Whistleblowing Advice Line
What you need to know is that we are more than a hotline. Since 1993 our independent advice line has provided advice to over 14,000 whistleblowers - preventing damage to lives and livelihoods, saving tens of thousands of pounds and averting countless legal claims and disputes.
The advice line is for genuine concerns about wrongdoing. We do not advise on grievances or private disputes but we do help individuals separate these out. If you wish to refer your staff to the advice line, we ask that you subscribe through one of our business support packages. These start from £750 and, along with providing your staff access to confidential advice at any stage, we provide you with support to make whistleblowing work for you.
How does the Whistleblowing Advice Line work?
The advice line is run by experienced lawyers and provides confidential advice to those at work who are unsure whether or how to raise a whistleblowing concern. Our approach is to support those with a genuine concern to raise it as openly and constructively as possible. This helps ensure that those with the authority to address a problem are able to do so quickly and before any serious damage is done. By working with us and providing your staff with access to advice at an early stage, you are reinforcing your internal whistleblowing arrangements. It means we help you to reassure your staff that you want to hear from them, help them keep a sense of perspective, and prevent a concern degenerating into a grievance. Our involvement also means your managers are more likely to solicit and deal with concerns rather than wish them away. In short, we help you deliver better management and demonstrate good governance.
Is the Whistleblowing Advice Line different from commercial hotlines?
Yes. Our advice line provides confidential, independent advice - something recommended by government, regulators and the law. It reassures staff and managers (stakeholders and relevant authorities) that your risk management and compliance schemes are genuine. Unlike commercial hotlines, our advice line does not encourage anonymous reporting and it does not confuse whistleblowing concerns with private grievances. Nor does it constitute formal notification to you or impose legal liability on you. Where a caller requests, we can also pass the information directly to your designated people.
How should subscribers refer to the Whistleblowing Advice line?
Our support packages include a compliance toolkit to help you implement and monitor your whistleblowing arrangements and posters to promote key contact details to your staff. Additional benefits include training, staff and management briefings and independent consultancy. Depending on the package you choose, you can tailor it to your needs.
It is important that we provide you and your staff with the best help we can. In order to help ensure this happens please ring us to confirm the wording you should use when you refer your staff to us in your whistleblowing policy.
For more information about our business support and services please ring us on 020 3117 2520 or email us at services@pcaw.org.uk.
Remember, Public Concern at Work is a registered charity directed by an unpaid Board of Trustees. All our funds are applied to our charitable purpose to make whistleblowing work in the public interest.
