Best Practice Models vs. Accreditation
At their core, accreditation models are based on child safety best practices, such as the 10 Child Safe Organisation Principles. Indeed, the best practice programmes offered by some accredited providers simply follow the best practice principles delivered without the accreditation processes. It is the Accreditation process that essentially makes the distinction. It is a more detailed, formal process, including:
1. Tailoring Practice: Ensuring recommendations aligned to the principles or the assessment of those recommendations capture the organisation’s specific needs (provider-dependent).
2. Formal Verification: The accreditation provider essentially adopts the role of quality assurance, with the actual accreditation usually being awarded following an independent panel assessment.
3. Public Endorsement: If awarded accreditation, the organisation often receives public endorsement from the accreditation provider that can be used by the organisation to reflect that external child safety experts have verified their commitment to child safety to an accredited safeguarding standard.
Many organisations pursue accreditation following child safety failings, but it can also be a proactive commitment to safeguarding excellence.
However, accreditation is a significant financial and operational investment and isn’t necessarily needed by all organisations. Qualitative child safety best practice models, such as our Child Safety Ambassadors Programme, can also deliver tailored support and endorsed changes.
See below to determine if accreditation is right for your organisation.
Is Accreditation Right for Your Organisation?
While we encourage all organisations to prioritise child safety, we don’t necessarily agree with the Royal Commission that safeguarding accreditation, in its current form, is essential for every organisation in the children’s workforce.
We strongly advocate that organisations in positions of influence or who are responsible for verifying sector practices should operate at an accredited level. This includes regulatory agencies such as Oranga Tamariki and the Education Review Office. From a quality assurance perspective, we believe entities responsible for accrediting, endorsing, or approving others should first have their own knowledge, skills, and practices independently assessed before influencing and evaluating others.
For other children’s workforce organisations, we recommend starting with a child safety best practice model, such as our Child Safety Ambassadors Programme, which is also designed to provide a solid foundation for establishments seeking to pursue ongoing external accreditation and create a smoother, more cost-effective process. Depending on an organisation’s needs, this approach may also be suitable for those responding to significant current or historical child safety concerns.
How We Can Help
While we do not provide an accreditation programme, we can support services pursuing external accreditation through our Consultancy and Embedded Advisor support services. Indeed, the founder of Holistic Safeguarding, Kim Dickinson, has successfully guided Y North (formerly YMCA Auckland) and Dilworth School through their accreditation and renewal processes.
Recognising the need to bridge the spectrum gap between basic compliance and pursuing high-cost, complex formal accreditation, and the fact that most organisations need and will benefit most from a practical, sustainable, and proportionate best practice framework, we have developed the Child Safety Ambassadors Programme.
The Ambassador’s Programme is a child safety best practice model designed to help organisations of all sizes and from all sectors of Aotearoa’s children’s workforce become Child Safe Organisations, including those responding to historical concerns.
Learn more about our Child Safety Ambassadors Programme or Contact Us for support with your external accreditation.