Installing a new whistleblowing hotline
Whistleblowing hotline implementation sounds like a big task but is actually really straightforward.
I recently caught up with Chris Boyle and Chancelle Blakey from Safecall, at our parent company Law Debenture head office in London.
Chris and Chancelle are our Business Development Managers, and they’re taking questions about how to set up whistleblowing reporting systems every single day.
I started by asking them the top question every potential client asks…
1) How long does it take to get the whistleblowing service up and running?
Chancelle:
“Believe it or not, setting up the actual whistleblowing hotline is the easy bit. In the past we have set up confidential telephone lines for clients within 24-hours. The bit that takes the time is usually the due diligence, the authorisation from the client’s point of view and process set up that goes with it.”
Chris:
“That’s right. The size of the company and the number of offices or workplaces is almost irrelevant to the implementation. It’s establishing who the client’s key management contacts will be and adding organisation financial details to the system that takes the time… but, assuming the client can provide all the necessary details, implementation is pretty fast.”
2) Do you help us to launch the service?
Chris:
“Absolutely! Once you’re onboard, you’ll be assigned an account manager.
They’ll work with you to establish what communications you’ll need when announcing the launch of your new whistleblower service to your employees. This might be poster artwork, email text, leaflets, and so on.
Your account manager will also work with you on getting any language translations right, so that employees can read about it in their own language.”
3) Do your whistleblowing system operate outside of the UK?
Chancelle:
“Of course.
We operate in nearly every country around the world and where we don’t currently operate it’s likely we have the ability to do so.
We’ve been in business for well over twenty years, so we’ve built up a network of people, contacts, and processes that we can use to set up confidential whistleblower hotlines practically anywhere.”
4) Does your whistleblowing service provide translations for non-native English speakers?
Chris:
“Yes, we support over 100+ languages using two of the largest telephone interpreting companies worldwide.”
5) Are your call handlers available outside of standard work hours?
Chancelle:
“Yes, our call-handlers work on a three-shift rota system, twenty-four hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
6) What if no call handlers are available at that time? Do you have a call back system?
Chancelle:
“We over-staff our on-call operations team to ensure we can always field a call.
We’re always monitoring peak demands and trends in the industry to make sure we’re able to take a call and web reporting is always available for those who prefer it.”
7) Is there a time limit for each call?
Chris:
“There are no time limits to a whistleblower call. None whatsoever. That would be counter-productive to getting the client the best possible report, and having the best possible information is key to being able to successfully triage the level of seriousness and urgency required to solve any whistleblowing issue.
Our call handlers are all ex-police, each with more than 25 years’ experience in working with people to understand what the situation is.
They’re extremely good at what they do!
They need to be. Whistleblowing can often be a ‘once in a career call’ to make, so each call needs to be handled professionally and with empathy.”
8) Can a reporter remain anonymous? If so, how can we communicate with them after they raise their report?
Chancelle:
“Yes, a whistleblowing reporter can remain entirely anonymous.
Once a report is made all reporters and managers can then communicate using our comment functionality within the portal.
Whistleblowing anonymity does make it harder to investigate and resolve reports, but it’s often essential to the peace of mind of the whistleblower.
We also offer semi-anonymity too.
This is where Safecall acts as the go-between for providing updates and requesting further information. Sometimes this additional option is enough to enable the organisation to resolve the situation whilst reassuring the caller.”
9) Is the service only available for our direct employees? What about our supply chain/affiliates/volunteers?
Chris:
“Our whistleblowing hotline service is open to whomever the client wants the service open to.
We have many clients who have extended the confidential hotline into their supply chain or volunteer network.
The beauty of the Safecall reporting system is that it’s based on the report, not who the reporter is. That means it’s as flexible as the client wants it to be.
Some clients want to understand if there might be any issues within those suppliers or people they work with. This is a wise move, because reputational damage can often be caused by factors occurring outside an organisations immediate control.”
10) What does pricing look like?
Chancelle:
“Pricing is bespoke and there are a few factors that we take into consideration to ensure you get the best value for money… the number of employees who might be using the service, along with the sector your business operates in, are the main considerations.
Using this information and our annual Benchmarking Report, we can start to understand how many reports you might be expected to receive on a yearly basis, and this allows us to provide a suitable pricing model.
We’ve learnt through many years’ experience that bespoke pricing helps ensure you are not paying considerably more for this service than you first anticipated.”