What is Child Wise Coaching, and what sets it apart from other services?
From our extensive experience in the child-safeguarding sector, we know that no two organisations are the same, and that developing a truly child safe culture can be complex. We are also seeing more and more organisations taking steps to improve child safety practice, but seeking expert guidance to help them embed changes. We’ve developed Child Wise Coaching to respond to this context, in order to provide tailored, non-prescriptive solutions which respond to your organisation’s circumstances and goals. Our approach is also aligned to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, which means that Child Wise Coaching will help you to establish culture and practice reflective of nationally recognised best practice.
Why does your organisation need child safety coaching?
Nearly 30 years of experience in the Australian market has taught us that policies, procedures and training programs are often not enough to ensure leaders, staff and volunteers have the knowledge, skills and confidence to respond effectively to child safety issues. They may feel unsure about how to identify warning signs, lack the knowledge to conduct rigorous risk assessment, or be overwhelmed at the prospect of developing a more open and aware organisational culture. Child Wise Coaching is an effective and flexible way of translating new knowledge and skills into practice, whilst bringing policies and procedures to life in any organisational context. We offer a flexible approach, with coaching arrangements that can be adapted to suit the needs of your organisation.
What’s Involved in Child Wise Coaching?
- Strategic response: Coaching can be accessed swiftly and flexibly in order to respond to specific child safeguarding issues, challenges or strategic objectives;
- Experienced coaches: We’ll match you or your staff member(s) with one of our experienced Coaches. All our Coaches have extensive expertise in child safeguarding and leadership and are based across Australia with knowledge of state/territory contexts. Coaches collaborate with organisational leaders and leadership teams and work alongside other key roles in organisations, including Child Safety Officers.
- Tailored solutions: Child Wise Coaches understand that organisations are complex systems with unique strengths, challenges, gaps and opportunities. Our Coaches will work with you or your nominated staff member(s) to understand your organisational context and needs, and then provide support to amplify existing strengths, and find effective and efficient sustainable solutions.
- A library of resources: Coaches have access to an extensive library of Child Wise resources which they utilise in their work with organisations, so there’s no need to ‘reinvent the wheel’. Resources can be adapted to your organisation’s needs and will provide assurance that your policies, procedures and processes are aligned to best practice.
As part of the Child Wise Coaching Program, organisations may also wish to undertake a more in depth Child Safety Review, which involves an end-to-end systemic analysis of child safety in your organisation.
How Can Child Wise Coaching Help?
- Leadership development: Are you seeking to further improve leadership, governance and culture in your organisation, and the extent to which it promotes child safety? Child Wise Coaches can support leadership teams and/or key individuals to critically reflect, understand strengths and gaps, and identify opportunities for development.
- Regulatory compliance: Are there new legislative or regulatory requirements on the horizon? If so, Child Wise Coaches can collaborate with you or your nominated key staff member(s) to help understand implications, assess requirements and implement required changes.
- Policy development and implementation: Have you developed policies, procedures and protocols but are struggling to embed them and bring them to life? Coaching can help you or your nominated staff member(s) to understand potential barriers, develop engagement strategies and implement compliance frameworks.
- Empowering children and young people: Have you noticed gaps in engaging children, young people, families, staff, and communities? Child Wise has extensive experience in this space and can support you or your nominated staff member(s) to empower stakeholders as active participants in organisations.
- Ensuring equitable service delivery: Are you seeking assurance that the services you deliver are equitable and respond to the needs of vulnerable children and young people? Child Wise Coaches can support you or your nominated staff member(s) to develop engagement strategies, quality assurance processes, policies, procedures and protocols designed to assess and strengthen equitable practice.
- Tailored advice and support: Child Wise Coaches can also provide tailored advice, support and guidance in relation to risk management, policy development and the ongoing review of child safety practice.
Who is Coaching For?
Child Wise Coaching is relevant for any child-focused organisation, including but not limited to:
Why choose Child Wise for child safety coaching?
Child Wise has been supporting organisations to strengthen their child safeguarding practice for nearly 30 years. We are a sector leader, delivering services which meet the diverse and changing needs of child-focused organisations. Our recently refreshed Coaching service is one of the ways in which we are responding to these needs. Our Coaching offer is agile and flexible, designed to provide tailored solutions to leadership challenges in ways which adapt to your context, build capacity and ensure high-quality, child-focused practice.
How is Child Wise Coaching Delivered?
Coaching can occur face-to-face, or via video-conferencing platforms such as Teams and Zoom.
Take the next step, and strengthen your child safeguarding practices
Do you believe your organisation has the potential to strengthen its child safeguarding practices? Our coaches are ready and waiting to help you on your journey to child safe operations.
Get in touch with our friendly team at Child Wise today to find out more about how Child Wise Coaching can support your organisation and leadership.