9. Roles and responsibilities

Certain people within DCS and the agencies for whom DCS provides functions under the PID Act have responsibilities under the PID Act.

9.1  Heads of agencies

The Secretary of DCS and the heads of agencies are responsible for:

• fostering a workplace culture where reporting is encouraged
• receiving disclosures from public officials
• ensuring there is a system in place for assessing disclosures
• ensuring the DCS complies with this policy and the PID Act
• ensuring that the DCS has appropriate systems for:
  • overseeing internal compliance with the PID Act
  • supporting public officials who make voluntary PIDs, including by minimising the risk of detrimental action
  • implementing corrective action if serious wrongdoing is found to have occurred
  • complying with reporting obligations regarding allegations or findings of detrimental action
  • complying with yearly reporting obligations to the NSW Ombudsman.

9.2  Disclosure officers

Disclosure officers are responsible for:

• receiving reports from public officials
• receiving reports when they are passed on to them by managers
• ensuring reports are dealt with appropriately, including by referring the matter to the appropriate complaint unit (if relevant)
• ensuring that any oral reports that have been received are recorded in writing.

 9.3  Managers

The responsibilities of managers include:

• receiving reports from persons that report to them or that they supervise
• passing on reports they receive to a disclosure officer.

9.4  All public officials

All public officials must:

• report suspected serious wrongdoing or other misconduct
• use their best endeavours to assist in an investigation of serious wrongdoing if asked to do so by a person dealing with a voluntary PID on behalf of DCS
• treat any person dealing with or investigating reports of serious wrongdoing with respect.

All public officials must not take detrimental action against any person who has made, may in the future make, or is suspected of having made, a PID.