Agenda item

Report by the Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer.

A revised Whistleblowing Policy was presented to the Audit and Governance Committee on 17 November 2021.  The revised policy draws from best practice elsewhere and benefited from prior consideration by the Audit Working Group.  It focuses primarily on employees, councillors and contractors.  A copy of the policy is attached to the report.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the number of incidents of Whistleblowing during the 2021-22 financial year.  The nine whistleblowing incidents are recorded in the report.

The Audit and Governance Committee received a report which referred to the incidents of Whistleblowing during the 2021-22 financial year.  The revised Whistleblowing Policy had been presented to the Committee in November 2021.

Simon Harper, Head of Governance, advised the Committee that there was a requirement to review the Policy each year and that nine incidents of Whistleblowing had been identified in the report during the 2021-22 financial year.  A summary of each allegation had been included.  The allegations were initially triaged by the Counter Fraud Team and were then forwarded to the service areas as appropriate.  Investigations were generally completed in a timely fashion.

Mr Harper and Ms Bradley explained that there was a confidential e-mail address that was available for allegations to be sent to and this was monitored closely by the Monitoring Officer and Chief Internal Auditor.  They would respond effectively to every case that was received.  In the current financial year, there had been six Whistleblowing incidents to date. 

Members were also advised that not all communications received via the e-mail constituted a Whistleblowing case.  There was a due process that needed to be legally followed.  The fact that there were cases demonstrated that people knew of the Policy and were willing to raise matters of concern.

In response to the Committee’s questions on this topic, Ms Bradley clarified that allegations made anonymously gave organisations discretion as to whether to take the matter forward.  As the Monitoring Officer at the Council she would decide whether to investigate.  It would be included in the records that an anonymous allegation had been raised and whether or not it had been investigated.  It was not possible to respond to the individual concerned who had made the allegation.

Confirmation was given that central audit records were also kept by the Council of Whistleblowing allegations that were pertinent and needed to be signposted to another person or organisation.  There was no benchmarking by the Council of the number of allegations in comparison to other Councils.  It was for each organisation to set their own parameters in relation to the Policy.  The Whistleblowing Policy was predominantly for employees due to the protection it gives them but the Council would not refuse to accept an issue which was brought to its attention by a member of the public.  The Policy was under constant review and it was possible that there would be amendments to it for consideration in 2023.

It was emphasised that it was not possible to go into the detail of each allegation in a public meeting or what outcomes had transpired.  Ms Bradley gave a commitment to look at whether the Council could more clearly set out what its role is in terms of the Whistleblowing Policy and its statutory obligations, including with organisations that are contracted with the Council.

RESOLVED: That the number of incidents of Whistleblowing during the 2021-22 financial year be NOTED.

ACTION: Anita Bradley to look at whether the Council could more clearly set out what its role is in terms of the Whistleblowing Policy and its statutory obligations, including with organisations that are contracted with the Council.