Is “Do it yourself” Safeguarding necessary in Tasmania given our institutions have shown themselves to be incapable? The Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in Government institutions revealed a catalogue of catastrophic failings in our schools, hospitals, and correctional facilities, reaching back over many decades.

In my experience, early signs are not promising that the COI recommendations and accompanying legislation will deliver the cultural re-set needed to ensure that institutional leaders will prioritise the safety of children over reputational, professional, political or personal interests.  A return to “Business as Usual” will see a return to “Abuse as Usual” with more cover-ups under the smokescreen of bureaucratic inertia.

If we were to conclude that Tasmania institutions won’t be able to keep our kids safe, what might we need to do as parents and guardians?

• We could maintain a sensible vigilance
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions where you detect concerns
• Shop around to find a school, sporting code, childcare centre that has a ‘child safe’ culture
• Check to see that staff have a Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) clearance

 Conversation starters?

1. Are parents/ guardians the ones most responsible for safeguarding children?
2. Is it too early to say if the COI recommendations will ‘fix’ cultures in Tasmanian public institutions?
3. Should parents reasonably expect that their child will be safe from CSA offenders in schools, hospitals, detention centres, childcare