The Union met with Steve Kinmond, NSW Deputy Ombudsman and Sue Phelan, Principal Investigator at the NSW Ombudsman’s office to discuss child protection investigations last month.
The key issues discussed at the meeting were:
•the delays experienced by employees in being provided specific details of the alleged behaviours that amounted to reportable conduct
•the delays (or in some cases no response at all) by employers in replying to the issues raised by the Union on behalf of members relating to the investigation
•the delays in the finalisation of child protection investigations, and
•the employee’s right to apply for access to documentation held in their investigation file by their employer.
The NSW Ombudsman’s Office has agreed to receive complaints about the handling of specific child protection investigations from the IEU as they occur and then act on the issues identified.
The IEU will hold a further meeting with the NSW Ombudsman’s Office in November 2015 to further discuss child protection issues and also look at the possibility of continuing these meetings at regular intervals.