How EthicSure is Governed

Clear Roles, Qualified Auditors and Separate Oversight

EthicSure provides transparent, objective and legally aligned social compliance auditing across Australian supply chains. To ensure audit results remain authoritative for major buyers and fair for suppliers, our scheme operates under strict structural separation, defined governance roles and robust oversight mechanisms.

EthicSure enforces strict operational separation between standard ownership, audit delivery and commercial oversight.
Scheme Owner: EthicSure is the Scheme Owner, holding ultimate responsibility for standard development, scheme rules and portal infrastructure.
Scheme Management: Oversees daily administration, Certification Body onboarding, portal maintenance and compliance workflows.
Audit Execution: Audits are performed exclusively by approved Certification Bodies to guarantee impartial assessment.
To safeguard scheme integrity, technical alignment and multi-stakeholder representation, the standard is overseen by the Ethical and Technical Oversight Committee (ETOC). Established prior to standard launch, ETOC is led by a chairperson or a Board-approved delegate to provide technical oversight of standard governance.
ETOC comprises seven seats representing key supply chain sectors:
Chairperson
(or Board-approved delegate)
Human Rights/Migrant Worker Specialist
(Advising on vulnerability, forced labour and worker protections)
Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Representative
(Providing civil society perspective)
Trade Union Representative
(Representing worker voice and industrial relations context)
Buyer (Partner) Representative
(Reflecting retail and corporate buyer requirements)
Supplier (Member) Representative
(Ensuring practical implementation for Australian growers and producers)
Auditor Representative
(Providing technical insight into field auditing and operational compliance)
Audit quality relies directly on auditor competency and strict operational standards. EthicSure enforces rigorous qualification requirements for auditing firms and individual auditors.
Certification Body Approval Criteria
APSCA Registration Required: Certification Bodies must hold active membership with the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA) and complete formal onboarding onto the EthicSure portal.
Approved Certification Bodies: AUS-QUAL is the initial approved Certification Body authorised to conduct EthicSure audits, with provisions to onboard additional qualified auditing firms as adoption expands across Australian industry.
Auditor Qualifications and Execution Standards
APSCA Accreditation: Lead auditors conducting EthicSure audits must hold individual APSCA CSCA (Certified Social Compliance Auditor) status.
EthicSure maintains structural and financial independence to protect audit integrity:
Separation of Standard and Audit: EthicSure sets and governs the standard, while audits are delivered exclusively by approved Certification Bodies using qualified APSCA auditors.
Revenue Independence: EthicSure revenue is strictly unlinked to audit outcomes, certification decisions or site pass/fail statuses.
EthicSure is built specifically around Australian legal frameworks, including Fair Work Award structures, state labour hire licensing laws and Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme rules.
The standard is purpose-built to meet the strict due diligence expectations of major Australian retail buyers. It provides a dedicated domestic alternative allowing suppliers to demonstrate social compliance using an audit framework tailored directly to local operating conditions.
Every audit executed under the EthicSure standard follows strict protocols to ensure factual accuracy and protect site workers.
Protected Worker Voice: Worker interviews are conducted privately on site, individually and in small groups, using confidential protocols designed to protect workers from retaliation.
Evidence-Based Verification: Findings are substantiated by comparing worker feedback against site observations, payroll records, time and attendance data, and ATO superannuation records.
Technical Review: All draft audit reports undergo mandatory review by a qualified Technical Reviewer before audit results are finalised.
EthicSure applies a fair, structured framework for identifying and remediating workplace non-conformances.
Graded Severities: Non-conformances are classified as Minor, Major or Critical based on legislative risk and potential worker impact.
Fair and Transparent Review Process: Participants can access a formal process to appeal findings and decisions and to raise and resolve disputes.
Whistleblower Protections: Secure reporting channels allow complaints or concerns regarding audit integrity and ethical misconduct to be submitted safely and in good faith.
Security Controls: Multi-factor authentication protects commercial data, backed by mandatory notification protocols if record integrity is ever compromised.