Whistleblowing Procedure
Any individual can raise a whistleblowing concern, whether they are staff, a student or a member of the public.
At one time or another, many of us may have experienced concerns about how things are done within an organisation, whether this is a place of work, study or charitable activity. Most of these concerns are usually able to be resolved easily and informally. However sometimes these concerns are of a more serious nature and you may feel unable to raise them in the normal way by speaking with your line manager or another senior member of staff. In these instances, Coventry University Group’s whistleblowing procedure is in place to support you in highlighting practices and behaviours that do not feel right.
The university group is committed to the highest standards of openness, integrity and accountability. This means it places great importance on conducting its affairs in a responsible and transparent way, ensuring the proper use of public funds and by providing a respectful and inclusive environment in which to work and study. As such, all of those within the university group community are encouraged to speak out if they become aware of behaviours and practices that have no place in the university. These might include, but are not restricted to, financial irregularities, dangerous working conditions, discrimination and fraud.
Many individuals might feel uncomfortable or worried about raising a whistleblowing concern, however the university group whistleblowing procedure ensures that individuals can report their concerns in the knowledge that the information they share will be taken seriously and investigated at a high level. Those conducting the investigation will do so in a sensitive manner and with due regard to strict confidentiality. Anyone raising a whistleblowing concern should be reassured that they can do so without fear of reprisals or victimisation, even if they turn out to be mistaken. Any individual can raise a whistleblowing concern, whether they are staff, a student or a member of the public.
The university group whistleblowing procedure is designed to provide a comprehensive guide to making a disclosure and sets out what you expect to happen as the process progresses and when. If however you need further advice in interpreting the procedure, or require it in an alternative format, please contact whistleblowing.reg@coventry.ac.uk.
It may be that upon reading the procedure, your concern may be handled more appropriately through another university group procedure, for example academic misconduct or as a staff grievance. If you are unsure of the member of staff to contact should it be more appropriate for you to disclose your concerns through another procedure, please contact the Whistleblowing email address above for advice.
