Decision - Whistleblowing Policy

25.1         The Committee considered a joint report of the Executive Director of Finance & Resources and the Head of Law and Monitoring Officer in relation to the Whistleblowing Policy; the report had been produced at the request of the Committee on 25 June 2013. The report sought to brief the Committee on the Council’s Whistleblowing Policy and the review that was being undertaken to consider the effectiveness of the current whistleblowing arrangements in practice.

25.2         The Executive Director of Finance & Resources confirmed, in response to Councillor Summers, that the policy was designed for employees; if Members wanted to raise issues through whistleblowing the appropriate route would be directly through the Monitoring Officer.

25.3         The Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development confirmed for Councillor Summers that the list of potential whistleblowing activities in the report was by no means exhaustive, and part of the process was to check that whether an issue should be dealt with through other processes in the Council.

25.4         Councillor Deane asked about the extent of staff awareness of the policy, and in response the Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development explained that part of the review would be to establish this and take any appropriate steps to publicise it further.

25.5         RESOLVED:

(i)                 That the Committee note the Council’s current Whistleblowing Policy (Appendix A).

(ii)               That the Committee instruct the Executive Director of Finance & Resources to bring a further report to the meeting of Audit & Standards Committee in March 2014 detailing the findings of the Whistleblowing Policy review currently underway.