The BaptistCare NSW & ACT Whistleblower Hotline is an independent and confidential service available to receive information relating to improper conduct, unethical behaviour or an improper state of affairs and supports BaptistCare’s values and Code of Conduct.

Actual or reasonably suspected misconduct and unethical behaviour, including abuse of authority, theft or corrupt activities, fraud, significant mismanagement or waste of funds or resources, actions that cause serious harm or risk of harm to people, public safety or the environment, and serious breaches of law.

What is not a whistleblowing disclosure?

Whistleblowing is not about airing a grievance. Whistleblowing protections do not apply to matters which are solely related to personal work-related grievances. If these matters are reported to the hotline, they will be referred to BaptistCare’s human resources team for appropriate action under BaptistCare’s workplace grievance policy and procedure.

Whistleblowing is different to making a complaint relating to the delivery of service. If these matters are reported to the hotline, they will be referred to the appropriate team internally for appropriate action under BaptistCare’s feedback and complaints policies and procedures.

BaptistCare NSW & ACT has offered an independent hotline since 2013. BaptistCare believes that all employees and other stakeholders should be empowered to report misconduct and unethical conduct in a safe and confidential manner, including to ensure BaptistCare maintains its status as an ethical business. BaptistCare adopts best practice in this aspect of corporate governance and will be compliant with other relevant corporate governance standards.

BaptistCare NSW & ACT has engaged an independent consultant to manage the receipt, recording and reporting of serious misconduct and unethical conduct. Stopline is an independent, confidential and impartial conduit for information that enables the reporting of corrupt or improper conduct. Stopline has people experienced in handling sensitive information from stakeholders.

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 call 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 Whistleblower Protection Officer at BaptistCare NSW & ACT (who will also keep your information confidential if that is your request). 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.

BaptistCare NSW & ACT is committed to the protection of genuine Whistleblowers against action taken in reprisal for the making of protected disclosures. Maintaining confidentiality is a crucial component of this protection. All disclosures will be treated with a high level of confidentiality. BaptistCare has appointed Stopline to enhance confidentiality and anonymity within BaptistCare with respect to Whistleblower procedures.

Stopline enables employees, contractors and stakeholders to report in good faith, suspected misconduct via telephone, email, internet or mail, to an independent organisation with trained staff who will receive your concerns confidentially (anonymously if you wish) and provide the confidential information to the Whistleblower Protection Officer at BaptistCare NSW & ACT. The program then necessitates procedural requirements dealing with and finalising the outcome of the disclosure.

A person within BaptistCare NSW & ACT is responsible for ensuring that all serious complaints of misconduct or an improper state of affairs are handled appropriately. The Whistleblower Protection Officer is responsible for BaptistCare’s role in managing disclosures and being the contact point for both Stopline and BaptistCare. BaptistCare’s current Whistleblower Protection Officers are identified in BaptistCare’s Whistleblowing Reporting Process Policy & Procedure.

You can contact the Stopline when you have knowledge or reasonably suspect any misconduct and unethical behaviour, including abuse of authority, theft or corrupt activities, fraud, significant mismanagement or waste of funds or resources, actions that cause serious harm or risk of harm to people, public safety or the environment, and serious breaches of law.

As an employee, how do I know that somebody won’t just make some false claim to settle a personal grudge?

The strength of Stopline is that all allegations will be professionally managed by trained Stopline staff. The experience of Stopline is that vexatious calls occur very infrequently. Stopline focuses on the message, not the messenger. The Whistleblower Protection Officer may decline to investigate the matter if satisfied that the disclosure is trivial, frivolous or vexatious.

You can telephone the Stopline on 1300 30 45 50 (in Australia) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  A Stopline investigator will answer your call during business hours (0800 – 1800 Mon – Fri AEST).  Any messages left with our overnight team will be responded to within one working day. You can also send your disclosure via the internet (this website), email or mail.

The strength of Stopline is that all allegations will be professionally managed by trained Stopline staff. The experience of Stopline is that vexatious calls occur very infrequently. Stopline focuses on the message, not the messenger. The Whistleblower Protection Officer may decline to investigate the matter if satisfied that the disclosure is trivial, frivolous or vexatious.

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.

Full details are available in BaptistCare NSW & ACT’s Whistleblowing Reporting Process Policy & Procedure.