Grow Your Potential

Whistleblowing Policy

Whistle Blowing

This is the Company policy on whistleblowing with an explanation of procedures for creating an appropriate working environment which not only encourages whistleblowing at all levels but insists on it

Description:

The purpose of this document is to outline the procedure of whistle blowing while at the same time describing how practice will foster the culture of whistle blowing to a level which is in line with the recommendations and findings of Robert Francis. For further information on this please refer to the document called ‘Freedom to Speak up’. One of the main aims of this process is to ensure that all staff understand that whistleblowing on issues of safeguarding is the responsibility of all staff as mentioned in the staff induction summery and the various accompanying documents.

More than this it is the overall purpose of this document to explain how we will go about creating a set of conditions which maximise the likelihood that concerns about external and internal safeguarding practices will be raised regardless of the circumstances, personal or otherwise.

The focus of this procedure is to go further than training staff in reporting safeguarding issues and looks at the likelihood of culturally embedded power relations within the company preventing or making it difficult for staff members of all status to report a problem. This is a concern if that problem is to do with another member of staff or the organisation in general breaching policy requirements of safeguarding, particularly if the breach occurs by a member of management or the designated safeguarding lead.

What is of particular interest is that the designated safeguarding lead is in a position of power with regards to reporting safeguarding issues and it is important that this can be circumvented by the staff member raising the concern if need be. Ultimately the goal of the procedures and resulting practice is to ensure that critical evaluation of the practices of Grow Your Potential CIC and its staff in terms of policies and procedures.

Therefore, it is our role, our goal and the nature of our profession to maintain a pragmatic approach to internal critique, transparency and accountability in order to maximise the safeguarding standards and therefore the protection of the needs and vulnerabilities of the students who attend Grow Your Potential CIC.

Policy:

It is the Policy and commitment of Grow Your Potential CIC to: –

• Maintain open accountability on safeguarding issues within the facility and outside where off-site visits occur.
• Maintain a working and learning environment where whistleblowing is considered the norm and is held up as an honourable act.
• Ensure that all staff members (whether full time, part time, volunteer, student or visitor) feel safe in the act of whistleblowing on safeguarding issues.
• Promote the practice of internal critique of the practices of Grow Your Potential CIC to be included in the monitoring framework.
• Insure that adequate access to reporting procedures and thresholds guidance is available to all directly to enable anonymity if required, or simply
• Ensure that senior leadership understand their heightened role in creating a whistleblowing culture.
• To ensure that all staff no matter what status are adequately trained in accordance with current standards of safeguarding children including reporting procedures, information sharing and thresholds.
• The NSPCC whistleblowing helpline is available for staff who do not feel able to raise concerns regarding child protection failures internally. Staff can call 0800 028 0285 – line is available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Friday and email: help@nspcc.org.uk.

Policy Statements:

The relevant company policies of Grow Your Potential CIC are as follows: –

1. To actively encourage the development and function of a whistleblowing culture while avoiding a culture of mistrust from developing among staff.
2. To create working conditions which remove all barriers to reporting safeguarding issues and actively scrutinise its own practices for coherence with the policies and procedures.
3. To enable access to support in understanding the processes of whistleblowing and reporting and to make all relevant information through a system of reference documents which are easy and accessible to all staff members.
4. To ensure that all staff members, whatever status, are fully aware of the reporting structures and obligations both internally and externally.
5. To ensure that all staff are aware of their role in the procedural practice of safeguarding.
6. To ensure that sufficient, current safeguarding training is in place for all staff who work directly with children. (See ‘safeguarding training policies and procedures’)
7. To ensure that all staff are aware of the ramifications of breaching the safeguarding requirements in particular reporting procedures.
8. To ensure that all staff are fully versed in the categorisation of thresholds in terms of concerns, the levels of seriousness and their appropriate timing of response. This is in-line with the expectations of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022’.
9. To ensure that all staff work transparently and coordinated in terms of safeguarding issues.
10. To hold weekly reviews of safeguarding procedures in which all staff are obliged to cooperate.
11. To ensure that procedures are in place for immediate response to a concern when necessary.
12. To ensure that all staff that are protected from malicious accusations.

13. To act promptly when issues are reported and investigate claims in line with the complaints and disciplinary procedures and policies.
14. To ensure that all new developments in the field of safeguarding I promptly distributed among staff working with children as part of the company CDP procedures.
15. To ensure that all users of the service are aware of the commitment to transparency and all avenues for reporting safeguarding issues.
16. To encourage

The Following part of the document matches the relevant procedures to the corresponding number in the policy list accompanied by the method and practice intended to deliver the outcome.

Policy 1: To actively encourage the development and function of a whistleblowing culture.

To do this it must first be understood that the purpose of is to maximise the likelihood of whistleblowing and remove all barriers to whistleblowing. This is embedded into the job description of all staff including and in particular management staff.

During the induction of any new staff member they will be informed of their legal and contractual duties with regards to safeguarding and are required to become familiar with any related to Whistleblowing document and therefore the idea of a whistleblowing culture. The issues discussed in the report on whistleblowing by Robert Francis ‘freedom to Speak Up’ are outlined in ‘appendix 1’ of this document and are briefly discussed in the ‘description’ at the top.

Management must be particularly aware of their position in encouraging the social behaviour of the company and therefore are obliged by company procedure to look for and openly question and challenge the efficacy of the safeguarding practices of the company during the weekly reflection and monitoring session in order that all staff feel comfortable in reporting issues. This may take place at the weekly safeguarding meeting if non-urgent or in the form of an emergency meeting which may be called at any time.

Policy 2: To create working conditions which remove all barriers to reporting safeguarding issues.

As part of a weekly meeting safeguarding policies and procedures will be actively scrutinised by all members of staff. This is taken care of off the back of data collected throughout the week by each staff member individually and then shared collectively. Each student is discussed individually in terms of safeguarding and other categories like quality of development of the student but for this purpose any safeguarding concerns which fall under the threshold of early intervention are raised here for practical discussion. All staff will be instructed to analyse the concerns in respect to the practice of the company to remain vigilant of any oversights in procedures.

It is company policy to develop a culture around whistle blowing which ensures that staff members in particular subordinate staff members, feel protected should they need to blow the whistle on a work colleagues’ practice, actions or intentions. Firstly, in this regards the reporting structures which are in place both internally and externally are made accessible showing the hierarchy of authority clearly. Contact details for all external agencies and professionals are kept up to date in ‘Alternative Provision Networks’ document. This is kept with the staff member’s induction pack which is also a working document updated as and when new practices become available. Company training includes this as a mandatory feature of staff skill sets.

Grow Your Potential CIC openly recognises the pressure that is likely to be felt by those who find themselves compelled to report a colleague or a supervisor or manager for a breach in safeguarding policy or worse for abuse or neglect. To this effect it is company procedure to emphasise that matters of a breach in policy and abuse or negligence by a responsible adult have a zero-tolerance status and that in most cases will result in dismissal from the company as well as in the case of the malicious use of reporting procedures.

Policy 3: To enable access to support in understanding the processes of whistleblowing and reporting and to make all relevant information through a system of reference documents which are easy and accessible to all staff members.

In order to achieve this, Grow Your Potential CIC keeps and regularly updates (see CDP policy and procedures’) an archive containing all policy, procedure, legislative and reference documents containing the information needed to act on safeguarding concerns and practices appropriately. This is called the Grow Your Potential CIC Safeguarding Archive’ and is available independently to all staff members. Staff can access this at any time in privacy if necessary on a shared network and can refer to the relevant procedures and policies which they may be concerned about. The aim of this is to give as much autonomy to each individual staff member in consolidating their concerns in line with the legislation, policy and procedures governing alternative provision and safeguarding, prior to sharing the information with the relevant person or agency, enabling a more confident approach in reporting/whistleblowing. This will also be a resource to the staff member for use during training and periodic appraisals as well as to facilitate each member to obtain a reference point for critiquing the company practices during the weekly reflection and monitoring session. (See safeguarding training procedures and policies).

Policy 4: To ensure that all staff members, whatever status, are fully aware of the reporting structures and obligations both internally and externally.

• Reporting structures are outlined in the Reporting Procedures’ document which is given as part of the Induction pack and is included in the training schedule
• To ensure that all staff are aware of their role in the procedural practice of safeguarding.
• To ensure that sufficient, current safeguarding training is in place for all staff who work directly with children. (See ‘safeguarding training policies and procedures’)
• To ensure that all staff are aware of the ramifications of breaching the safeguarding requirements in particular reporting procedures.
• To ensure that all staff are fully versed in the categorisation of thresholds in terms of concerns, the levels of seriousness and their appropriate timing of response. This is in-line with the expectations of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016.
• To ensure that all staff work transparently and coordinated in terms of safeguarding issues.
• To hold weekly reviews of safeguarding procedures in which all staff are obliged to cooperate. To ensure that procedures are in place for immediate response to a concern when necessary.
• To ensure that all staff that are protected from malicious accusations.
• To act promptly when issues are reported and investigate claims in line with the complaints and disciplinary procedures and policies.
• To ensure that all new developments in the field of safeguarding I promptly distributed among staff working with children as part of the company CDP procedures.
• To ensure that all users of the service are aware of the commitment to transparency and all avenues for reporting safeguarding issues.

Please Sign & Date you have understood the Company Whistleblowing Policy

Employee name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Status _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Date_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(Employee, Volunteer, Subcontractor)

I have read the document and understand the contents and my role in safeguarding our learners.

Signed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _