In March this year, the St Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia underwent a significant safeguarding audit. The positive audit findings, released on 30 June, are a powerful affirmation of the Society’s commitment to safeguarding. They also reflect the dedication of National Council and its Secretariate in supporting and upholding the dignity of others.

The audit was conducted by Australian Catholic Safeguarding Limited (ACSL) and assessed the activities of National Council against the 10 National Catholic Safeguarding Standards. The Standards are interrelated and offer a dynamic framework for the continuous improvement of safeguarding practice, capability and culture. The Society in Australia agreed to adopt the Standards back in 2020 and National Council, along with State and Territory Councils (and each of their related bodies corporate), are progressively implementing the Standards.

As the stewards for the Society’s mission in Australia, National Council plays a pivotal leadership role in promoting and supporting the Society’s safeguarding culture. National Council is regarded as the “Church Authority” for safeguarding matters which covers all the Society’s activities across Australia. The audit found that National Council had demonstrated a high level of maturity against the Standards, having successfully implemented and embedded a culture of safeguarding throughout the Society in Australia. Of the 70 performance indicators assessed during the audit, National Council demonstrated that 69 (99%) of these were developed and embedded or substantially progressed.

National President Mark Gaetani welcomed the audit outcome, saying that the Society across Australia has worked hard to introduce the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards for all of its activities:

Importantly, the audit also identified areas for further improvement to National Council’s safeguarding governance, policy and risk management practice. National Council has begun actioning these recommendations and further engagement activities are planned over the next six months, specifically to identify ways of better supporting the Society’s Members and volunteers involved in home and centre-based visitation with Society Companions.

Although there is more work to be done, in many ways the positive audit results reflect the sustained efforts of all Society Members, volunteers and employees who are committed to protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and adults at risk.

Safeguarding has always been at the heart of the Society’s mission. Stretching back to the early work of the Society’s founder, Frédéric Ozanam, in Paris in 1833, the principles of human dignity and common good have underpinned the Society’s “good works”. All these years later, on any given day, Members, volunteers and staff across Australia are out in their communities, sleeves rolled up, working alongside people who are experiencing hardship and isolation. It is only through the Society’s people that safeguarding becomes a lived expression of the Society’s values.