University – Whistleblowing Investigation

The Challenge

Support was needed to investigate the concerns and assess any financial or reputational risk to the University.

The objectives of the project were:

The review assessed the complaints and whether the whistleblower concerns were substantiated. It focused on:

  • Meeting the whistleblower(s) and employee to clarify the concerns raised.
  • Understanding how the grant-funded project was run, overseen and reported.
  • Reviewing funding returns and supporting expenditure claims covering a full year.
Conclusion and outcomes

Our review reached the following conclusions:

  • The concerns were substantiated, particularly around whether some transactions were genuine project costs. Criminal action followed.
  • The employee left without notice before the review concluded and declined to provide information. After they left, further concerns surfaced from the team.
  • It also became clear that some staff had felt unable to speak up, raising wider concerns about confidence in the University’s whistleblowing culture. A follow-up speak-up culture review was commissioned.