Protect helpline: Independent whistleblowing advice for Chartered Accountants
ICAS has joined forces with Protect to provide Members and Students with access to an independent, confidential helpline. This service offers free advice regarding whistleblowing and speaking up.
Strong ethical leadership is at the heart of being a Chartered Accountant. ICAS wants to support its Members and Students to speak up against unethical behaviour. This follows on from our research which found that two-thirds of Chartered Accountants (CAs) surveyed had encountered an ethical dilemma, either of a technical and/or behavioural nature, at least once during their career.
Our research
ICAS carried out research into the experiences of Members facing ethical dilemmas. This research involved a survey followed by a series of in-depth interviews with members and resulted in the publication of two reports in October 2019:
Speak up? Listen up? Whistleblow? A survey of ICAS members
Encouraging speaking up
Speak up and listen up mechanisms are a vitally important part of an effective organisational culture, allowing issues to be dealt with at the earliest opportunity before they escalate. Organisations should ensure individuals feel comfortable raising issues of actual, or potential, concern by having effective ‘speak up’ and ‘listen up’ policies in place so concerns can be raised, without fear of detriment, and are also acted upon.
ICAS’ The Power of One business ethics initiative stresses that CAs must take personal responsibility for the important role they have to play in business and society and should have the confidence to speak up and influence the culture of organisations in which they work.
However, ICAS also recognises that speaking up is not always easy or appreciated.
The Protect helpline
ICAS is always here to help both Students and Members deal with an ethical dilemma, but sometimes independent counsel is called for.
ICAS has partnered with independent whistleblowing charity Protect to provide Members and Students with access to its confidential helpline.
Through their ethical leadership, CAs can influence those around them, and thereby help shape the culture and values of their organisation.
Contact Protect
ICAS Protect Helpline Number: 0800 055 7215.
If you would prefer to contact ICAS directly, please refer to the ICAS Ethics Helpline Service.
