The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced details of its updated whistleblowing policy, which will now be available to the racing industry and wider public.
Widening the policy out to external audiences aims to illustrate the BHA’s ongoing commitment to maintaining integrity, credibility and accountability in how it operates.
The policy also outlines the procedure by which any individual involved at any level of the sport of horseracing, including employees of the BHA, can report or blow the whistle on concerns relating to the running of the BHA or the actions or activities of its employees, officials, directors or members of BHA committees or industry committees administered by the BHA.
It is designed to work in conjunction with other policies, such as the BHA’s Safeguarding Policy, to protect anyone involved in British racing, whether as a participant or otherwise, from potential wrongdoing.
Previously the policy was only for BHA staff.
It is now available to view on the BHA website here and gives instructions as to the different methods of raising any concerns, which will primarily be via e-mailing [email protected].
Examples of the sort of conduct which would be appropriate to report using the whistleblowing policy are:
Any criminal activity
Possible corruption or lay betting
Conflicts of interest
Failure to maintain company standards
There is also an online form available here for those who wish to report any concerns anonymously.
Catherine Beloff, Director of Legal and Governance at the BHA said:
“This update to the BHA’s whistleblowing policy is designed to protect those involved in horseracing or who come into contact with the BHA against potential wrongdoing, as was the case with the safeguarding policy launched in December.
“Whether you are a member of BHA staff, a participant or a member of the public, there is now a secure and defined method by which you can report any concerns relating to the running of the BHA or the conduct of its employees, which can also be anonymous if you wish.
“It is also vital that as the governing body and regulator the BHA is accountable, and this policy now allows anyone who is either involved in racing or comes into contact with the BHA at any level to report any potential concerns.”
