Concerns or complaints

Concerns or complaints

Reporting staff misconduct

What is staff misconduct?

Staff misconduct can be described as behaviour or conduct by a staff member that does not meet the minimum requirements of relevant regulations, codes and policies required of a Department of Education employee.

Staff misconduct can include issues such as:

  • inappropriate or unprofessional behaviour
  • inappropriate relationships
  • blurring professional boundaries
  • unreasonable physical contact
  • fraudulent or corrupt behaviour
  • misuse of public resources
  • confidentiality breach.

A staff member is any person employed by the Department of Education, including, but not limited to teachers, principals, education assistants, cleaners, gardeners, school support staff, and public servants. They may work in any office location in Western Australia, including public schools, residential colleges, Schools of the Air, education regional offices, central services, the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia or the Training Accreditation Council.  

Not staff misconduct?

If you do not think your issue is staff misconduct, go to complaints to find the correct area to contact.

How do I report staff misconduct?

To report staff misconduct you can phone, fax, email or send an online report to Standards and Integrity.  You can remain anonymous and your report will be taken seriously.

Standards and Integrity Directorate

A: 151 Royal Street, East Perth WA 6004
T: 9264 4740 or 1800 655 985
E: complaints@education.wa.edu.au

If you want to report staff misconduct to someone outside of the Department of Education you can contact any of the agencies listed below as relevant. 

Please be advised that your complaint may be referred back to the Department for action.

Public Sector Commission

To report minor misconduct, contact the Public Sector Commission.

T: 6552 8888

Corruption and Crime Commission

To report serious misconduct, contact the Corruption and Crime Commission.

T: 1800 803 186

Western Australia Police

To report criminal offences, contact Western Australia Police.

T: 131 444

Ombudsman WA

To report a complaint about the decision making of public authorities, contact the Ombudsman WA.

T: 9220 7555

Office of the Auditor General

To report the misconduct or misuse of public resources, contact the Office of the Auditor General.

T: 6557 7500

Equal Opportunity Commission WA

To report discrimination, contact the Equal Opportunity Commission WA.

T: 9216 3900

Staff misconduct complaints are managed by the Standards and Integrity Directorate. The Directorate is responsible for the management and coordination of all disciplinary processes for the Department. This includes investigating complaints and allegations made about staff by parents, students, other staff or members of the public.

The following teams may handle your complaint:

Assessment team

The Assessment team is responsible for receiving all complaints involving allegations of staff misconduct and assessing them to determine the most suitable way to manage a complaint. 

A staff misconduct complaint can be referred to the principal or manager for local action or referred to the Investigative Services team for further investigation under a disciplinary process.

Investigative Services team

The Investigative Services team consists of three teams of investigators with a diverse range of investigative specialisations including child protection, internal investigation and fraud matters.

The Investigative Services team undertakes disciplinary investigations into complex and sensitive matters to determine whether a staff member has engaged in misconduct. They do this by gathering information and interviewing witnesses to put together a picture of what occurred.

Prevention and Education team

The Prevention and Education team is responsible for delivering proactive professional learning and educational presentations regarding accountable and ethical decision-making and staff conduct to both school and non-school based staff. The team aims to raise awareness about, and assist staff in managing, complaints relating to misconduct and misconduct issues where appropriate.

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