The Integrated Risk Management Approach for Catholic Schools
An integrated risk management approach may help when it comes to delivering quality education to catholic schools. Catholic schools are responsible for educating students, supporting their spiritual growth, and protecting them, too. The latter of these is a particularly vital obligation. Additionally, it’s one that every member of the staff must share. Integrated risk management for Catholic schools can provide a viable strategy for minimizing liabilities. Also, it helps in maintaining accountability and ensuring that every student can learn in a safe and supportive environment.
The Integrated Risk Management Method
Learn how the four C’s of this approach can help prevent harm. Then, see how it benefits foster students’ well-being and gives administrators what they need to lead a Catholic school effectively.
Commitment
What does integrated risk management mean, and what is the integrated approach? The first tenet of integrated risk management is committed to students’ safety. Likewise, the best way to illustrate this commitment is a code of conduct that all staff members must sign. This code of conduct must include an explicit statement from each administrator. Moreover, it emphasizes a leader’s role in protecting students, facilitating their education, and preventing harm. This code of conduct should also outline a general protocol for interacting with children. Then, it should ensure that all interactions are appropriate. Every adult personnel working in a Catholic school should be required to review the code of conduct. Lastly, they should sign it, signifying their commitment to student safety.
Concerns
Despite implementing a code of conduct, suspicions of harm may still arise. Leadership must implement policies to address the potential for any violation of conduct protocol. Then, it should include a procedure for investigating any potential or disclosed harm. It should also establish a clear protocol for receiving such reports. All staff should receive a brief on these guidelines. Finally, they should receive training in accepting reports from students or other staff members.
Consistency
Staying consistent with your concerns is essential. Any policy
Any policy that does not have consistent implementation is functionally worthless. Maintaining consistency will help protect students and hold all staff members accountable. Modeling is an effective way to achieve this. By modeling the correct actions and code of conduct, staff have a reference frame to rely on in their day-to-day responsibilities. Modeling also eliminates any ambiguity surrounding the proper implementation of conduct and reporting policies. Likewise, it can set it up so that staff can clearly understand the administration’s expectations.
Capability
Yet another vital component of mitigating risk in the Catholic school environment is ensuring the general capability of all administrators and leaders on staff. Accomplish this by providing that you tailor your recruiting methods to attract competent and compassionate professionals. The school must establish and maintain written procedures outlining recruitment protocol. You can then ensure that all new hires adhere to the criteria. Additionally, newly-hired staff should undergo extensive training in conduct, appropriate interactions with students, and handling of misconduct claims.
About Porter & Curtis
Porter & Curtis is the premier insurance agency providing integrated risk management to religious organizations. If you’re seeking a policy for a unique exposure, we can help. Call us at 610-891-9850 or contact us via message for more information.