Whistleblowing Policy

Raising Concerns and Whistleblowing Policy

At SLS, we are committed to fostering an open, honest, and supportive culture.

We encourage everyone involved in our services—employees, contractors, volunteers, and stakeholders—to raise any concerns about wrongdoing, unsafe practices, or other serious issues in confidence. Your voice is important in ensuring we maintain the highest standards of care and integrity.

What You Can Report

We welcome you to report concerns, such as:

• Unsafe care or working conditions.
• Fraud, abuse, or neglect.
• Breaches of data protection or environmental safety.
• Harassment, bullying, or unethical practices.

If your concern is about personal grievances, like workplace disputes, please use our Grievance Policy.

Our Commitment

• Confidentiality: Your concerns will be treated confidentially wherever possible.
• Protection: You will not face any form of reprisal or discrimination for raising genuine concerns, even if they turn out to be unfounded.
• Support: We will provide guidance and assistance throughout the process.

How to Raise a Concern

1. Step 1: Speak to your line manager or supervisor.
2. Step 2: If unresolved, contact our designated Freedom to Speak Up Guardian or Area Manager. whistleblowing@sls.ltd
3. Step 3: If internal processes do not resolve your concerns, you can escalate to an external regulator like the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

External Guidance

For independent advice, you can contact:

• Protect (formerly Public Concern at Work): A leading whistleblowing charity.
• CQC: For concerns related to care standards.

Why Speak Up?

Your concerns matter. Raising them helps us protect the people we support, maintain our values, and continuously improve need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations with respect to the characteristics protected by equality law.