On 29 May 2024 Ideagen CompliSpace hosted a webinar on practical tips for responding to employee-related child protection concerns and allegations in schools. The webinar was presented by guest speaker, Michelle White, Director and Principal Consultant and expert in supporting organisations to be child safe, and Ideagen’s Karen Zeev.

During the session, the presenters:

• examined a case study example of various incidents between a 15-year-old student and a teacher where the student alleged that the teacher engaged in the criminal conduct of grooming and sexual touching
• highlighted the precedence of police and statutory child protection reporting obligations and investigations over any other response to a child protection concern or incident
• compared best practice initial responses to reactive initial responses to the incident in the case study
• outlined the key factors in assessing and managing risks connected to such an incident
• gave an overview of the five trauma-informed principles to be conscious of when responding to a child protection incident or concern.

A recording of the webinar is accessible here. While this article summarises and provides the key takeaways from the webinar, it does not contain all the information presented. We invite you watch the recording for all the useful information, and to interact with the detailed case study example and the best practice responses, which can help you in practice when responding to a similar situation that may arise at your school.

Key takeaways from the webinar

1. The case study – best practice record-keeping and internal systems required

During the webinar, the presenters took attendees through a detailed case study involving a record of a conversation between a Year 10 advisor and a 15-year-old female student. In the conversation, the student described various incidents that occurred between her and a science teacher, which amounted to an allegation that required a child protection response.

The presenters noted that the record of the conversation was a best practice record because it was detailed, provided context and gave the student’s account of what happened in her own words. They noted that often a record of account is rephased or is ambiguous because the person uses terms like “inappropriate conduct”, which does not provide sufficient detail to understand the response required. Knowing the particulars of the alleged conduct assists the person with the responsibility of responding to the allegation to understand their obligations, such as whether it requires a report to police because the conduct alleged is criminal conduct.

The presenters showed a slide containing at least 10 of the competing considerations that may be running through the responder’s mind before responding to the allegation, such as the risk to other students, concerns about the student involved, when to notify the student’s parents, reputational risk and what to do about the science teacher. The presenters stressed that it was critical to refer to internal policies and procedures when deciding what should be done after receiving such an allegation.

Particularising the allegation is also an important tool to identify what the initial reporting obligations are.

2. Hierarchy of reporting

Police and statutory child protection reporting obligations and investigations must always be given precedence over any other response to avoid compromising any criminal investigation (with the exception of any life-threatening emergencies).

3. Best practice initial responses compared against reactive initial responses

The presenters compared what a best practice response to a child protection allegation may look like versus a reactionary response. This comparison is set out below.

The six domains for inclusion in your risk assessment following a child protection incident or concern include:

1. the alleged victim
2. any other children
3. the subject of allegations
4. any other parties affected
5. police or statutory child protection authority investigation/s
6. your organisation.

The risk assessment and risk management processes are dynamic and must constantly be reassessed when there are any new factors, such as additional allegations or risks to any of the domains identified above. The following image from the National Office for Child Safety’s Child Safety Risk Management Guide can assist in understanding the risk assessment and risk management cycle.

Source: National Office for Child Safety’s Child Safety Risk Management Guide, page 10.

5. The five trauma-informed principles

When engaging with people involved in a child protection concern or incident, using the following trauma-informed principles can assist in responding to a child protection incident or concern with the safety and wellbeing of the people involved, including the subject of allegation, front of mind:

1. Empowerment – Prioritising empowerment and skill building
2. Safety – Ensuring physical and emotional safety
3. Choice – Individual has control and choice
4. Collaboration – Making decisions with the individual and sharing power
5. Trustworthiness - Task clarity, consistency and interpersonal boundaries.

Learn more

Learn more about Michelle White and the services she provides here.