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  • Raising Concerns

    Topics:
    • Working in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, 
    • NICS HR policies

    Date published: 25 January 2023

    Last updated: 13 May 2025

    Anyone who wishes to raise a concern about something going wrong within government should contact the relevant Department:

    Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
    Department for Communities (DfC)
    Department for the Economy (DfE)
    Department of Education (DE)
    Department of Finance (DoF)
    Department of Health (DoH)
    Department for Infrastructure (DfI)
    Department of Justice (DoJ)
    The Executive Office (TEO)

    The Raising a Concern Policy Framework sets out at a high level how Departments will address concerns raised with them.  This document is the framework within which each Department aligns its own policy. This ensures consistency of approach in line with good practice.

    All Departments have a Designated Officer responsible for overseeing the handling of concerns, including maintaining a record, and reporting to their departmental Audit and Risk Assurance Committee on a regular basis.

    The Designated Officers’ Forum has been established to discuss common issues around the raising and handling of concerns and to ensure system-wide learning.

    The NICS Board commissions an annual report from the Designated Officers’ Forum on the concerns being raised across departments, in order to monitor trends and identify ways for system-wide improvements.

    Documents

    • Raising a Concern Policy Framework Adobe PDF (182 KB)
    • Raising a Concern - Designated Officers' Forum - Minutes January 2025 Adobe PDF (126 KB)
    • Raising a Concern - Designated Officers' Forum - Minutes November 2024 Adobe PDF (142 KB)
    • Raising a Concern - Designated Officers' Forum - Minutes September 2024 Adobe PDF (153 KB)
    • Raising a Concern - Designated Officers' Forum - Minutes June 2024 Adobe PDF (150 KB)
    • Raising a Concern – Designated Officers’ Forum – Minutes December 2023 Adobe PDF (187 KB)
    • Raising a Concern - Designated Officers' Forum - Minutes September 2023 Adobe PDF (126 KB)
    • Raising a Concern - Designated Officers’ Forum - Minutes June 2023 Adobe PDF (74 KB)
    • Raising a Concern - Designated Officers' Forum - Minutes April 2023 Adobe PDF (103 KB)
    • Raising a Concern - Designated Officers' Forum - Terms of Reference Adobe PDF (121 KB)

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