This policy establishes our company’s commitment to protecting whistleblowers who raise concerns in good faith. It is designed to ensure confidentiality, prevent retaliation, and promote an ethical and transparent organisational culture.
This Policy applies to all stakeholders, including but not limited to employees, contractors, clients, suppliers, and any external parties with whom we interact.
We are committed to:
- Upholding and adhering to the principles of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA) to foster an environment where concerns can be raised openly and responsibly.
- Protecting whistleblowers from any retaliatory actions, including but not limited to dismissal, discrimination, or harassment as a result of raising legitimate concerns.
- Safeguarding the confidentiality of all parties involved throughout the whistleblowing process.
- Taking any form of retaliation against whistleblowers seriously and treating it as a disciplinary offence, which may result in dismissal of the offending individual(s).
Suppliers are required to maintain grievance mechanisms that align with our policies, including adherence to ethical standards and fair labour practices.
Whistleblowing concerns may relate to, but are not limited to:
- Acts of Fraud, corruption, or improper financial conduct.
- Criminal behaviour or breaches of legal and regulatory requirements..
- Threats to public health or safety.
- Harm to the environment.
- Breaches of company policies, ethical guidelines, or stated commitments.
Stakeholders are encouraged to report concerns through the following channels:
- Concerns can be raised directly with any Line Manager or Director.
- Anonymous and confidential submissions can be made via our dedicated email address at [email protected] or an online form on our Stakeholder Feedback page.
All reports will be handled with the strictest confidence.
- Information related to any whistleblowing report will be shared strictly on a need-to-know basis.
- We will seek the whistleblower’s consent before sharing information with additional parties, except where required by law.
- The outcome of any investigation or resolution process will also be treated as confidential.
- Any form of retaliation against whistleblowers is strictly prohibited.
- The company will work with independent experts, where appropriate, to assess risks to those who may be vulnerable.
- Periodic reviews and audits will be conducted to ensure that protection measures remain effective and relevant.
- Proactive steps will be taken to mitigate any risks identified, helping to safeguard all whistleblowers.
- Retaliation against whistleblowers who raise genuine concerns is considered a serious breach of company policy.
- Disciplinary measures, up to and including dismissal, will be taken against any individual found to have retaliated.
- Similarly, any breaches of confidentiality during the whistleblowing or grievance process will also result in disciplinary measures.
To ensure our whistleblowing framework remains robust and trusted, we will:
- Engage with external professionals when necessary to strengthen the overall effectiveness of our approach.
- Provide training to staff responsible for handling whistleblowing reports, ensuring professionalism and discretion.
- Be transparent with whistleblowers about who may need to be informed during the process.
- Regularly review and update this policy to align with evolving best practices.
- Every whistleblowing report will be recorded, reviewed, and managed by a senior designated officer or an independent third party, where appropriate.
- Routine audits will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and consistency of our whistleblower protection efforts.
For any questions regarding this policy or process, please contact us via the Stakeholder Feedback page. Alternatively, you may email us directly at [email protected], or call one of the listed numbers on our Contact page.