Recommendation 20

There are some examples of good practice across the civil service when it comes to whistleblowing processes, but they are not always shared between departments and agencies. For example, HMRC has ‘help cards’ to improve the quality of information on concerns raised anonymously and DWP has multiple routes for raising concerns so people have different options.50 Also, the National Audit Office found that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has the most whistleblowing concerns raised on average per staff member.51 The Cabinet Office commented on how the Agency had done a lot of training on how to raise issues and had a strong health and safety culture. The Cabinet Office acknowledged that there are lessons to be learned around good health and safety that often involve reporting near misses and also raising concerns when things are early or small.52