Whistleblowing (Public Interest Disclosure) Code
The University of Nottingham is committed to high standards of openness and accountability and conducts its affairs with due regard to probity. The University is committed to tackling any malpractice or wrongdoing and this Code is one component of that approach. The University expects all of its staff and students to follow the ethical behaviours set out in the Nolan Principles. Those are: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. These Principles underlie the University's Ethical Framework and are incorporated into this Code.
The UK Government introduced legislation in the form of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, (“PIDA”), which was amended in June 2013. PIDA is designed to give protection to employees and workers who disclose confidential information about malpractice in the workplace, whether carried out by other employees/workers or the employer. Such disclosures are commonly referred to as “whistleblowing”. The Act sets out rules defining what counts as "malpractice" for these purposes and prescribing the person(s) or bodies to whom a protected disclosure can be made. Whilst the terms of PIDA specifically cover those working in the UK, in order to promote a general culture of shared responsibility and openness, this Whistleblowing Code has been drafted to include the University’s wider community. In addition to staff at the University of Nottingham in the UK, the Code therefore extends to colleagues, students and lay members in the UK and at the University of Nottingham Malaysia and the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China.
The guidance sets out the procedure under which any suspected malpractice should be reported:
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/governance/documents/whistleblowing.pdf
Published March 2015
Approved by University Executive Board 4 March 2015
Updated January 2020, approved by Council on 4 February 2020