Whistleblowing & Public Interest Disclosure Policy

Blue Heart Care Group
Whistleblowing & Public Interest Disclosure Policy (PIDA 1998)

1. Policy Commitment

Whistleblowing plays a vital role in safeguarding children, young people, vulnerable adults, our workforce and the integrity of our services.
Blue Heart Care Group encourages an open, honest and transparent culture where concerns can be raised without fear of retaliation, judgement or disadvantage.

We are committed to ensuring all employees, agency workers, carers and professionals feel safe and supported when reporting wrongdoing.

No one who raises a concern in good faith will be victimised, dismissed or treated unfavourably for doing so.

2. Legal Framework

This policy aligns with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA), which legally protects workers who speak up about wrongdoing in the workplace.
Individuals who raise disclosures in the public interest are protected from dismissal, detriment or discrimination as a result of doing so.

3. What is Whistleblowing?

Whistleblowing is when a worker reports information that they reasonably believe suggests wrongdoing, serious misconduct,
negligence or risk to safety within a workplace, where disclosure is in the public interest.

Concerns may relate to:

  • Risk or actual harm to a child or vulnerable adult
  • Abuse, neglect or mistreatment
  • Safeguarding failures
  • Criminal activity (e.g. theft, fraud, bribery)
  • Modern slavery or exploitation
  • Serious health & safety breaches
  • Professional misconduct or unethical behaviour
  • Failure to follow regulated, clinical or safe practice
  • Financial mismanagement or misuse of resources
  • Abuse of authority or power

Concerns must be reasonably believed to be true — suspicion alone is not enough.

4. Safeguarding Responsibility

All staff — including agency workers, carers, residential teams and support staff — have a duty of care to act if they believe someone is at risk.
Failing to report serious safeguarding concerns places children, vulnerable adults and others at harm, and will be treated as a disciplinary matter.

5. How to Raise a Concern

Where possible, concerns should be raised at the earliest stage using the routes below:

Step 1 — Raise with Service/Client Manager

Discuss your concern with the Client/Service Manager where you are working, unless you believe they are involved or may not respond fairly.

Step 2 — Report to Blue Heart Care Group

If the issue remains unresolved or you do not feel safe raising it internally, contact Blue Heart Safeguarding/Management directly.

Contact for Whistleblowing Reports:

Email: lucy@blueheartcare.co.uk
Email: gemma@blueheartcare.co.uk
Phone: 01633 646900

6. Escalation to Senior Leadership

If you believe the concern is serious or has not been appropriately addressed, you may escalate to a senior director for review.

Blue Heart Leadership Contacts:

Your information will be kept confidential wherever legally possible.

7. External Reporting Options

If internal reporting is not appropriate, or you feel the matter remains unresolved, concerns may be reported externally to:

Regulatory / Advisory Service Contact
NHS & Social Care Whistleblowing Helpline 08000 724 725
Modern Slavery Helpline 08000 121 700
CIW (Care Inspectorate Wales) 0300 7900 126
CQC (England equivalent if applicable) 03000 616161
NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council) 020 7637 7181
Police 999 or 101 if immediate harm risk

SSSC (Scotland Social Services Council)          0345 60 30 891

External escalation should be made when internal action is not sufficient, fails to address the issue or where serious/urgent risks are present.

8. Confidentiality & Protection

Blue Heart Care Group will:

  • Treat all whistleblowing disclosures seriously
  • Handle information sensitively and confidentially
  • Protect whistleblowers from bullying, dismissal or victimisation
  • Take prompt and proportionate action following investigation

If you experience harassment or negative treatment as a result of raising a concern, report this immediately — we will act under PIDA protection.

9. Confidentiality of Service Users

When whistleblowing, personal information relating to children, vulnerable adults or service users must not be shared unless requested by authorities
for safeguarding investigation (e.g. police, CIW, local authority).

10. Policy Review & Monitoring

This policy is reviewed annually or sooner following legislative changes or learning outcomes.

Policy Owner: Blue Heart Care Group

Policy Title: Whistleblowing & Public Interest Disclosure Policy

Legislation: Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998

Version: 2.0

Review Date: 2025