Following recent enquiries, we thought it would be helpful to share a reminder about what’s required from Stage 2 responses.
Under the Standards, at the end of a whistleblowing investigation, the organisation must give the person who raised the concern a written response. This should:
-
set out your findings and conclusions, and explain how you reached these. Clearly state the outcome- upheld or not upheld
-
demonstrate you have taken the concern seriously and investigated thoroughly
-
apologise where things have gone wrong
-
describe any action you plan to take as a result of the concern
-
be clear this is the organisation’s final decision
-
signpost to the INWO
The response should be clear and non-confrontational and give the name of a member of staff the person can speak to if they don’t understand something you have written.
At the INWO, we have seen cases where Stage 2 responses provided have omitted most of the detail in the final investigation report. This can leave the person who raised the concern unclear on how the findings have been reached and with a lot of questions about how the investigation was conducted. This in turn increases the chance of escalation to the INWO.
To avoid this, ask yourself:
- will the content and conclusions in this Stage 2 response make sense and provide reassurance to someone who hasn't been able to read the full investigation report?
- is the response clear and easy to understand?
- have you included as much of the content and conclusions of the investigation report as possible? (Being mindful of maintaining confidentiality and overlap with HR, where sharing details would not be appropriate.)
If you have any questions about Stage 2 responses, please get in touch at [email protected].