Welcome to our January Newsletter

This month we welcome a timely report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life on leadership, in a context of serious concerns about ethical behaviour in government, in the police, and among regulators. The Committee notes that scandals in public life damage trust and it is a long slow process to rebuild it. Whatever the pressure or context, leaders should not be absolved from doing the right thing. The CSPL’s report has a chapter on speaking up - Protect gets a few mentions - which demonstrates the return on investment in strong speak-up arrangements while the case studies of good practice give us reason to be cheerful.

It is difficult to imagine how cultures of wrongdoing of the scale identified by Sir Mark Rowley of the Met Police can be addressed, and bad officers need to face consequences. Read Andy Pepper-Parson’s comments that whistleblowers must not think that raising concerns is futile in the Mirror here.

Yet too often whistleblowing goes unheeded as the shocking story of migrant children going missing – presumed trafficked - from Home Office hotels shows: whistleblowers warnings were not listened to... and hundreds of vulnerable children remain missing.

We applaud the bravery of Independent Office for Police Conduct whistleblower Trisha Napier who raised concerns about the watering down of her investigation findings into police misconduct into the stop and search of two Black athletes. As she told BBC Newsnight it took over a year for her concerns to be investigated, but eventually her assessment that there was gross misconduct by some officers has been upheld. Her case raises questions about the IOPC – we need to be sure that this is a strong and independent regulator, or Sir Mark Rowley’s job of restoring public confidence is even harder.

A promise from the Government that a whistleblowing review is imminent came in the House of Commons debate on the latest Economic Crime Bill - we're keen to engage in this well overdue updating of legislation.

Protect is prioritizing whistleblowing about the environment and here’s one reason why: a new podcast about millions of tonnes of illegal dumping of toxic waste in Northern Ireland reveal a “ticking timebomb” with criminal gangs involved, and a possible cover-up by officials. Strong regulators need to encourage more whistleblowers to come forward confidentially – this is not an isolated case: many individuals will be aware of the wrongdoing and fearful of the consequences of speaking up.

We've started a news roundup which we'll publish on our website - do let us have feedback - is it helpful?  What did we miss?

Liz Gardiner, CEO Protect

Protect & IOPC Whistleblower’s Trisha Napier Statement

Protect and IOPC whistleblower/investigator Trisha Napier have recently released a press statement about the 2020 stop and search case of black Olympic athletes, Bianca Williams & Ricardo dos Santos. The investigation highlighted whether Metropolitan Police officers committed misconduct when arresting the two athletes.

She has stated that when her assessment took place, she found key evidence to charge the Police officers. However, her claims were later “watered down” because her conclusions contradicted Met Police statements. Read the full press statement now to learn more.

New Vacancy: Chair of Trustees 

Protect are currently recruiting for a new Chair of Trustees to help us achieve our vision of a world where no whistleblower goes unheard or unprotected. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary this year this would be a great time to join our Board of dedicated trustees. To learn more about the role and the application process please click here.

Advice Line

Do you fear you will be punished if you raise concerns at work? Contact Protect on 020 3117 2520 for free, confidential advice and support.

Opening Times

Monday: 9.30am - 1pm, 2pm - 5.30pm

Tuesday: 9.30am - 1pm, 2pm - 5.30pm

Wednesday: 9.30am - 1pm

Thursday: 9.30am - 1pm, 2pm - 5.30pm

Friday: 9.30am - 1pm

National Security Blog Summarizing Recent Debate

Read Protect’s new blog post on the National Security Bill’s journey through the House of Lords, and why it is so important for public interest defence to be included. Find out about the Committee Stage and Protect’s view on this important topic.

Whistleblowing Training for Trustees, NEDs & Governors 

Protect are pleased to let you know that it has developed a new whistleblowing masterclass, aimed at Non-Executive Directors, Trustees, and Governors. It is vital these groups are aware of their obligations when they uncover or are informed about wrongdoing, and can effectively oversee their organisation’s whistleblowing arrangements and challenge management on the effectiveness and robustness of the arrangements.

The masterclass is on 24 May, 10.00-12.00 via Zoom –for further information and to book a place, see here.

Whistleblowing Reform in Republic of Ireland 

On 1st January 2023 the amendment to Ireland’s Protected Disclosures Act 2022 came into force. The update builds upon Ireland’s pre-existing whistleblowing legislation (Ireland’s Protected Disclosure Act 2014) and ensures Ireland is compliant with EU law. To read more about the biggest changes to the legislation click here

Our Briefing on Economic Crime Bill

Protect supported a new amendment to the Economic Crime & Corporate Transparency Bill 2023 which was debated this week, we provided MPs with a briefing on our thoughts to the role such a body would play in combating economic crime. You can read our full briefing here

50% off Preventing Whistleblower Victimisation Guide

Whistleblowers shouldn't be victimised for raising concerns. At Protect we campaign for organisations of all sizes to improve their speak up cultures, and prevent victimisation to whistleblowers from across all sectors. We have developed our guide to help with this.

Our regular masterclasses are designed to help managers assess the risks of victimisation, prevent it, and respond effectively when victimisation is reported. Protect are now offering 50% off our Preventing Whistleblower Victimisation Guide, when booking & attending a Preventing Whistleblower Victimisation Masterclass before 30 Mar 2023.

The masterclasses to choose from include:

Preventing Whistleblower Victimisation 1 Feb 2023 10 AM–12 PM GMT

Preventing Whistleblower Victimisation 30 Mar 2023 10 AM–12 PM BST

Secure your place & e-guide today by contacting business@protect-advice.org.uk

Please help us to support more whistleblowers on our free, confidential, Advice Line.