Blue Light Whistle Blowers – Charitable Objects
The promotion for the public benefit of ethical standards of conduct and compliance with the law within the police, fire and rescue, or ambulance (‘blue light’) services through:
(a) working in partnership with accountable officers (including chief officers) within the services, National Police Chiefs’ Council, police, fire and crime commissioners, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Care Quality Commission, and HMICFRS across the services, and promoting an understanding and appreciation of the ethical standards of conduct and compliance with the law amongst those accountable officers.
(b) compiling and distributing educational materials for those with whistleblowing concerns and the public about the ethical standards of conduct and the impact of unethical conduct within ‘blue light’ services to facilitate reporting of wrongdoing within those services.
(c) gathering, researching and promoting methods of good practice and ethical standards of conduct to protect whistleblowers, within a human rights framework.
(d) the provision of advice and assistance through an independent and anonymous whistleblowing system and associated support as follows:
(i) To employees or officers or former employees or officers working or having worked within the ‘blue light’ services who faced or having been faced with unethical standards of conduct in the context of the relative law and ethical guidelines, policies, codes and practices (hereafter ‘concerned persons’) seek or have sought unsuccessfully to raise their concerns.
(ii) The provision to ‘concerned persons’ within blue light services of advice concerning their duty of confidentiality and their legal rights of disclosure in the public interest having regard to the terms of their contract and the general law.
Provided always that Blue Light Whistle Blowers shall not provide advice or assistance or other services to a concerned person pursuant to clause (d) hereof unless the concern relates to actual or apprehended conduct resulting or thought likely to result in substantial danger to life or limb or to property or the natural environment or to actual or apprehended substantial breaches of the relative law or is otherwise serious and substantial and such as might lawfully and properly be disclosed in the public interest.
The Charity will act on unethical standards
Criminal misconduct includes dishonesty, extortion, theft, bribery, perjury, murder and attempted murder.
Workplace misbehaviour including sexual discrimination, bullying, inappropriate sexual behaviour, violence, homophobia and racism.
Domestic misbehaviour includes ill-treatment of partners and or/their families including any children encompassing: rape, attempted rape, cohesive control, violence, bullying and gaslighting.
Things we don’t do
Handle complaints from members of the public against blue light employees where the complainant is not a fellow employer, former fellow employee or a partner or family member.
Independently handle investigations against blue light employees, these will be handled by the appropriate HR or Professional Standards. However, all outcomes will be monitored by us.
What we will do
- Blue Light Whistle Blowers is here to listen
- Blue Light Whistle Blowers is here to advise
- Blue Light Whistle Blowers is here to support you during a potentially stressful journey
Any complaints made concerning Blue Light Workers will be taken at face value until otherwise proven.
We will provide guidance concerning the employer’s duty of care with regards to your employment contract (if applicable) and the general law.
We will always act discreetly and if you wish to report concerns your details will not be shared unless you have consented.
Your complaint will be raised either as an anonymous complaint or with your prior consent as a named complaint.
The relevant blue light organisation will be given 21 days to respond unless we believe there is imminent danger to you and/or your family in which case immediate action will be expected and demanded.
Where required we will name and shame blue light organisations that fail to act and take up what we believe to be valid complaints. Where resources permit, we will support you with appropriate legal guidance.
When reporting any concerns we ask that you:
- Tell the truth
- Don’t exaggerate any claims
- Provide details such as where, when and how
- If possible, but we accept that this won’t always be possible, provide any collaborative evidence including any others who can support your concerns.
When people working within the service confidently speak up about wrongdoing – everyone benefits.