Understanding escalation paths for concerns
Launch library · evergreen read
An escalation path sets out the sequence of people or bodies a concern can be raised with if an earlier step does not resolve it satisfactorily, moving from an immediate manager, to a more senior leader, to an internal integrity unit, and finally to an external regulator if internal options have genuinely been exhausted.
Understanding this path in advance helps a person decide where to start, since raising a serious concern with an immediate manager who may be implicated in it rarely makes sense, while a more junior issue might reasonably begin at exactly that first, most accessible level of the organisation.
Escalation is not a sign that an earlier step failed through any fault of the reporter, since some concerns genuinely need to move higher before they receive the attention they deserve. Knowing the path in advance also reduces the anxiety of wondering what comes next if the first attempt does not lead anywhere useful.