You should raise a whistleblowing concern if you become aware of, or reasonably suspect:
- Fraud, bribery or corruption
- Breaches of law, regulations, or council procedures
- Risks to health, safety, or the environment
- Miscarriage of justice
- Serious misconduct or improper behaviour.
- Attempts to conceal any of the above.
If in doubt, it is always better to raise a concern than to stay silent.
Sometimes your concerns will fall outside the scope of the whistleblowing policy, but you are still encouraged to speak up about anything which gets in the way of doing a great job for the people of Derbyshire.
You can raise something that doesn’t feel right or an idea for improvement directly with your line manager, director or executive director.
The safest and quickest way is to use the whistleblowing reporting form which is submitted directly to a confidential inbox.
Using the form ensures concerns are:
- handled confidentially
- assessed consistently
- managed in line with the whistleblowing policy
- directed to the right officers for review and action.
You can raise a concern yourself, or it can be raised on your behalf if needed.
The law provides strong protections for employees who speak up in good faith in the public interest:
- You are protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998
- Protection applies even if the concern is not ultimately upheld
- The council has a zero tolerance approach to retaliation or intimidation of whistleblowers.
We are committed to ensuring that anyone who raises a concern sincerely and responsibly is supported and treated fairly.
Whistleblowing is not the same as a personal grievance (these are covered under separate HR procedures). You can raise concerns anonymously, however this may affect our ability to fully investigate the matter. You will also not receive protection under the Act and normally we are unable to provide you with support or feedback on the actions taken.
Find out more.