Committees

Whistleblowing

Inquiry

Background

Whistleblowing is when an employee raises a concern about wrongdoing or malpractice in the workplace that has a public interest aspect to it. Officially this is called ‘making a disclosure in the public interest’. Whistleblowing is important to protect and reassure the workforce, and to maintain a healthy working culture and an efficient organisation. Whistleblowing has become much more high profile in recent years: as well publicised cases such as Hillsborough and the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust inquiry have shown. A greater public need for transparency, coupled with wider access to knowledge and information, and its dissemination through social and other media, mean that there is an increasing scope to uncover and report on wrongdoing.

This inquiry will assess the systems, structures and behaviours in place to enable effective whistleblowing arrangements.

Relevant information: