NI whistleblower systems strengthened, but culture still lacking – report

Northern Ireland bodies have made “notable progress” in handling whistleblowers but there “remains scope for improving culture”, the head of the NI Audit Office has said.

A new report has evaluated mechanisms put in place by organisations including central government departments, local councils and health trusts to deal with concerns raised.

The Comptroller and Auditor General Dorinnia Carville’s report on Raising Concerns in the Northern Ireland Public Sector follows a number of high-profile cases associated with raising concerns in recent years.

The report released on Friday notes that more than 700 concerns have been raised across the public sector in the last five years.

The largest category of classified concerns relates to potential fraud or maladministration.

In cases where investigations were completed, only 10% of the concerns raised were upheld.

All government departments now have updated policies and a designated officer in place to deal with whistleblowing, which was seen as positive.

However, areas for improvement were also identified, including the need for development of specialised, investigative skills, to ensure that all concerns are appropriately treated.

The report also calls for more sharing of good practice and reflection on what works between organisations, and stronger leadership across public sector organisations on raising concerns.

The report highlights that in many government departments ‘speak up champions’ are not in place, despite this being a requirement of the 2023 framework.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Ms Carville said a “healthy and positive culture around raising concerns is essential to ensure transparency, integrity and accountability within the public sector”.

“It helps organisations detect issues early, avoid costly mistakes, and improve service delivery for the public,” she said.

“The 2023 NI Departments’ Raising a Concern Policy Framework was a very significant and welcome step forward.

“However, public sector leaders should continue to treat this as a priority and ensure their staff are informed, skilled and supported to raise concerns they have as well as manage those they receive.

“Alongside this report today, I am delighted to publish an updated Good Practice Guide on Raising Concerns to support public sector bodies and their employees.

“This guide, together with the recommendations in my report, will help central and local government assess their current arrangements and create the environment where raising concerns is encouraged, welcomed and managed effectively.”