Whistleblowing

What is whistleblowing?

Whistleblowing is about helping you to raise legitimate concerns or worries about the council’s activities and practices.

Walsall Council is committed to the highest standard of openness, accountability and integrity. We have adopted this procedure to make it possible for anyone working for the council, including its contractors and suppliers, who have serious concerns about our activities and practices, to come forward and voice those concerns.

Such concerns may include improper conduct, malpractice, fraud, corruption or abuse within the council or in relation to service users. All reported issues will be taken seriously and treated on a confidential basis.

Confidential reporting (whistleblowing) procedure

The procedure applies to:

• everyone working for the council, including temporary and agency staff
• contractors working for the council on council premises
• suppliers
• those providing services under a contract with the council in their own premises

While the procedure does not apply to members of the public, it has been placed on our website so that local residents and other people who use our services can see the procedure, and understand our arrangements for whistleblowing.

If you're a local resident or service user, there are a number of ways you can raise a concern with us. This includes contacting your local councillor or using our complaints procedures. If you have concerns about improper conduct, malpractice or fraud within the council, we encourage you to raise those concerns with our internal audit service.

The procedure recognises that those reporting concerns need to be assured that the matters have been properly addressed and that they will be informed of the outcome of the case, subject to legal constraints.

Reporting concerns

Full details of points of contact, both within the council and external to it, are included within the procedure.

Children's Services and Social Care and Inclusion issues

Our social care services have built on the corporate procedure in respect of its need to be especially vigilant in protecting the interests of vulnerable clients. We operate a statutory complaints procedure for all complaints relating to service users.

You should direct such complaints to the Customer Care Team, Room 32, Council House, Lichfield Street, Walsall, WS1 1TW. Phone 0800 0856018 or get in touch by email.