The University of Sydney’s evaluation of the On Us Coalition highlighted three key benefits for its members:
- Sharing the journey with likeminded businesses and learning from each other
One of the key themes to emerge from the interviews with the founding members of the Coalition is the perceived benefits of sharing the journey and the lessons learned from participation. This finding is significant, as the business sector would normally operate from a model of competition rather than collaboration. Businesses, with very different operating models and interests, can work towards common objectives. As the On Us Coalition has matured, this sense of purpose has strengthened and unified.
- Supported risk assessments from child safety experts in the Foundation
Members reported that they valued bespoke in-house workshops, facilitated by Australian Childhood Foundation, that helped them identify their business-specific risks and develop a comprehensive child safeguarding action plan. This initial stage informed a subsequent process of developing frameworks and tools that can be utilised generically across all businesses, as well as materials focused on particular sectors.
Risk assessment is an area where the Coalition members can be transparent and share learnings with other members to improve practice. This was seen as an important benefit and value-add that the Coalition offers new members. Founding members reported that their internal risk awareness and protocols have improved, and there is value to their brand from the association of being an organisation that actively prioritises children.
- Increased awareness of child safeguarding issues and risks to business
Business representatives generally reported low awareness of child safeguarding within their businesses and industries prior to joining the Coalition. Building awareness was recognised as a key goal, providing a ‘wake up call’ on the issue of child exploitation alongside guidance on the specific risks within industries.
A key benefit of membership was bringing together a cross-sector coalition, at varying stages of awareness, to create a platform for a shared commitment to building capacity to adopt safeguarding policies and practices aimed at helping to protect children against abuse. While prior awareness had been low, once involved, the business representatives recognised the relevance of child safeguarding to their business models.
One member representative described their own journey as moving from “unconsciously unconscious” to “consciously unconscious” as they begin to explore the risks to child safeguarding in the work that they do. The process of awareness-raising with the organisation was described as developmental, with businesses describing a maturing understanding of their role in child safeguarding.
“[Our business] wants to be in a position by the end of this year where we can really say we’re on the front foot and prove it, not just say it, but actually prove that we’re on the front foot with this.” – On Us member representative
“Providing staff with toolkits, sensitising them through training, offering access to advice and contact numbers for concerns… by educating our office teams, we can become ‘child safety hubs.” – On Us member representative
“This is an opportunity to de-risk their businesses, have a practical approach to addressing child safeguarding risks they may have in their business practices. It’s a reputational issue, and more than that, these are real things that happen.” – On Us member representative
