Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Accepted
High anonymity rates among whistleblowers reflect ongoing trust issues in civil service
Conclusion
The Cabinet Office told us that just under half of whistleblowers come forward anonymously, acknowledging that this fact shows it has more work to do to convince people it is safe to speak up.31 We asked HMRC and DWP how they embed a culture that encourages people to raise concerns.32 HMRC told us it sets standards it expects in its organisation and helps people understand them through different training methods they will receive when they join and then annually. There are also clear standards through professional bodies that people are part of and through the department’s customer charter.33 HMRC recently completed a review on culture and behaviours in the department producing a report “Respect at Work”.34 It also has regular dialogue with trade unions, with particular focus on the treatment of people who raise concerns.35 The Cabinet office told us that departments also try raise awareness of the whistleblowing process by sharing information on their intranet sites, blogs, town halls and at the ‘Speak Up’ campaign.36
Government Response Summary
The Cabinet Office will foster the sharing of best practice through the online hub, continue to deliver events, develop a learning offer, promote the Speak Up campaign, commission a survey of whistleblowers, focus the Speak Up campaign on the cultural side of raising concerns, and consider introducing a civil service-wide whistleblowing champion.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3.2 The Cabinet Office recognises that changes in organisational culture can take time to evolve and become embedded and at a different pace across departments. The Cabinet Office will continue to foster the sharing of whistleblowing/raising a concern best practice across the Civil Service through the online practitioner's hub. 3.3 The Cabinet Office has: • built a stakeholder community where practitioners can engage with each other in a safe space, raise concerns and share learning; • delivered a conference for policy leads in Autumn 2023, to support understanding of the current initiatives happening across the civil service and wider. This will become an annual event; • developed and published a learning offer for departmental nominated officers; • engaged with and promoted the annual Speak Up campaign. 3.4 The Cabinet Office will work with departmental leads to commission a survey of whistleblowers to better understand their experience and the speak-up culture across government. Findings will be shared with HR Directors. 3.5 The Cabinet Office will use this year’s annual ‘Speak Up’ campaign, planned for late autumn, to focus on the cultural side of raising a concern and ensuring that it is safe for concerns to be raised. The intention is that this can be tailored by departments to align with their existing culture and approach to raising a concern. 3.6 Further, the Cabinet Office is considering the introduction of a civil service-wide whistleblowing champion at SCS level. The champion would be a senior figurehead to showcase the importance of speaking up across the civil service, to promote and encourage a culture where it is safe to challenge and to assure those raising concerns that they will be listened to and protected.