Audit finds Brisbane parishes comply with child safeguards

An independent external audit conducted in the Archdiocese of Brisbane has found that parishes are complying with the requirements of the new “Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy.” 

The Archdiocese has released the results of the audit, which is the first annual external look into how parishes are complying with the policy.

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge announced the independent audits last year when he released the Archdiocese’s new policy aimed at helping “to heal the wounds of the past and make sure, as far as we can, that nothing similar happens again.”

Auditor Hanrick Curran chose six parishes to audit from the 33 that were deemed suitable for inspection. To be eligible, the Archdiocese determined that parishes must have completed safeguarding implementation training and an internal audit.

Although Hanrick Curran found compliance with the policy “in all material respects,” it identified 11 recommendations to improve the policy.

These included recommended improvements in record-keeping in parishes, in particular preparing and recording of interview questions and responses for the appointment of volunteers and parish staff, and preparing and retaining risk assessments for parish activities that involve children and vulnerable adults.

Other matters identified included issuing, recording, and retaining volunteer acceptance of the code of conduct, documenting and retaining training records for parish volunteers, and issuing and recording policy details in parish newsletters.

While none of these procedures are mandated in the policy, the audit report recommended parishes use a standard “safeguarding” folder, maintained to show compliance.