There's no single law forcing every employer to have one, but under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA), organisations must not subject a worker to detriment for raising a protected disclosure, and CQC guidance expects every registered provider to have a clear whistleblowing policy and procedure in place.

Whistleblowing is when a worker raises a concern about wrongdoing, risk or malpractice that affects others — such as unsafe staffing, abuse or a breach of regulations — rather than a personal grievance about their own treatment at work. A whistleblowing in health and social care example might include reporting unsafe medication practice, financial abuse of a resident, or a colleague falsifying care records.

Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, workers who make a protected disclosure in good faith are protected from dismissal or unfair treatment. This protection applies from day one of employment, with no minimum length of service required.

Most whistleblowing procedures start with raising the concern with a line manager or the registered person. If that isn't appropriate, concerns can be raised with the CQC, another prescribed regulator, or a confidential service such as the NHS and Social Care Whistleblowing Helpline.

This course is CPD accredited and supports providers in meeting CQC's expectation that staff understand their organisation's whistleblowing policy and procedures. CQC doesn't approve individual courses, but expects providers to evidence appropriate training and staff competence.

Yes. The course is fully responsive and can be completed on desktop, tablet or mobile, study at your own pace, whenever it suits you.