Whistleblowing Policy

We want everyone who works with Ace to feel safe speaking up if something is wrong. Raising a concern early helps us protect workers, the people our clients care for and the public. This policy explains what to report, how to report it and what happens next.

Anyone who works for or with Ace can use this policy, including our office team, staff we place with clients, contractors, volunteers, trainees and job applicants. Legal protection for whistleblowers comes from the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. We give the same protections described here to everyone who raises a concern honestly.

Please tell us if you reasonably believe any of the following has happened, is happening or is likely to happen — at Ace or at a client site:

• A criminal offence, such as fraud, theft or bribery.
• A failure to meet a legal obligation — for example right-to-work checks, pay, working time rules or holiday entitlement.
• A danger to anyone's health or safety, including unsafe working conditions at a client site.
• Harm or risk of harm to children or vulnerable adults, especially in care and education settings.
• Exploitation, forced labour or modern slavery.
• Sexual harassment.
• Damage to the environment.
• A miscarriage of justice.
• Someone deliberately hiding any of the above.

You don't need proof, and it doesn't matter if you turn out to be mistaken. What matters is that you honestly and reasonably believe there is a problem and that reporting it is in the public interest.

Complaints about your own treatment — such as your pay, shifts or a disagreement with a colleague — should normally go through our grievance procedure. If you are not sure which route to use, raise it with us and we will help.

Most concerns can be raised with your Ace consultant or manager. If you are working at a client site, please tell Ace as well as, or instead of, the client — we need to know so we can act.

If you don't feel comfortable doing that, or your concern involves your manager, contact our Whistleblowing Officer, who is a Director of Ace Multiservice Ltd. Call 020 8854 3826 and ask to speak to a Director in confidence. You do not need to say why when you call. You can also write to "Private & Confidential — Whistleblowing Officer" at 103B Island Business Centre, 18-36 Wellington Street, Woolwich, London SE18 6PF.

Please give as much detail as you can: what happened, when and where, who was involved and any evidence you have. Don't try to investigate yourself.

You can raise a concern anonymously, but it is much harder for us to investigate or keep you updated if we can't contact you. If you give your name, we will keep it confidential.

• We will acknowledge your concern within 7 days.
• The Whistleblowing Officer will decide how it should be looked into and who should do it. Nobody involved in the concern will investigate it.
• We may ask to meet you. You can bring a colleague or trade union representative.
• We will keep you updated and aim to tell you the outcome within 3 months. We may not be able to share every detail, for example where it would affect someone else's privacy.
• If the concern is not a whistleblowing matter, we will explain this and tell you the right route to take.

We will only share your identity with the people who need to know to investigate, unless you agree otherwise or the law requires us to disclose it. Records of the concern are kept securely with restricted access.

Nobody will lose work, shifts or placements, or be treated unfairly, because they raised a concern honestly. Anyone who victimises or pressures a whistleblower will face disciplinary action, and that may include ending their engagement with Ace.

Knowingly making a false report to cause trouble for someone is a disciplinary matter. An honest concern that turns out to be wrong is not.

We hope you will feel able to come to us first. You can also report to a "prescribed person" — a regulator such as the Health and Safety Executive, Care Quality Commission, Ofsted or HMRC. The government publishes the full list of prescribed persons.

For free, confidential advice, contact the whistleblowing charity Protect. You can also speak to a lawyer in confidence at any time.

If you are unhappy with how your concern was handled, tell the Whistleblowing Officer. If that does not resolve it, you can raise it with the Managing Director, who will review the outcome.