RESOLVE - INVESTIGATION
Before mediation can work, someone needs to know what actually happened.
When facts are disputed, allegations are serious, or an internal investigation has lost credibility, an independent workplace investigation establishes the factual picture — impartially, professionally, and with findings that are defensible in a tribunal. We find out what happened. Then the appropriate next step becomes clear.
What we investigate and why independence matters.
Internal investigations fail for predictable reasons: the investigator is too close to the parties, their findings are influenced by what outcome is most convenient, or the process is insufficiently rigorous to withstand scrutiny.
An external investigation removes all of these risks. The findings are independent. The process is documented. The report is defensible.
GRIEVANCE
Formal grievance investigation
When a formal grievance is raised and the manager named in the complaint cannot be the investigator. Structured interviews, evidence review, findings report with conclusions and recommendations.
MISCONDUCT
Disciplinary / misconduct investigation
Where the disciplinary process requires an independent investigation stage before any hearing. We establish what happened — without the conflicts of interest that make internal investigations legally fragile.
HARASSMENT
Bullying and harassment allegations
Sensitive investigations requiring specialist psychological expertise in interview technique. Conducted in a way that minimises further harm while establishing a reliable factual account.
FRAUD / POLICY
Policy breach and financial misconduct
Where OSINT methodologies and open-source intelligence gathering are relevant, social media evidence, digital footprint, publicly available information brought to bear with full evidential rigour.
WHISTLEBLOW
Whistleblowing disclosures
Where a Protected Disclosure has been made. Investigation conducted with awareness of the legal protections that apply and the particular care required in these situations.
OUR APPROACH
What Amani investigations bring that others do not.
Most workplace investigations are conducted by HR advisors with a process checklist. Amani's investigations combine psychological expertise in interview technique, open-source intelligence methodology, and organisational context that most HR-led investigations lack.
The result is findings that are more reliable, more nuanced, and more defensible.
Psychologically-informed interview technique - Magda Parker's psychology background changes how witness interviews are conducted — detecting inconsistency, reducing suggestibility, and eliciting more complete accounts than standard HR interview approaches.
OSINT-informed evidence gathering - Where relevant, open-source intelligence methodology is applied — systematically reviewing publicly available digital evidence. This is particularly relevant in harassment, policy breach, and fraud investigations.
Report quality for tribunal - Investigation reports are written to a standard that can be disclosed in employment tribunal proceedings — structured reasoning, evidenced conclusions, and defensible methodology documented throughout.
Post-investigation path - Investigation is the beginning of resolution, not the end. Amani's full service range means the findings can be followed immediately by mediation, consultancy, or organisational change without handing over to a different provider.
Scope and brief
We agree the scope of the investigation, the questions it needs to answer, and the parties involved before any investigation activity begins. Terms of reference documented in writing.
Evidence gathering
Structured interviews with all relevant parties and witnesses. Documentary evidence review. Where applicable: OSINT review of publicly available digital information. All interviews recorded (with consent).
Analysis
Evidence assessed against the investigation questions. Conflicting accounts evaluated against evidential weight. Conclusions reached and documented with reasoning shown.
Written report
Findings report delivered to the commissioning party. Structured: terms of reference, methodology, summary of evidence, findings against each question, conclusions. Defensible in tribunal.
How an investigation is conducted.
Every investigation follows a documented process. Every stage is timed, recorded, and documented. You receive a written report with clear conclusions.
Confidentiality: Investigation findings are reported to the commissioning party only. Parties are informed in advance that their contributions will be used in a written report and the purpose for which it will be used. Amani operates under GDPR as data controller for the investigation process.
Investigation questions.
What organisations most often need to know before commissioning an investigation.
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When the subject of the investigation is a senior figure, when an internal manager has already been named in the complaint, when the organisation is small enough that impartiality is structurally impossible, or when the findings are likely to be disputed in tribunal. In all of these cases, internal credibility is compromised before the investigation begins.
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A standard grievance or disciplinary investigation typically takes 2–4 weeks from instruction to written report, depending on the number of witnesses and complexity of the evidence. We aim to complete within whatever timescale your internal process requires — and will flag in advance if scope makes this unrealistic.
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Open-source intelligence refers to the systematic collection and analysis of publicly available information — primarily social media, online profiles, and digital public records. It is relevant in cases involving alleged misconduct outside work hours, cyberbullying, or where the credibility of a witness account is at issue. Evidence gathered must be relevant, proportionate, and obtained through lawful means.
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Yes. Investigation findings are typically the basis for a disciplinary hearing's evidential record. Amani's investigation reports are structured specifically to be usable in this way — and the investigator can attend the hearing to present findings if required.
WHAT THIS OFTEN LEADS TO
Investigation establishes facts. Once the factual picture is clear, the appropriate next step almost always becomes obvious.
Choose the right approach for your situation.
Workplace Mediation
Where investigation findings confirm a relationship breakdown rather than disciplinary misconduct, mediation is frequently the recommended next step — with the full factual picture now available to the mediator.
Explore Mediation →Organisational Effectiveness
Investigation findings frequently reveal systemic conditions — management behaviour, culture, policy gaps — that generated the incident. Consultancy addresses these before recurrence.
Explore Consultancy →Workplace Needs Assessment
Following an investigation, a full WNA establishes what conditions produced the incident — providing the systemic picture that a focused investigation cannot cover.
Explore WNA →