The Catholic Schools Office promotes an absolute commitment to the safety, welfare and well-being of all children, particularly those attending the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. “Protecting children is one of our most sacred trusts.” (Bishop Bill Wright, 2012) Diocesan schools comply with a range of state legislation designed to protect children, including: The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protect) Act 1998; The Ombudsman Act 1974 (Part 3A) and the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

There are also key Church guidelines that promote the protection of children, including:

▪ Towards Healing: Principles and procedures in responding to complaints of abuse (2010)
▪ Integrity in the Service of the Church: A Resource Document of Principles and  Standards for Lay Workers
 The Catholic Schools Office has specific policies and standards to heighten the  protection of children, including:
▪ Reporting Concerns for Children or People with a Disability Policy No. 2.0,
▪ The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Investigations Policy No. 1.3,
▪ Child Protection Code of Professional Standards for Catholic School Employees

In 2005 the Diocese established a centralised, expert child protection team, now known as Zimmerman Services, which oversees child protection practices across the whole Diocese, including the Catholic Schools Office and all our Catholic schools. The Diocese’s child protection practices include a range of preventative services as well as responding to allegations of abuse. You can find out more about Zimmerman Services at: http://www.mn.catholic.org.au/agencies-services/child-protection

1.PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

1.1 Screening

The Catholic Schools Office is working with the Office of the Children’s Guardian to implement the new Working with Children Check Clearance (‘Clearance’). Before anybody is engaged in ‘child-related work’ (as a paid employee, self-employed contractor or volunteer) they must provide the Diocese with a valid Clearance number. Catholic Schools Office verifies the person’s status through an online service provided by the Children’s Guardian before they are allowed to commence work. The Office of the Children’s Guardian determines whether a potential or current employee poses a risk to children. Anybody who is considered to pose a ‘real and appreciable risk’ to children will be the subject of an interim or final bar from the Office of the Children’s Guardian. People who are the subject of an interim or final bar are not be allowed to work in a Catholic school or other child-related work in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.
There is a staged roll out of the new Clearance for existing employees, with schools due to be completed by 31 December 2017.

1.2 Training

The Catholic Schools Office requires that all employed staff complete a full day of child protection training presented by Zimmerman Services. Further, principals and assistant principals provide regular child protection updates and reminders as part of the schools in-service training and professional development. By 2016 the Catholic Schools Office and the Diocesan Child Protection Unit will be introducing on line training for all school personnel to be refreshed annually. Face-to-face training will also continue.

2. RESPONDING TO ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE IN DIOCESAN SCHOOLS
2.1 Reporting: Staff in Diocesan schools are mandatory reporters. This means they are lawfully required to report to the Community Services Helpline if they have reasonable grounds to suspect a child is at risk of significant harm from abuse or neglect and those grounds are identified in the course of, or from the person’s work. Also the Reporting Concerns for Children or People with a Disability Policy obliges all members of the Diocese to report any child protection concerns to their supervisor or Principal to be assessed as possible risk of significant harm reports to the Helpline. Zimmerman Services or School Principals will contact NSW Police if they believe a criminal act has occurred. As parents of children attending a Diocesan school you are encouraged to discuss any child protection concerns you have with your school’s principal, assistant principal, year advisor or the Parent Liaison Officer. If you believe your concerns are not being addressed appropriately, you have the right to contact Zimmerman Services directly (Ph. 4979 1390 during office hours). As parents you also have the right to report your concerns to the Community Services Helpline or NSW Police at any time you believe it appropriate.

2.2 Investigating: All allegations of child abuse or neglect are taken seriously by the Diocese. Where the alleged conduct involves a person working for the Catholic Schools Office or a diocesan school (including employees and volunteers) the allegations are investigated at a level commensurate with the seriousness of the allegations. When an allegation is made, a thorough risk assessment is conducted and appropriate interim safety measures may be put in place. The Diocese will provide all cooperation to Police or Community Services if the allegation is investigated by statutory authorities. The Diocese will not commence an investigation till statutory investigations are completed. Where the alleged misconduct is deemed minor, the Principal of the school, oversighted by Zimmerman Services, may undertake a local investigation. Where the alleged conduct is more serious, a specialist investigator from Zimmerman Services will conduct the investigation. This investigation may be oversighted by the NSW Ombudsman.
If your child is a witness or otherwise involved in such an investigation, Zimmerman Services will contact you as the parent, explain what is happening and request your permission to interview your child. Zimmerman Services prefers to interview your child at home with you present. Child protection investigations are confidential. As parents you will only be advised of an investigation or the outcome of an investigation if there is a legitimate need to know. As a parent, you will also be expected to respect that confidentiality.

Complaints Resolution for Parents and Carers (2019 Policy & Procedure)
These procedures outline a consistent approach to deal with and manage complaints made to or about school. An information brochure and further details are available from the school or the Catholic Schools Office.
Step by Step
There is a 5-step process to help you and the school reach an outcome that is in the best interests of your child. You must go through each step before progressing to the next. The five steps are:

1. Discuss your complaint with the class teacher
Most complaints should be resolved at the local level. The teacher will make a record of your complaint and report your meeting and any outcomes to the school Principal.
Contact the school to make an appointment with your child's teacher. (You should speak directly to the Principal if your complaint relates to general school matters or school policy. You should speak to the Family Liaison Team if your complaint is about a school Principal.)

2. Discuss your complaint with the Principal or their delegate
If you can't resolve your concerns after speaking to your child's teacher, you can raise your complaint with the school Principal. The Principal, or their delegate, may also be able to help you and the teacher resolve the problem if you were not able to after your initial discussion.
Complaints to the Principal can be submitted in person, by telephone, in writing or via email.

3. Contact the CSO Family Liaison Team
If you have not reached a resolution through steps 1 and 2, you should contact the CSO Family Liaison Team. You can lodge your complaint in person, by telephone, in writing, or online.
Your complaint should outline the steps you have taken to resolve the issue and include your full name and address. You should also sign and date it, and it’s a good idea to keep a copy of any correspondence for your own records.
Your name and the nature of your complaint will be sent to the Principal of your school. A representative from the Family Liaison Team will then work with you and your school to seek a resolution.
Anonymous complaints will only be acted on if enough information has been provided to allow for follow-up with the relevant school Principal.

4. Contact the Director of Schools
If your issue has not been resolved through the above process, or if you would like a review of the complaint outcome because you have information that the complaint outcome was incorrect and/or the complaint handling process was unfair, you can lodge your request with the Director of Schools.
Your request must be in writing addressed to the Director of Schools and must be made within 10 working days from the initial complaint decision. Your request should outline the steps you have taken to resolve the issue, the reasons for the request for review, and include your full name and address. You should also sign and date it, and it’s a good idea keep a copy of any correspondence for your own records.
If your complaint relates to the Director of Schools, you may submit a request for review of the complaint outcome to the Bishop.
5. Independent review

You may seek advice from an external agency where relevant. The Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People provides a useful guide: https://www.acyp.nsw.gov.au/info/making-a-complaint.
The CSO may cease dealing with the complaint while an external process is under way.