A Perplexing Problem: Protecting Children Overseas

Every year billions of Australian dollars are provided to fund aid projects overseas. The money is targeted to assist developing countries with education, housing, health and community projects. Naturally children are a prime target group for these aid programs.  The majority of these organisations are funded by the Australian public via donations and government funding […]

Building Rapport in Investigative Interviews

All workplaces are at risk of allegations of bullying, harassment, discrimination or other claims of misconduct or inappropriate dealings. As such, all employers must be prepared to conduct investigative interviews to determine the veracity and accuracy of any allegations made against or by one or more of their employees. Apart from properly eliciting the facts, […]

Bullying: What’s the Role of Leadership?

Workplace bullying is somewhat of a scourge in modern society. Broadly categorised by Reach Out Australia as any behaviour which is physically, mentally or socially threatening and takes place in the employment context, it can have an enormous impact on staff effectiveness, employee retention, the number and type of worker’s compensation claims and, of course, […]

Unexplained Injuries in Care – 3 Tips for Investigators

  It goes without saying that injuries occur in all workplaces, not just the community sector. Yet there are certain unexplained injuries within care environments that should receive particular attention. We set out our top three 3 tips for investigators when confronted with an unexplained injury allegation in aged or disability care contexts.   1. […]

Does the NDIS Complaints System Have Enough Reach?

For those vulnerable people across Australia living with disability, the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been heralded as a much-needed security net. And for those caring for disabled individuals, the NDIS provides a framework for sustainable care arrangements. In many ways, the introduction of the NDIS is the ultimate ‘good news’ […]

Abuse by Carers – Defining a Sad Reality

  It is quite clear that employers in aged, disability and other care environments do their best to keep staff and clients safe, yet one dark phenomenon that can raise its ugly head in care contexts is abuse by carers. For many complex reasons, vulnerable people such as the aged, children, and disability clients, can […]

Investigating Complaints of Abuse by Carers

When vulnerable individuals in our society are subjected to abuse by their carers, our response as a community is understandably one of outrage. It seems beyond belief that this could happen. But the sad reality is that some individuals within aged care facilities, disability care contexts, at home or in childcare centres can face abuse […]

What Does Child Protection Look Like in 2017?

There is no doubt that the sobering outcomes of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Sexual Abuse have caused Australian organisations to take stock of their child protection strategies. Investigating and preventing abuse in care has become a non-negotiable priority issue for many citizens and institutions across the nation. So what is the current […]