The ACT government more than tripled its original budget for its new reportable conduct scheme shortly after it began operating, the ACT's Ombudsman has revealed.
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The scheme came into force in July and requires all government organisations to report allegations of misconduct with children to the Ombudsman and launch their own investigation.
About $282,000 was set aside in this year's budget for the scheme.
However Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman Michael Manthorpe told an annual reports hearing they now had nearly $900,000, after they found it only funded only two staff to work exclusively on the scheme. That number will be doubled by the end of the year.
"We came back to government shortly after the scheme commenced and sought additional funding and an additional amount has been made available of a further $615,000 for this financial year so we are satisfied that's an adequate amount of funding for our activities under the scheme," Mr Manthorpe said.
Accusations of the use of 'hostile force' in the ACT's schools and foster care systems have accounted for the lion's share of referrals made to the Ombudsman.
The agency received 39 reports up to October 31, relating to a range of "alleged misconduct, from less serious to more serious". A spokeswoman said this was the level of reporting they'd predicted.
Mr Manthorpe said one-third of reports had come from schools, another third came from the foster care system, a fifth came from childcare and on in 10 from government directorates
A spokeswoman told Fairfax Media most reports were allegations of ill-treatment, predominantly "hostile use of force".
Eleven finalised reports have been lodged with the Ombudsman while another three matters were closed because they did not meet the threshold of reportable conduct.
ACT Policing had also been involved in a "small" number of matters, she said.
They held information sessions for more than 700 employers covered by the scheme and have had 51 enquiries about it.
The reportable conduct scheme was introduced this year to strengthen the oversight of investigations into allegations of child abuse and to stop claims of misconduct being swept under the rug.
Reportable conduct can include grooming, sexting and indecent behaviour that falls below a criminal threshold.
The Ombudsman monitors how an organisation responds to allegations, and at the end of an internal investigation reviews the material it relied on to make sure the findings are sound and the action taken appropriate.
Employers covered by the scheme include all ACT government directorates; health service providers; kinship and foster care; residential care organisations; government and non-government schools; child care services; and education and care service providers, such as after school care.
"We have found that in many cases we have been able to provide feedback and guidance for entities to consider through their inquiries, in such a way that the outcome is strengthened and their future practices enhanced," the Ombudsman's spokeswoman said.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr has signalled church organisations will be covered from the scheme by next July, with a possibility that charities, the Girl Guides and Scouts and children's photographers could also be included in a widened scheme.
But Mr Manthorpe said if the scheme would broadened it would need to be done slowly.
"There is a need to make sure it happens at a speed that is manageable. It is potentially quite a large broadening of the scheme and could give rise to a considerable number of additional reports," Mr Manthorpe said.
"Some of those could be very sensitive and so we'll need, we and other players in this space I suspect, to do a lot of work to prepare for the successful implementation of the scheme if its broadened in this way."
