Kooyoora’s work across professional standards, safeguarding, investigations and complaints management is grounded in a commitment to transparency, accountability, fairness and care. Throughout the course of our work, we have found that terms such as survivor-centric, trauma-informed and procedural fairness can be misused or misunderstood. Some interpret survivor-centric to imply bias, partiality or being unfair to respondents. In the interests of transparency and accountability, it is important to clearly define these concepts and explain how they are applied, so that complaints processes are safe, ethical, fair and capable of producing decisions that can be trusted. 

What Does Survivor-Centric Mean?

Survivor-centric is an approach where the needs, safety, dignity and choices of the survivor are prioritised at every stage of a complaint process, rather than the protection of the organisation or institution. It is essential to building trust and justice.

In practice, a survivor-centric approach:

• Places the survivor’s experience at the centre, recognising the serious and lifelong impacts of child sexual abuse

• Respects survivors as experts in their own experience, rather than treating them as sources of risk or liability

• Gives survivors choice and control, including how they disclose, what support they access, and how (or whether) the complaint proceeds

• Prioritises survivor safety and wellbeing over institutional reputation or legal defensiveness

• Ensures the process does not re‑traumatise, disempower, or silence the survivor

• Recognises power imbalances between survivors and institutions, and actively works to redress them 

Historically, some institutional practices failed survivors because they focused on protecting themselves, controlling information, minimising liability, or insisting on rigid procedures that ignored survivors’ needs.

What Does Trauma-Informed Practice Mean?

Trauma‑informed complaints management practice is a way of working that is grounded in an understanding of the impacts of trauma and seeks to avoid re‑traumatisation during responses to abuse disclosures.

A trauma-informed approach does not assume that survivors will disclose harm in a clear, chronological or complete way. It recognises that trauma can affect how people recall events, how they communicate distress, and how safe they feel participating in formal processes.

In practice, trauma-informed complaints management:

• Understands how trauma affects memory, communication, behaviour and trust

• Does not expect survivors to disclose clearly, consistently or all at once

• Avoids practices that replicate loss of control, such as rigid timelines, interrogative questioning, or repeated retelling

• Creates emotional and psychological safety, not only procedural fairness

• Starts from a position of trust, empathy and respect, rather than scepticism or adversarial testing

• Provides clear information and predictable processes, reducing anxiety and confusion

• Allows flexibility, pacing and support throughout the complaint journey

A trauma-informed process does not remove complexity or difficult decisions. Direct and clear questions must be asked, and this can be uncomfortable. Discomfort is not an indicator that the process has not been trauma informed. It does, however, ensure that those decisions are made with care, clarity and an awareness of the potential for harm.

Avoiding Re-Traumatisation Through Better Systems

A complaints process can unintentionally reproduce the very dynamics of trauma it is meant to address. This is sometimes described as parallel process, systems mirroring trauma or institutional re-enactment.

This occurs when service systems unconsciously replicate chaos, fear, fragmentation and powerlessness. In complaints management, this can look like:

• Unclear processes

• Drifting timelines

• Incomplete or inconsistent information

• Avoidance of decisions

• Heightened anxiety

• Poor communication

• Repeated requests for the same information

• A lack of clarity about what will happen next

Where trauma was chaotic, systems must be predictable. Where trauma was silencing, systems must communicate clearly. Where trauma removed control, systems must offer structured choice. Where trauma felt endless, systems must provide decision points.

To prevent trauma-replication, organisations must replace chaos with structure, avoidance with decision-making, and silence with predictable communication. Boundaries, timelines and clear process steps should not be treated as harmful in themselves. When applied thoughtfully, they can be an important form of care. 

On 1 July 2026, Queensland introduced its Reportable Conduct Scheme, establishing a new, consistent state-wide approach to reporting and responding to allegations of abuse and misconduct by workers in organisations that care for, supervise, or exercise authority over children. The Scheme is a significant reform that strengthens child safety and brings Queensland into line with other Australian states and territories that have implemented reportable conduct schemes.

“Every child should be safe no matter where they are, and every parent and carer should have confidence in the systems in place to care for their children.”

 The Reportable Conduct Scheme improves how organisations manage allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards children. The Queensland Family and Child Commission describes it as a reform that helps ensure concerns are taken seriously, investigated appropriately, and recorded in a way that can help prevent future harm.

As part of our recently expanded Clinical Services, Kooyoora is pleased to introduce a new counselling service that offers compassionate, professional support for people navigating challenging experiences and circumstances.

Our counselling service provides brief to medium-term support that is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and tailored to each person's goals, needs, and circumstances. We understand that every person's situation is unique, which is why our approach is centred on the individual, supporting safety, wellbeing, and recovery in a way that is practical, respectful, and responsive.

Our counselling approach focuses on stabilisation, practical skill development, and measurable progress. This means sessions are designed not only to provide support and understanding, but also to help people build tools and strategies that strengthen their wellbeing over time.

By Kim Porter

Creating safer environments for children and young people requires more than just policies and protocols, it demands innovative, out-of-the-box thinking. By embracing creative solutions and fostering collaborative and interactive brainstorming, we uncover transformative approaches that go beyond the obvious, building cultures of safety, trust, and resilience.

I’m excited to guide teams towards a deeper understanding of child safety and safeguarding as a whole. At Kooyoora, we’re moving safeguarding practice forward one team at a time, helping to build cultures that prioritise trust, resilience, and safety.

In my work developing safeguarding cultures, I’ve seen how often we stop brainstorming just when the most meaningful solutions to complex challenges are about to emerge. This is something sectors focused on safety and protection need to move beyond, just as Silicon Valley did for innovation.

What I’ve learnt is that the most powerful solutions to safeguarding challenges rarely show up in the first handful of ideas. They appear when you push teams to go beyond fifty ideas. Early responses are predictable; they’re just the warmup. But as teams dig deeper, genuine innovation surfaces solutions that can transform practice and truly protect those most at risk.

This kind of deep thinking is just as vital in safeguarding as it is in high-tech industries. By refusing to settle for the obvious, we create space for new ideas in safety, trust, and culture. So, what gets safeguarding teams to that breakthrough level?

Tell us a little about your role at Kooyoora.
I run the screening system (OSCA) for clergy and volunteers.

What inspired you to work at Kooyoora?
After time in corporate I was looking for something with a different pace and an opportunity to learn about the NFP space.

What do you like most about working at Kooyoora?
There is never a dull day at Kooyoora – from speaking with Lawyers about clearances, to dealing with the IT company about updates and changes to OSCA, to dealing with the different Dioceses along with helping applicants who have issues with OSCA.  It is a busy role. 

What does a typical day 'in the office' look like?
There is no typical day – it is busy from the minute I start to the time I finish!!! 

What is a hobby/interest you have outside of work?
I like to keep busy, so do regular spin and Pilates classes, weekly art classes, I belong to a Book Club, love coffee catch-up with girlfriends, play mahjong and started volunteering as a Lifeline Crisis Support Worker last year – something that gives my life a lot of meaning.  

What’s your favourite way to spend a weekend?
Going on walks with friends and all our dogs, spending time outdoors, having friends over for dinner, spending time with my husband and 2 adult kids. 

Coffee or tea (or neither)?
Coffee by a country mile. 

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Supportive, listener, at times a bit silly. 

What's the best place you've ever travelled to? Why? I lived in Hong Kong many years ago after handover and it was fabulous. A super fun city to live and explore.

Do you have any hidden talents? I can make my family laugh by impersonating my German Granny’s accent and can arrange flowers. 

What’s a fun fact about you? 
I once did a triathlon. 

Cat or dog (or neither)? 
Dog of course.

Would you rather sing karaoke (solo) or be part of a choir?   
I am a truly terrible terrible singer, but karaoke is ok after a wine!!

Do you have a favourite quote or motto you live by? 
Carpe Diem.