The Protected Disclosures Act 2014, as amended by the Protected Disclosures Act 2022, obliges each local authority to establish and maintain procedures for the making of, and dealing with, protected disclosures under the legislation.
Protected Disclosures is a framework which protects workers in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors if they speak up about, or raise concerns, relating to wrongdoing in the workplace.
Workers can report wrongdoing internally to their employer or externally to a third party, such as a prescribed person. The primary purpose of the Protected Disclosures legislation is to promote and encourage the development of a positive workplace culture in which raising concerns regarding potential wrongdoing is valued, and appropriate action is taken by employers in response to such disclosures.
Having appropriate policies and procedures in place provides a safe platform for workers who wish to make a protected disclosure to do so in the confidence that they have the protections of the Act.
The Council's policy and procedure for dealing with such disclosures is set out below.