Victorian Auditor-General's Office

ICT Disaster Recovery Planning

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As computer systems become increasingly critical to the operations of government agencies, effective planning and processes to manage disruptions are vital for ensuring Victorians can continue to access public services. In this audit, we look at whether the ICT systems in Victorian Government departments and Victoria Police can be effectively recovered in the event of a disaster.

Effectively Planning for Population Growth

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With current forecasts indicating that Victoria’s population could reach up to 10 million by 2051, this audit examines whether strategic planning for rapid population growth is effective and integrated. We focus on planning for birthing, maternal and child health, and funded kindergarten services, which are critical for the long-term health and wellbeing of babies and young children.

Internal Audit Performance

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In this audit, we examined the internal audit functions of all seven Victorian Government portfolio departments and assessed how well they use their internal audit resources. We evaluated the role and positioning of the internal audit function within departments, its independence and objectivity, the alignment of internal audit plans with departmental goals and risks, quality assurance and resourcing, performance against stakeholder expectations, and the communication of internal audit outcomes and insights.

Maintaining the Mental Health of Child Protection Practitioners

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The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is responsible for protecting Victoria’s children and young people from abuse and neglect. DHHS’s child protection practitioners (CPP) receive, assess, and investigate reports of suspected child abuse and neglect—and where necessary, provide protective services to children. This audit examines whether Victoria’s CPPs maintain good mental health and wellbeing.

Victoria’s child protection system

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Objective To determine whether the reforms to Victoria’s child protection system enable it to protect children and young people from significant harm caused by abuse or neglect within the family and ensure they receive services required to deal with the effect of abuse and neglect.

Child and Youth Mental Health

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Mental health problems are the most common health issues facing young people worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. One in four Australians aged 16–24 will experience mental illness in any given year.

For children and young people, intervention early in life and early in mental illness can reduce its duration and impact. Without access to mental health services, young people are at risk of ongoing problems that may affect their engagement with education and employment, and lead to greater contact with human services and the justice system.

Managing Private Medical Practice in Public Hospitals

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Patients can choose to be public or private patients for inpatient or outpatient services. Patients should not receive preferential access to services if they choose to be private patients. To facilitate private practice, health services enter into private practice agreements with senior medical specialists.

This audit examined whether the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and three audited public health services are effectively managing private practice in public hospitals to optimise outcomes for the health sector and Victorians.

Security of Patients' Hospital Data

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Victorian health services are increasingly using information and communications technology (ICT) to deliver healthcare, and to capture and store patient information.These digital records give clinicians access to patients’ information at the point of care and allow them to quickly share information and results. However, while digital records can improve patient care, a cybersecurity breach could have severe consequences for the health sector, resulting in stolen patient information or disabling ICT systems and preventing staff from accessing their patient’s information.

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