The Canossian Daughters of Charity of the Delegation of Australia are actively committed to fostering communities of safeguarding that recognise and uphold the dignity and rights of all children and adults.

We encourage open communication whereby families and communities are informed of relevant issues and participate in decisions about the safety of children.  It is particularly important to us to look for avenues to empower children and adults at risk to have a say and be listened to.

We actively seek to become and remain informed of the causes and signs of abuse and neglect. When we receive information about concerns or witness any matter relating to abuse of a child or adult at risk, we respond appropriately and report any such concerns to the appropriate authority.  This includes contacting the police immediately where there may be immediate risk of harm to any person, especially a child or adult at risk.

Every person within the Canossian Daughters of Charity of the Delegation of Australia who comes into contact, or works, with children and adults at risk seeks to uphold the dignity of all and commits to establishing safe and supportive relationships.

The Canossian Daughters of Charity of the Delegation of Australia have documented policies and procedures to prevent risks to children and adults and to build a strong culture of safeguarding.  All sisters, staff, lay associates and volunteers are expected to follow these policies and procedures and contribute to the culture of care and protection of all children and adults.

We plan, organise and review all activities with children and adults, proactively considering potential risks and strive to ensure risks are reduced, and eliminated where possible.  Everyone is encouraged to communicate any area of concern or where you think our approach may need improvement.

Anyone who brings forward a suspicion, concerns, knowledge or allegation of current or past abuse of a child or adult at risk to the Canossian Daughters of Charity of the Delegation of Australia will be responded to sensitively, respectfully, actively and in a timely manner, in line with our lawful obligations and our own Complaints Handling Policy.

We regularly undertake internal and external auditing of our safeguarding policies and practices to make sure that they always support a culture and practice that puts the safety of children and adults at risk at the centre of our thinking and action.

We listen to the voices of children and adults at risk as we constantly strive to remain vigilant and make improvements.