Speak Up / Whistleblowing Policy

1Who this covers

This policy applies to everyone associated with Acadame: employees on any contract, internal trainers and assessors, senior leadership, managers and team leads; freelance trainers and assessors, subcontracted training providers, suppliers and vendors, clients, commissioners and partner organisations; and candidates, apprentices, work experience individuals and visitors to any Acadame premises.

2What you can report

• Breaches of UK law
• Health and safety failings or risks
• Financial malpractice, including fraud, bribery and falsification of records
• Safeguarding or Prevent risks
• Harassment, discrimination or unethical behaviour
• Data protection or GDPR breaches
• Anything compromising training integrity, assessment quality or awarding body compliance
• Environmental or corporate governance failings

Not covered: personal employment grievances, unless they raise a misconduct concern, which go through the appropriate HR policy; emergencies, where you should call 999; and knowingly false or malicious allegations.

3How to raise a concern

Trusted representatives. Lloyd Dykes, Dan Birks and Matthew Lockett provide confidential guidance and support. They do not investigate concerns themselves, so their neutrality is preserved.

Head of Centre. Martin Blakemore, martin@acadame.co.uk.

Anonymously. Use the secure Speak Up form at acadame.co.uk/speak-up. Anonymous reporting is welcomed, though limited information can restrict what an investigation can establish.

Externally. If internal routes are unsuitable or compromised you can go to an awarding body, Ofqual or another regulator, a local authority safeguarding board, the police including Prevent officers, or a legal adviser. External escalation should normally follow internal options, unless there is immediate or serious risk.

4What happens next

1. Acknowledgement, within five to seven working days. You receive confirmation of receipt and the planned next steps
2. Initial review. A preliminary assessment decides whether the concern falls within this policy, what immediate action is needed, and whether a full investigation is required
3. Detailed investigation, if required. A Case Manager is appointed, evidence is gathered objectively and confidentially, external specialists in legal, HR or audit may be used, and all parties are treated fairly
4. Outcome and feedback. Appropriate corrective or disciplinary action is taken, policies or practices may be updated, and you receive feedback within the limits of confidentiality

5Confidentiality and your data

Information is shared strictly on a need-to-know basis, and any breach of that confidence is treated as a serious offence.

In line with our Data Protection & GDPR Policy, data is used only for the investigation, stored securely with controlled access, and retained only as long as necessary. You have the right to access or correct your data.

Your identity will not be disclosed without your consent, except where the law or a safeguarding risk requires it. If disclosure becomes necessary we will tell you in advance and provide appropriate support.

6Protection against retaliation

We enforce a zero-tolerance approach to retaliation, which includes demotion, dismissal, reduced hours or withheld opportunities; bullying, intimidation, harassment or isolation; and any negative impact on training, assessment or working conditions.

Our guarantee is that a good-faith reporter will never be penalised, that any retaliation results in disciplinary action, and that the protection applies even if the concern is not upheld, provided it was raised honestly.

Knowingly false allegations undermine the policy and may lead to disciplinary action.

7Training and awareness

• All employees receive Speak Up training at induction
• Annual refresher training supports continued awareness
• Scenario-based learning helps staff recognise misconduct
• Contractors and partner providers maintain training aligned with this policy

We promote Speak Up through internal communications, posters at our training centres and candidate induction briefings.

8Monitoring and continuous improvement

We analyse the effectiveness of this policy by reviewing the frequency and type of reports, investigation outcomes and timescales, any patterns or emerging risks, and feedback from staff, candidates and partners.

What we learn informs updates to the IMS, to internal policies, to reporting systems and to staff training. The policy is reviewed annually by the Head of Centre, or sooner following a regulatory change.