Whistleblowing can affect any organisation. Staff who raise concerns are protected by law, and it’s essential that employers know how to navigate this.
If not dealt with correctly, whistleblowing can lead to financial and reputational damage.
We offer whistleblowing services to public sector organisations. Our team of experts can support you to get it right.
Employees are protected by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 when raising a concern that counts as whistleblowing.
Concerns should be taken seriously, and public sector organisations should be aware of how to ensure compliance with the legislation.
Whistleblowing law applies to concerns raised about:
(Personal grievances and complaints are not covered by the legislation.)
Those raising a whistleblowing concern should feel safe in the knowledge they are protected not only by legislation but also by their workplace’s policy.
We recommend that all organisations have an up-to-date whistleblowing policy and independent reporting line.
Your policy should explain what is included under whistleblowing, and how to raise a concern.
Schools are welcome to use our free whistleblowing policy template.
If your workplace does not have a policy, or you need additional support in implementing an existing policy, our team can help.
Why is it important to have an independent reporting line?
It provides assurance to staff that their concerns will be listened to and acted upon. An independent whistleblowing reporting hotline:
Our trained staff can give advice to employees and managers on what constitutes whistleblowing and what actions they should be taking.
Your staff (and contractors) should be made aware of the whistleblowing policy on a regular basis.
It’s important that employees know how to voice a concern, and what protections they have.
Our team can support you with this, through providing training sessions and awareness-raising material for your workplace.
In addition to developing a whistleblowing policy and procedure, and helping to raise awareness in your workplace, we can also provide:
Veritau provides whistleblowing support to local authorities and other public sector organisations.
Our service can be tailored to your specific needs – whether you’d like ongoing support, or just engage us for a one-off piece of work.
For the education sector, we have a specialised annual service for schools and academies.
Whether you work for one of Veritau’s council clients (which includes maintained schools), or for another organisation, we have some information to support you in taking the correct steps:
Case study
Whistleblowing investigation into conflict of interest and alleged timesheet fraud
A whistleblowing allegation was made at a local council, alleging that a member of staff was working on a self-employed basis during office hours and fabricating their timesheets.
Our professionally qualified officers can support you through the complexities of whistleblowing, and ensure that you know what to do if someone raises a concern.
Should you require further enquiry into the concern raised, our staff are experienced investigators who can work with your HR team.
This may be in relation to fraud, corruption, or any other matter raised under the scope of whistleblowing.
Jonathan Dodsworth
Director - Corporate Fraud
Jonathan is an Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist with a wealth of experience delivering counter fraud services to public sector organisations across the region. He was instrumental in establishing the North Yorkshire housing fraud partnership and is an active member of various public sector counter fraud networks.
Kelly Holmes
Senior Corporate Fraud Investigator
Kelly holds both Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist status and a qualification in investigative practice from CIPFA. She has many years of experience as a fraud investigator and leads on complex internal and whistleblowing investigations. Kelly also has experience working in a busy HR team and is ACAS trained on conducting internal investigations.
Lottie Leonard
Senior Corporate Fraud Investigator
Lottie started with Veritau as a trainee in 2019 and is now an Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist and Senior Investigator. Lottie has specialist knowledge of whistleblowing investigations and has experience leading on large and complex fraud investigations. She is also ACAS trained in conducting internal investigations.
Karina Ward
Corporate Fraud Investigator
Karina has been with the team since 2023 after joining as a trainee. She is an Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist and is ACAS trained on conducting internal investigations. Karina has specialist knowledge of the whistleblowing process; from raising a concern to conducting and concluding an investigation; as well as a MSc in Cybercrime Investigation.
Veritau Ltd
West Offices
Station Rise
York, YO1 6GA
