Submit a whistleblower report
Use this quick and easy service to find out what to do next if you have concerns about something you’ve witnessed at your current or previous place of work related to data protection or information rights.
If you’ve seen or heard something at work that didn’t feel right, this service will help you decide if we're the right organisation to share your concerns with. You'll then be able to submit a whistleblowing report about what you’ve witnessed online.
Before using this service, read our protection for whistleblowers guidance to find out more about what it means to be a whistleblower, your rights and where to go for further advice.
Can I submit my report anonymously?
We know that raising concerns related to your workplace can be stressful.
As part of your report, you can choose to provide contact details or remain anonymous.
If you report anonymously:
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we’ll still investigate your concerns and take action where we can; but
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we won’t be able to contact you about your report and discuss your concerns with you.
If you choose to share your contact details:
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we'll still deal with your concerns confidentially. We won’t reveal your identity or take any action that might risk revealing your identity when investigating your concerns; and
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we can get in contact with you to ask for further information to help us take our investigations forward.
Usually, we complete initial assessments of whistleblowing reports within four weeks of submission.
What you’ll need
You’ll need:
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the name of the organisation your whistleblowing concerns relate to; and
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a description of what you’ve seen or heard, including when and where it happened
It's helpful if you can also provide:
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relevant supporting evidence you already have about what you witnessed.
Don’t worry if you don't have all this information, just share as much as you are able.
If you have any further questions or require additional support, call us on 0303 123 1113 or live chat with us so we can help you.
What will the outcome of my whistleblowing report be?
There are a number of possible outcomes to your report.
- We’ll use the information you share to inform our work, but we won’t take any immediate action. Despite your concerns, it might be that we can’t take action on your report at this time. This is often because we don’t have enough evidence or there is a high risk of your identity being revealed. We’ll still keep a record of the issues you raise with us and use it to build a picture of poor performing organisations. We may be able to take action in the future if we receive more detail or evidence from you or other people.
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We may get in touch with you for more information (if you choose to provide contact details). This helps us better understand your case and what action we can take.
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We’ll work with the organisation to improve their information rights practices. We’ll gather information from the organisation about how things are currently working and tell them where to make changes to their policies and procedures.
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We’ll take regulatory action, in some cases. We can issue a warning about an area where an organisation hasn’t followed the law and ask them to put things right. In some rare cases, we may also fine or prosecute organisations or individuals.