Disclosures and legal compliance

Good governance

Internal Audit Committee

In response to the Public Sector Commission's key actions of promoting integrity and helping prevent misconduct and corruption, the Commissioner has established an Internal Audit Committee. In 2024 the Internal Audit Charter was updated, and a new audit plan was developed, including the adoption of the 'Global Internal Audit Standards™'.

Risk management

The Commissioner for Children and Young People's Risk Management Framework stands as a cornerstone in safeguarding the organisation's operations. Throughout the 2025-26 financial year, a review of corporate risks was undertaken, culminating in the development of an updated, fit-for-purpose Strategic Risk Register. This process involved a comprehensive assessment of potential threats and vulnerabilities facing the organisation, considering internal and external factors that could impact its ability to fulfil its mandate effectively.

By providing a dedicated platform for discussing risk mitigation strategies and assessing the effectiveness of existing controls, the Commissioner maintains a proactive stance in identifying and addressing potential risks, thereby safeguarding the wellbeing and rights of children and young people in Western Australia. Risk is a key platform in the strategic plan. It is also discussed and managed through the Internal Audit Committee.

Financial management

Throughout the 2025-26 financial year, the corporate functions, including finance, continued to be provided by the Department of Justice. This has ensured that we are connected to critical financial management processes and oversight by the Chief Financial Officer.

The Commissioner's commitment to financial transparency and accountability is exemplified by the monthly provision of comprehensive financial management reports at Corporate Executive meetings. These reports undergo thorough scrutiny and are subject to endorsement, providing an opportunity for the executive team to assess the organisation's fiscal health. The Financial Management Manual, overseen by the Department of Justice and the Chief Finance Officer, is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure alignment with legislative mandates and policy changes. This proactive approach to financial governance not only safeguards the organisation against potential risks but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and adherence to best practices in financial management.

Policies and procedures

The Commissioner's commitment to governance excellence is underscored by the continuous review, updating and addition of policies and procedures to the Corporate Governance Framework. Each policy undergoes a review process and is subject to thorough scrutiny before being endorsed by the Commissioner. This ensures that the framework remains dynamic and responsive to evolving regulatory landscapes and organisational needs.

In 2025-26, we undertook a comprehensive policy review, working with a consultant to ensure that our policies are contemporary, robust and consistent. The review also helped ensure our policies are compliant with legislative requirements, aligned with organisational priorities and reflective of best practice to support effective decision making and service delivery.

Ministerial directives

Except under section 26 of the Commissioner for Children and Young People Act 2006, the Commissioner is not subject to direction by a Minister or any other person in the performance of her functions. There were no directions under section 26 of the Act in 2025-26.

Other financial disclosures

Board and committee remuneration

The Commissioner does not have any state boards or committees as defined in the Premier's Circular 2025/15 – State Government Boards and Committees.

Workers' compensation

There was one workers' compensation claim in 2025-26, arising from one work-related injury. The Commissioner's office is committed to providing a healthy, safe and accident-free workplace for all employees, contractors and visitors by complying with the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and the Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023.

Other legal requirements

Advertising

Section 175ZE of the Electoral Act 1907 requires public agencies to report details of expenditure to organisations providing services in relation to advertising, market research, polling, direct mail and media advertising. The agency has incurred zero expenditure of this nature.

Credit cards

Staff in the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People are allocated corporate purchasing (credit) cards where their functions demonstrate a need for this facility. During the 2025-26 financial year, there was one instance of personal use totalling $49.70, a reimbursement was promptly made and the Chief Finance Officer was immediately informed. The nature of the expenditure was immaterial and characteristic of an honest mistake.

Consultants

In 2025-26 the Commissioner did not engage any consultants to provide strategic advice to government. Consultants were engaged to assist with internal matters such as an employee wellbeing assessment, a review of the strategic and business plans, an internal audit, and human resources and recruitment consultancy services.

Disability Access and Inclusion Plan

The Commissioner's Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) 2022-2026 aims to demonstrate best practice and ensure that children and young people with a disability have equitable access to facilities and services provided by this organisation. The Youth Disability Advocacy Network of WA (YDAN) has assisted in reviewing the current plan. A new plan has been drafted and will be endorsed by the Corporate Executive in early 2026-27, following consultation once again with YDAN.

Recruitment templates have been updated to increase accessibility, and a program of updating corporate information and templates to AA standard (WACAG 2.0) began in 2022-23 and will continue as a standard practice. All published documents meet the accessible Word document guidelines, and all our publications are available in alternative formats on request.

Further, in accordance with the DAIP, the Commissioner's projects and policies consider and outline any specific requirements of children and young people with disability. Staff and contractors are made aware of our DAIP and supporting policies and strategies.

All forums for children and young people hosted by the Commissioner consider disability access and inclusion requirements, including for those children and young people who are neurodivergent, for example, background noise and bright lights. Hearing loops are used as needed. Throughout the year, the Commissioner has paid particular attention to consultation strategies that consider the needs of children and young people with disability and the requirements to support their participation.

The DAIP is included as part of the Commissioner's performance appraisals for all staff and is available in the Office's records management system and on the Commissioner's website.

Compliance with Public Sector Standards and ethical codes

Part of the Public Sector Commissioner's role is to promote and maintain integrity, conduct and ethics in the Western Australian government sector. The responsibilities of this role are contained in the Public Sector Management Act 1994, Corruption, Crime and Misconduct Act 2003 and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003.

The Commissioner has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to upholding integrity and ethical standards within her operations, aligning closely with the directives outlined in the Western Australian Public Sector Commissioner's Instruction 40: Ethical Foundations. Central to this commitment is the implementation of a comprehensive Integrity Framework, designed to ensure accountability, transparency and ethical conduct across all facets of the organisation. Key components of this framework include regular review and dissemination of the code of conduct, which serves as a guiding principle for staff behaviour and decision making.

To reinforce the importance of integrity and ethical behaviour, the Commissioner has included integrity-related items as standing agenda points at Corporate Executive and leadership meetings. This ensures that discussions about integrity and compliance are prioritised and regularly addressed at all levels of the organisation. Additionally, the Code of Conduct is a cornerstone of the organisation's staff induction process, providing new employees with clear guidelines and expectations regarding professional conduct and ethical responsibilities from the outset of their employment. Through these proactive measures, the Commissioner cultivates a culture of integrity and accountability, ensuring that the wellbeing and rights of children and young people are upheld with the utmost ethical standards.

Throughout 2025-26, the Commissioner held regular staff meetings where any matters relevant to Public Sector Standards could be raised and discussed. Integrity and risk are standing agenda items in Corporate Executive leadership and staff meetings.

The Commissioner has established procedures to ensure compliance with section 31(1) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994.

No breach of standard claims were lodged in the current reporting period.

There have been no breaches of the Public Sector Code of Ethics or the Commissioner for Children and Young People Code of Conduct. Nor were there any public interest disclosures regarding the activities of the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People.

Recordkeeping Plan

Section 19 of the State Records Act 2000 requires all agencies to have an approved Recordkeeping Plan, which must be complied with by the organisation and its officers.

The reviewed and amended Recordkeeping Plan was approved by the State Records Commission on 10 April 2025 and is due for review in accordance with section 28 of the State Records Act 2000 in 2030. Recordkeeping forms part of the induction process for new staff members and staff are regularly updated and reminded about their recordkeeping responsibilities by email.

Government policy requirements

WA Multicultural Policy Framework

The Commissioner supports an inclusive and harmonious society where everyone, especially children and young people, has a strong sense of belonging, can participate in and contribute fully to all aspects of life and can achieve their goals.

The Commissioner has a legislative requirement to give priority to, and have special regard for, the interests and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people as well as children and young people who are vulnerable or disadvantaged for any reason.

The Commissioner's Multicultural Plan 2021-2026 outlines the commitment and actions of the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People to ensure that all Western Australian children and young people, including those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds, have the opportunity to participate equitably in every aspect of civic, social and economic environments. The Commissioner's own policies, projects, research and consultations all aim to be culturally responsive and inclusive.

The Multicultural Plan is aligned with the WA Multicultural Policy Framework and its three policy priority areas, along with the Commissioner's corresponding strategies and actions for each, which include the following.

Harmonious and inclusive communities

• Promote the benefits of cultural and linguistic diversity and celebrate the achievements of people from CaLD backgrounds.
• Address racism and discrimination at both the individual and institutional or systemic levels, including implementing the Policy Framework for Substantive Equality.
• Develop workplace cultures that are welcoming and inclusive of all Western Australians.

Culturally responsive policies, programs and services

• Provide language services to ensure that language is not a barrier to equitable access to information and services, including complaints processes.
• Collect and analyse cultural and linguistic data to contribute to the identification of client needs, development of policies and programs, and evaluation of outcomes.
• Enable culturally diverse communities to have meaningful input into policies, programs and systems through co-design and planning, co-delivery and implementation, and evaluation processes.
• Implement recruitment and selection processes that facilitate workforce diversity and provide opportunities for the development of cultural competencies across the workforce.

Economic, social, cultural, civic and political participation

• Implement recruitment and career development processes that support employment and progression of staff from CaLD backgrounds.
• Achieve equitable representation of people from CaLD backgrounds at all levels and in decision making.
• Identify, develop and promote initiatives that support the development of businesses and the entrepreneurial potential of the CaLD community.
• Identify, develop and implement initiatives that encourage social, cultural, civic and political participation by members of the CaLD community.
• Develop and strengthen global connections through partnerships with CaLD communities and businesses.

The Commissioner is committed to having a diverse workforce and has engaged several staff members who speak English as an additional language as well as Aboriginal staff members. Recognising the value of diverse perspectives and experiences, the Commissioner actively seeks to create a team that reflects the multicultural and Indigenous communities they serve.

Substantive equality

Substantive equality aims to achieve equitable outcomes for all Western Australians as far as possible. The Commissioner represents and advocates on behalf of all children and young people under the age of 18 in Western Australia. The Commissioner is required to have special regard for the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people as well as other vulnerable children and young people. The work of the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People wholeheartedly supports substantive equality.

Workforce inclusiveness

We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees feel safe, valued and empowered to contribute. During the reporting period, we continued to strengthen workplace inclusion through initiatives that promote psychological safety, belonging and equity for all staff. This included a workplace wellbeing assessment by an independent consultant who surveyed all staff, held confidential interviews with multiple staff, presented findings to the leadership and wider team, and conducted a six-month pulse check to track progress.

We continue to support a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTIQA+ colleagues, neurodivergent employees and employees with disability through inclusive policies, employee engagement activities, awareness initiatives and accessibility-focused workplace practices. These efforts aim to ensure that employees feel confident bringing their authentic selves to work and sharing their experiences and perspectives.

Our ongoing focus on inclusion supports a workforce where diversity is respected, employees feel connected and empowered, and everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to organisational success.

Reconciliation

All work undertaken by the Commissioner is underpinned by the legislative requirement to have special regard for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. This is achieved through the following:

• An Acknowledgement of Country is included in all speeches and meetings as well as in the banner of all emails related to the Commissioner's office and on the front door of the office.
• In planning regional and remote visits, the Commissioner respects cultural authority and requests permission from Elders to visit communities and engage with their young people.
• All submissions to the Corporate Executive are reviewed to consider and identify any implications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
• Any consultations conducted by, or on behalf of, the Commissioner must include Aboriginal young people or their representatives whenever possible.
• Staff within the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People must complete the Commissioner's cultural awareness training, which is mandatory for public sector employees and board members under Commissioner's Instruction 29. The Commission's training resource is an engaging and interesting way to meet this requirement and learn about the world's oldest continuous culture.
• The representation of Aboriginal people in the team is currently at 12.5% due to some team members moving on to new roles within the public sector in 2024-25. Recruitment activities seek to increase representation where possible.
• Cultural learning is an ongoing process delivered through various sessions, including staff meetings, 'lunchbox learning' and other formal opportunities. Increased staff sessions were conducted in 2025 in preparation for the extensive travel across regional, rural and remote communities of Western Australia related to the Speaking Out Survey, with follow-up sessions held to share learnings.

Occupational safety, health and injury management

Active and continuous improvement in safety management practices at the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People demonstrates the dedication of the Commissioner and her staff to this aspect of office life.

Occupational safety and health is a standing item on the Corporate Executive meeting agenda. This enables any staff member to raise concerns or requests with management, which will be discussed at each Corporate Executive meeting as required.

All workstations have been provided with a sit-stand desk attachment.

Workplace assessments for all staff were undertaken in 2025-26 and recommendations were actioned in a timely manner.

There were no critical incidents to report for the 2025-26 reporting period.

Occupational safety and health data for this reporting period

Consultative systems