Section 2 - Roles and responsibilities 

2.1  Employees

Employees are encouraged to report known or suspected incidences of improper conduct or detrimental action in accordance with these procedures.

All employees of the Department have an important role to play in supporting those who have made a legitimate disclosure.  They must refrain from any activity that is, or could be perceived to be, victimisation or harassment of a person who makes a disclosure.  Furthermore, they should protect and maintain the confidentiality of a person they know or suspect to have made a disclosure.

2.2  Protected disclosure officer

The protected disclosure officer will: 

• be a contact point for general advice about the operation of the Act for any person wishing to make a disclosure about improper conduct or detrimental action;

• make arrangements for a disclosure to be made privately and discreetly and, if necessary, away from the workplace;

• receive any disclosure made orally or in writing (from internal and external disclosers);

• commit to writing any disclosure made orally;

• impartially assess the allegation and determine whether it is a disclosure made in accordance with Part 2 of the Act (that is, ‘a protected disclosure’);

• take all necessary steps to ensure the identity of the discloser and the identity of the person who is the subject of the disclosure are kept confidential; and

• forward all disclosures and supporting evidence to the protected disclosure coordinator.

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2.3  Protected disclosure coordinator

The protected disclosure coordinator has a central ‘clearinghouse’ role in the internal reporting system.  He or she will:

• receive all disclosures forwarded from the protected disclosure officers;

• receive all phone calls, emails and letters from employees or contractors seeking to make a disclosure;

• impartially assess each disclosure to determine whether it is a public interest disclosure;

• be responsible for carrying out, or appointing an investigator to carry out, an investigation of the public interest disclosure;

• be responsible for carrying out, or appointing an investigator to carry out, an investigation referred to the public body by the Ombudsman;

• be responsible for overseeing and coordinating an investigation where an investigator has been appointed;

• appoint a welfare manager to support the discloser and to protect him or her from any reprisals;

• advise the discloser of the progress of an investigation into the disclosed matter;

• establish and manage a confidential filing system;

• collate and publish statistics on disclosures made;

• take all necessary steps to ensure the identity of the discloser and the identity of the person who is the subject of the disclosure are kept confidential;

• notify the Ombudsman as required; and

• liaise with the Secretary of the Department.

2.4    Investigator

Where the Department has determined the matter is a public interest disclosure, or where the Ombudsman has referred a matter to the Department for investigation, the investigator will be responsible for carrying out an internal investigation into a disclosure.  An investigator may be a person from within the organisation or a consultant engaged for that purpose. 

2.5  Welfare manager

The welfare manager is responsible for looking after the general welfare of the discloser and will be appointed on a case-by-case basis.

The welfare manager will: 

• examine the immediate welfare and protection needs of a person who has made a disclosure and seek to foster a supportive work environment;

• advise the discloser of the legislative and administrative protections available to him or her;

• listen and respond to any concerns of harassment, intimidation or victimisation in reprisal for making disclosure; and

• ensure the expectations of the discloser are realistic.

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Continue to Section 3 - Reporting System for Disclosures