Reporting Suspicions
2.1 The procedures detailed below should be followed for all suspected cases of fraud, bribery and corruption involving Council staff, its partners and suppliers. You may also come across instances where third parties are attempting to defraud or scam the Council, for example submitting bogus invoices or changing bank details of suppliers. Any concerns such as these should be reported to the Head of Audit and Risk who will investigate further and arrange for alerts to be circulated to relevant areas of the Council.
2.2 Examples of fraud, bribery and corruption include, but are not limited to theft, financial irregularities, and misuse of Council property, vehicles or equipment, misuse of Council systems, conflicts of interest and supplier kickbacks.
Actions by employees
2.3 You should raise your concerns or suspicions with your line manager in the first instance. If you feel unable to approach your line manager, you should report any concerns or suspicions of financial irregularity to the Head of Audit and Risk. Alternatively, you may choose to report your concerns or suspicions anonymously via the Council's whistleblowing reporting procedures outlined in the Whistleblowing Policy. Whilst total anonymity cannot be guaranteed, every effort will be made not to reveal your name. However, if criminal activity is found and the case is forwarded to the police, your identity may be needed at a later date.
2.4 If you suspect a colleague is committing fraud, under no circumstances confront him or her with accusations of wrongdoing. This may allow the destruction of evidence and in extreme cases may expose you to physical danger. If your suspicions are mistaken, then workplace relationships may be poisoned irretrievably. The official investigators are best placed to interview suspects.
2.5 Once you have reported the incident, you may be contacted further by Internal Audit as part of the ongoing investigation. You should provide them with as much information as possible to enable the investigation to be effectively progressed.
Actions by Managers
2.6 If you have reason to suspect fraud, bribery or corruption in your work area, or a concern has been reported to you by a member of your staff, you should do the following:
- Listen to the concerns of your staff and treat every report seriously and sensitively. Reassure staff that their concerns will be taken seriously and passed on to the appropriate officer;
- Obtain as much information as possible from the member of staff, including any notes or evidence to support the allegation. Do not interfere with this evidence and ensure it is kept securely;
- Do not attempt to investigate the matter yourself or attempt to obtain any further evidence as this may compromise any internal audit, disciplinary or police investigation;
- Report the matter immediately to the Head of Audit and Risk
Action by Councillors
2.7 If a Councillor has suspicions about fraud, bribery or corruption whether it be a fellow elected Councillor, officers of the Council or partner organisations of the Council they should report this to the Chief Executive or the Monitoring Officer at the earliest opportunity.
Action by Members of the Public
2.8 If a member of the public would like to raise a concern, they should follow the reporting procedure contained within the Whistleblowing Policy on the Council's website.