Blue Light Whistle Blowers (BLWBs), a new national charity covering England and Wales that will provide an independent and anonymous whistleblowing system. It is based in the Harrogate District and is dedicated to providing an anonymous way to whistle blow on wrongdoing by those employed in the fire, police or ambulance services.
It has recently been registered with the Charity Commission.
The Charitable Objectives require the charity to work in partnership with accountable blue light officers including the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Police and Crime Commissioners, elected Mayors, the independent Office for Police Conduct, Care Quality Commission and HMICFRS across the services, to promote an understanding and appreciation of the ethical standards of conduct and compliance with the law amongst those accountable officers.
Philip Allott said:
The charity recognises that the vast majority of blue light workers are honest and law-abiding citizens and wishes to convey that it understands that these abuses are perpetrated by a very small minority of staff.
However, some victims are disenfranchised by the very services that are supposed to protect them, so they need the utmost support, and that is where the new charity sees its remit.
Following successful registration, we would especially like to say thank you to a cross section of individuals who supported the Charity Commission application including Police and Crime Commissioners, Peers, MPs and former Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who has been a tireless supporter of BLWBs.
A key part of BLWB is the provision of advice and assistance through . It is aimed at employees, or officers, or former employees or officers, who work or have worked in the Blue Light Services, who face or have been faced with unethical standards of conduct in the context of the relative law and ethical guidelines, policies or codes of practice, who seek or have sought unsuccessfully to raise their concerns.
This includes compiling and distributing educational material for those with whistle blowing concerns and the public, about unethical standards of conduct and the impact of unethical conduct within ‘Blue Light’ services to facilitate the reporting of wrongdoing within those services.
A telephone hotline will be set up later this year, in preparation for going live in the new year, that will provide a completely confidential channel for the reporting of blue light wrongdoing. From there, an online reporting portal will follow.
A website is being developed www.blwb.org.uk and is in the process of being updated to reflect the Charitable Objectives agreed with the Charity Commission.
