Child Protection Framework: Children’s Health Queensland (CHQ)

Status: Completed in July 2020

Client: Children’s Health Queensland

Background

Children’s Health Queensland led the Statewide Child Protection Clinical Partnership (SCPCP) of Queensland Health to draft a statewide Child Protection Capability Framework that aimed to ensure all Queensland Health staff have an understanding of their responsibilities in safeguarding children. 

Beacon Strategies was engaged by Children’s Health Queensland to support the transition from the development of a draft Child Protection Capability Framework to the development of contemporary resources that would support local implementation by each Hospital and Health Service (HHS) across Queensland. 

Our objectives for the project were to:

1. Strengthen the clarity and quality of the draft Child Protection Capability Framework through an external and independent perspective

2. Identify existing resources available elsewhere to learn from and leverage leading practice examples

3. Develop key messaging based on leading research and practice material that will guide content development in the subsequent phase of the implementation of the Capability Framework

4. Provide recommendations and considerations for effective local implementation of the Capability Framework by each HHS. 

We were excited to partner with Brad Poynting from Poynting Consulting and Advisory as a subject matter expert in the child protection and safeguarding field. 

Approach

Our approach to delivering the project involved five separate sprints of work:

1. Get grounded in the program’s context and understand the needs of Children’s Health Queensland as our client

2. Complete desktop research to gather evidence aligned to key areas identified in the Capability Framework and based around the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations

3. Review the draft Child Protection Capability Framework from a subject matter and readability perspective

4. Provide advice on training design and implementation for each level of the Capability Framework

5. Report back to the Statewide Child Protection Clinical Partnership to guide next steps in the statewide rollout

The research phase of this project allowed us to gain insight based on a review of leading research and policy, a scan of the product/provider market, review of similar learning packages in other jurisdictions, conversations with key stakeholders and best practice in organisational learning. 

Outcomes

The project helped to inform the implementation of the statewide Child Protection Capability Framework through our advice and recommendations around:

• Training design and delivery considerations

• Governance structure

• Participation of key stakeholders

• Communication and change management planning

• Assessing organisational readiness 

• Evaluation and reporting

This outlines the structured change management approach we used for the Child Protection Capability Framework for CHQ.

As the statewide implementation of the Child Protection Capability Framework continues over the coming months and years, we’re keen to see how it rolls out and evolves, and pleased that it will lead to improving the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people in Queensland. 

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As a mission-based health and social services consultancy, Beacon Strategies is committed to partnering with Local Governments to better plan, design, implement, evaluate and communicate their work in delivering outcomes for local communities. Read more about out projects here or, if you would prefer to get in touch with us directly, head to our contact us page.