The English Delegation of Josephites
Whistleblowing Policy

Policy Purpose
The English Delegation of Josephites is committed to maintaining an open culture and the highest standards of honesty and accountability and takes this responsibility very seriously. 
This policy outlines what the English Delegation of Josephites should do if they suspect something or someone of the English Delegation of Josephites is putting them or others in danger or is illegal or unethical.
Policy Scope
The English Delegation of Josephites aims to encourage all its people to speak up and report any concern where they have reasonable belief that wrongdoing has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur. 
The Policy
What is Whistleblowing?
Whistleblowing is a term used:
• where an individual raises concerns about inappropriate, underhand or illegal practices within their organisation or an associated organisation, in the public interest, or 
• when an individual discloses information relating to malpractice or wrongdoing and/or the covering up of malpractice or wrongdoing
Whistleblowing is distinct from complaints, grievances and employment disputes.
The English Delegation of Josephites policy offers protection to anyone who honestly and reasonably believe that underhand or illegal practices are taking place and provides the environment in which to report them, confidentially. 
Anyone who raises matters or concerns under this policy are protected against detrimental treatment because they have made a disclosure. 
The English Delegation of Josephites will take your concerns seriously, they will be thoroughly investigated, and you can be confident there will be no reprisals.
The English Delegation of Josephites undertakes to comply with all applicable laws relating to the prohibition of retaliation against good faith Whistleblowers, including the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1988.
The types of concerns you may want to raise with English Delegation of Josephites by whistleblowing can include:
• any activity you suspect is criminal 
• any activity you suspect puts health and safety at risk
• any miscarriage of justice
• any activity you suspect may damage the environment
• any failure to comply with legal or regulatory obligations
• any failure to meet professional requirements
• any attempt to conceal one or more of these activities.
It is the policy of the English Delegation of Josephites to
• Protect anyone who whistle blows from any personal claims and from any victimisation, harassment or bullying, resulting from the disclosure.
• Refrain from any disciplinary action; the case of any person should not in any way be harmed or hindered as a result of the disclosure (whether proved to be true or not, providing it was reported in good faith).
• Refrain from any reprisal or similar action against a Whistleblower because he/she made a protected disclosure under this policy. (
• Whistleblowing about any form of wrong-doing or unacceptable behaviour is always the right thing to do. Where the nature of a disclosure is not included in the above list, it should be made via the Grievance Procedure of the English Delegation of Josephites
Failure to Disclose Potential Concerns 
Failure to notify the English Delegation of Josephites when reasonably aware or certain of any occurrence included in the list above is regarded as a dereliction of duty.
How to Raise a Whistleblowing Concern
In the event that someone has reason to believe that underhand or illegal practices are taking place in the English Delegation of Josephites, he/she is encouraged to disclose them immediately by raising the concerns to the Superior of the English Delegation of Josephites either face-to-face or in writing. 
1. The Whistleblower should communicate verbally or in writing that concerns are being raised under this policy and explain what those concerns are, including all the key facts, dates and names of the people involved. 
2. Anonymous disclosures will be considered but are discouraged because anonymity can make it difficult to investigate, protect those concerned, or provide feedback on outcomes. 
3. The Whistleblower will be invited to a meeting to discuss his/her concerns and is entitled to be accompanied at this and any subsequent meetings by another person. Any disclosures between the Whistleblower and any representative should be kept confidential before and after the meeting(s) and during any investigation that may follow.
4. After the initial meeting, the English Delegation of Josephites will investigate the Whistleblower’s concerns and may ask him/her to attend further meetings. To investigate properly, we may involve specialists with particular knowledge or experience of the issues raised. 
5. The Whistleblower will be kept informed about how the investigation is progressing and how long is it likely to take. He/she may not be given details about the investigation (or any action it leads to) as we may need to protect confidentiality and comply with legal obligations.  
6. The Whistleblower’s concerns will be addressed fairly by the English Delegation of Josephites but we cannot guarantee the outcome of our investigation will be the one the Whistleblower wants. If he/she is not satisfied with how we have conducted the investigation, there is scope to take the matter to the Board of Trustees of the English Delegation of Josephites for further consideration. 
Should the Whistleblower feel uncomfortable about raising concerns in this way, he/she should approach any individual English Delegation of Josephites If the Whistleblower is still unsure whether this is the appropriate route for raising a concern (or is dissatisfied with the final outcome of any investigation), he/she should contact an external body for advice such as:
• The Charity Commission
• Fundraising Regulator 
• Care Quality Commission 
• Health and Safety Executive
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• The police (if you suspect illegal activity)
While the Whistleblower is not expected to have absolute proof of malpractice, he/she needs to be able to demonstrate the reasons behind any concerns. 
Most concerns are raised with good intentions but occasionally someone makes a false allegation out of malice or because they believe they have something to gain. Anyone found doing this will face appropriate action. 
Confidentiality and Anonymity
The English Delegation of Josephites will always endeavour to keep a Whistleblower’s identity confidential when asked to do so, although we cannot guarantee this and we may need to disclose the Whistleblower’s identity to:
• the police, fraud prevention agencies or other law enforcement agencies (to investigate or prevent crime, including fraud)
• the courts (in connection with court proceedings)
• another person to whom we are required by law to disclose your identity. 
In such instances, the English Delegation of Josephites will inform the Whistleblower at the earliest opportunity. In the interests of confidentiality and fairness, the Whistleblower must not discuss the matter further.
How the English Delegation of Josephites protects Whistleblowers
If you raise a genuine concern under this policy, we will support you fully even if we find through our investigations that you made a mistake or that there has been no breach of policy or legal obligation. 
However, if you feel you have been treated badly as a result of raising a concern, you must tell us straightaway. First, you must inform the Superior of the English Delegation of Josephites if the matter remains unresolved, you must follow the formal process in our Grievance Policy.
All Whistleblowers are given the same protection, so the English Delegation of Josephites must not threaten or otherwise badly treat others who have raised concerns under this policy. 
The Whistleblower may also be able to bring legal action against the English Delegation of Josephites You can get further advice on whistleblowing, protecting confidentiality and being protected from reprisals at: www.protect-advice.org.uk. Protect is an independent charity that also offers an advice line: 020 3117 2520.
Review of this Policy 
This policy is owned by the secretary of the Trustees of the English Delegation of Josephites
It was last reviewed on 08 August 2025 
It will next be reviewed on 4 September 2026