Developing and implementing a framework for abuse prevention through culture change and organisational development

Fiona Boyle, Kooyoora Ltd

Anna Doganieri, Kooyoora Ltd

Laura Lindsay, GlassHouse Safeguarding

Jacqui Stewart, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University

Angie Muccillo, Kooyoora Ltd

The cultural, operational and environmental factors of institutions can affect the likelihood of children being sexually abused and the prospect that abuse will be identified, reported and responded to appropriately. The path to creating child safe cultures can be complex and daunting. Many standards and resources exist, but there is currently no comprehensive, guided approach to long term culture change.

This project will develop a framework for cultural change that includes a quality improvement model with four distinct steps: development of Psychological Safety Principles; assessment against those Principles; identifying key areas for improvement; and implementing a Cultural and Systemic Improvement Plan with support provided through professional development modules.

In developing the Framework, this project will be guided by meta-analysis and stakeholder consultations, focusing on lived experience of institutional cultures to assist in understanding systems that need to change to enhance and create safety, cultural safety, abuse prevention strategies, system and culture change strategies and frameworks, self-assessment frameworks and organisational development programs.

This project will assist organisations to identify cultural barriers to timely identification of child sexual abuse and identify a plan for effecting organisational change that will lead to better protection of, and responses to, children, young people and adults. Through cultural change, organisations will be better equipped to respond to allegations of abuse and prevent future abuse.