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Caring for Children
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Code of Conduct for Authorised Carers

This Code of Conduct is for authorised foster, relative and kinship carers, prospective guardians and dually authorised prospective adoptive parents currently providing authorised care. These groups of people are referred to as ‘carers’ throughout the Code of Conduct.A designated agency is an organisation accredited to arrange and supervise out-of-home care services. They are referred to as ‘agency’ throughout the Code of Conduct.Children or young people will be referred to as child or children throughout the Code of Conduct.

Reportable Allegations and Reportable Conduct

  • Under the Children’s Guardian Act 2019 the Department of Communities and Justice and agencies must notify reportable allegations about their ‘employees’ to the Children’s Guardian and complete an investigation of those allegations.
  • Carers and other adults living in their house are included as employees and are subject to an investigation if reportable allegations are made against them.
  • You are expected to cooperate with a reportable conduct investigation.
  • Reportable Conduct is not limited to your conduct towards a child in out of home care as it extends to your conduct towards all children.

Reportable Conduct means:

  1. a sexual offence
  2. sexual misconduct
  3. ill-treatment of a child
  4. neglect of a child
  5. an assault against a child
  6. an offence under section 43B (failing to reduce or remove risk of child becoming victim of child abuse) or 316A (Concealing child abuse) of the Crimes Act 1900
  7. behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child.