It is important that those who are concerned about issues around safeguarding should be able to report them. This should be done confidentially and with no concerns for any repercussions toward the individual who reported the incident or those whose practice is being questions; the process is known as whistle-blowing.
All members of staff should feel that they are able to raise concerns without any fear or discrimination or victimisation as a result.
Whistleblowing is very different from a complaint or a grievance. The term ‘whistleblowing’ generally applies when you …show more content…
Ofsted, Education Funding Agency, Children’s Commissioner or NSPCC)
• alternatively contact the whistleblowing charity, ‘Public Concern At Work’
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) Chapter 2, paragraph 4 says that organisations should have in place arrangements that reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including, clear whistleblowing procedures, which reflect the principles in Sir Robert Francis’s Freedom to Speak Up review. Since Working Together (2015) applies to all schools, this means all schools must have a whistleblowing policy.
In February 2015, the Freedom to Speak Up report was published. This report written by Sir Robert Francis QC looked at how incidents of poor care practice in the National Health Service could be prevented. Sir Robert found that NHS staff found it difficult to report their concerns and could be penalised for doing so.
Whilst the Freedom to Speak Up report is written primarily about the NHS, Sir Robert’s findings have been applied in other fields, including those organisations covered by Working Together to Safeguard Children …show more content…
Working Together to Safeguard Children expects that these principles are fundamentally evident in the safeguarding systems in schools and