Professional Standards Councils release annual report on performance

THE Professional Standards Councils have published their combined 2021/22 Annual Report. The annual report is a consolidated volume of the councils’ achievements and performances over the past financial year.

Professional Standards Councils’ chair, John Vines OAM said the 2021/22 Annual Report demonstrated the councils’ achievements in working with professional associations to maintain high standards in the delivery of services to Australian consumers.

“The data shows over 93,000 professionals now participate as members of 18 occupational and professional associations with approved professional standards schemes, providing greater consumer protection,” Mr Vines said.

“We have kept our focus on the important work of regulating for consumer protection and advancing professional standards, while also looking to the future and how we can encourage and assist occupational associations in their important work of regulating their members and serving their communities.”

During the 2021-22 financial year the Professional Standards Councils:

• Approved five new schemes for associations;
• Encouraged associations to engage in root cause analysis, resulting in 42 percent of associations undertaking it, with 37 percent incorporating elements into their risk management strategies;
• Launched a new Scheme Application Framework, to make completing an application for a professional standards scheme clearer, simpler and more efficient. Found that 60 percent of legal profession associations are now reporting on sexual harassment as part of their risk analysis or risk management strategies;
• Published a Rapid Evidence Review: Professional Standards and Sexual Harassment to encourage consumer-protection focused professional standards responses to sexual harassment in the legal profession;
• Delivered two online Professional Standards Forums to over 130 delegates from all states and territories in Australia on the topics of:
  • ‘Continuing professional development in the regulation of professional standards’
  • ‘Responding to risk – insurance and improvement strategies'

For more information or to access the Professional Standards Councils’ 2021-22 Annual Report, visit www.psc.gov.au.

 

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