1. Introduction
Trustees, employees, partners and volunteers, partners and volunteers may, in properly carrying out their duties, have access to, or come into contact with, information of a confidential nature.
However, the law allows Trustees, employees, partners and volunteers, to make a ‘protected disclosure’ of certain information. In order to be ‘protected’, a disclosure must relate to a specific subject matter (clause 2) and the disclosure must also be made in an appropriate way (clause 3). Whistleblowing protection is confined to a disclosure which, in the reasonable belief of the Trustees, employees, partners and volunteers making the disclosure, is made in the public interest.
STURR (“the Charity”) is committed to compliance with the Bribery Act 2010. The Company actively encourages a culture of honesty and openness and therefore all Trustees, employees, partners and volunteers, partners and volunteers are required to bring up to their designated person any issue that, in their opinion, might constitute bribery or corruption.
2. Specific Subject Matter
If, in the course of the Charity’s business any Trustee, employee, partner and volunteer becomes aware of information which they reasonably believe tends to show one or more of the following:- That a criminal offence has been committed, is being committed or is likely to be committed.
- That a person has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation to which he is subject.
- That a miscarriage of justice that has occurred, is occurring, or is likely to occur.
- That the health or safety of any individual has been, is being, or is likely to be, endangered.
- That the environment, has been, is being, or is likely to be, damaged.
- That information tending to show any of the above, is being, or is likely to be, deliberately concealed.
- That the business or any associated person has been, is being, or is likely to be receiving or offering bribes.
- That any foreign official has been, is being, or is likely to be bribed or offered facilitation payment by the company or any associated person.
they must use the Company’s disclosure procedure as set out below.
3. Disclosure Procedure
Information which any Trustee, employee, partner and volunteers reasonably believes tends to show one or more of the above should promptly be disclosed to Chair of Trustees so that any appropriate action can be taken.- If it is inappropriate to make such a disclosure Chair of Trustees, Trustees, employees, partners and volunteers should speak to the full Board of Trustees.
- Trustees, employees, partners and volunteers, will suffer no detriment of any sort for making such a disclosure in accordance with this procedure.
- However, failure to follow this procedure may result in the disclosure of information losing its ‘protected status.’
- For further guidance in relation to this matter or concerning the use of the disclosure procedure generally, Trustees, employees, partners and volunteers, should speak in confidence to the Chair of Trustees.
