Whistleblower Disclosure Service

What is the Whistleblower Disclosure Service?

Contracted third-party agency PKF Australia provides this independent, confidential and anonymous whistleblower service available to all diocesan workers.

Typically, people use a whistleblower service if they are:

making allegations of professional misconduct against their own supervisor or a senior leader in the agency for which they work; and
they are fearful of retribution for making the report.

A diocesan worker may use the Whistleblower Disclosure Service if they wish to report professional misconduct involving a colleague or one or more members of the Diocese’s leadership.

However, the whistleblower must be “acting in good faith”, that is, they must hold a reasonable belief that the allegation has or is likely to occur and the allegation is not made for personal gain or for the express purpose of attempting to discredit or cause harm to another diocesan worker.

What is professional misconduct?

Professional misconduct is misconduct or dishonest or illegal activity that has actually occurred, or is suspected to have taken place within the Diocese. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following.

A breach of regulations or laws.
A breach of diocesan policies and codes.
Dishonest or corrupt behaviour, including soliciting, accepting or offering a bribe or such other benefits.
Illegal activity including theft, drug sale or use in the workplace, threatened violence and property damage.
Impeding internal or external audit processes.
Improper behaviour relating to accounting, internal controls, actuarial or audit matters.
Activity posing a substantial risk to diocesan employees, volunteers or the workplace.
A serious impropriety.
Conduct endangering health or safety at the Diocese.
Conduct that is detrimental to the financial position or reputation of the
A substantial mismanagement of the resources of the
Concealment of a serious wrongdoing.

Professional misconduct that involves children or vulnerable adults will be referred to the Office of Safeguarding for investigation, unless the alleged abuser is a member of the Office of Safeguarding.

Professional misconduct that involves criminality will be referred to law enforcement.

Confidentiality

The Whistleblower Disclosure Service will guarantee anonymity for a whistleblower who reports or attempts to report professional misconduct, unless legal compulsion requires the whistleblower’s identity be released. The diocesan worker can choose to be identified as the whistleblower. The worker must specifically ask the Whistleblower Disclosure Service to disclose their identity to the diocesan authority charged with reporting the alleged misconduct.

Should the diocesan authority charged with conducting the investigation into the professional misconduct become aware of the whistleblower’s identity, they are compelled to maintain the whistleblower’s confidentiality from other diocesan personnel.

Making a whistleblower report

You may report professional misconduct through the PKF Whistleblower Disclosure Service by:

P: 1300 989 183 available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
E: DoMNdisclosures@pkf.com.au
www.talkintegrity.com/domn

(includes ability to submit online anonymous complaints)