The grievance process begins with first establishing if the grievance can be resolved informally. In many cases, line managers shy away from trying to resolve examples of reported poor staff behaviour at the time they are reported or in some instances witnessed by the line manager themselves. The line manager sometimes takes the easier option of moving straight to advising the member of staff reporting the issue to submit a formal written grievance, therefore handing the responsibility of dealing with the issue to HR, who in turn then may have to seek out another manager to act as the investigator into [...]

“Every Picture Tells a Story…. or does it? Forensic Investigative Interviews Deliver Justice, NOT Pictures” (Ian Hynes CEO Intersol Global).  In the month that the International Investigative Interviewing Group (iiirg) hosted its annual conference virtually for the first time, we thought the time was right to remind readers of the critical part forensic investigative interviewing plays in delivering safe and reliable outcomes that ensure justice for all. For a host of reasons, the role of CCTV, DNA, trace evidence, and digital records have come to play a major part in investigations, almost to the point that unless any of that evidence exists, there [...]

"Why am I asked such intrusive and personal questions when I’ve been raped or seriously sexually abused at work?"  "Why is it essential that those interviewing victims of rape and sexual misconduct in the workplace are specialist investigators?" In this month’s Investigation Insights, our CEO, Ian Hynes, seeks to answer both those questions in the context of a criminal and civil (discipline) investigation. First, let’s set some context: ·      1 in 6 women will be raped or sexually assaulted as adults ·      Only half of adult victims of rape will ever tell someone ·      Only 5% of victims will report to the authorities at the time [...]

What is an Investigation? The hunt for a ‘head on a stick’ or an impartial search for verifiable detail? We asked our CEO, Ian Hynes what Investigation means to him, from the perspective of Intersol Global who focus on training, qualifying, advising on, and conducting investigations across 8 sectors. Media sensationalism and stereotyping would have you believe the former, qualified, and skilled investigators the latter. Damage caused by the former mindset can potentially be irreparable, life, and career-altering, yet the investigation profession in the UK remains totally unregulated and anybody can set themselves up as an investigator with no qualification or experience. The [...]

As Universities recognise and respond to reports of sexual misconduct, the way that universities investigate reports of sexual misconduct has come under increasing scrutiny. Recent Freedom of Information Act requests has revealed that to meet the increasing requirements required to investigate these high stakes sensitive reports, some Universities have chosen to employ individual investigators from a specialist background at the cost of £35-50,000 per annum per investigator. Others have chosen to utilise the services of external investigations companies, such as Intersol Global. What are the differences Intersol Global brings universities over the option to employ individual investigators? Accessibility Intersol Global gives [...]

HR Poll displays how the role of an Investigator is misperceived Providers of Investigation & Investigative Interviewing Solutions A recent webinar hosted by ACAS and CIPD (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbXlPlUkq_k&t=72s) reinforced the importance of informal resolutions and examined many of the “what to do’s” to ensure compliance with the ACAS investigation guidelines that endorse the principle of ‘fairness’ in workplace investigations. What it didn’t do was address the “How to do’s” Worryingly It also drove out the headline finding that almost half of the HR professionals in attendance thought that the role of the investigator is to GATHER [...]

“We need to stop fearing the differences and understand, embrace, and celebrate students” Last month, Intersol Global’s Hazel George attended AMOSSHE’s ‘Creating an Anti-Racist Culture’ in Higher Education conference. Hazel is a highly-skilled investigator and trainer, with vast experience conducting high stakes and complex investigations into racial, homophobic, and religious issues. We asked Hazel to share her key takeaways from the conference, hosted by AMOSSHE, who we are proud to sponsor.  Achieving an anti-racist culture in Higher Education Conference - a review by Hazel George, an Intersol Investigator… Attending the AMOSSHE Conference it was great to see a willingness to review [...]

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of Higher Education in England. On 19th April 2021 OfS called for urgent action to tackle harassment and sexual misconduct in Universities and Colleges. OfS Chief Executive Nicola Dandridge urged all Higher Education providers to review their policies, systems, and procedures before the next academic year. This call for urgent action came on the same day as the OfS published their statement of expectations for preventing and addressing harassment and sexual misconduct affecting students in higher education. https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-wellbeing-and-protection/prevent-and-address-harassment-and-sexual-misconduct/statement-of-expectations/ In her blog on the OfS website Ms. Dandridge stated: “The statement provides a [...]

At Intersol Global we believe that primacy for the investigation of reports of sexual offending and misconduct must always reside with the police. We also believe that adults have a right to make an informed choice as to whether they report the matter to the police or not and understand that in some instances, on a risk to others basis, those receiving reports of sexual misconduct may be justified in overriding the individual’s choice and report the matter to the police. In all cases, reporting parties must be supported, and their welfare needs to be addressed. Our highly experienced investigators are [...]

This week, Intersol Global's CEO Ian Hynes shared a few words, thoughts, and reflections upon the two reviews published earlier this week regarding Child Sexual Abuse in Football between 1970 - 2005. "Both the FA and Manchester City published reviews and reports this week. The FA review was titled an Independent Review into Child Sexual Abuse in Football 1970-2005 by Clive Sheldon, whilst Manchester City FC published the findings of the Mulcahy report into sexual abuse of young footballers. Both of these reviews make the outcomes and learning very clear. Over several years, specialist Forensic Interviewers from Intersol Global led the [...]