Date: 17th August 2021. Review date: 16th August 2022.
POLICY
It is important that any fraud, misconduct or wrongdoing by staff or others working on behalf of YES Outdoors is reported and properly dealt with. We therefore require all individuals to raise any concerns that they may have about the conduct of others in the charity or the way in which the organisation is run. This policy sets out the way in which individuals may raise any concerns that they have and how those concerns will be dealt with.
BACKGROUND
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 amended the Employment Rights Act 1996 to provide protection for workers who raise legitimate concerns about specified matters in the public interest. These are called “qualifying disclosures”. A qualifying disclosure is one made by an employee who has a reasonable belief that
is being, has been, or is likely to be, committed. It is not necessary for you to have proof that such an act is being, has been, or is likely to be, committed – a reasonable belief is sufficient. You have no responsibility for investigating the matter – it is the charity’s responsibility to ensure that an investigation takes place.
If you make a protected disclosure you have the right not to be dismissed, subjected to any other detriment, or victimised, because you have made a disclosure. We encourage you to raise your concerns under this procedure in the first instance.
PRINCIPLES
PROCEDURE
This procedure is for disclosures about matters other than a breach of your own contract of employment, which should be raised via the Grievance Procedure.
Stage 1: In the first instance, any concerns should be raised with the CEO, who will arrange an investigation of the matter. The investigation may involve you and other individuals involved giving a written statement. Any investigation will be carried out in accordance with the principles set out above. Your statement will be taken into account, and you will be asked to comment on any additional evidence obtained. The CEO will take any necessary action, including reporting the matter to the Chair of the Board of Trustees and any appropriate government department or regulatory agency. The CEO will also invoke any disciplinary action required. On conclusion of any investigation, you will be told the outcome and what the charity has done, or proposes to do, about it. If no action is to be taken, the reason for this will be explained.
Stage 2: If you are concerned that the CEO is involved in the wrongdoing, has failed to make a proper investigation or has failed to report the outcome of the investigations to the relevant person, you should escalate the matter to the Chair of the Board of Trustees. The Chair will arrange for a review of the investigation to be carried out, make any necessary enquiries and make their own report to the Board.
Stage 3: If on conclusion of stages 1 and 2 you reasonably believe that the appropriate action has not been taken, you should report the matter to the relevant body. This includes:
You can find the full list in The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/496899/BIS-16-79-blowing-the-whistle-to-a-prescribed-person.pdf
DATA PROTECTION
When an individual makes a disclosure, we will process any personal data collected in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Data collected from the point at which the individual makes the report is held securely and accessed by, and disclosed to, individuals only for the purposes of dealing with the disclosure.
Registered in England: 07834284 | Registered charity number: 1144916. YES Outdoors. All Rights Reserved © 2011 – 2022