Raising a Serious Concern in the Public Interest
Use this service to report an organisation for malpractice relating to the environment and natural resources. This will usually be something you’ve seen at work.
Complaints that can be raised as a serious concern in the public interest
If you work for another organisation and you do not want to report your concern to your own employer, you can report it to us.
Any wrongdoing you disclose must be in the public interest. This means it must affect others, for example the general public.
You are protected by law if you report any of the following:
- a criminal offence, for example fraud
- the company is breaking the law
- a miscarriage of justice
- someone's health and safety is in danger
- damage to the environment
- improper conduct or unethical behaviour
- if you believe someone is covering up a wrongdoing
Get free confidential advice from Protect.
Complaints that do not count as a serious concern in the public interest
Personal grievances (bullying, harassment, discrimination) are not covered by whistleblowing law, unless it is in the public interest.
You should:
- check your organisation's grievance policy or contact a Trade Union representative
- speak to your employer if you have concerns about your terms and conditions or any matters affecting your employment
- contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas)for help and advice on resolving a workplace dispute
Report your concern to us
All employees are protected by law from being dismissed or penalised by their employers for raising a serious concern in the public interest or 'blowing the whistle'.
You can raise a concern about malpractice that:
- happened in the past
- is happening now
- you believe will happen in the near future
You should be able to demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds for your concern and should include as much supporting evidence as possible.
You may find it easier to raise a concern collectively if there are two or more of you with the same concern.
Report online
Report over the phone
Contact our 24 hour Incident Communications Centre on 0300 065 3000.
If you wish to raise your concern anonymously, simply decline to provide your details when they are requested. However, if the concern is raised anonymously, it will not be possible to provide you with the outcome of any investigation that takes place and it may also make it more difficult to investigate the concern.
Write to us
You should outline:
- the nature, background, and history to your concern, giving any relevant names, dates, times, locations, what was said, what you observed
- the reason and/or grounds for your concern
- the name of any individuals suspected of malpractice
- the extent to which you have personally witnessed or experienced the problem
- any documentary evidence available
Write to:
Head of Governance and Head of Internal Audit
Natural Resources Wales
Ty Cambria,
29 Newport Road,
Cardiff,
CF24 0TP
What happens next
We will be in touch within 10 working days to acknowledge your concern.
You will be contacted as soon as reasonably possible to discuss your concern. You may have a Trade Union representative or colleague present at any interviews.
We can't say exactly how long the investigation will take. But the investigating officer will ensure it is done as quickly as possible without affecting the investigation. You will be kept informed of progress and given a written summary of the outcome.
Confidentiality
We treat all reports confidentially and make every effort to protect your identity.
In some cases you may need to provide a statement, or there may be a legal obligation to reveal the discloser’s identity. If this happens, we will make every effort to inform you in advance and protect you from any victimisation or harassment.
If you report your concerns publicly before reporting (for example, to the media or on social media), in most cases you will lose your rights to protection under the law.