Whistleblowing I National Council of Social Service

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NCSS Whistleblowing Channels

NCSS’ Whistleblowing Channels provide individuals with ways to disclose occurrences of possible wrongful practices within or related to NCSS, for appropriate investigation and action, in confidence and without fear of reprisal. The Channels are independently handled by the Internal Audit Unit.

All disclosures should be made in good faith, without any personal agenda or ulterior motive, and when the whistleblower has reasonable grounds for suspecting that an incident of wrongful practice has occurred. NCSS will not tolerate discrimination, retaliation or harassment of any kind against a whistleblower, who submits a complaint or report in good faith.

Wrongful practices include, but are not limited to, the following:

Academic or professional malpractice, e.g. violation of intellectual property rights or displaying a lack of integrity by plagiarising the research of others;
Wilful suppression or concealment of any information relating to wrongful practices;
Fraud or deliberately including false or incorrect information in the preparation, evaluation, review, audit of financial accounts and records;
Failure to observe a legal obligation;
Financial and non-financial malpractice e.g. not observing proper procedures for tendering, funding or fund raising;
Ethical violations (e.g. conflict of interest);
Inappropriate conduct which includes but is not limited to sexual and workplace harassment;
Miscarriage of justice;
Endangering the health and safety of persons or the environment;
Others.

Reporting Channels

Reports and queries related to the complaints may be made through the following:

Online Form Submission	NCSS Whistleblowing Form
Email	whistleblow@ncss.gov.sg
Post	Attention: Head (Internal Audit Unit) Ulu Pandan Community Building 170 Ghim Moh Road, #01-02 Singapore 279621

NCSS staff should continue to raise human resource issues through existing internal channels.

Information To Be Provided

In making a report, please provide the following information, where possible:

Name(s) of person(s)/organisation(s) involved;
Description of the incident, including where, when and how did the incident occur;
Frequency of occurrence of the incident;
Details of any witnesses and evidence you know of;
Value of any money or assets involved;
Any other information that may substantiate the concern.

All instances of whistleblowing, including those that do not warrant investigation or any further action, will be reported to the Audit & Risk Committee comprising Board and/or co-opted members who are independent of NCSS’ Management.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who handles the NCSS Whistleblowing Channels?

These are centrally and independently handled by the NCSS Internal Audit Unit.

2. Who should I submit the report to if my complaint involves any NCSS Internal Audit staff?

You may submit the report directly to the CEO of NCSS (and not through the NCSS Whistleblowing Channels), who will also inform the NCSS Audit & Risk Committee Chairperson.

3. Who should I submit the report to if my complaint involves CEO of NCSS?

You may submit a hardcopy report (sealed in an envelope addressed to NCSS Audit & Risk Committee Chairperson) to NCSS Internal Audit Unit. The Internal Audit Unit will deliver the sealed envelope to the Audit & Risk Committee Chairperson.

4. Can I submit Human Resource-related grievances via the NCSS Whistleblowing Channels?

Complaints on Human Resource-related grievances (e.g. job performance) should be raised through existing Human Resource channels.

5. Can I remain anonymous?

You may choose to raise your report anonymously and we shall respect your anonymity. However, reports expressed anonymously may lack credibility and may hinder follow-up clarifications and investigations. Thus, we would highly encourage whistleblowers to identify themselves, where possible, to facilitate the investigation.

6. How will confidentiality of my identity be protected?

The identity of the whistleblower will be protected and kept confidential. However, under certain circumstances, the identity of the whistleblower may be revealed to parties on a need-to-know basis such as the Investigation Committee, approving authority, Legal and law enforcement agencies.

7. As a NCSS staff, what should I do if I were to receive complaints or concerns from a whistleblower (internal staff or external party)?

The staff should advise the whistleblower to submit a report directly via the NCSS Whistleblowing Channels. In event the whistleblower declines to submit the report personally, the staff shall submit the report via the NCSS Whistleblowing Channels.

Separately, the staff should notify Head (Internal Audit Unit) via email within 24 hours to facilitate follow-up.

8. What information should I include in the report?

Do provide as much specific information and details as you can, for example:

Name and contact details of whistle-blower;
Nature of the alleged wrongful practices;
Name(s) of person(s)/organisation(s) involved;
Names of any witnesses;
Description of the incident(s), including date, time and location of incident(s);
Frequency of occurrence of the incident(s);
Details of any evidence you know of;
Value of any money or assets involved;
Any other information that may substantiate the concern.

9. Can I share the details of the complaint with anyone outside the NCSS Whistleblowing Channels?

All information disclosed should be kept confidential. Premature publication of the complaint that has not been ascertained may cause damage to those accused.

10. Do I get any rewards for reporting misconduct?

There is no reward for reporting misconduct.

11. Will there be an investigation process after each report is made?

We will assess the report and decide on the appropriate action.

12. Will I be involved after I report an incident?

We may contact you for more information if you have provided your contact details. If there is new or additional information, or any amendments required to your report, you can contact NCSS’ Whistleblowing Channels.

13. Can I conduct my own investigation?

No. The whistleblower’s own investigation would jeopardise the investigations carried out by NCSS.

14. Are law enforcement agencies notified of reports made to the NCSS Whistleblowing Channels?

We will assess the information received and notify the relevant law enforcement agencies, where necessary and appropriate.

15. Can I submit complaints against Social Service Agencies (SSAs)?

Complaints against SSAs should be sent to ncss_membership@ncss.gov.sg.