Monday 16 March 2015

Whistleblower news

Delyth Jenkins in Downing Street (third from right)


In the wake of the Government's announcement on mandatory reporting of child abuse, high profile whistle-blowers representing all sectors including Social Care, NHS, Banking, Finance, Education and Construction workers gathered in London on Wed. 11th March 2015.

All MP's and Ministers were invited to attend and meet the whistle-blowers to hear why they support Edna's Law and demand accountability.
A letter, along with comprehensive and damning evidence from more than three thousand whistle-blowers was delivered to Downing Street.
Consultation

Rather late in the day, but there is still time to take part in a consultation on extending the powers of the Public Services Ombudsman.

Currently there are a number of restrictions on what the Ombudsman may do. Only written complaints may be considered, for example, and the Ombudsman may not proactively undertake an investigation. The Ombudsman may also not consider cases which have or may have "the possibility of recourse" to the courts.

In Carmarthenshire and elsewhere in Wales the Ombudsman has sometimes played a key role in helping whistleblowers and victims to get their cases heard, but the restrictions mean that many more cases cannot be touched.

The consultation document can be found here.

3 comments:

Redhead said...

Surely, the balloons being outside the shop meant they were an external advertising hoarding and needed planning permission?

Or maybe the council has a by-law about what constitutes the curtiledge of a business premise.

Either way, it is entirely possible that putting balloons up outside the shop could be considered a civil or criminal offence or a planning offence.

But, of course, that will all be the fault of the EU.

Anonymous said...

Diolch Cneifiwr

In my experience, it is not the failure to report that is the problem, but what happens to complaints when they reach management level, and how the Managers turn on the complainants/whistle-blowers in an attempt to silence them. I have seen employees suspended for doing no wrong, moved to other jobs, and ultimately sacked. Nothing is more important to management than keeping their reputation intact. Not even the protection of the vulnerable. Until there is accountability nothing will change. The lack of protection for whistleblowers at the moment does not give out a positive message to anyone thinking of making a complaint, and that must change if any progress is to be made. If managers were held to account for their failures then it would give out a clear message and they would think twice about behaving in such a way if their salary depended on it.

Delyth Jenkins

Anonymous said...

We all felt it was a very productive meeting last Wednesday hosted by John McDonnell MP.
I felt very privileged to be a part of the campaign and thanks to Eileen Chubb and Compassion In Care for the opportunity.

Delyth Jenkins