Guidance

Find out your options.

• Is there a co-worker, colleague or senior manager you can approach with your concerns? 
• Can you find a solution within the team?
• Are there others who are willing to speak up with you?
• How can the risk be addressed?
• Does your organisation have a whistleblowing policy?

Consider the possible outcomes of speaking up.

• What is your motivation for blowing the whistle? Is it driven by the public interest?
• What obstacles are there to raising your concern?
• If you've known about the risk for some time, why are you minded to raise the issue now?
• What would you consider to be a satisfactory outcome?

 
Be a witness not a complainant.

• Communicate the concern in a professional, calm and factual manner. If you know how to resolve the problem, suggest a solution. As a witness you do not have to prove your concern and it is important you do not delay by acting as a private detective.
  
  
• It should not be a grievance. If, however, you are aggrieved about your personal position, use the grievance procedure and keep this separate to a whistleblowing concern.
  

Let the facts speak for themselves.

• remember there may be an innocent or good explanation

Get advice.

• If you are in any doubt about what to do at any stage, seek confidential advice from either your professional body, union or for free from Public Concern at Work (0207 404 6609 or www.pcaw.org.uk).
  

“Thank you for existing… your services are absolutely vitally necessary.”  (PCaW Advice Line Caller,  2010)