AGED CARE WHISTLEBLOWER LINE

SPEAK UP SAFELY, BE HEARD, STAY PROTECTED

Churches of Christ in Queensland Aged Care Whistleblower Reporting is an independent service run by Stopline that gives anybody the opportunity to report a suspected wrongdoing of the aged care legislation. – anonymously if they wish.

At Churches of Christ, we are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and transparent aged care environment. If you see or hear something that does not feel right, you have the right to speak up and you are protected when you do.

What can be reported?

You can make a whistleblower report about serious concerns, including:

• Abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of older people.
• Unsafe or poor-quality care
• Bullying, harassment, or discrimination
• Breaches of privacy or rights
• Fraud, theft, or misuse of funds
• Misconduct by staff, volunteers, or providers
• Any behaviour that puts someone’s safety or wellbeing at risk.

Complaint vs Whistleblower Disclosure

The types of concerns that can be reported are anything that you have reasonable grounds to suspect a person may have contravened a provision of the Aged Care Act.   Its provisions include entry into aged care, the delivery of aged care services and the rules that Aged Care Providers are obligated to follow.

A whistleblower may also choose to have a disclosure managed as a complaint or feedback under the Aged Care Act.  However, this election means additional protections from Section 548 of the Act (Civil, criminal or administrative liability) will not apply.

Our complaint and feedback system is also available for raising and resolving issues where you do not require whistleblower protections.  In such cases you are encouraged to continue to raise your concerns through our complaints and feedback system.

This can be found on our webpage :Feedback and Complaints | Contact Us | Churches of Christ

Who can make a Report?

Whistleblower protections apply to anyone: (Not limited to this list)

• Staff
• Volunteers
• Residents and their families
• Associated providers.
• Contractors and suppliers

Why use Stopline.

Stopline is Churches of Christ independent reporting services. Stopline is a trusted, external organisation that oversees whistleblower reports for Churches of Christ.

You can report anonymously if you wish.

You can also report to:

• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
• Department of Health and Aged Care
• A Churches of Christ manager or responsible person
• A staff member
• Police officer
• An independent aged care advocate

Your protection:

When you make a report:

• You are protected from victimisation and discrimination.
• Your identity is kept private (unless you agree to share it or it is required by law)
• You will not get into trouble – even if the concern turns out to be wrong – as long as you report it honestly.

MAKE AN Aged Care Whistleblower REPORT via ONLINE FORM