Making a Protected Disclosure (Whistleblowing)

Under certain circumstances, employees are protected from suffering any detriment or termination of employment if they make disclosures about organisations for whom they work.

The College wants to encourage an open culture where employees feel confident to raise questions and challenge management behaviour which they feel may be inappropriate or at worst illegal.

Whilst we would encourage employees to discuss issues wherever possible with their manager, the College recognises that staff may not always feel comfortable about raising difficult issues and may fear that they could suffer as a result. This policy explains the legal protection which is provided in these circumstances and the College is committed to complying with both the spirit and letter of the legislation.

Certain disclosures are prescribed by law as “qualifying disclosures”. A “qualifying disclosure” means a disclosure of information that the employee genuinely and reasonably believes is in the public interest and shows that the College has committed a “relevant failure” by:

1. committing a criminal offence
2. failing to comply with a legal obligation
3. a miscarriage of justice
4. endangering the health and safety of an individual
5. environmental damage
6. concealing any information relating to the above

• Staff wishing to make a protected disclosure should contact the Bursar or Senior Tutor in the first instance, ideally in writing, or if it is not appropriate to make a disclosure to either of these Officers, then to the Principal.
• Written acknowledgement will be provided within five working days of receipt of the disclosure.
• Staff will be invited to a formal meeting to discuss their concerns (with the Bursar, Senior Tutor or Principal as above) and will be notified in writing within ten working days of any actions or outcomes resulting from that meeting.
• Throughout this process staff are able to raise the matter as a protected disclosure with an outside body such as the Environment Agency if they feel that the matter is not being properly addressed or there has been a failure to take action and the concern meets the definition of a protected disclosure above.

No protection is provided under the law if the person making the disclosure commits a criminal offence by making it.

Revised and approved by Governing Body on 12 June 2014