Rise is whistleblowing means system is working, chairman says
A fifty-one per cent rise in whistleblowers’ reports shows the system has “come of age”, and Shropshire Council employees are aware of it and trust it, the borough’s audit chairman has said.
Wrongdoing concerns reported by whistleblowers in 2018-19 included two benefit fraud allegations, two theft cases, and one accusation that an employee was running a business and doing DIY when he or she was meant to be working – although it was not proved.
Ceri Pilawski. Shropshire Council’s head of audit, said there were 33 cases in all that year, six involving authority employees.
One resignation and three dismissals resulted from whistleblower reports, but that includes one employee who was fired then reinstated.
Audit Committee chairman Councillor Peter Adams said: “From the rise in reports, it looks like the policy has come of age, and people have got confidence in the system and the management structure, and so they use it.”
Ms Pilawski said: “The policy is in place and there have been quite a number of whistleblowers’ reports: 33, of which six are about council employees.
“This shows a 51 per cent rise compared to the previous year.”
Protected
A report before the five-member committee by workforce and transformation director, Michele Leith, said: “The whistleblowing process provides arrangements to enable employees, elected members, contractors and others to raise concerns about fraud, corruption, adult and child protection or harassment and bullying allegations.
“A worker can’t be dismissed because of whistleblowing. If they are, they can claim unfair dismissal. They’ll be protected by law as long as certain criteria are met.”
Shropshire Council’s whistleblowing policy has been in place for more than 10 years, and is reviewed annually.
Ms Leith’s report summarises all 33 cases. In 14, there was no case to answer, while both benefit fraud cases were referred to national Single Fraud Investigation Service.
In a fraud case, the accused person resigned after a management investigation. Two others, accused of “time abuse” and a “data breach”, were dismissed after an auditors’ investigation.
Another person reported over a “data breach” and investigated by auditors was “dismissed and reinstated”, according to Ms Leith’s report.
Audit Committee member Councillor Brian Williams said most of the information in the report was “satisfactory”, but “that one did intrigue me”.
He asked: “Did they seek compensation?”
Ms Pilawski, who presented Ms Leith’s report to the committee, said: “Unfortunately, I don’t know that level of detail”.
