Insights Sectors: Community

Oct 9, 2023

INSIGHT: Cyber Security Awareness Month – Are you cyber aware?

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM). CSAM is an annual reminder for Australians to stay safe online and protect your online information and assets. The theme for CSAM 2023 is ‘be cyber aware – don’t compromise’. CSAM is an opportunity for businesses to review their understanding of ‘cyber security’ as a concept while continuing […]

Jun 27, 2023

INSIGHT: Show Cause Notices issued to childcare providers: do you understand your obligations?

A childcare provider who receives a Show Cause Notice may face potential suspension or cancellation of their service. In this article, we outline the purpose of a Show Cause Notice, the different instances in which they apply, and how Meridian Lawyers can assist childcare providers to respond. The National Law The Children (Education and Care […]

Sep 13, 2022

INSIGHT: Regulation of Education and Care Providers: the Department of Communities in WA takes a stricter approach to compliance actions

Key takeaways The Education and Care Regulatory Unit of the Department of Communities (Department) is displaying a stricter approach in implementing compliance actions. Specifically, the Department is seeking penalties under both sections 165(1) and 167(1) of the Education and Care Services National Law (WA) Act 2012 (National Law) in compliance actions involving inadequate supervision and […]

Aug 26, 2022

INSIGHT: Online Reviews & Defamation

Meridian is increasingly receiving enquiries from both health practitioners and service providers seeking advice regarding negative reviews placed online by members of the public. Sometimes the reviews are thought to be unfair and unreasonable, and sometimes they cross over the line and are abusive and defamatory. With the ever increasing reliance on digital marketing and […]

Jul 1, 2022

INSIGHT: The importance of health practitioners’ compliance with public health policies and directions

Brief Context In Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia v Bergin [2022] VR 4, a registered nurse (Practitioner) was found to have engaged in professional misconduct due to her failure to remain in isolation while awaiting the outcome of a COVID-19 test. Background The Practitioner was employed at a residential aged care facility. By virtue […]

Oct 7, 2021

INSIGHT: Medical Management Plans for children and your system of governance

Approved providers and nominated supervisors will be aware that as part of ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of children, a medical conditions policy must be in place which complies with Regulation 90 of the Education and Care National Regulations (National Regulations). This means that the medical conditions policy must set out the practices of […]

Jun 8, 2021

INSIGHT: The collective bargaining class exemption for small businesses is now in effect

We published an article outlining the collective bargaining class exemption for small to medium businesses approved by the ACCC earlier this year. This exemption came into effect on 3 June 2021 and allows eligible small and medium businesses to engage in collective bargaining with their suppliers without being in breach of the Competition and Consumer […]

Mar 15, 2021

INSIGHT: Changes to ACNC Governance Standards

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Governance Standards require registered charities to remain charitable, operate lawfully, and be run in an accountable and responsible way. For registered charities, complying with the Governance Standards not only ensures charity registration with the ACNC, but also continued Commonwealth charity tax concessions. In recent months, two major changes […]

Feb 10, 2021

INSIGHT: How small businesses can utilise the ACCC’s new collective bargaining class exemption

Small and medium businesses will have the ability to collectively bargain with their suppliers once the first ever class exemption granted by the ACCC commences this month. Background and the ACCC’s class exemption power Since November 2017, the ACCC has had the power to make class exemptions for certain types of conduct which may otherwise […]

Sep 9, 2020

INSIGHT: Key insights from July 2020 OAIC Notifiable Data Breaches Report

The Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme was introduced in February 2018 to improve consumer protection and security relating to personal information. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) recently released its half-yearly Notifiable Data Breaches Report (NDBR) for the period from 1 January to 30 July 2020. The NDBR provides detail around the causes […]

Aug 20, 2020

INSIGHT: Safe Sleep and Rest Policies

Education and care providers will be aware that they are under a duty to adequately supervise children both when they are awake, and when they are asleep. Providers are also under duty to take every reasonable precaution to protect children from harm and hazard, and to ensure that their policies are being followed. The content […]

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