This policy assists staff to respond appropriately where there is a concern for a child’s wellbeing or a disclosure of abuse.

The Department of Education (the Department) supports high quality, ethical research where the findings have the potential to inform decision making and contribute to improvements in school education policy, staff competency, operational practices, student and staff wellbeing or student achievement and progress.

The Conflicts of Interest policy and procedures apply to all employees and contractors of the Department of Education and describes the reporting and management obligations related to actual, perceived and potential conflicts of interest.

This policy provides information for employees in relation to their obligations and responsibilities with respect to managing information breaches.

Information and communication technologies are provided by the Department to enable employees and authorised third parties to satisfactorily perform their duties. It is recognised that the associated information, physical equipment, infrastructure and software is at risk of accidental or intentional loss, unauthorised manipulation or unauthorised disclosure. This policy authorises security controls to address those risks.

The Employee Performance and Development policy and procedures are directed at building a high performance, high care culture across the Department through a focus on improvement. The procedures specify, for all groups of employees, a procedurally fair approach that balances development requirements with accountability, in accordance with the role being performed.

The policy details the responsibilities of Department staff in relation to the creation and maintenance of records, whether in paper or electronic format. It highlights the penalties for non-compliance with the State Records Act 2000.

This policy ensures that employees are aware of their obligations under the Working With Children Check (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 (the Act) and ensures that the Department maintains compliance with the Act.