Annual Report 2020/21 Highlights

The Councils’ vision is that professional and occupational associations lead the way in advancing the highest standards of professional services to Australian consumers.

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The Professional Standards Authority staff, Remashree Baniya

Associations with approved professional standards schemes

Map of Australia featuring the brands of the Professional Standards Scheme Associations Network
Associations with schemes:
  • Australian Computer Society
  • Association of Consulting Surveyors National
  • Australian Property Institute Valuers Limited
  • Bar Association of Queensland
  • Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
  • Certified Practising Accountant Australia Limited
  • Institute of Public Accountants
  • Law Institute of Victoria
  • The Law Society of New South Wales
  • The Law Society of South Australia
  • The Law Society of Western Australia
  • New South Wales Bar Association
  • Queensland Law Society
  • Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Valuers Ltd
  • South Australian Bar Association
  • Victorian Bar Association
  • Western Australian Bar Association

Our Vision, Mission, Mandate

Our Vision

The Councils are independent statutory bodies with powers to consider and approve applications from occupational associations for a professional standards scheme under professional standards legislation.

Our Mission

To regulate occupational associations to facilitate and promote consumer protection through improvement in professional standards under professional standards schemes.

Our Mandate

Protect consumers

Our aim is to protect consumers of professional services across Australia by demanding high levels of professional standards from those who participate in the national system of professional standards regulation.

Occupational associations with an approved professional standards scheme and their members have committed to ensuring competent and ethical conduct by their members in providing services and ensuring avenues of resolution and redress are available to consumers.

Improve professional standards

Our aim is to encourage and assist associations to improve the professional standards of their members by implementing occupational risk management strategies and professional integrity systems.

We encourage the development of professional standards and regulatory capacity through research, publishing information, providing guidance, and delivering forums. We promote discussion and better regulation in the areas of risk management, membership requirements, codes of ethics and practice, resolution of complaints, discipline of members, continuing education, insurance standards and quality management.

Help associations

Our role is to approve and supervise the operation of professional standards schemes. This involves helping occupational associations to develop their professional standards and regulatory systems, as well as to comply with the professional standards legislation.

Role of the Councils

Enable creation of professional standards schemes that limit the civil liability of professionals and others
Supervising the operation of professional standards schemes by occupational associations
Monitoring how well occupational associations and their members meet the standards demanded by their professional standards schemes
Encouraging and assisting professional standards regulation by occupational association
Ensuring protection of consumers who use the services provided by professionals and others through insurance, complaints and disciplinary arrangements
Professional Standards Councils’ meeting in Sydney

A New Application Framework with Many Benefits

The new Framework is designed to deliver key strategic benefits on behalf of state and territory governments, including:

  • a clear focus on consumer protection and the public interest
  • modern and integrated regulatory processes
  • evidence based decision-making capable of demonstrating achievement of the statutory objectives
  • regulatory excellence through collaborative engagement.
Six modules
New templates and additional guidance
Different application pathways where separate modules can be completed free-standing
New workshops, including a ‘readiness to regulate’ session
Modularised format, for new schemes, remakes and amendments
Greater emphasis on Consumer protection
Professional Standards Councils' 2020/21 Annual Report About the councils chapter

Read more about this chapter in the Councils' 2020/21 Annual Report

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