Whistleblowing Policy
What is whistleblowing and when is it relevant?
Any person, including those employed or contracted by Sleep Unlimited Ltd, who feels that an employee of Sleep Unlimited Ltd has acted in a way that:
- breaks the law,
- covers up any wrongdoing,
- is a miscarriage of justice,
- endangers the wellbeing and safety of another person,
- behaves in a way that risks damaging the environment,
is entitled to and should report this behaviour, either as an individual or a group. This can be something that has happened in the past, something that is happening now, or something that they are concerned may happen in the future because of someone’s actions.
This applies to all employees of Sleep Unlimited Ltd – malpractice is not tolerated and will be dealt with in accordance with disciplinary policies and the law.
If you are a whistle-blower, who do you report to and what happens with your complaint?
Any whistle-blower who wishes to report their concerns directly to Sleep Unlimited Ltd, should contact them in the following ways:
- Email one of the directors of Sleep Unlimited Ltd – Mandy Martell (Operations Director) martell@sleepunlimited.co.uk or Dr David Lee (Clinical Director) david.lee@sleepunlimited.co.uk – if the whistle-blower wishes to remain anonymous, the directors will treat the complaint with confidentiality and make every effort to protect the whistle-blower’s identity. It may be that the directors will need to contact the whistle-blower to ensure they have all the relevant information.
- The whistle-blower may phone Sleep Unlimited Ltd anonymously and report their concerns at 0191 580 0008. Concerns will be taken to one of the directors above.
The information that is needed:
- Why the whistle-blower has concerns.
- What this is based on, and any information they feel is relevant.
- Why they are reporting this.
What happens next:
- Once Sleep Unlimited Ltd have received information from a whistle-blower, anonymously, or otherwise, this will be dealt with either internally, following the disciplinary procedure, or by escalating it to the relevant authorities.
- Sleep Unlimited Ltd will contact the whistle blower within 14 days to let them know how they are dealing with the complaint.
The whistle-blower is able to have someone with them for support – either a friend or a trade union representative.
If you are a whistle-blower, you may also report any concerns to a suitable governing body, or to your MP – please see this list below for up-to-date information and advice:
Further support and information for whistle-blowers:
There is also help and support at the charity Protect – Speak up stop harm – Protect – Speak up stop harm (protect-advice.org.uk)
As a whistle-blower, you are protected, and will not come to any harm because of your actions. It is important to report any serious wrongdoing to the relevant person so that the issue can be resolved.
Please also refer to the government website where there is further information on whistleblowing and who is protected by law/what constitutes whistleblowing Whistleblowing for employees: What is a whistleblower – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What to do if you are unsatisfied:
If you are unsatisfied with the outcome, or if what you have reported is continuing – then you should escalate this – either to another director at Sleep Unlimited Ltd or to an external authority – please see Whistleblowing: list of prescribed people and bodies – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) on the government website or contact your MP or the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
What to do if your complaint is more personal:
If your complaint is more personal (bullying, harassment, or discrimination) – this will be dealt with internally by Sleep Unlimited Ltd using the disciplinary procedures. Complaints should be made to one of the directors, as above.
If you are an employee of Sleep Unlimited Ltd and you have a personal complaint, please refer to the grievance procedure given to you as part of your employment pack, which can also be found in our ‘Team – Human Resources’ folder.
If we find out that your complaint is malicious or made in bad faith:
Sleep Unlimited Ltd have zero tolerance for malicious complaints and will revert to the disciplinary procedure to deal with any allegations that are made in bad faith.
Sleep Unlimited Ltd treat all complaints seriously and will investigate and resolve issues – escalating to higher authorities if they feel this is necessary, appropriate or if it is required by law.