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IICSA published its final Report in October 2022. This website was last updated in January 2023.

Effective leadership of child protection

  1. This will include consideration of issues such as:

a. Embedding ethics and values so they align with policy and practice

b. Ensuring organisations are safe, and effective at being safe;

c. Achieving openness, transparency and good communication;

d. Ensuring good communication, escalation of issues and concerns with  clear lines of accountability, and good leadership in scenarios where there is no direct line management structure;

e. Embedding and ensuring a culture of continuous learning;

f. Using management and audit information to understand the institution, its systems and its performance, so that systemic warning signs can be identified early; 

g. Responding appropriately to internal and external pressure, for example from politicians, community leaders, parents, funders and other key stakeholders  so that child welfare and protection is prioritised ;

h. Responding to the evidence of “whistleblowers” and recommendations from inspectorates, Serious Case Reviews and similar reports;

i. Learning from past institutional failures, including from adverse events, including embedding a ‘learning’ not a ‘blaming’ culture;

j. Exercising good judgment with respect to strategic priorities and risks;

k. The relevance of leadership style and how leaders act as positive role models; 

l. Effective leadership, change and improvement;

The investigation will focus on practical experience of leadership and management..  

  1. The investigation will focus on practical experience of leadership and management.
  2. The Inquiry will conduct a public hearing in this investigation at which evidence will be heard about the issues identified above.

Institutional Leadership - definition of scope

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