Standards body for Aust Catholic Church

HOW CATHOLIC CHURCH'S NEW PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BODY WORKS:

WHAT IS IT?

Catholic Professional Standards Ltd

- To be up and running by early 2017

- Not-for-profit public company

- Company's members are Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia, which represent more than 200 independent Catholic entities across Australia

- Part of the church structure but to operate independently

- To develop, audit and report on professional standards across church entities, and provide education and training on those

- Standards to protect vulnerable people: children, the elderly, disabled, mentally ill

WHO WILL RUN IT?

Independent board of directors made up of lay people

- Seven board members

- Three directors designates:

* Geoffrey Giudice - former Fair Work Australia and Australian Industrial Relations Commission president

* Patricia Faulkner - former secretary of Victoria's Department of Human Services and deputy commissioner of Victorian royal commission into family violence

* John Watkins - former NSW MP and deputy premier; current CEO of Alzheimer's Australia NSW

- Board to appoint a CEO in 2017

WHO IS PAYING FOR IT?

* Set up costs - Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia

* Audit and reporting costs - the church authority that is subject of the review

* Will become "user pays" operation over time.

Source: Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia.