Whistleblowing

Question 1

What is whistleblowing?

Answer 1

Whistleblowing involves reporting wrongdoings (to outside organisations or to the media)

Question 2

Why might someone blow the whistle?

Answer 2

If a care worker is worried about poor practice taking place, they can usually raise awareness of this with their managers. However, sometimes, if the managers or senior workers don’t take action, sometimes you will need to raise concerns with outside organisations

Question 3

What happens when a complaint has been received by a whistleblower?

Answer 3

Organisations such as the CQC or Ofsted will carry out an investigation and take appropriate action; this could involve prosecuting staff or closing down the care setting

Question 4

Do health, social care and child care organisations require a whistleblowing policy for staff?

Answer 4

Health, social care and child care organisations require a whistleblowing policy for staff. Managers can have a whistle blowing policy that encourages staff to report discriminatory practice by other staff, even those who have a more senior position in the organisation. It is important that the manager makes sure all staff are aware of the policy

Question 5

Do health, social care and child care organisations encourage staff to use the whistle blowing procedure?

Answer 5

Health, social care and child care organisations can encourage staff to use the whistle blowing procedures to report others who engage in discriminatory practices so that discrimination can be rooted out of the organisation. They can encourage a culture in the setting that means staff are not afraid to be whistleblowers

Question 6

What are the positive impact of whistleblowing?

Answer 6

• It means that something will be done to stop the discrimination/abuse from taking place and raises awareness outside the organisation if they are failing to take action.
• It provides staff members with a way of challenging poor practice and can be done anonymously if they are afraid of confronting colleagues/senior workers directly.
• Helps root out individuals who are carrying out the abuse so they can no longer work in the facility
• Helps protect patients/service users and restore trust in the care provider and they will begin to feel safe again

Question 7

Why might care staff not want to be a whistleblower?

Answer 7

• May be afraid of reporting wrongdoings and worried about what might happen to them (e.g. losing their job, victimisation, bullying, poor treatment) - especially if it is carried out by a more senior care worker.
• May be worried about the resentment from colleagues and the judgement that they cannot be trusted, worried it would be time consuming/effort, concerned the complaints might be ignored, difficult to prove/lack of evidence, may not know the procedure and who to go to in order to raise a concern, don’t want to get involved/report a colleague or friend