Confidential Contacts

The Role of the Confidential Contact

The role of a Confidential Contact within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is to provide informal signposting and support to staff who have a whistleblowing concern.

They provide a listening ear, information about whistleblowing policy and procedures, and signposting to other more formal sources of support, such as their trade union.

Confidential Contacts are able to support staff appropriately. They know the possibilities for a way forward, and are able to present options that inform the member of staff to allow them to make their own decisions.

The role of a Confidential Contact is in addition to their substantive role.

Confidential Contacts will not make judgements about anyone who accesses them.

You can view / download our handy ‘Confidential Contacts – A Guide For Staff’ PDF.

Maintaining confidentiality

The nature and content of discussions with a confidential contact are private and personal to the member of staff, and as such, will not be discussed with anyone else without the express permission of the individual involved.

However, there are limits to this confidentiality. For example, if the member of staff, or others, are being subjected to unlawful behaviours or harm, the Confidential Contact has a duty of care to report this.

If you speak to a Confidential Contact, your name and contact details are only known to the Contact who is providing support, unless you request of give your approval for this information to be shared.

Any notes from discussions with employees will be destroyed once the monitoring process is complete.

The names and contact details of Confidential Contacts are listed below:

Members of staff who have a whistleblowing concern are encouraged to make contact with the person above who they feel is most appropriate for them. Often, the selection is random, but staff seeking support can approach a contact in another division for confidentiality reasons, or if they feel more comfortable with this.

Confidential contacts do not represent or provide advice to staff, and will not act as intermediaries in disputes. They do not provide any counselling or therapy services. They also do not accompany individuals in hearings or meetings about their complaint.