The UK’s Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) has been formally recognised as an external whistleblowing body by parliament, a key tenet of its three-year strategy, unveiled today.
CIISA’s ’Empowering Creativity By Protecting People’ plan is aimed at supporting safe and inclusive environments for everyone working in film, TV, music, theatre and live performance.
Gaining parliamentary recognition is an important development for CIISA’s objectives, as those who report concerns to the watchdog CIISA may be entitled to additional legal protections under UK whistleblowing law – including where they may have previously signed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).
CIISA is designed to be an external place for complainants to report issues within the primary organisation concerned, or where they believe concerns have not been appropriately addressed. Reports can be made in confidence, and it will take careful steps to protect the identity of individuals who come forward.
A ‘prescribed person’ may also report concerns to CIISA about experiences that may have a wider impact on others, such as harassment, discrimination or victimisation.
CIISA will launch its first-stage reporting service in September, enabling it to receive complaints as soon as possible. This will initially focus on building a clearer picture of the behaviours and practices affecting people across the sector, rather than acting on individual cases.
Baroness Helena Kennedy, chair of CIISA, said: “Becoming an officially recognised, independent whistleblowing body marks a significant step forward for CIISA and the potential impact of this within the creative sector in identifying and preventing harm should not be underestimated.
“This will go some way towards removing a layer of fear that has silenced so many for so long. With thanks to colleagues across parliament whose belief in the importance of CIISA’s work has brought this to bear.”
Elsewhere in its strategy, CIISA confirmed its move to a registration funding model.
This brings the body in line with peer standards authorities in other sectors and provides greater clarity around the organisations committed to supporting it. Those that register with the body will receive a ‘CIISA Registered’ mark to display, as well as materials and resources to support them in meeting CIISA standards.
Jen Smith, chief executive of CIISA, said: “Registering with CIISA enables organisations to make a visible commitment to collectively preventing the harmful behaviours that have no place in our sector; together we will drive real change that will benefit all those who make the UK’s creative sector so extraordinary.”
CIISA will roll-out of services including the introduction of the Independent Reporting Service this year to close accountability gaps, and a data and insight function to bring greater understanding of issues the sector faces across the next three years.
In 2027/28, it will introduce an early-intervention function to help identify patterns and deal with problems before they escalate, including the introduction of mediation and arbitration services developed specifically for the creative industries.
Ian Murray, creative industries minister, said: “CIISA’s strategy represents a huge step forward for our creative workforce. By bringing the sector together around a shared commitment to better standards, we are sending a clear message that misconduct has no place in British working life.”
Caroline Dinenage, chair of the culture, media and sport select committee, noted that she and her colleagues have been following CIISA’s progress as they “remain concerned” about the level and persistence of bad behaviour in the creative sector.
She continued: “It’s clear that for CIISA to be effective it requires meaningful and committed support from both industry and government. We urge creative sector organisations to demonstrate their commitment to driving out harmful behaviour by supporting CIISA so it can get on with delivering the positive change that is so urgently required.”
A version of this story first appeared on Screen’s sister site, Broadcast.
No comments yet