We are excited to announce the official launch of Kooyoora’s Abuse Prevention through Culture Change Framework. This significant milestone represents the culmination of a journey that began with insightful conversations and a shared vision to combat abuse and safeguard vulnerable individuals.

At the heart of this initiative is our CEO, Fiona Boyle, whose commitment to improving safeguarding practices has driven this project forward.

The Journey to Creating the Framework

The journey began with Fiona engaging in conversations with a group of like-minded professionals from the fields of safeguarding and child abuse research. Among them were Daryl Higgins and Tim Moore from Australian Catholic University (ACU), as well as Laura Lindsay from Glasshouse Safeguarding.

Through these discussions, the team recognised the need for an initiative that could provide practical support to organisations striving to prevent harm. A shared goal emerged: to create an accessible framework that could assist organisations in improving their safeguarding practices and preventing abuse.

In our first newsletter in November 2024, we introduced OSCA, our Online Screening Application—a secure online portal specifically designed to make the process of pre-employment screening as easy as possible for applicants and organisations. The importance of screening as an early intervention strategy cannot be understated.

Screening is Your First Line of Defence

Pre-employment checks are a critical tool for safeguarding in the workplace, acting as an early intervention mechanism to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both employees and the organisation.

These checks typically involve verifying a candidate’s background, criminal history, qualifications, and previous employment, helping employers assess the potential risks associated with hiring.

Kooyoora works with organisations to ensure effective screening, prioritising safety and legal compliance. This is particularly important because it ensures the safety of the people who are most vulnerable and in need of protection.

One of the primary benefits of pre-employment checks is the prevention of hiring individuals who may pose a threat to the safety and integrity of the workplace. By identifying red flags early, such as a criminal history related to violence or dishonesty, organisations can make more informed hiring decisions.

Kooyoora Team Spotlight – Meet the faces behind our work as they share insights into their roles, interests, and a few fun facts.

Kooyoora Team Spotlight – Meet the faces behind our work as they share insights into their roles, interests, and a few fun facts.

Tell us a little about your role at Kooyoora. 

I am one of the Deputy Director of Professional Standards that provides services to Gippsland and Wangaratta Diocese of the Anglican Church as well as investigating and managing complaints for other client organisations.

What inspired you to work at Kooyoora? 

Our Director – Katrina Thomas; her passion for the work of supporting organisations to be safe, as well as the fact that she believed that I would be able to transfer my skills and experience to undertake the work that is involved with Kooyoora, as I had previously worked for Victoria Police.

What do you like most about working at Kooyoora? 

The people that I work with and the comradeship within the team. Also, that we are hopefully making a difference in supporting organisations to be safe.

What does a typical day 'in the office' look like?

My typical day is working from home in my office attending to varied enquiries and investigations, managing complaints on behalf of organisations, writing reports and making recommendations, supporting client organisations with their governance and decision making.

What is a hobby/interest you have outside of work? 

Music. Playing cricket and golf.  I love a range of outdoor recreational activities.

What’s your favourite way to spend a weekend?

With my family doing some sort of adventure.

Coffee or tea (or neither)? 

A bit of both – One cup of coffee a day and the rest tea.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Fun, caring and adventurous.

What's the best place you've ever travelled to? Why?

New Orleans – It was the Louis Armstrong festival and there was so much amazing music.

Do you have any hidden talents?

Play the trumpet.

What’s a fun fact about you?  

That every year I play the Last Post and Reveille at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service on a bugle from World War 1.

Cat or dog (or neither)?  

Dog.

Would you rather sing karaoke (solo) or be part of a choir?  

 Be part of a choir.

Do you have a favourite quote or motto you live by?  

Always look on the bright side of life.

In this article we have chosen to highlight a film called The Assistant (2019) as an example of the systemic issues that allow abuse to persist within organisations. The film provides a powerful lens through which we can examine how workplace culture, power dynamics, and silence contribute to harm. Rather than focusing on a single act of misconduct, The Assistant reveals the everyday behaviours—dismissiveness, complicity, and fear—that create an environment where abuse is normalised and victims feel powerless. By exploring this film, we want to encourage deeper reflection on how these patterns manifest in real workplaces and what can be done to challenge and change them.

What is The Assistant about?

The Assistant (2019), directed by Kitty Green, is a quietly powerful exploration of systemic abuse in professional settings. The film follows Jane, a young assistant at a film mogul’s production company, as she navigates a day filled with subtle but deeply unsettling signs of misconduct. Through seemingly mundane tasks, the film reveals a toxic environment that perpetuates silence, fear, and complicity in an abusive culture.

We all aspire to genuinely positive relations in the various contexts of our lives. However, we frequently find ourselves beset by conflict. This might be catalysed by specific incidents or a legacy of historic injustice, trauma or betrayal. Regrettably some of our best intentions for dealing with harm can makes things worse. 

The good news is that there are a range of mindsets and evidence-based effective processes which we can use to work through conflict, repair harm and set relations right. Many of these have deep roots in indigenous cultures, Christian theology, and contemporary Restorative Practices. 

This Zoom workshop will introduce these approaches from Ven. Canon A/Prof Uncle Glenn Loughrey, (Provincial Archdeacon - Reconciliation, First Peoples Recognition and Treaty, A/Prof. ANU and Artist in Residence, St Paul's Cathedral Melbourne), Michael Wood (Anglican Priest and Restorative Practices Facilitator, Australian Association for Restorative Justice) and Anna Tydd (Director and Founder, One Resolve); and provide space for conversation about how this work could be developed in churches.