Outsider whistleblowing in healthcare organizations (Advert Ref: RDF18/BAM/BLENKINSOPP)

The classic definition of whistleblowing treats it is as an action taken by current or former members of staff, which excludes other individuals who may be in a position to observe and raise concerns about wrongdoing within an organization. Many cases reported in the press are technically not examples of whistleblowing, as the person raising concerns was not a current or former member of the organization in question. Culiberg and Mihelic (2016) suggest it might be useful to refer to such individuals as outsider whistleblowers.

Outsider whistleblowers may be particularly significant for health and social care, and could include patients, relatives and visitors, suppliers, professionals working in other organizations (e.g. social workers), clinical placement students (and their tutors), contractors etc. Outsider whistleblowers might be assumed to be freer to speak up than staff, yet they may have their own reasons to be reluctant to blow the whistle. As the model of delivery for health and social care services becomes more complex, involving a greater range of non-NHS organizations, there is a need for research to help us understand outsider whistleblowing, and the role it might play in improving the delivery of health and social care.

Eligibility and How to Apply
Please note eligibility requirement:
• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
• Applicants cannot apply for this funding if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please note: Applications that do not include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), or that do not include the advert reference (e.g. RDF18/…) will not be considered.

Deadline for applications: 28 January 2018
Start Date: 1 October 2018

Northumbria University takes pride in, and values, the quality and diversity of our staff. We welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to improving employment practices for the advancement of gender equality and is a member of the Euraxess network, which delivers information and support to professional researchers