and we’ll keep you informed of the outcome at every stage (subject to any legal restraints).
Unsubstantiated allegations
If an employee raises a concern or makes an allegation which is not upheld by a subsequent investigation, no action will be taken against them. In making disclosures, the individual should exercise due care to ensure the accuracy of information provided. However, employees should not try to investigate their suspicions themselves as evidence may be lost.
If an employee makes a malicious or vexatious allegation, disciplinary action may be taken.
Our assurances
Partnership One will treat all such disclosures in a confidential and sensitive manner. We’ll make every effort to keep your identity confidential when raising a concern wherever possible, and only reveal it where necessary to those involved in investigating a concern.
It can be difficult to make a disclosure, but we’ll do all we can to minimise that and put you at ease. If you need to give evidence in criminal or disciplinary proceedings, we’ll make sure you’re advised on the procedure beforehand.
We’ll also aim to give you as much feedback as we can and inform you of the general outcome of the investigation, but we may not be able to tell you any precise actions we take where this would infringe the duty of confidence we owe to someone else.
Timescales
Due to the varied nature of concerns, which may involve the need for an internal investigation, it’s not possible to lay down precise timescales for resolution. However, we will ensure that any investigations are undertaken as quickly as possible without affecting the quality and depth of those investigations.