Areas of Focus

Key Competencies:

• A safeguarding culture is embedded in every aspect of our organisation.
• Leadership and governance structures are transparent and accountable.
• There are clear expectations on the behavioural standards towards students and adults-at-risk.
• Policies and practices are regularly reviewed to make improvements, and action is taken to provide a safe environment for all people.

What BCE is doing:

Published a Safeguarding Commitment Statement, and it is displayed across its offices and schools. BCE uses a child friendly Safeguarding Commitment Statement which is available to everyone via the Archdiocese of Brisbane website.

The BCE Safeguarding Committee is established to provide oversight of BCEs safeguarding practices and framework for children and adults-at-risk and drive safeguarding cultural change.

A Safeguarding Specialist has been appointed enable a culture of safeguarding across the organisation and provide strong governance, strategic direction and cultural change reinforcing attitudes and behaviours that value child safety.

A Safeguarding Response Plan, to ensure safeguarding practices are in place and adhere to the 10 National Catholic Safeguarding Standards, other legislative and governance requirements and best practice and evidence.

BCE has a Safeguarding Policy Framework to support the safety and wellbeing of children. Policies include the Archdiocese of Brisbane Safeguarding Framework, BCE Safeguarding policy, Codes of Conduct for employees, parents and volunteers/other personnel, Working with Children Check (Blue Card Screening) Procedure, People Policy, IT Acceptable Use Policy.

Safeguarding Governance arrangements are available, which show lines of authority and reporting. This is attached to the BCE Safeguarding Policy.

The Catholic Education Council receives Quarterly Reports regarding BCE Safeguarding Response Plan and compliance with the 10 National Catholic Safeguarding Standards.

Mandatory Student Protection training is completed by staff on an annual basis and must be completed on induction by new employees.

BCEs Safeguarding Risk Framework, including BCEs Enterprise Risk Register incorporates strategies that focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks to students and adults-at-risk across BCE. BCE has a project to further strengthen risk management at all levels of the organisation.

The Privacy Policy and Records Management Policy and Procedure supports staff in understanding their obligations on information sharing and record keeping. BCEs’ obligations for record keeping.

A compliance program monitors and reviews key safeguarding practices across our schools.

Every year, the BCE Office and each individual school develops and implements a Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy to identify and mitigate potential risks of harm to students, in consultation with key stakeholders.

BCE is also implementing a Cultural Transformation Project aimed developing a culture that is committed to Catholic identity, student learning and safeguarding; trusts and empowers our people, and cares about their well-being; and pursues high performance and innovation.

Key Competencies:

• Every person has the right to be protected from harm, to be listened to, to be taken seriously, and to have a say in matters that affect them.
• The needs of students and adults-at-risk are understood and respected, and their dignity is upheld.
• Parents, carers, families, and communities are engaged, and they understand how and why decisions are made, where to go for help and how to raise concerns.
• Services are provided in culturally safe and inclusive ways facilitating self-determination.               

What BCE is doing:

Established the student voice initiative that is focussed on co-creating safe, inclusive and engaging school communities at a school and system level.

Established the Student Voice Consultant and Executive Agreement as part of the wider framework to enable students to participate and engage in decisions that affect them and strengthen student safety, learning, wellbeing, inclusion and spiritual formation in BCE.

Uses the Tell Them From Me Survey to engage the voices of students, parents and staff about factors that are known to have a direct and profound impact on student learning and wellbeing. Data is used to make evidence-based school planning decisions regarding student engagement, mental health, school safety and inclusivity at a school and system level.

Established an Excellence in Championing Student Voice Award for staff to recognise staff who engage student voice and agency in their role and uplift this area practice in BCE.

Schools provide student access to Student Protection Contacts and Guidance Counsellors to support their safety, wellbeing and learning.

Schools provide information sessions to parents and students regarding safeguarding practices and who to report to if there are concerns. Posters identifying Student Protection Contacts are placed in all schools, SPCs are identified on school websites and Student Safety Network Cards are available.

Information is communicated regularly to school communities via BCE and school websites, newsletters, the parent portal and in-person session to support safeguarding, including sharing school Child and Youth Risk Management Strategies, celebrating awareness days, hosting Student Protection Information Sessions.

Schools implement the HPE curriculum, syllabus and resources which incorporates educational units in respect to protective behaviour for students.

Has a range of student policies in place to support their safety and wellbeing. Policies include Student Protection Policy and Student Protection Processes and Guidelines, Student Wellbeing Policy, Student Behaviour Policy and Student Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Care Programs are provided to Students at a school level.

BCE has created a Toolkit for parents to build their confidence and awareness on strategies they can use to help protect and support their child.

The public website provides links to Government and non-Government websites which host various safeguarding resources and information for parents and communities. Links are also provided to statutory child protection agencies.

Developed a Reconciliation Action Plan and the Molum Sabe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy to support the educational and wellbeing outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students.

Employs Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Participation Officers to support the engagement and cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families across our community of schools.

BCE is developing a parents/carer engagement protocol aimed to build stronger partnerships and implement a Parent Code of Conduct to support parents in engaging in schools and a safe school culture.

Key Competencies:

• Recruitment practices are underpinned by best practice safeguarding principles;
• Employees and personnel are equipped with knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep students and adults-at-risk safe through information, ongoing education, and training.
• Ongoing supervision and people management emphasises safeguarding practices.

What BCE is doing:

Staff must comply with BCE’s policies and procedures in relation to recruitment, selection, training and management of employees. These policies and procedures are published on the BCE intranet and include the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment procedure and the Pre-employment Checks Procedure.

When advertising new positions, BCE highlights its commitment to safeguarding and that we take child protection and safeguarding obligations seriously. Advertising material highlights that any employment is based on compliance with our Safeguarding Policy Framework. Robust reference checks and targeted interview questions are also used in respect of child safe practices during recruitment processes.

BCE takes screening seriously and requires staff and personnel to have current working with children checks (positive blue card notice or exemption card) or equivalent background checks as required for their role. BCE has established processes to monitor renewal and/or verification processes for relevant staff and personnel.

BCE is implementing a Human Resource Information Management System (Ignite) to embed safeguarding practices across the employee lifecycle and strengthen practices to protect students from abuse and exploitation.

Annual mandatory training is provided for all staff regarding Student Protection, the Code of Conduct, Health and Safety Awareness, Risk Management and Preventing Bullying, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination.

All school staff receive face-to-face refresher training each Term regarding student protection. Additionally, all school Principals are provided with training each Term to strengthen leadership in safeguarding and creating safe school environments at a school level.

Staff with specific safeguarding roles are provided with additional training regarding safeguarding. For example. all Student Protection Contacts receive induction, refresher and advanced training to support their role in receiving reports of abuse or exploitation and building safe school cultures.

Developed guidelines to support the engagement of volunteers and other third parties, including undertaking required Blue Card screening, the development and provision of training in a Code of Conduct for Volunteers Other Personnel. BCE has a current project aimed at further strengthening safeguarding practices in the engagement of volunteers.

BCE is developing a training matrix and capability framework for all staff roles to ensure that training requirements for safeguarding are strengthened and embedded.

Key Competencies:

• An effective complaints management system is in place and concerns are responded to promptly and sensitively, supporting victims and respondents, and managing and communicating risks and meeting reporting obligations
• Processes for raising concerns and complaints are responsive, understood, accessible and used by students, adults-at-risk, families, carers, communities, and personnel.
• Physical and online environments promote safety and contain appropriate safeguards to minimise the opportunity for students and adults-at-risk to be harmed.
• Policies and procedures are in place which outline appropriate supervision, oversight and behaviour toward students and adults-at-risk.

What BCE is doing:

Setting clear expectations regarding the behaviour and conduct of adults towards students (in the physical environment and online), articulated in a range of Code of Conducts for staff, parents, volunteers and other personnel.

The Amplifying Progress, Realising Potential: Digital Strategy 2021-2025 seeks to create secure and connecting digital environments that embeds safeguarding practices. BCE also has an ICT Acceptable Use Policy which outlines the standard of acceptable use of BCE’s information technology (IT) resources, including facilities, information, systems, networks and devices, including due diligence requirements.

Schools develop and implement effective risk management plan to remove or minimise the risk of harm to students. Risk management plans are required for all medium or higher risk activities undertaken within the school and all activities undertaken outside of the school, including high-risk activities.

Has a range of policies, procedures and guidelines in place to strengthen safeguarding where facilities and services are contracted to and from third parties. These include Procurement policy and procedure; Modern Slavery policy and guideline; BCE Supplier Code of Conduct; Conflict of Interest Declaration procedure and the Third-Party Guide for schools.

BCE has a range of policies and procedures to support students, parents, staff, volunteers and contractors to raise concerns or complaints. These include the Student, Parent and Guardian Complaints Management Policy and Procedure, Workplace Complaint Procedure, Employee Misconduct Procedure, Employee Underperformance Procedure and Student Protection Processes and Guidelines. There are also processes in the place to receive concerns regarding non-compliance with the Student Protection Processes. Key policies are available on BCEs public website.

All schools have Student Protection Contacts who are trained to receive disclosures of harm or concerns. A range of methods are used to ensure students, parents, staff, volunteers and contractors are aware if how to report concerns. Each school has a flowchart that to ensure that employee understand how to communicate concerns at a local level.

Centralised student information systems hold information in connection with student protection matters, behaviour and support needs and counselling records. All systems are permission based and are restricted where appropriate. Some enable reporting to external agencies regarding mandatory reporting requirements.

BCE has a Complaint Management Project focussed on strengthening our approach to complaint management, including improving accessibility of complaint processes, ensuring alignment with best practice principles and strengthening our capacity to monitor trends to inform continuous improvement.