AtIntegrative Supported Living Care Ltd., we are committed to maintaining a safe, open, transparent and supportive environment where everyone feels confident to raise concerns without fear of intimidation, discrimination or unfair treatment.
We believe that speaking up is fundamental to safeguarding the people we support, maintaining high standards of care and promoting a culture of honesty, accountability and continuous improvement.
Whether you are an employee, care worker, agency worker, service user, family member, advocate, supplier, contractor or recruitment agency working with us, your voice matters, and we encourage you to use it.
Raising a concern is not an act of disloyalty or criticism. It demonstrates a commitment to protecting vulnerable people, preventing harm and ensuring that our services remain safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
We encourage everyone to speak up whenever something does not seem right. You do not need to prove wrongdoing before reporting a genuine concern. What matters is that you share information you reasonably believe indicates a risk, unsafe practice or wrongdoing.
You should raise concerns about any practice, behaviour, incident or situation that could compromise the safety, dignity, wellbeing, rights or quality of life of the people we support.
Examples include:
Abuse, neglect or safeguarding concerns: Physical, emotional, financial or sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation or inappropriate restrictive practices.
Unsafe or poor-quality care: Medication errors, inadequate care, unsafe moving and handling, failures to follow care plans or practices that place individuals at risk.
Staffing and workplace safety: Unsafe staffing levels, inadequate training, excessive workloads, unsafe working conditions or failures to follow health and safety procedures.
Professional misconduct: Bullying, harassment, discrimination, intimidation, inappropriate behaviour or abuse of professional responsibility.
Dishonesty or fraudulent activity: Falsification of care records, medication records, attendance records, timesheets, financial documents or other official information.
Confidentiality and information governance: Unauthorised disclosure of personal information, data protection breaches or inappropriate access to confidential records.
Legal or regulatory breaches: Suspected criminal activity, violations of statutory duties, failures to meet regulatory requirements or deliberate concealment of wrongdoing.
Failure to address concerns: Situations where previously reported concerns have been ignored, inadequately investigated or left unresolved.
Service users and their families are also encouraged to raise concerns about their care experience, dignity, choices, communication, treatment or the quality of support received.
We welcome concerns from external professionals and organisations whose work brings them into contact with our services.
We provide seven clear routes to help you raise concerns, obtain independent advice and access appropriate support.
You do not have to follow these routes in numerical order. You may approach the person or organisation you feel most comfortable contacting, particularly where the concern is serious, urgent or involves someone in a position of authority.
Where appropriate, we encourage employees, care workers and other personnel to raise concerns directly with their immediate line manager or supervisor.
Concerns may be raised verbally or in writing, including through a confidential discussion, email or written statement.
Your manager or supervisor should listen respectfully, take the information seriously, consider any immediate risks and arrange appropriate action or escalation.
If you are a service user or family member, you may initially raise concerns with the care coordinator, relevant supervisor or management team.
You should never feel pressured to remain silent or withdraw a genuine concern.
If you are uncomfortable approaching your line manager, your concern involves that person, or you believe the matter has not been appropriately addressed, you may report it directly to the Registered Manager.
The Registered Manager has responsibility for overseeing the safe and effective delivery of regulated care services and ensuring that concerns are appropriately considered and addressed.
Concerns involving serious safeguarding risks, professional misconduct, regulatory breaches or persistent failures in care standards should be escalated promptly.
You may also contact the Registered Manager directly without first reporting to your supervisor.
We recognise that some individuals may find it difficult to raise concerns through normal management structures, particularly where they fear negative consequences or believe their concerns may not be handled impartially.
To provide an alternative and supportive reporting route, Integrative Supported Living Care Ltd. has designated a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
Freedom to Speak Up Guardian: Grace Masikati
Email: g.masikati@integrativecaresl.co.uk
Our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian provides an accessible point of contact for individuals who wish to raise concerns about safety, care quality, workplace practices or organisational conduct.
The Guardian can listen to concerns, explain available reporting options, support appropriate escalation and help ensure that speaking-up concerns receive proper attention.
Concerns will be handled sensitively, with confidentiality respected as far as reasonably possible, subject to safeguarding responsibilities and legal obligations.
You may raise concerns directly with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England.
The CQC welcomes information about unsafe care, poor practice, safeguarding risks and potential failures to meet regulatory standards.
You may contact the CQC if you are uncomfortable reporting internally, believe your concerns have not been properly addressed or consider that external regulatory attention is necessary.
CQC Contact Details
Telephone: 03000 616161
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk
Website: https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us/report-concern/report-concern-if-you-are-member-staff
The CQC can receive information confidentially, including anonymous concerns, and may use it to inform regulatory assessments, inspections and other appropriate action.
You do not need to exhaust internal reporting procedures before contacting the CQC.
We understand that some individuals may feel uncomfortable identifying themselves when raising a concern.
At Integrative Supported Living Care Ltd., concerns may be raised anonymously or in confidence.
Anonymous reporting means you do not disclose your identity.
Confidential reporting means you provide your identity but request that it is not disclosed unnecessarily.
We take anonymous concerns seriously and will assess the information provided, making appropriate enquiries wherever reasonably possible.
However, anonymous reporting may limit our ability to seek clarification, investigate certain allegations fully or provide feedback on the outcome.
Where you identify yourself and request confidentiality, we will respect your wishes as far as reasonably possible. There may be exceptional circumstances where information must be shared to protect individuals from harm, meet safeguarding obligations or comply with the law.
We encourage you to provide sufficient factual details to enable the concern to be assessed effectively, even if you choose to remain anonymous.
Whistleblowing involves reporting suspected wrongdoing that affects others and is believed to be in the public interest.
This may include serious risks to service users, breaches of legal obligations, criminal conduct, threats to health and safety or attempts to conceal wrongdoing.
Where a worker makes a qualifying disclosure through an appropriate channel and meets the relevant legal requirements, they may be protected under UK whistleblowing legislation.
If you are unsure whether your concern qualifies as whistleblowing, or you need independent advice about how to proceed, you can contact:
Protect – The UK’s Whistleblowing Charity
Protect provides free, independent and confidential advice about workplace whistleblowing, reporting options and legal protections.
Advice Line: 020 3117 2520
Website: https://protect-advice.org.uk/
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas)
Acas provides independent information and guidance about employment rights, whistleblowing, workplace disputes and unfair treatment.
Seeking independent advice can help you understand your options, select an appropriate reporting channel and protect your interests.
You are encouraged to seek advice before making disclosures to third parties outside recognised reporting channels, as additional legal conditions may apply.
At Integrative Supported Living Care Ltd., we recognise and respect the important role of trade unions in promoting fair employment practices, protecting workers’ rights and supporting employees who raise concerns about workplace safety, professional conduct or organisational wrongdoing.
Employees and workers who belong to a trade union may seek advice and assistance from their union representative at any stage of the speaking-up or whistleblowing process.
You do not need to obtain permission from your line manager or employer before contacting your trade union for advice.
A trade union representative may provide valuable support in the following ways:
1. Confidential Advice and Guidance
Your trade union can help you understand your employment rights, relevant workplace procedures, available reporting options and the potential implications of raising a concern.
A representative can discuss the circumstances with you, explain the distinction between a personal employment grievance and a whistleblowing disclosure, and help you decide how best to proceed.
2. Assistance with Reporting Concerns
Your representative can assist you in preparing a clear, factual and professional written statement setting out your concerns.
This may include helping you identify relevant incidents, dates, individuals involved, supporting information and the action you believe may be necessary.
Where appropriate, your representative may also help communicate your concerns to management or assist you in identifying the correct internal or external reporting channel.
3. Representation and Support During Meetings
You may request support from your trade union representative during meetings or discussions relating to your concerns.
Trade union representatives can help you prepare, understand the issues being discussed and communicate your position confidently.
Workers have a statutory right to be accompanied by an eligible trade union representative or work colleague at certain formal grievance and disciplinary meetings. At other meetings, accompaniment may be permitted under organisational procedures or by agreement.
4. Protection Against Bullying, Victimisation and Retaliation
If you believe you have experienced bullying, intimidation, harassment, unfair disciplinary action, reduced working opportunities, threats to your employment or other detrimental treatment because you raised a concern, your trade union may help you challenge that treatment through appropriate procedures.
Where applicable, your union may also assist you in obtaining specialist employment or legal advice.
5. Support with Escalation and Unresolved Concerns
Where a concern has not been satisfactorily addressed internally, your trade union can advise on further escalation, including whether a referral to an appropriate regulator or other legally recognised reporting body may be suitable.
A union can help you understand your options, although notifying a union representative does not automatically constitute a legally protected whistleblowing disclosure. The concern must still be reported in a way that meets the relevant legal requirements.
6. Promoting Fairness and a Positive Speaking-Up Culture
Trade unions can play a constructive role in encouraging transparent communication, identifying systemic workplace concerns and supporting improvements in organisational policies and working practices.
We respect the lawful rights of employees and workers to join and participate in trade union activities and to seek trade union representation.
Integrative Supported Living Care Ltd. does not tolerate intimidation, discrimination or unfair treatment because someone chooses to seek lawful trade union advice or support.
Employees who are not trade union members can still access our internal speaking-up arrangements, contact appropriate regulatory bodies or seek independent advice from Acas or Protect.
We recognise that raising a concern is only meaningful when it is handled fairly and appropriately.
When concerns are reported to Integrative Supported Living Care Ltd., we aim to:
Listen and acknowledge: Receive concerns respectfully and acknowledge them where contact details are available.
Assess the risks: Identify any immediate safety or safeguarding issues requiring urgent action.
Review and investigate: Consider the available information objectively and arrange appropriate enquiries or investigation.
Maintain confidentiality: Protect sensitive information and limit disclosure to those who have a legitimate need to know.
Take appropriate action: Address identified risks, poor practice or wrongdoing and implement improvements where necessary.
Provide feedback: Update the person raising the concern, where possible and appropriate, while respecting confidentiality and legal requirements.
Learn and improve: Use concerns, findings and feedback to strengthen care quality, safeguarding, staff support and organisational accountability.
Every concern will be considered according to its seriousness, urgency and the information available.
We want everyone associated with Integrative Supported Living Care Ltd. to feel safe and confident when reporting genuine concerns.
We have zero tolerance for bullying, harassment, intimidation, victimisation or retaliation against anyone who raises a concern responsibly.
Employees and other qualifying workers who make legally protected whistleblowing disclosures are entitled to protection against unlawful detrimental treatment. Employees are also protected against dismissal because of a protected disclosure.
These legal protections arise where the applicable statutory requirements are met. Not every workplace complaint or disclosure automatically qualifies as protected whistleblowing.
Regardless of whether a concern meets the legal definition of whistleblowing, our organisational commitment is to treat people who speak up fairly, respectfully and without victimisation.
Any allegation of retaliation will be taken seriously and may result in appropriate management or disciplinary action.
If you believe a person is experiencing abuse, neglect or an immediate risk of serious harm, do not delay reporting while following routine procedures.
Take appropriate immediate action to protect the individual, contact emergency services on 999 where necessary and follow relevant safeguarding procedures.
Concerns involving suspected abuse or neglect may also need to be referred promptly to the relevant local authority safeguarding team.
The safety and wellbeing of the people we support must always come first.
At Integrative Supported Living Care Ltd., speaking up is an essential part of delivering compassionate, person-centred and high-quality care.
We value the honesty, professionalism and courage of individuals who bring genuine concerns to our attention.
Every concern provides an opportunity to protect someone, prevent harm, improve our services and strengthen the trust placed in us by service users, families, employees and partner organisations.
If you see something that is unsafe, unfair or wrong, speak up.
Your Voice Matters. Your Safety Matters. The People We Support Matter.
Integrative Supported Living Care Ltd. – Committed to Safe Care, Open Communication, Accountability and Continuous Improvement.
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