The University exists for the public good and is committed to its principles of inclusion, collaboration, internationalism and environmental sustainability. Whilst the University always seeks to conduct its activities in a responsible way, from time to time, individuals may have genuine concerns about an actual or potential danger, fraud or other illegal or unethical conduct. The Speak Up (public interest disclosure) policy encourages individuals to raise concerns without fear of detriment and provides a clear procedure for them to do so.
The policy was recently reviewed to ensure it is up to date and consistent with all relevant legislation. Input was sought from teams across the University including: Finance, Legal and Governance, Health and Safety, Research and Enterprise, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team and campus Trade Unions.
Key changes include:
- a rewording in line with the new University Strategy
- updates to policy scope and governance accountability
- modernising some language
- updated data protection guidance (related to retention of paperwork)
- clarity on points of contact and responsibilities
- inclusion of a procedural flow-diagram.
We wanted to take the opportunity to remind colleagues of the existence of the policy: read the Speak Up policy in full on the HR webpages.