Safeguarding of children and adults at risk
Key values inspired by the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice
The Oceania Province of the Christian Brothers, inspired by the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice, is characterised by the following key values in relation to all those with whom its personnel come in contact:
• Every person has inherent and irreducible worth, being both a unique entity with unique fulfilment gifts and is a member of mutually inter-dependent communities.
• As such, everyone has the right to live within a caring, safe and protected environment. This right adheres irrespective of differences in gender, culture, physical and intellectual capacity, sexual orientation.
• All those who participate in or are associated with the receipt or provision of Edmund Rice services have a right to be cared for, to be safe, and to be protected.
The Oceania Province of the Christian Brothers recognises that children, due to their developmental dependency, are a group within society who have a higher risk of vulnerability to harm. As a consequence, the Oceania Province of the Christian Brothers recognises a whole-organisation responsibility to facilitate the care, safety and protection of children.
The Oceania Province recognises, although its predominant work is with children [inclusive of adolescents], that it also has a Duty of Care in relation to the care, safety and protection of adults who may be at risk. The Oceania Province recognises that there are groups of adults who are especially vulnerable to harm through maltreatment and exploitation.
The care, safety and protection of children and adults at risk is based upon a preventative and responsive approach to risk management as outlined:
Preventative
Oceania Province puts in place organisational measures to eliminate or to reduce risk of child and adult vulnerability
Responsive
Oceania Province when it is aware of concerns or allegations relating to vulnerability or actual harm commits to undertake actions, which facilitate the immediate safety of the individual, investigating and responding to the concern or allegation appropriately.
Australian Catholic Safeguarding Ltd
This independent process was undertaken during 2019 and 2020. The Oceania Province made a full response to the Audit Report, and is committed to implementing all of its recommendations.
The full statement from the Province can be accessed here, together with the Media Release from ACSL (formerly APSL)
Australian Catholic Standards Ltd was formed in 2020 following the merger of Australian Catholic Centre for Professional Standards and Catholic Professional Standards Ltd into one organisation.
The Professional Standards Office
The Professional Standards Office of the Christian Brothers Oceania Province is located in Melbourne and is staffed by experts skilled in handling all aspects of allegations of abuse, whether physical, emotional, or sexual.
Staff are available to provide advice including assistance in reporting incidents of abuse, helping individuals access important services such as professional counselling, as well as working with individuals or their representatives seeking redress, facilitation of alternative dispute resolution, or management of civil claims.
Documents are available below:
Contact Details
Professional Standards Office
Christian Brothers Oceania
PO Box 851 (126 The Avenue)
Parkville VIC 3052 AUSTRALIA
P: (+61) 3 8359 0134