Abuse

• About abuse
• Booklet
  • Introduction
  • Indicators
  • Examples
  • Reporting
  • Checklist
  • Glossary
  • Further reading
  • Contacts
• Policy
  • Contents
  • From the minister
  • Introduction
  • Procedure
  • Procedure guides

2. Procedures

2.1 The agency’s documented response procedure to be enacted when an allegation of abuse, assault or neglect is made must:

• stipulate that any report, allegation or suspicion of abuse, assault or neglect will be immediately reported to the police;
  
• stipulate the responsibilities of management, staff and volunteers in assisting the person thought to have been subjected to abuse, assault or neglect to access all relevant information and appropriate bodies such as advocacy, legal support, police, medical and sexual assault counselling services, and crimes compensation;
  
  If the person is under 18, the family or guardian must be notified of the allegation in a timely manner. The Child Protection Act 1999, Section 148 (1) relates specifically to children placed in the care of the Department of Families in a licensed care service. The Act requires that if a Department of Families officer or a person employed in a licensed care service becomes aware or reasonably suspects that harm has been caused to a child in the care of a care service, it must be reported immediately to the chief executive of that Department. If the person is over eighteen and the person has a guardian, the guardian must be informed of the allegation in a timely manner. With the person’s consent, other relevant people, including family, can be notified of the allegations;

• Outline all necessary tasks, roles and responsibilities to be undertaken by management, staff and volunteers, including designating a person to be responsible for receiving, responding to or coordinating the response to all reports of abuse, assault or neglect;
  
• provide a reasonable and appropriate timeframe for response;
  
• stipulate the requirement for detailed accurate documentation on all aspects of the incident, including the recording of any follow up or additional actions undertaken;
  
• state how and where all documentation is to be stored or kept secured and who will have access to these records;
  
• ensure the person’s right to privacy and confidentiality is respected;
  
• ensure that a person making an allegation or reporting an incident does not experience any retaliatory action as a consequence of making the allegation or report and that any report or allegation that is made is treated with sensitivity. DSQ Staff are subject to the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1994;· ensure that the legal rights of the alleged offender are not infringed and that their right to natural justice is upheld. DSQ operated services can consult the Misconduct Prevention Office. Funded agencies can consult the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions;
  
• ensure the management of the allegation does not compromise any investigation by the police or other authority (advice as per previous point); and
  
• be routinely provided to all new and existing management, staff and volunteers as well as to all consumers and their families, guardians, carers or advocates in accessible formats.

2.2 Where the allegation involves financial abuse, it is imperative that the service provider notifies the consumer and where appropriate, the financial administrator. DSQ directly operated services must comply with the Management of Clients Financial Affairs Practices and Procedures Manual.

2.3 In instances where the consumer is an adult and has an impaired capacity and there is no appointed financial administrator or no family, advocate, or authorised attorney to act on behalf of the consumer, the Adult Guardian should be notified. Service providers must provide strategies for their procedures that:

• support consumers to exercise choice over all stages of the process wherever possible;
  
• provide information to consumers in a format that meets their individual communication needs; and
  
• where appropriate and lawful; provide consumers, their families, guardians, friends, carers and advocates with information about the progress of the investigation.