WorkSafe and the Victims' Charter

Who is a victim

People who are victims of crime under the Victims Charter include:

• a person who has suffered injury because of a criminal offence
• if an injured person is under that age of 18 years, or is incapable of managing their own affairs because of mental impairment, a family member who is the representative of the injured person
• family members of a person who has died because of a criminal offence

Family liaison officers

If it is established during a WorkSafe investigation that you are a victim of crime, one of WorkSafe's family liaison officers will contact you to discuss the types of information covered by the Victims' Charter. They will ask you what types of information you do, or do not want to receive and discuss how you would like to receive information.

You can nominate someone to be your representative if you would prefer not to be contacted by WorkSafe directly.

What you can expect from WorkSafe

WorkSafe is committed to providing victims of crime with information about the action taken by WorkSafe.

WorkSafe will:

• treat you with courtesy, respect and dignity, taking into account your personal needs
• inform you, at reasonable intervals, about the progress of an investigation to the extent possible without jeopardising the investigation
• give you information about any decision to:
  • charge, or not to charge a person with a criminal offence
  • significantly modify a charge
  • withdraw a charge
  • accept a plea of guilty to a lesser charge
• give you information about court procedure and outcomes
• give you information about any application for bail and if bail is granted, any conditions imposed on the accused person that are intended to protect you or your family members
• minimise your exposure to unnecessary contact with the person accused of the criminal offence, defence witnesses, family members and supporters of the accused person
• support you to make a victim impact statement if you would like to make one
• comply with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014, when dealing with your personal information
• handle any property seized for use as evidence lawfully, respectfully and securely and return it to you as soon as possible
• give you information about how to apply for a compensation order if a person is found guilty of an offence that gave rise to an injury suffered by you

How can you assist us

You can help WorkSafe to comply with its obligations under the Victims' Charter by:

• notifying us of any change in your contact details
• asking questions and providing information
• letting us know if you need more assistance
• letting us know if you need an interpreter
• giving us honest, constructive feedback so we continue to improve

Complaints to WorkSafe

If you feel that WorkSafe is not meeting its obligations to you under the Victims' Charter you can contact your assigned family liaison officer or the Director of the Enforcement Group.

You can make a formal complaint about WorkSafe's compliance with the Victims' Charter online, by email or by telephone.

Complaints to the Victims of Crime Commissioner

If you have made a complaint to WorkSafe about a failure to follow the Victims' Charter,and you are not happy with how WorkSafe has handled your complaint, you may be eligible to make a complaint to the Victims’ of Crime Commissioner. Further information about this process is available on the Victorian State Government website.