Whistle Blowing

Howestead Lodge Ltd promotes and encourages good staff communication and any questions of Bad Practice should be dealt with satisfactorily long before the need for Whistle Blowing.  Staff should feel they can raise questions about any area of concern during regular supervision or in staff group meetings so that practices can be revised and modified before they cause harm.

However the responsibility for whistle Blowing rests with any member of staff, care or domestic, who is aware or has concerns regarding unacceptable practise even though “blowing the whistle” may cause ill feeling and create difficult and problematic situations.  Any issues concerning areas of bad practise must be dealt with in the early stages, hopefully preventing an escalation.  Staff who ignore the early warnings may find themselves implicated in the bad practise.

1) Identify the bad practise (if not obvious)

2) Ascertain if it is legal or illegal, against National Care Standards Commission or Howestead Lodge Ltd Policies, against Professional Codes of Practise, or does it conflict with your personal feelings.

3) Are there witnesses who will support you?

4) Record exactly what is witnessed.

5) Confide in someone objective and trustworthy.

6) Get the support of colleagues.

7) Get the support of an independent organisation.

8) Explain to the children or young people their rights and procedures of complaint.

9) Use formal procedures for all complaints and grievances.

10) Keep copies of all correspondence and relevant information.

11) Ask to be informed of the outcome of the investigation.

12) If your complaint is ineffective within Howestead Lodge, use the Placing Authority “Complaint Procedures” and or contact the National Care Standards Commission.