Many organisations think of compliance as a purely legal practice. While compliance management is the process of making sure your business and employees follow necessary laws, regulations and standards, so there is a strong legal component, it is also very much a behavioural practice. This is because ensuring compliance is often reliant on the cooperation of management and staff. Especially as where, and for some of us how, we work has changed this past year, it's crucial for your staff to understand the key role it plays in your organisation staying compliant and safe. 

A massive component of owning or running an organisation is making sure it is in compliance with external and internal regulations and policies in order to protect it from the risks caused by non-compliance. Compliance risk management is the process of understanding and managing compliance with laws and regulations and helping to better manage the risks associated with non-compliance.

While a risk register is a common feature in most organisations these days, there can be a vast difference in the value it brings. As a basic risk management tool it allows you to identify potential risks and track them for compliance. But it can be so much more.

There’s no doubt that managing occupational health and safety (OHS) is challenging in any workplace—but the aged care sector presents a series of unique circumstances that require prompt and effective management for compliance. 

In the workplace, organisations are required to manage hazards and risks by putting the appropriate control measures in place. Legally, under WHS Regulations, "risks must be controlled by eliminating them so far as reasonably practicable, or if this is not possible, reducing the risks that remain so far as reasonably practicable" (Source: WorkSafe Australia). This means that health and safety managers, or anyone who is responsible for making sure a business is in compliance with these regulations, must determine what is reasonably practicable to protect people from harm.