Whistleblowers who apply for jobs in the children’s social care sector will be given new legal protection.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has announced that protection will be extended to individuals who are applying for roles in children’s social care functions in local authorities. They will be legally protected so that they do not suffer any unfair treatment as a result of making previous disclosures about a company.

Business Minister, Margot James, said “Those working with the most vulnerable children in society need to be able to blow the whistle about concerns they have within their organisation and when they make a protected disclosure they should have no fear of being blacklisted and unable to find a new role… This will put more emphasis on employers to follow best practice and provides greater protection for their workers.”

The government has also said there will be a review of the whistleblowing code of practice for employers by the end of 2017.