Best practice for parent-focused child sexual abuse prevention education in early childhood
Commissioned research
Developing and implementing a framework for abuse prevention through culture change and organisational development
- Prevention
- Safeguarding
- Workforce
Project Length
18 months
Project Budget
$35,000
Funding Stream
Quality Improvement
Project Lead
- Fiona Boyle, Kooyoora Ltd
Project Team
- Anna Doganieri, Kooyoora Ltd
- Laura Lindsay, GlassHouse Safeguarding
- Jacqui Stewart, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University
- Angie Muccillo, Kooyoora Ltd
Background and Aim
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.
Methods
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.
Significance
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.
Latest research outcomes
Literature Review: Abuse Prevention Through Culture Change
Explores the evidence on organisational culture, safeguarding and abuse prevention.
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Abuse Prevention Through Culture Change Framework
A practical framework to support organisations to strengthen safeguarding and psychological safety.
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Implementing the Framework: A Practical Guide
Step-by-step guidance for implementing the Abuse Prevention Through Culture Change Framework.
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