Issue - meetings

To recommend the Council to approve the revised Public Interest Disclosures (Whistleblowing) Policy.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

(1)  That the revised Public Interest Disclosures (Whistleblowing) Policy be approved.

(2)  That the Head of Business Improvement Services be authorised to approve future minor changes to Human Resources policies, including those of a legislative nature, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Support Services.

The Cabinet considered the report and appendices circulated with the agenda (copy attached to the official minutes).

Mr Finch introduced the report, explaining that the “Whistleblowing” was reviewed annually to ensure that it remained compliant with legislation and best practice. On this occasion some changes were proposed, mainly to make it clear that the policy could be used by non-employees such as councillors, contractors and members of the public. The proposed changes had been recommended by the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee.

Mr Finch added that it was also suggested that the Head of Business Improvement Services should be authorised to approve minor changes to Human Resources policies, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Support Services. In that capacity, he assured the Cabinet that he would ensure that any changes of significance were reported to and approved by members. The wording of the recommendation in the report had, therefore, been amended to reflect the fact that only minor legislative changes would be dealt with under this delegated power, and that significant legislative changes would be reported and approved by members, even if the Council had no choice in the matter.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

(1)  That the revised Public Interest Disclosures (Whistleblowing) Policy be approved.

(2)  That the Head of Business Improvement Services be authorised to approve future minor changes to Human Resources policies, including those of a legislative nature, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Support Services.

Further to minute 223 of 22 January 2015 the committee is requested to consider the Public Interest Disclosures (Whistleblowing) Policy and to recommend it to Cabinet for approval.

The committee received a report from the Human Resources Manager (copy attached to the official minutes).

There had been no incidents in the last 12 months and only one or two over the last few years. Mrs Hardwick made some suggestions to the format of the report:

·           Employees (including members) – deal with these together

·           Members of the public (and contractors) - deal with these together

·           In the scope, first bulletin point ‘for employees, members of the public and contractors to follow….’

·           Monitoring heading has one sub-heading, with Contract Workers again a main heading

·           Stage 1  - add a final bullet point ‘keep a record of the disclosure’

Mr Radcliffe agreed to make these alterations to the format prior to presentation of this report to Cabinet. He advised that if the Council received a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on a whistleblowing issue, the Data Protection Act would override FOI and names and personal details would not be disclosed. Where a post title equated to an individual, it would also be justifiable to withhold this information.

RECOMMEND TO CABINET

That the Public Interest Disclosures (Whistleblowing) Policy be approved.