Whistle-Blowing Policy & Procedure

Hayfield encourages a free and open culture in its dealings between management, staff, service users and all people with whom it engages in business.

In particular, Hayfield recognises that effective and honest communication is essential if its aims are to be achieved and bad practice is to be dealt with properly.  This document is designed to provide guidance to all those who work with or within Hayfield, who may feel at some time, that they need to raise certain issues relating to other personnel in confidence.

This whistle-blowing policy and procedures fully complies with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and more specifically Standard 5 in National Care Standards – Care Homes for People with Physical and Sensory Impairment and Standard 2 in National Care Standards – Support Services relating to legal requirements and best-practice guidelines to ensure that service users are protected from abuse, neglect and harm in residential and day care settings.

For advice on Whistle-Blowing, Public Concern at Work is an independent charity, recognised as a leading authority on public interest whistle-blowing.

• It runs a free legal helpline for people concerned about serious malpractice in the workplace.

• It offers professional and practical help to organisations on how to encourage responsibility and accountability in the workplace.

• It conducts research and informs developments in public policy.

Procedure

All staff are encouraged to raise any genuine concerns about any bad practice.  Examples of subject matters for disclosures would be:

• a suspicion of a criminal offence.

• a failure to comply with or a breach of legal obligations.

• a miscarriage of justice.

• endangering the Health and Safety of an individual.

• damage to the environment.

• financial malpractice, including fraud, theft, corruption or deliberate damage to property.

• breach of regulations or cover up of any issues above, affecting service users or other staff.

(Staff who fail to follow this procedure and knowingly withhold information or evidence in any of the above occurrences or areas, may be subject to disciplinary action, or to possible criminal proceedings in the event of a criminal investigation).

Staff may be worried that by reporting such issues, they will be opening themselves up to the risk of victimisation or may be risking their job security.  This policy is designed to give staff who raise concerns about other staff, the opportunity to do so and feel protected.  All staff have statutory protection, provided that concerns are raised in the right way and they are acting in good faith.

In Hayfield, the procedure is:

• Report suspected, or actual bad practice to your line manager.  (The fear of being mistaken should not prevent you from raising your concerns, provided you are acting in good faith.  You will be protected from reprisal or victimisation and will not be risking your job security).

• In cases where you do not feel you can tell your immediate line manager, for whatever reason, raise the matter with another manager or the director either verbally or in writing.

• If the matter is so serious that you cannot discuss with any of the above mentioned, contact the local Care Standards Commission Inspector at Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, The Piazza, Floor 4, 1 Smithhill Street, Paisley, PA1 1EB.

Training

All new staff should read this policy as part of their induction process and have regular opportunities at supervision and in-house training to be reminded of this policy and procedure and any updates.