The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects workers who “blow the whistle” about wrongdoing. It applies where a worker has a reasonable belief that their disclosure tends to show one or more of the following offences or breaches:
- A criminal offence
- The breach of a legal obligation
- A miscarriage of justice
- A danger to the health and safety of any individual
- Damage to the environment
- Deliberate covering up of information tending to show any of the above
Laleham Church Playgroup strongly supports measures which protect whistleblowers from any form of victimisation. Laleham Church Playgroup has a procedure to ensure that concerns are dealt with effectively and efficiently and will do all that they can to preserve the confidentiality of workers who raise such concerns.
Staff who genuinely believe that people they work with are behaving in a way that seems wrong or have a serious concern about an aspect of the provision will be doing their duty and acting in the public interest by speaking out.
Agreed Procedures
1. How to raise a concern
Laleham Church Playgroup seeks to encourage and enable individuals to disclose information through appropriate channels first, rather than going directly to an outside person or body. As a first step, concerns should normally be raised with the playgroup manager, Louise Hawthorn, or her deputy, Natalie Apthorp. Depending on the seriousness and sensitivity of the issues involved and who is suspected of any wrong doing staff may prefer to raise their concerns with Jo Smith (nominated individual of All Saints Parochial Church Council); Jan Vince (All Saints’ PCC Children’s Advocate, contact for Safeguarding concerns); Surrey Supporting Children Team or Ofsted.
Concerns may be raised verbally or in writing. Staff who wish to make a written report are advised to set out the background and history of the concern, giving names, dates and places (where possible) and the reasons for making the disclosure. Although a member of staff is not expected to prove beyond doubt the truth of the allegation, they will need to demonstrate that they have an honest and reasonable suspicion that malpractice has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur.
2. What will happen once a concern is raised
• Laleham Church Playgroup will respond to any concern raised.
• Initial enquiries will be made to decide whether an investigation is appropriate, and, if so, what form it should take. This is to protect both the whistle blower and those accused of wrong doing.
• Concerns and allegations which fall within the scope of specific policies/procedures (for example safeguarding, conduct or discrimination issues) will normally be referred for consideration under those procedures.
• Some concerns may be resolved by agreed action without the need for investigation
• If urgent action is required this will be taken before any investigation is conducted.
• Staff will be told how Laleham Church Playgroup proposes to deal with a concern within 10 working days of the concern being brought to our attention.
3. LADO
We refer any such immediately to Surrey County Council Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to investigate (telephone No: 0300 200 1006). This will be in accordance with the Working Together 2013 and Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP). We also report any such incident to Ofsted, informing them what measures have been taken. This must be done as soon as reasonably practicable but at least within 14 days of the allegation being made. We are aware that it is an offence not to do this and this will be followed up in writing with 14 days of the allegation. If more advice is needed, we would contact the Early Years & Childcare Service’s named person for allegations against adults working with children and young people by calling: 01372 8333826. We co-operate entirely with any investigation carried out by children’s social care in conjunction with the police. Any in house investigations would be undertaken by the Playgroup Manager along with the PCC. In the case of any allegations being made by the Playgroup Manager the PCC would take full control of the investigation with the co-operation of the Deputy.
4. Confidentiality
• All concerns will be treated in confidence and every effort will be made not to reveal a staff member’s identity, if they so wish. However, while making all reasonable efforts to maintain the confidentiality of the matter as a whole, at a certain stage in the investigation it will be necessary to make the origin of the complaint known to the person or persons whom the allegations concern.
• All concerns raised within the remit of this procedure will be assessed to determine if the confidentiality should extend to withholding the name of the complainant. There shall be a substantial reason for doing so, such as a real risk of personal harm.
• Complainants should be aware that their identity may be revealed by inference.
5. Untrue Allegations
• Laleham Church Playgroup accepts that deciding to report a concern can be very difficult and distressing. If a member of staff makes an allegation in good faith, but it is not confirmed by the investigation, no action will be taken against them.
• If it is found that a member of staff has made an allegation frivolously, maliciously or for personal gain, disciplinary action may be taken against them.
This policy and procedure was agreed by Laleham Church Playgroup at a meeting on... 1st September 2021
Signed on behalf of Laleham Church Playgroup...........................................
Contact details :
Louise Hawthorn 01784 880958 l.hawthorn@sky.com
Natalie Apthorp 01784 558397
Jo Smith 07976 967281
All Saints PCC
Abbeycroft, Condor Road,
Laleham, TW18 1UG
Jan Vince 01932 560515
All Saints’ PCC Children’s Advocate
c/o The Parish Office
The Broadway
Laleham
TW18 1RZ
C-Spa (children Single Point of Access)
Phone: 0300 470 9100 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm)
Out of hours phone: 01483 517898 to speak to our emergency duty team.
Email: cspa@surreycc.gov.uk
Ofsted Whistleblowing Hotline 0300 123 3155 whistleblowing@ofsted.gov.uk
Ofsted
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
“Public Concern at Work” - an independent charity whose lawyers can give free confidential advice about how to raise a concern about malpractice at work.
0207 404 6609