Executive Director’s Update to Principals #2 - 1 February 2024
Child safety and complaint staffing/contact changes
While Jacqui Righetti is on leave in 2024, Jacinta Cook is undertaking the role of Child Safety Manager. Jacinta can be contacted on Mobile: 0409 114 268 or by email.
The Child Safety manager has responsibility for further strengthening our Child Safe Standards and ensuring school communities have the support, training, and reflective practice opportunities to further embed the strong culture of children safely attending our schools. This includes the interconnectedness of the Reportable Conduct Scheme and Mandatory Reporting Legislation as essential to informing our standards.
Jacinta has the delegation of the Executive Director of Catholic Education Ballarat to report all Reportable Conduct matters to the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP).
Damien Ferrari has been appointed as the new Case Manager: Complaint Resolution (ongoing). Damian can be contacted on Mobile: 0461 376 895 or by email.
The Case Manager: Complaint Resolution has oversight and end-to-end case management responsibility of complaints escalated to DOBCEL, in partnership with school leadership, to ensure a timely and responsive process following the DOBCEL Complaints Management Policy and Procedure. This includes case management support for complaints that meet the threshold for the Reportable Conduct Scheme and coordination of all aspects of this process. Damian will hold a continuous improvement focus to ensure an efficient and appropriate process for all parties involved.
Getting to know us.
Both Jacinta and Damian will attend the Diocesan Leadership Gathering in Horsham in February and hope to meet with principals throughout the informal parts of the gathering. Please don’t hesitate to call or email either Damien or Jacinta in relation to any matters you wish to discuss or ideas you have in relation to how best we can support you and your teams. We look forward to meeting with you all in the coming months as the school year begins.
Protecting Children – Mandatory Reporting and Other Obligations e-Learning module
Main Points
- Each year all staff are required to complete the ‘Protecting Children – Mandatory Reporting and Other Obligations’ eLearning module to ensure compliance with legislative responsibilities under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic.) and Ministerial Order No. 1359: Child Safe Standards – Managing the Risk of Child Abuse in Schools and School Boarding premises.
- For details on how to create an account: ‘Protecting Children- Mandatory Reporting and other Obligations Online Training Account Creation Guide’
- The training and online module usually take 45 – 60 minutes to complete
- Stable internet access will assist in optimised functionality of the training and module
- Staff must provide evidence that they have completed training (e.g. a copy of their certificate) to their school and keep a copy for their own records
Please note slide 25 (Grooming case study) provides an answer which is factually incorrect. This case study provides a clear indicator of sexual misconduct. We have requested that the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing address this error.
Making a mandatory report
When staff make a mandatory report, they are required to complete the attached template and forward it to safeguarding@dobcel.catholic.edu.au
Launching SchoolTV
A proactive investment in the wellbeing of students and families
As we embrace the start of a new year, I am pleased to announce that SchoolTV is now available to all DOBCEL schools as a resource to augment existing strategies in proactively addressing the mental health and wellbeing of students and families.
As most will be aware, the SchoolTV platform is an evidence-based, impartial, and validated tool, designed to support parents to navigate the complexities of modern-day parenting, with the aim of raising happy, self-assured, and resilient young people.
At its core, SchoolTV adopts a parent-centric, preventative approach, recognising the crucial role parents and caregivers play in shaping children's wellbeing. It serves to bridge the gap by deepening connections between schools and families and providing tools to support relationships and effective parenting strategies by empowering them with the knowledge to do so with confidence.
The uniqueness of SchoolTV lies in offering diverse monthly topics, providing schools with the flexibility to select, publish and promote content tailored to the needs of the local community.
Many of you have already demonstrated laudable initiatives in supporting student wellbeing. Integrating SchoolTV into existing programs can further bolster these efforts, shifting the focus from reactive to proactive measures and fostering a preventative stance towards community challenges.
Schools are encouraged to explore this valuable resource (via the links below) as a matter or priority and develop a plan to utilise the resources within communities as soon as possible.
- The SchoolTV Landing Page provides information for use with staff including a link to the administration guide which was used in 2023 to support the creation of school branded SchoolTV site.
- This newsletter communication link provides content that you can use/adapt in communications with your school community.
We are confident that SchoolTV will be an invaluable asset in promoting a proactive, holistic approach to wellbeing in your schools, while genuinely supporting family and community partnerships.
If you require further information or assistance, please contact: Tony Perkins, Leader - Wellbeing via email or Ph 03 4344 4350
Spirit of Catholic Education Award 2024
DOBCEL is proud to sponsor an award process aimed at continuing to recognise the outstanding service and leadership within Catholic education throughout our Diocesan school communities, and Catholic Education Office.
In 2024, the refreshed awards, align with the DOBCEL strategic priorities, which are positioned to support the DOBCEL vision “as partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue fullness of life for all.”
All DOBCEL employees are encouraged to nominate an individual or team who consistently performs in an exemplary way. Nominees can be from a school in the Diocese of Ballarat or the Catholic Education Ballarat (CEB office).
Nominations can be submitted for any of the following five categories –
- Building inclusive Catholic learning communities.
- Empowering all to flourish.
- Fostering inspiring leadership.
- Achieving best practice.
- Enhancing family engagement, governance, and stewardship.
Each award category has a series of criteria based on the opportunity questions detailed in the DOBCEL Strategic Directions 2020-2024 document.
At least one award recipient will be selected, with a maximum of three awards each year. Award recipients will be presented during the Catholic Education Week Dinner. All nominees will be acknowledged in some way.
To view more information about the Spirit of Catholic Education Awards, please see the Catholic Education Week tab on the DOBCEL website or click here.
Nominations open on Wednesday 14 February 2024 and close on Friday 1 March 2024. We encourage you to promote the award details with your staff and encourage them to nominate their colleagues.
If you have any questions about the Spirit of Catholic Education Awards, please contact Fiona Murphy.