We examine the childcare crisis in Victoria, sparked by serious abuse allegations, and reveal how gaps in oversight, fragmented regulations, and workforce pressures leave children at risk. We show that relying on Working With Children Checks alone is not enough, and that true safeguarding requires prevention, early intervention, transparent responses, and a culture where staff feel empowered to speak up. We also draw lessons for other sectors supporting vulnerable people, demonstrating how organisations can strengthen trust, accountability, and safety through proactive, culturally embedded practices.

Kim Porter (Kooyoora Investigator) explores how standard hiring practices in childcare and youth services often overlook the qualities that truly safeguard children. Routine interview questions tend to invite rehearsed responses, rather than revealing a candidate’s capacity for empathy, ethical decision-making, and accountability. By shifting to behaviour-based questions that probe for these deeper qualities, organisations can move beyond compliance and begin building a culture of safety where staff are empowered to speak up, collaborate, and prioritise the wellbeing of every child.

We speak with Gabby Hunt about her research into safeguarding practices within Australian faith-based organisations. Gabby’s research paper, "Just tick the box and move on": Australian Christian religious leaders reflect on safeguarding practices in their settings, examines how safeguarding is understood, operationalised, and embedded into the policies and practices of religious organisations. In this interview, Gabby shares insights from her research that are directly relevant for organisations like Kooyoora, reflecting on the barriers leaders face, the cultural shifts needed for authentic safeguarding, and the practices that can help faith-based communities embed child safety at the core of their mission.

This article explores why listening to children is central to effective safeguarding. Drawing on research and expert insights, it shows that children’s perspectives are often overlooked in protective interventions, leading to support that may be ineffective or even harmful. Experts like Dr. Wendy Bunston OAM highlight how even very young children communicate complex needs through subtle cues, while reports from the Australian Institute of Family Studies emphasise the value of integrating children’s voices into decision-making.

Kooyoora Team Spotlight – Get to know the people behind our work as they share insights into their roles, interests, and some fun facts. Meet our CEO Fiona Boyle.

Kooyoora provides independent professional standards services to seven Anglican Dioceses in Australia and thirteen Dioceses and Amorangi in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Originating with the Anglican Dioceses of Melbourne and Bendigo, the service model has evolved over six years to meet the needs of each diocese. Based on a continuum of independence, services range from fully managed end-to-end delivery to specific components such as investigations, clearances, and redress, depending on each diocese’s requirements. This article outlines how dioceses retain ownership of their frameworks, while Kooyoora delivers services through a structure that ensures transparency, fairness, and accountability, maintaining a clear commitment to truth telling and independence.

Kooyoora Team Spotlight – Get to know the people behind our work as they share insights into their roles, interests, and some fun facts. Meet our new investigator Kim Porter.

In 2025, the Kooyoora Office of Professional Standards welcomes several new appointments across the Professional Standards Committee, Board, and Review Board, as well as the appointment of a new Ombudsman. These appointments support Kooyoora’s independent statutory role in handling complaints, screening, redress, and training for the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. New appointees bring extensive experience across legal, academic, and community sectors.

At Kooyoora, we know that how we communicate, internally and externally, matters. It shapes our relationships, our culture, and our ability to support safer, fairer organisations. In April, our team took part in a full-day communication workshop with Leah Mether, focused on building habits that strengthen trust, clarity, and connection. From that session, we committed to three core behaviours that now guide how we work together across Australia and New Zealand.

Since 2017, Kooyoora has grown from a diocesan initiative into a trusted, independent safeguarding organisation supporting 23 clients across Australia and New Zealand. Built on principles of transparency, fairness, and survivor-focused practice, Kooyoora is now entering a new chapter, defining its own voice and identity as a leader in safeguarding, with a focus on clear communication, adaptability, and ongoing impact.

How can we rebuild trust in our organisations when people feel let down, unheard, or uncertain about their place and value—and what role does an ethics of care play in restoring that connection? When people no longer feel seen, safe, or fairly treated, formal policies and procedural fairness alone may not be enough to repair the damage. This article explores how an ethics of care, a perspective that centres relationships, context, and emotional attentiveness, can offer a deeper, more human approach to rebuilding trust and fairness.

Psychological safety is a core component of Kooyoora’s Abuse Prevention Framework. Drawing on insights from Amy Edmondson and Michaela Kerrissey’s work, this article explores common misconceptions about psychological safety and why getting clear on what it is and what it isn’t matters for those working to prevent harm and foster trust.

As part of the launch of Kooyoora’s Abuse Prevention Through Culture Change Framework, we’re pleased to announce that the full suite of framework documents and implementation tools is now available for download. The framework was developed to support organisations in actively building safer cultures—ones that prevent abuse and promote transparency, accountability, and wellbeing. The framework recognises that long-term change happens when prevention is embedded into everyday structures, behaviours, and beliefs.

At Kooyoora, we are committed to delivering professional, compassionate, and high-quality services. Your feedback plays a vital role in helping us understand what we’re doing well and where we can improve. To make the process simpler and more accessible, we’ve created a dedicated Feedback Form. Whether you’ve recently engaged with Kooyoora or simply wish to share your thoughts, this form offers an avenue to provide feedback.

Facilitating meaningful conversations about safeguarding and workplace culture can be challenging. This creative team development exercise engages the whole organisation in thoughtful reflection on the values, norms, beliefs, and behaviours that may contribute to harm in professional settings. By using film as a tool for discussion, teams can explore complex dynamics in a structured and approachable way.

Supporting people through the redress process is a key part of Kooyoora’s work. Redress is the process through which survivors of abuse seek acknowledgement, support, and justice—often involving financial compensation, counselling, and a personal response from the institution involved. We provide independent, trauma-informed assistance to survivors across a range of redress pathways, always with a focus on fairness, transparency, and care. 

Kooyoora Team Spotlight – Get to know the people behind our work as they share insights into their roles, interests, and some fun facts. Meet Raelene.

Left Write Hook is a powerful new Australian documentary following eight female and gender-diverse survivors of childhood sexual abuse as they embark on a two-year recovery program combining boxing and creative writing.

Conflict, whether rooted in past harm or immediate tensions, can be challenging to navigate. While good intentions alone aren’t always enough to mend relationships, there are proven approaches that can help. This Zoom workshop explores mindsets and evidence-based processes drawn from indigenous traditions, Christian theology, and contemporary Restorative Practices to repair harm and foster reconciliation.

Kooyoora Team Spotlight – Get to know the people behind our work as they share insights into their roles, interests, and some fun facts. Meet Julie.