The Stopline Whistleblower Service is an independent and confidential service available to receive disclosures from whistleblowers. The majority of concerns can be addressed effectively through a school or Sydney Catholic Schools (‘SCS’) office using the SCS Complaints Process. However, SCS also now has an external Whistleblower service, which allows you to bring forward a concern anonymously in the circumstances below.

Current or former officers, directors, employees, students, parents/caregivers, volunteers, contractors/suppliers and their employees and a spouse or relative of any of the above or any other person who has reasonable grounds to make a report.

You must have reasonable grounds to suspect that the information you are disclosing about SCS concerns:

1.     Misconduct

2.     An improper state of affairs or circumstances

This information can be about SCS, or an officer or employee of SCS, engaging in conduct that:

1.     breaches the Corporations Act or other financial laws enforced by Australian Securities and Investment Commission (‘ASIC’) and/or Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (‘APRA’)

2.     is an offence against any other law of the Commonwealth that is punishable by imprisonment for a period of 12 months, or

3.     represents a danger to the public or the financial system.

Sydney Catholic Schools believes that all employees and community members should be able to assist in ensuring Sydney Catholic Schools maintains its status as an ethical business. Sydney Catholic Schools is adopting a high standard in this aspect of corporate governance.

Sydney Catholic Schools has engaged an independent consultant to manage the receipt, recording and reporting of whistleblowers reports. Stopline is an independent, confidential and impartial conduit for information. Stopline has people experienced in handling sensitive information from reporters. Details of how you can make contact are listed below.

Stopline is an external whistleblowers service available via web, email, fax or phone:

·       Online disclosure https://sydcatholic.stoplinereport.com/

·       Phone – 1300 30 45 50 – Australia +61 3 9811 3275 – overseas

·       Email to: [email protected]

·       Post Sydney Catholic Schools IP, c/o Stopline PO Box 403, Diamond Creek, VIC 3089

·       Fax ATTENTION: CASE MANAGER C/O Stopline +61 3 9882 4480

You are also entitled to Whistleblower protections if you report to an SCS Board Member, officer or senior manager, an auditor, actuary or regulatory authority.

Stopline is an Australian company which specialises in providing integrity/whistleblowing services. It has been operating for over a decade and assists listed and private companies; local, state and Commonwealth public sector bodies and not-for-profit organisations. Further details are available at www.stopline.com.au

No. Your report to Stopline can, if you wish, be anonymous and the staff of Stopline will not ask for any personal details. You may volunteer the information anonymously to Stopline if you desire or you can be overt. If you do not wish to remain anonymous, this information may be provided to the Disclosure Officer at Sydney Catholic Schools. If you choose to remain anonymous Stopline will issue a confidential reference and password should you wish to seek the status of your disclosure at some later date. Some legislation (e.g. Corporations Act in Australia) will only provide legislative protection if the caller identifies themselves. Stopline can assist at the time of your contact.

Stopline is an independent provider of Whistleblower services and will take full details of your concerns. This can be done anonymously.

You may ask Stopline or SCS to keep your identity, or information that is likely to lead to your identification, confidential. Generally, this information cannot be disclosed without your consent. However, SCS or Stopline may be required to report the information to ASIC, APRA, or the Australian Federal Police, or to a lawyer for advice about the Whistleblower protections. It is illegal for a person to reveal the identity of a Whistleblower, or information likely to lead to the identification of Whistleblower, outside of these circumstances.

Whether the matter you raise is substantiated or not, a genuine Whistleblower will not be penalised or personally disadvantaged or victimised for making a report in good faith.

A person within Sydney Catholic Schools is responsible for ensuring that all serious complaints are handled appropriately. The Disclosure Officer is responsible for Sydney Catholic Schools’s role in managing disclosures and being the contact point for both Stopline and the Sydney Catholic Schools Board. That person is Jacqueline Frost (Head of Professional Services).

You can telephone Stopline on 1300 30 45 50 (in Australia) or +61 3 9811 3275 (overseas – reverse charges) during business hours (0800 – 2000 Mon – Fri AEST) to speak with a trained Stopline interviewer. Any messages left will be responded to within one working day. You can also send your disclosure via the internet (this website), email, facsimile or mail.

Yes. You will be kept advised about the status of the report, decisions made regarding how the matter is to be handled, timeframes that apply and the result of any investigation and action taken. If you choose to remain anonymous, you will be issued with a confidential reference and password and must initiate contact through one of the methods above to receive feedback.