Mark Isherwood
The Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas, has agreed to improve protection for whistleblowers in Wales following calls for such action from North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood.
Speaking in this week’s Assembly Debate on the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Bill, Mr Isherwood supported the amendment calling for improved protection for whistleblowers and referred to the Plas Madoc Communities First case to highlight the poor treatment of whistleblowers.
He said:
“I have had quite a lot of experience of vindicated whistleblowers in Wales. In each case, they had suffered threats and false allegations, and, in each case, when the Welsh Government had been asked for help, it had looked the other way and protected vested interests.
“After the Minister for Finance’s written statement on whistleblowing was published last April, a whistleblowers’ support group in North Wales e-mailed me to tell me that it was a statement without any action behind it or reassurance that people would be protected if they spoke out, regardless of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, because every public sector whistleblower that the group knew had not returned to work, had been blocked from seeking employment and had been discredited.
“I will conclude by referring to a friend who is a trade union officer who represents members in Wales. He says that it is true that many organisations have very good employment practices, but far too many in receipt of public money treat their staff appallingly badly. He cited some cases that he described as dreadful, and concluded that what these have in common is that they are against organisations in receipt of public money. I think that employment standards, not just dusty policies brought out at tender time, should be looked at by the Welsh Government and the National Assembly for Wales.
“I strongly support William Graham’s amendment. We must protect all staff, all employees and all workers who try to do the right, honourable and decent thing by reporting to the proper reporting officer in accordance with the legislation. At the very least, I call on the Deputy Minister to put whistleblowing in regulations and inspection.”
The Deputy Minister agreed to include whistleblowing within the new legislative framework for regulation and inspection, if possible on the face of the Bill, but if not, then through regulations or statutory guidance.
