CEB Staff Newsletter #4 - 4 February 2022
Thank you everyone for your support of schools as they have returned this week. It has been a challenging time for school leaders and the support of CEB staff has been greatly appreciated. Thank you for the welcome that has been extended to new staff. A special thanks goes out to Ash, Paul, Penny and the team who have worked so hard to have our great new office space functional for the start of the year.
~ Matt Byrne, Deputy Director: Catholic Education
Staff Prayer
Staff Prayer is taking place online next Monday 7 February at 8.30am. Staff can join via this link.
Gillies Street Office
Car park
Please note that builders are still completing external works to the main building entry. As a result, the Gillies St side of the car park will be closed while works continue. All remaining parks are able to be used, however as both entry and exit will be via the Gregory St entrance please be mindful of traffic.
Lockers
If you are interested in utilising one of the lockers available, can you please add your name to this spreadsheet. Please note there are only 30 available so the intention is that the lockers would be used by those intending on perhaps exercising during lunch breaks or before/after work and may want to store any fitness gear in this location.
Staff Announcements
Cathy Dunbar
It is with mixed emotion that we announce the impending retirement of Cathy Dunbar as EA to the Executive Director of Catholic Education, after 44 years of dedicated service to CEB. Cathy intends to finish work at the beginning of Term 2 and then take extended LSL and other leave entitlements beyond that period. Cathy’s employment with CEB commenced in January 1978. She began as a Junior Secretary and worked for 6 years prior to starting her family. Returning in 1991, Cathy undertook various administrative roles before taking on the position of EA to the Executive Director in 2010. To say that she has seen it all is an understatement! Her professionalism and ability to build collaborative and caring relationships with all stakeholders have been outstanding, and her organizational knowledge of the history of CEB will be greatly missed. Cathy has shown great dedication to CEB, including selflessly delaying her retirement plans to assist with the smooth transition to a new Executive Director and the change in governance.
We look forward to celebrating Cathy’s contribution in the appropriate fashion in the coming months. Recruitment for an EA to the Executive Director will commence shortly.
Jesse McCluskey
Jesse McCluskey has tendered her resignation as a Speech Pathologist, effective 23 February. Jesse began with CEB in January 2013 and has worked in both a full-time and part-time capacity as both a Speech Pathologist and Learning Diversity Education Officer during this period. We are very grateful to Jesse for her contribution to the wellbeing of students and families in our schools, and we wish her well as she embarks on a new journey and has time with her young family.
A plan to support those schools Jesse had been assigned to in 2022 is currently being addressed.
COVID and School Visits
It is very legitimate that CEB staff may feel concerned that we may be the source of infection as we move into schools over the coming weeks. Many schools are now dealing with regular cases of infection, and will consider the necessity of our visits within their risk framework.
Where the school considers our visit to be important, and we feel safe, the visit should proceed. As rapid antigen tests (RATs) become available for CEB staff, the regime of twice weekly voluntary testing, provides reassurance for ourselves and our school community of our safety processes. We expect we will receive the RATs ordered for CEB next week and will communicate with CEB staff regarding distribution.
If you encounter requests to present face to face to larger groups over the next four weeks, please dialogue with the school regarding their COVID safety measures and discuss with your team leader if you are still feeling uncomfortable.
Are you going from Ballarat to a school or regional office this coming week?
The Ballarat office has received our order of P2 masks (equivalent to N-95) and hope to have a further delivery of RATs early in the week. If you are going from Ballarat to schools or other diocesan offices this week, could you please contact Simon O’Brien or Sarah Johnson regarding requested mask deliveries to the following schools:-
Central Zone: Lucas - Siena
Northern Zone: Nhill - St Patrick’s
Mandatory Reporting eLearning Module
“Our common mission of safeguarding God’s children.” (Pope Francis, 19-22 Sept. 2021)
All school and CEB staff employed in the Diocese of Ballarat are required to complete the Mandatory Reporting eLearning module by the end of Term One each year, including those who are mandated and those who are not mandated to undertake this training.
As advised in previous 2021 CECV Circulars (01 July 2021) the updated version of the eLearning module ‘Protecting Children – Mandatory Reporting and Other Obligations’ is now available.
The eLearning module can be accessed through the Department of Education and Training (DET) Information Sharing and MARAM Online Learning System. Staff who already have an account with the DET’s online learning system should use their existing details to log in. Staff without an account can sign up by going to the online learning system homepage. See attachment on how to create an account.
Schools and CEB must keep local records to track staff completion of the module. A copy of the certificate of completion should be submitted to the principal or delegated school representative.
CEB staff must submit a copy of their certificate via email to Jacqui Righetti as a record that you have completed this compliance training.
Impending new Ministerial Order- Child Safe Standards
The Child Safe Standards (CSS) are changing this year. On the release of the new Ministerial Order and the new CSS (any day now) all DOBCEL staff will be introduced to a Guidance document and resources (including updated templates).
These resources are currently being developed to support transition to the new Standards and will be made available for DOBCEL in Term 1, 2022. All DOBCEL staff are required to comply with the new Child Safe Standards by 1 July 2022.
If you want to learn more about the new Child Safe Standards, visit Commission for Children and Young People.
Prior to 1 July 2022, DOBCEL staff employed are required to adhere to the current Child Safe Standards.
Please feel free to contact Jacqui Righetti (CEB) on