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2013 was the year of the whistleblower. From the Francis
report into Mid Staffs to blacklisting in the construction industry and
headlines about exam fraud, not to mention Edward Snowden's disclosures,
there was hardly a week went by where whistleblowing did not make the
news. Here at PCaW, we experienced an unprecedented rise in the demand
for advice, something which we wanted to understand in greater depth.
PCaW is pleased to announce the release of the
Whistleblowing Report. This new annual report has been prepared to
highlight the key sectors, industries, concerns and outcomes for workers
who have sought advice from PCaW in 2013. The report found:
Sharp rise in calls from health and education sectors
• The health sector sees a 61% annual increase in whistleblowing
cases
• Within the health sector, patient safety concerns soar by 97% annually
• Whistleblowing cases in the education sector rocket 57% year on year
• Concerns about public safety doubled, of which 43% were from the
education sector
• Overall the UK saw a 17% increase in the number of whistleblowing issues
raised – but 63% of the concerns raised were denied or ignored
Cathy James comments: “There has been a sharp rise in the
number of concerns raised in the health and education sectors, this is
something everyone should take very seriously. While it can be argued that
an increase in the number of whistleblowers is a positive, these are core
sectors dealing with young, vulnerable and infirm people and to see such a
dramatic rise should act as a warning to regulators.
“In the health sector we did expect to see a rise in the
number of concerns given the high profile cases which had been brought to
light, however, the most concerning of the two is the rise in education as
this indicates a worrying lack of oversight in the sector. Teachers
are often confused about where to go in a rapidly changing sector. For
example, for many of those working at academies, it has not been made
sufficiently clear that local authorities remain responsible for safeguarding
children. It is not clear at all who they are supposed to approach if they
have financial concerns.”
For media coverage on this point see here.
Lifting the lid on fraud
When looking across all of the sectors almost a quarter
(24%) of all concerns were for fraud or financial malpractice. Broken down,
fraud made up 63% of all complaints within the financial services sector,
36% within the charitable sector and 34% in the education sector.
Cathy James, CEO of Public Concern at Work, continues:
“While some might argue that the age of austerity is coming to an end, the
rise in fraud and financial malpractice across the board signals that we
cannot take our eye off the ball in relation to the problem of fraud. Staff
are the eyes and ears of any organisation and those in charge need to grasp
that getting whistleblowing right for their staff is in their own
self-interest. Staff must be encouraged to blow the whistle and protected when
they do.”
Culture of denial****
The total number of requests for whistleblowing advice
increased by 17%, but perhaps most disturbing is that in 63% of cases the
concerns raised were either denied or ignored by the employer and a third
of whistleblowers were dismissed after raising their concern. Just
10% of concerns were resolved by the employer and just 6% thought their
workplace improved.
Cathy James continues: “The 17% increase in the number of
concerns raised shows that we are making some progress in breaking the
culture of silence, but what has followed is the systematic refusal by
employers to take these concerns seriously, creating a culture of denial.
It is a travesty that 63% of concerns are denied or ignored, especially
considering that sectors where we have seen the most calls, health and
education, should be the pillars of best practice in our society.”
For the full report see here.
Don't forget to support our Fundraiser
Film Night on 12 November where we will be screening
whistleblowing classic Serpico with a special introduction from James Patrick,
Met Police whistleblower. We hope to see as many of you there as possible!
Please note that this week we have been experiencing
technical difficulties. If you have tried to contact us and not had a
response please do call 0207 404 6609.
Ciara Bottomley
Press Officer
****UPS Policy
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