DECLARABLE ASSOCIATIONS

Question 0

Procedures and Guidelines - Scope and Interpretation of Policy

Definition of Association

Answer 0

• Is any interaction between employees and members of the community that is unrelated to the duties of an employee of Vic Pol.
• This includes association with:
  
  • friends and close personal acquaintances
  • people the employee meets regularly outside of work, even if the interaction is casual
  • clubs, societies and other organisations the employees is socially involved in
  • any club, society or other organisation that employees may become involved in

Question 1

Procedures and Guidelines - Overview

VPMP Managing Conflict of interest requires employees to:

Answer 1

• Assess their personal associations and identify associations that could be or could reasonably be seen to be a declarable association;
• Notify a supervisor of any declarable associations and to discontinue or ethically manage these relationships.

Question 2

Procedures and Guidelines - Scope and Interpretation of Policy

Definition of Contractors / Consultants

Answer 2

• Relates to those contractors and consultants who have access to Vic Pol information and systems and who have unescorted access to work centres.

Question 3

Procedures and Guidelines - Scope and Interpretation of Policy

Definition of Immediate Family Member

Answer 3

• Includes a husband, wife, life partner, brother, sister, step brother, step sister, parent, step parent, child or step child.

Question 4

Procedures and Guidelines - Scope and Interpretation of Policy

Definition of Improper Association

Answer 4

• Is a declarable association which has not been reported or which has been reported but is continued despite a direction to discontinue the association or which is not being managed in line with an agreed management plan.

Question 5

Procedures and Guidelines - Scope and Interpretation of Policy

Definition of Declarable Association

Answer 5

Any association that:

• Is incompatible with the role of the employee and Vic Pol in upholding the law; or
• May give rise to a perception in the mind of a reasonable person that an employee is not upholding his or her obligations as a Vic Pol employee; or
• May reflect adversely on the employee’s standing and the reputation in the eyes of the community as a Vic Pol employee;
• Declarable associations include, but are not limited to:
  
  • an association with a person suspected of, or known by the employee to be engaged in, unlawful activity amounting to an indictable offence.
  • an association with a person who has a criminal history in the nature or recency of the offending would be likely to raise in the mind of a reasonable member of the community a concern that the association is incompatible with the employee’s position within Vic Pol;
• Membership of a group or organisation known to be or perceived to be involved in unlawful activity amounting to an indictable offence;
• An association with an employee who are currently facing charges relating to an indictable offence;
• An association with employees who are currently suspended;
• As association with employees who have resigned while under investigation for an indictable offence and the continue to be suspended of having committed an indictable offence.

Question 6

Procedures and Guidelines - Scope and Interpretation of Policy

Further explanation of declarable associations

Answer 6

• DA will generally be ongoing relationships. Contact which is unplanned, unexpected, or one-off is unlikely to be considered declarable;
• The fact that the association has a criminal past does not make the association declarable unless the nature or recency of the associates offending would be likely to raise in the mind of a reasonable member of the community a concern that the association is incompatible with the employee’s position as a Vic Pol employee;
• Where the facts or circumstances which make an association declarable are not known to the employee and the employee could not be expected to have known those facts or circumstances no action will be taken.

Question 7

Procedures and Guidelines - Scope and Interpretation of Policy

Declarable association reporting process

Acknowledgement of obligations regarding DA

Answer 7

• all employees must complete a DA Instruction Acknowledgement Form (1324)

Question 8

Procedures and Guidelines - Scope and Interpretation of Policy

Declarable association reporting process

Reporting a DA

Answer 8

• If employee believes they have a DA they are required to complete and submit an Association Assessment Form (1325);
• An employee is required to complete the1325 if they:
  
  • are unable to avoid a DA;
  • are unsure whether their association is a DA; or
  • become aware of a change of circumstances in relation to a previously DA

Question 9

Procedures and Guidelines - Breaches

Any breaches of this policy are to be referred to PSC including where:

Answer 9

• Employees do not report DA;
• Employees who breach a management plan contained within the Association Assessment Report; or
• A supervisor does not act on the submission of an Association Assessment Report.