How we create safe physical and online environments

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At Brisbane Catholic Education one of our highest priorities is the safety of our students. As we embed the 10 National Catholic Safeguarding Standards in all we do at BCE we are highlighting a safeguarding standard each month and spotlighting how this contributes to a safe environment for our students, adults at risk and our Personnel.

This month we highlight Standard 8 – Safe physical and online environments.

Standard 8 is about promoting safety and implementing safeguards to reduce opportunity for students to be harmed in physical and online environments.

Below we share a few of BCE strategies to create a safe physical and online environment for students and BCE Personnel.

1.       BCE Uses Enterprise Systems and Services

BCE Offices and Schools are encouraged to use BCE Enterprise Systems over other third-party applications. The safety benefits are that BCE Enterprise Systems enables:

  • Support through BCE internal Service Desk;
  • Firmly established support agreements with our vendors that include safeguarding considerations;
  • Monitoring of communication that often occurs between staff and students; and
  • Greater accountability through centralised identity access and management aligned to the BCE systems.
     

2.       Management of photos or videos of students

BCE has clear requirements for how photos and videos of students are to be obtained and managed. This includes:

  • BCE's code of conduct restricts staff from taking photos on a personal device without the specific consent of the school Principal. The preferred option for taking a photo of a student is on a school-owned device.
  • BCE Policies and Procedures for the securing, management and deletion of student images complies with relevant laws on privacy and record keeping.
     

3.       Management of student and parent information

BCE takes seriously its responsibility to manage personal and sensitive information, relating to students, parents and carers, so its managed securely and confidentially in accordance with legal requirements.

BCE has in place specific policies, procedures and systems to capture and secure student and parent/carer information. This includes procedures to ensure any request for release of that information is managed appropriately and lawfully. These procedures guide BCE's response to request for information to be released by students or parents, or external parties such as a Court or police. ​

4.       Education students to learn the skills to keep themselves safe online

BCE engages a number of strategies to support students in developing skills to keep themselves safe online. This includes:

  • The Australian Digital Technologies curriculum outlines key information and skills to be taught to students to ensure that they have the tools to keep themselves and others safe online. The revised curriculum has introduced the 'Practising Digital Safety and Well-being' element which has a focus on managing online safety, managing digital privacy and identity, and managing digital wellbeing.  
  • Utilising resources of the eSafety Commissioner.

5.       Risks Management for a safe physical environment

BCE and its schools have in place risk assessment and management strategies to address a range of settings and activities during the delivery of education to students. This includes:

  • The annual review and publication of a Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy
  • Undertaking risk assessments for all high-risk activities, for example, excursions, fetes, camps
  • Implementing policies and procedures for safe physical environments such as arrangements for playground supervision, drop off and collection of children, use of bathroom and toilets, transportation of students and support plans to manage student challenging behaviours.
  • Publicising who are the School Student Protection Contacts in each school so students know who to go to if they have any concerns.

 

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Further information or feedback in respect to the National Catholic Safeguarding Standard No 8 is welcomed by contacting: E: safeguarding@bne.catholic.edu.au or go to website: www.bce.catholic.edu.au


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