Recommendation 14

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