Employment-related child protection
Ombudsman's role in relation to employment-related child protection
Part 3A of the Ombudsman Act 1974 requires the Ombudsman to keep under scrutiny the systems that government and certain non-government agencies in NSW have for preventing reportable conduct and handling reportable allegations and convictions involving their employees.
‘Designated agencies’ must notify us of all reportable allegations and convictions that arise inside or outside the employee’s work.
Designated agencies include:
- Department of Family and Community Services
- Department of Education and Communities
- Ministry of Health (including area health services)
- Juvenile Justice NSW
- Corrective Services NSW
- Sport and Recreation NSW
- Ageing, Disability and Home Care
- non-government schools
- child care centres
- agencies providing substitute residential care to children
- out of school hours care.
‘Other public authorities’ are only required to notify reportable allegations or convictions that arise in the course of the employee’s work.
We must decide whether an investigation into a reportable allegation or conviction against an employee of a designated agency that has been notified to us has been properly conducted, and whether appropriate action was taken as a result of the investigation.
Reportable allegations and convictions
Employment-related child protection notification form