Growing stronger.
For young people.

We are making safeguarding guidance easier to find, understand and use through plain-English and Easy Read policies, flowcharts, practical examples and role-specific guidance. Work includes resolving inconsistent requirements, testing understanding, and maintaining a single current document register with clear owners, approval and review dates.

Nine Easy Read policies and supporting flow diagrams are now implemented. Further work includes refining additional resources, marking superseded versions, and embedding guidance in induction and refresher learning.

We are reviewing the BEAST model, its core activities and pathway against its intended cohort and funded objectives. This includes assessing and recording individual needs, suitability, risks, supports, adjustments and alternatives before participation; clarifying expected benefits; and making requirements clear across travel, overnight, one-to-one and online settings.

We are documenting how activities are intended to support change, strengthening consistency across regions, and defining who approves adaptations and how their use will be reviewed.

We are strengthening assessment, participant surveys, records and quality assurance. This includes reviewing the Wheel Assessment, defining outcomes, baselines and benchmarks, and clarifying what data is collected, by whom, when and how it is reviewed.

The aim is to understand progress more clearly, use findings to improve practice and build a stronger basis for future outcome and economic evaluation. Activity volumes and reported improvements will remain clearly distinguished.

A new Statewide Family and Service Coordinator role has been established to support connections between families, services and the wider care system around each young person. Monthly governance meetings with DECYP have improved the management and implementation of care team meetings. We are continuing to clarify BEAST’s role in care teams, crisis response, family engagement, service navigation and transitions, including shared expectations for coordination, information sharing and responsibility.

For young people subject to statutory involvement, statutory services retain lead responsibility for statutory oversight, care-team leadership, care coordination and risk management. Our role is to support coordinated care within those arrangements. JCP remains responsible for the safety and quality of its own work.

We are translating child safety, Aboriginal cultural safety and Reportable Conduct Scheme responsibilities into clear actions for Board members, leaders, staff and volunteers. Work covers prevention, receiving and assessing concerns, notification, investigation, escalation, records and independent reporting where conflicts arise.

We are reviewing safeguards, approvals and oversight for one-to-one work, camps, overnight accommodation, interstate travel, after-hours response, safe-house use, phone communication, and purchases or financial assistance for young people. Expert review, training, monitoring changes to requirements and regular checks of controls form part of the work.

A new Statewide Supervision and Wellbeing role has been established to strengthen staff practice, oversight and wellbeing. We are continuing to develop structured professional supervision and reflective practice for Lead Workers, Team Leaders and senior leaders, supported by clearer role expectations and practical learning.

The focus includes safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, professional boundaries, case review, decisions in complex situations and staff wellbeing. Guidance will be embedded in induction, refresher learning and supervision, with ongoing review of how it works in practice.

We are developing clear expectations for acceptable, concerning and prohibited conduct, supported by practical scenarios for physical contact, one-to-one and outside-program contact, transport, overnight supervision, personal care, online communication and disclosures. This includes recognising withdrawn consent and non-verbal distress, and knowing when to escalate and record a concern.

We are strengthening informed consent, authorised access, de-identification, approval and review of images, stories and personal information, including withdrawal of consent and additional safeguards for sensitive circumstances. Resources will be tested and embedded in training and communication processes.

We are strengthening young people’s involvement in assessment, goals, planning and review, including formal participation through The Circle. Work includes clear rights information, representative youth and cultural input into the design and testing of feedback pathways, and accessible information for families before and throughout participation.

New feedback and complaints channels are in place for young people, families and services. Young people can reach out, make comments, raise complaints and provide feedback, including anonymously. We are continuing to refine independent and external routes, response times, backup contacts, escalation and follow-up. Young people must be able to raise concerns or leave an activity without adverse consequences. Secure, linked records, review of recurring issues and feedback on what changed will support accountability and learning.

We are connecting program risk assessments, incidents, concerns and safeguarding information to organisational risk management and Board oversight. This includes physical, psychological and emotional safety; risk owners, preventive controls and review dates; emerging trends; residual risks; and tracking actions through to completion.

Our work includes reviewing the Constitution, Board Charter and Skills Matrix, safeguarding responsibilities and capability, risk settings and escalation, and regular Board reporting on significant matters, control effectiveness and overdue actions. Our investment in the RISKTEQ platform supports this wider commitment to stronger systems.

We are reviewing what is done and said in program activities, camps, coaching concepts and resources through child-safe and trauma-informed practice lenses. This extends beyond written language to the experiences young people have in the program.

Clear principles, practical guidance on distress and consent, documented expectations, supervision and reflective practice will support consistent use and ongoing review. The implemented trauma-informed language guide is one part of this broader work.

We are strengthening Aboriginal cultural safety, disability inclusion, accessible communication and gender-responsive practice across design, documentation, recruitment, staff development, partnerships and measurement. This includes culturally diverse and neurodiverse young people and consultation with young people, families and appropriate cultural advisers.

Work addresses individual needs in groupings, accommodation, bathrooms, supervision and rules. We are refining reasonable adjustments, responses to distress and safeguards for dignity and choice, including a documented individual safety rationale and appropriate approval where choice is restricted. The implemented inclusion checklist supports this work.