Zero-tolerance position on abuse, neglect, exploitation, and rights violations — abuse types defined, prevention design, reporting chain, whistleblower protection.
People with disability are disproportionately affected by abuse, neglect, and exploitation. CONVI recognises that this risk is heightened in environments where power imbalances exist, oversight is limited, and reporting is discouraged. CONVI actively designs against these conditions.
| Document reference | POL-07 |
| Version | v1.0 |
| Status | Current — Authoritative |
| Applies to | All CONVI workers, contractors, directors, and volunteers |
| Review cycle | Annual |
| Type | Definition |
|---|---|
| Physical Abuse | Any non-accidental act that causes physical harm — including hitting, restraining, overmedication, or inappropriate physical intervention. |
| Sexual Abuse & Misconduct | Any sexual act or behaviour directed at a participant without full, informed, freely given consent. Any sexual conduct between a worker and participant is always prohibited regardless of apparent consent. |
| Emotional & Psychological Abuse | Actions or words that cause psychological harm — including intimidation, threats, humiliation, isolation, and control. |
| Financial Abuse & Exploitation | Unauthorised use of a participant's money, property, or resources — including coercing a participant to give gifts, money, or access to their accounts. |
| Neglect | Failure to provide adequate food, water, shelter, supervision, medical care, or personal care that a participant requires and CONVI has agreed to provide. |
| Restrictive Practices (unauthorised) | Any use of a restrictive practice not authorised through the full NDIS and Victorian framework is a reportable incident. See POL-12. |
Every person working with CONVI participants must hold a current NDIS Worker Screening Check (clearance) and Working with Children Check (where working with children), provide verified references, sign the Code of Conduct (POL-02), and complete CONVI's induction including safeguarding training.
All workers receive regular formal supervision. The Director conducts unannounced reviews of documentation for quality and integrity. Workers are never isolated from CONVI oversight — the Director is contactable at all times during work hours.
Participants are informed of their rights at intake and through the Participant Handbook. The complaints process is explained clearly. Participants are encouraged to have a trusted person involved in service reviews.
CONVI's Code of Conduct (POL-02) establishes strict professional boundaries. Key limits: no personal financial dealings with participants, no private communication channels, no alone time with child participants in enclosed spaces without appropriate oversight.
Workers must be alert to signs that a participant may be experiencing abuse or neglect — including:
The Director immediately suspends the worker from all participant contact pending investigation — this is a protective measure, not a finding of guilt. An independent investigation process is applied. Affected participant(s) are supported and informed as appropriate.
A worker who reports a safeguarding concern in good faith is protected from retaliation. CONVI does not and will not penalise, disadvantage, or dismiss a worker for raising a genuine safeguarding concern — even if the concern is ultimately not substantiated. Any retaliation against a worker who reports a concern is itself a serious breach of the Code of Conduct and may be referred to the NDIS Commission.
POL-07 | v1.0 | May 2026 | Convi Pty Ltd (ACN 677 127 703) as Trustee for Attard Family Australia Trust | ABN 60 342 025 267