The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is calling for submissions into its evaluation of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN).
Releasing the evaluation’s Terms of Reference, Deputy Commissioner of ICAC, Paul Alsbury said the Commission would conduct an evaluation of specific aspects of the practices, policies and procedures of the CALHN, as they related to the receipt, management, investigation and outcomes of complaints about the Network and its staff.
“That evaluation has commenced and I now invite members of the public, and bodies with an interest in the evaluation to make a written submission relevant to the Terms of Reference of the evaluation,” Mr Alsbury said.
He said the Terms of Reference includes the degree to which the Network’s systems and culture encouraged reporting of wrongdoing; the means by which the Network provided opportunities to report and the manner in which the Network received and assessed reports.
He said it also includes the robustness of decision-making related to complaints management and escalation to investigation; the practices, policies and procedures in place to guide the appropriate conduct of internal investigations; and the extent to which disciplinary sanctions and outcomes were imposed, how they reflected the seriousness of the proven conduct, and whether they were consistent with sanctions and outcomes for similar conduct.
Mr Alsbury said the CALHN comprised the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, Statewide Rehabilitation Services, and mental health services at the Glenside Health Service and other locations, and also included a range of specialised community and clinical health services across the State.
“It is important that employees of the Network and the community can be confident that complaints and investigations are dealt with appropriately and consistently,” he said.
“Complaints and investigations are a rich source of intelligence that can assist an Agency to maintain high standards of integrity” Mr Alsbury said.
Submissions close on Friday 24 June and can be emailed to [email protected], with the Evaluation of CALHN indicated in the subject line.
