Whistleblowing can help charities tackle problems and improve
Whistleblowing is a vital part of a healthy civil society, helping to boost transparency and improve charities.
It is certainly not something for charity leaders to fear. These reports of incidents, such as criminal activity or harassment and abuse by staff, should be encouraged by the sector.
A charity that acts on whistleblowing reports will give staff, volunteers, trustees, and service users assurances that concerns will be acted on.
Public trust in charities can also be boosted by whistleblowing, as it shows a willingness to improve.
After a decade of high-profile charity scandals involving sexual misconduct and financial irregularities, trust in the work charities do is particularly important.
With regulators and charities improving their whistleblowing procedures in recent years, it has never been easier for reports to be made and acted on.
Here we look at how those involved in charities can be whistleblowers. We also look at recent evidence around whistleblowing, including why whistleblowing spiked amid the COVID-19 pandemic and how reports have dried up following the health crisis.
The Charity Commission promotes a confidential advice line service (0800 055 7214) available to people with concerns. This is run by the independent charity Protect, which also offers support and guidance to whistleblowers and signposts the relevant regulators to make a disclosure.
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