Translate
The Child Safe Governance Review Governance Advisory Panel met for the first meeting in Launceston on Tuesday, 23 August 2022.
The meeting agenda focussed on:
- Terms of Reference
- Child Safe Organisation Project
- One Health Cultural Improvement Program
Terms of Reference
The scope of the Terms of Reference that is to be covered by the Governance Advisory Panel relates specifically to a review of the governance of the Launceston General Hospital and Human Resources through a child safety lens, with consideration of the following:
- Organisational structure
- Management and leadership including roles, responsibilities and accountabilities
- Implementation of mandatory training in leadership and management, through the One Health Cultural Improvement Program, including a focus on accountable leadership and management (already underway)
- Implementation of mandatory training in Child Safety, including grooming behaviours and mandatory notifications, through the Child Safe Organisation Project (already underway)
- Implementation of the Department of Health Child Safe Organisation Framework and establishment of the Child Safety Panel (already underway)
- Establishment of an independent Central Complaints Management Unit in the Office of the Secretary, responsible for the review of all reports of inappropriate behaviour or misconduct by an employee, in particular child sexual abuse or grooming behaviours, separate from Human Resources
- Policies, procedures, protocols, Quality and safety frameworks, systems and data as they relate to the above.
Child Safe Governance Review - Terms of Reference
Governance Advisory Panel members were reminded that the Child Safe Governance Review was not in the nature of, nor intended to duplicate the work of, the Commission of Inquiry.
The Child Safety Expert provided an update to the Governance Advisory Panel on the formation of a Lived Experience Expert Reference Group, where victim-survivors will be given an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about how things can be improved in order to protect and keep children safe when they are accessing services through the Department of Health.
Child Safe Organisation Project
The Deputy Secretary Community, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Dale Webster, attended the first meeting to provide a presentation on the Child Safe Organisation Project and the work that is underway to establish a Child Safety Panel for the Department of Health.
The Child Safe Organisation Project is aiming to make systemic changes to the approach of promoting children and young people’s rights, safety and wellbeing across all areas of the Department of Health and is part of the Tasmanian Government’s response to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and associated child safe standards.
Details of the Child Safe Organisation Project are available on the Department of Health’s website: Child Safe Organisation Project
The Panel discussed the risk management approach underpinning the new Child Safe Organisation Framework and preliminary views on how that might be implemented within Launceston General Hospital. (LGH) Further discussion will occur at future meetings on how best to implement the framework at LGH.
One Health Cultural Improvement Program
The Governance Advisory Panel also had a presentation from the Chief People Officer, Michelle Searle, on the One Health Cultural Improvement Program which aims to improve the culture of the Department of Health in a number of areas, including management and leadership training and development aimed at all management levels, including frontline clinical management. It was noted that the Program will be publicly launched shortly.
The Panel requested further information about the content and expected outcomes of the proposed management and leadership development and training program. The Panel is undertaking further work on how to establish a baseline assessment of the organisational culture at LGH. This will assist in evaluating the effectiveness of management and leadership training and development, and other initiatives, over the medium and longer term, in achieving cultural improvement.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the Governance Advisory Panel is scheduled for 6 September 2022. Topics of discussion at the 6 September meeting will include the Department of Health’s Safety Reporting and Learning System, including staff perspectives on when and how the System is used at the Launceston General Hospital as part of LGH’s overall patient safety systems.
The Safety Reporting and Learning System is a tool used by staff across the Department of Health to report, take action and learn from safety concerns and incidents in order to protect service users, the public and staff from unintended harm, damage or loss.