Whistleblowing Policy
- Policies
The Royal Drawing School is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability. This Whistleblowing Policy provides guidance for employees, self-employed tutors, and artist models who may need to raise genuine concerns about suspected wrongdoing or risks within the School.
These concerns may relate to criminal activity, breaches of legal obligations, health and safety risks, environmental harm, or unethical conduct. The policy outlines how to make a disclosure in a responsible and protected manner, ensuring that individuals can report such matters without fear of reprisal, and with confidence that their concerns will be taken seriously and handled appropriately.
How is whistleblowing defined?
Whistleblowing is the name given to the act of the disclosure of information to the employer or relevant authority by an individual who knows, or suspects, that the School is responsible for or taken part in some wrongdoing.
Those making qualifying disclosures are protected against dismissal or detriment by The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
How are qualifying disclosures defined?
Certain disclosures are prescribed by law as qualifying disclosures. A qualifying disclosure means a disclosure of information that the employee genuinely and reasonably believes is in the public interest and shows that the School has committed a relevant failure by:
- Committing a criminal offence
- Failing to comply with a legal obligation
- A miscarriage of justice
- Endangering the health and safety of an individual
- Environmental damage
- Being subject to or witnessing another being subjected to sexual harassment
- Being subject to or witnessing another being subjected to any form of harassment or bullying behaviour or;
- Concealing any information relating to the above
These acts can be in the past, present, or future, so that, for example, a disclosure qualifies if it relates to environmental damage that has happened, is happening, or is likely to happen. The School will taken any concerns that you may raise relating to the above matters very seriously.
Employees must reasonably believe that the disclosure is in the public interest. We encourage you to use the procedures to raise any such concerns.
The whistleblowing procedure
In the first instance you should report any concerns you may have to our independent whistleblowing disclosure service at Health Assured.
Their 24/7 confidential helpline contact details are 0800 047 4037
Information about the Health Assured Whistleblowing Disclosure Service can be viewed in Appendix A.
Health Assured will contact the nominated person at the School who will triage any complaints or matters raised with Health Assured to the appropriate head of department or trustee to take necessary actions to resolve the matter.
If the individual is not satisfied with the explanation, actions, or reasons given, they should raise the matter with the appropriate official organisation or regulatory body.
Bullying, harassment or any other detrimental treatment afforded to a colleague who has made a qualifying disclosure is unacceptable. Anyone found to have acted in such a manner will be subject to disciplinary action.