A
n audit of the management of misconduct allegations and complaints about inappropriate workplace behaviour at ACT Health has found the Agency failed in its obligations.
Auditor-General, Maxine Cooper said in her report 9/2018
ACT Health’s Management of Allegations of Misconduct and Complaints about Inappropriate Workplace Behaviour that the matters related to the accuracy of performance information and reporting, which had been found to be erroneous.
“In mid-to-late 2016 concerns associated with the accuracy of ACT Health’s performance information and reporting were identified,” Dr Cooper said.
“ACT Health wrote to two officers of the former Performance Information Branch to notify them of misconduct allegations against them.”
She said the allegations related to errors in the March 2016 ACT Health Services Quarterly Performance Report.
“The two former officers had key responsibilities for the production and accuracy of this report and other ACT Health performance information,” Dr Cooper said.
She said ACT Health needed to articulate the desired culture and values to be fostered across the organisation.
“As part of disseminating this information, there should be an emphasis on how allegations of misconduct are to be managed for making and responding to complaints of inappropriate behaviour,” Dr Cooper said.
“Additionally, it would be timely for the Public Sector Standards Commissioner and the Professional Standards Unit to raise awareness of their roles and the merits of early contact with them.”
She made three recommendations.
The Auditor-General’s 175-page report can be accessed at this PS News link and the audit team was Brett Stanton, Caroline Smith and Karen Ruse, with the support of Sophie Butler-Stratton, David Kelly and Rod Nicholas.
