Families Australia is committed to fostering a culture of legal, ethical and moral behaviour and exemplary corporate governance. Families Australia recognises the value of transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices, and supports the reporting of improper conduct.
This Whistleblower Policy and Procedure has been developed so that people can raise concerns regarding situations where they believe that Families Australia or anybody connected with Families Australia has acted in a way that constitutes serious wrongdoing, including unethical, illegal, corrupt or other inappropriate conduct, as set out below.
Purpose
This Policy aims to:
a) encourage a person to report improper conduct in good faith if they know or have reasonable grounds to suspect such conduct
b) provide a mechanism to report misconduct or dishonest or illegal activity that has occurred or is suspected within the organisation
c) enable Families Australia to deal with reports from whistleblowers in a way that will protect the identity of the whistleblower and provide for secure storage of the information
d) ensure that any Reportable Conduct is identified and dealt with appropriately
e) ensure that individuals who disclose wrongdoing can do so safely, securely and with confidence that they will be protected and supported, and
f) help to ensure that Families Australia maintains the highest standards of ethical behaviour and integrity.
Scope
This policy applies to: Employees, Board Members, Officers, Contractors (including employees of contractors), Volunteers, Suppliers, Consultants. Within this policy all of these people are represented by the term “workers”.
Although they are under no obligation to do so, any associate, family member or dependant of any person in the above groups of people may also speak up. If they do choose to speak up in line with this Policy, we will extend to them the relevant rights and protections under this Policy.
Principles
Higher standard – This Policy is designed to comply with Families Australia’s legal obligations. If anything in this Policy is inconsistent with any law imposed on Families Australia that legal obligation or the “higher standard” will prevail over this Policy.
Speak up and report it! – We encourage workers at Families Australia to report any concerns in line with our policies and procedures.
Our expectations of workers – Families Australia expects Workers to act honestly and ethically, and to make any report on reasonable grounds.
Our responsibility to Whistleblowers – Our obligations to workers are spelled out in this policy, but in particular in section 6 ‘Protection’.
Confidentiality and consent – Families Australia will maintain confidentiality of all reports and protect the identity of reporters to the fullest extent possible. While Families Australia encourages Whistleblowers to identify themselves to the Whistleblowing Protection Officer, they may opt to report their concerns anonymously.
Procedure
How do I make a report?
Whistleblowing protections will only apply to reports of Reportable Conduct made in accordance with this Policy and Procedure.
Where you have reasonable grounds to suspect that an individual has engaged in Reportable Conduct, you should report the matter to any person authorised by Families Australia to receive Whistleblower disclosures.
Authorised people are:
a) Whistleblower Protection Officer (Mr Alan Anforth (contact anfortha@bigpond.net.au.)
b) Chief Executive Officer
c) Board Member
The Families Australia Whistleblower Policy is available here.