The importance of independence, objectivity and confidentiality
cannot be underestimated in the operation of an effective
whistleblowing service.
Historically organisations have been keen to retain
whistleblowing services in-house in an effort to prevent leaks and
protect their reputation. The view was taken that if report volume
was low then there were fewer problems. Many organisations also
regularly sought or demanded the identity of whistleblowers in
order to explore concerns effectively. Of course over time, as
unreported issues continue to surface, sometimes publicly, it
became apparent that low levels of reporting is likely to be a
reflection of a lack of trust in the reporting process and
resultant under reporting of concerns.
