Safeguarding Vulnerable People

Empower yourself, your workplace and your practice with must-have strategies and safeguarding skills to protect children and vulnerable adults.

This trauma-informed microcredential program, developed in collaboration with Australian leading child protection reformist Hetty Johnston AM, Ansvar Insurance and Bond University, is designed to address the critical global issues of sexual assault, maltreatment and abuse among vulnerable populations, including children, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities. 

With concerning prevalence rates—32% of children in Australia having experienced physical abuse, 28.5% sexual abuse, and nearly 31% emotional abuse and 50 elderly per week (Mathews et al., 2023; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2021) the need for aware and responsive workforces is paramount. 

Additionally, recent data from the World Health Organisation (2022) reveals that 1 in 6 adults over 60 has encountered abuse, underscoring the importance of creating safe, supportive environments.

This microcredential will equip people at all levels of the workplace, as well as volunteers and parents with the confidence and safety skills to recognise abuse indicators, to respond effectively and to act in adherence to the various sector Safeguarding Governance Standards and Principles.
 
The program’s design supports flexible, sector-specific applications across various industries, including community care, education, healthcare, faith, sport and law enforcement.

With significant demand from key partners, this initiative not only enhances safeguarding competencies across sectors but also promotes best practices in trauma informed responses to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect, coercive control and exploitation in order to establish a consistent standard of protection and support for vulnerable populations. 

The course offers a blend of interactive audio-visual content, case studies, and reflection exercises developed in collaboration with Hetty Johnston AM. Hetty is renowned child protection advocate who founded Bravehearts Foundation making it Australia's leading child protection organisation to now founding her new venture,  Safeguarding People Australia. With almost three decades of experience, she has dedicated her career to raising awareness about child sexual abuse and now focussing on creating strategies to protect children and vulnerable adults of all ages. 

Assessment consists of a series of multiple-choice quizzes to test your knowledge and understanding of the principles and learnings from the course.

Upon completing the microcredential, your achievements will be formally recognised with a digital Certificate of Achievement from Bond University.

Safeguarding Vulnerable People

Meet your course instructor

Hetty Johnston AM

Hetty Johnston AM founded Bravehearts Foundation Ltd in 1997 after the sexual assault of her then young daughter and now continues on her journey to protect all vulnerable people as the founder of Safeguarding People Australia.  In 2015, Hetty was recognised as Queensland’s Australian of the Year, in 2014 she was appointed with the Order of Australia, in both 2003 & 2004 she was awarded Australian Lawyers Alliance Civil Justice Awards among many more accolades.

Hetty is well known and respected as one of Australia’s leading advocates and consultants. Her courage and determination have helped bring about the cultural shift currently taking place in how Australia responds to child sexual abuse and more recently, the abuse and exploitation of all vulnerable people.
 

Be Empowered with strategies & skills to safeguard vulnerable people

Enrol now

  • Module topics


    1.    Introduction to Safeguarding-Governance Imperatives:  In this module, you will learn to understand and apply safeguarding principles and risk management. You will be able to define what safeguarding is and why it is essential. Additionally, you will gain insight into the legislative, regulatory, and criminal impacts of non-compliance, as well as the responsibilities of board members.

    2.    Leadership Matters: Explore the critical role of leadership in establishing and maintaining a strong safeguarding culture. You will learn how executive leaders drive safeguarding outcomes, how leadership responsibilities extend across all levels of an organisation, and how different leadership roles interact to support a safe and compliant environment.

    3.    Myths, Facts, & Stats of Abuse Against Vulnerable People: learn about the realities of abuse against vulnerable populations, highlighting common misconceptions, patterns of harm, and the systemic barriers that prevent justice. Through research-based insights, you’ll explore the prevalence and impact of abuse across different groups and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges in safeguarding and intervention.

    4.    Preventing and Responding to Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation: deepen your awareness of how abuse manifests and ensure readiness to recognise and respond to it effectively. You will gain insight into how grooming manipulates victims and caregivers, creating barriers to disclosure, and understand the importance of trauma-informed and culturally appropriate responses in fostering safety, trust, and empowerment for vulnerable individuals.

    5.    Rights & Equity: Explore the rights of vulnerable groups, including children, people with disabilities, and older Australians, by examining how their needs differ and why they require specific protections. You will gain insight into the importance of stakeholder engagement in safeguarding, exploring how inclusive and transparent communication fosters trust and accountability.

    6.    Recruitment & Training: Understand how recruitment acts as the first line of defence in safeguarding, including the risks posed by poor screening practices and the importance of embedding safeguarding throughout the employee lifecycle. You will gain insight into how induction, training, and employment agreements reinforce safeguarding beyond recruitment, helping to embed clear expectations, legal protections, and ongoing accountability across the organisation.

    7.    Disclosures, Incidents & Reporting: In this module, you will explore how to recognise and respond to disclosures, incidents, and complaints related to abuse and safeguarding breaches. Key topics include legal and ethical obligations, emergency response procedures, accurate record-keeping, and trauma-informed responses—equipping you to manage concerns confidently while supporting victims and meeting compliance requirements.

    8.    Online Risks & Situational Onsite & Offsite Risks: In this module, you will explore how to identify, assess, and manage safeguarding risks in both physical and online environments. You'll learn to conduct effective risk assessments for onsite, offsite, and digital settings, and apply continuous improvement strategies to ensure safe environments for children and vulnerable people.

    Bonus Content: Upon completion of this course, gain access to resources and guides in our Essential Safeguarding Document Pack, to help you apply important safeguarding principles in your work life and organisation.
     

  • The trauma informed microcredential for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults is suitable for anyone who supports, protects, or interacts with vulnerable groups. This includes:

    • Safeguarding Professionals and Consultants: Those responsible for developing trauma-informed safeguarding policies and practices.
    • Board Directors and Executive Management: Leaders who need to integrate safeguarding, regulatory compliance, and cultural change within their organisations.
    • Service Providers and Professionals: Staff working across healthcare, education, social services, law enforcement, aged care, disability services, and child protection sectors.
    • Middle Management and Staff: Supervisors and frontline workers responsible for maintaining safe and supportive environments.
    • Volunteers and Community Members: People who regularly interact with children, older adults, or individuals with disabilities.
    • Equipping yourself with this micro credential will help protect vulnerable Individuals: Children, young people, older adults, and individuals with disabilities who benefit indirectly from improved trauma-informed care and safeguarding practices.

  • Goals and objectives


    By the end of this course you will be able to:

    1.    Understand key facts and research about sexual abuse and other harms against vulnerable people.
    2.    Understanding key aspects of preventative, trauma-informed safeguarding, including risks, impacts and legacy of abuse.
    3.    Understand the governance imperatives for board and executive management, staff and volunteers with a focus on leadership and culture.
    4.    Understand the fundamentals of the legal and regulatory environments that exist for those who work or interact with children and vulnerable people. 
    5.    Recognise and respond to the signs and symptoms of grooming, abuse, domestic violence and coercive control
    6.    Identify appropriate legal requirements, standards and actions relating to rights, equity, recruitment, complaints, and organisational risks.

    Assessment and recognition

    Assessment for this course consists of a series of online multiple-choice quizzes that assess your understanding of the learning. You must complete and pass the assessment tasks to qualify for a digital Certificate of Completion. 

Module topics


1.    Introduction to Safeguarding-Governance Imperatives:  In this module, you will learn to understand and apply safeguarding principles and risk management. You will be able to define what safeguarding is and why it is essential. Additionally, you will gain insight into the legislative, regulatory, and criminal impacts of non-compliance, as well as the responsibilities of board members.

2.    Leadership Matters: Explore the critical role of leadership in establishing and maintaining a strong safeguarding culture. You will learn how executive leaders drive safeguarding outcomes, how leadership responsibilities extend across all levels of an organisation, and how different leadership roles interact to support a safe and compliant environment.

3.    Myths, Facts, & Stats of Abuse Against Vulnerable People: learn about the realities of abuse against vulnerable populations, highlighting common misconceptions, patterns of harm, and the systemic barriers that prevent justice. Through research-based insights, you’ll explore the prevalence and impact of abuse across different groups and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges in safeguarding and intervention.

4.    Preventing and Responding to Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation: deepen your awareness of how abuse manifests and ensure readiness to recognise and respond to it effectively. You will gain insight into how grooming manipulates victims and caregivers, creating barriers to disclosure, and understand the importance of trauma-informed and culturally appropriate responses in fostering safety, trust, and empowerment for vulnerable individuals.

5.    Rights & Equity: Explore the rights of vulnerable groups, including children, people with disabilities, and older Australians, by examining how their needs differ and why they require specific protections. You will gain insight into the importance of stakeholder engagement in safeguarding, exploring how inclusive and transparent communication fosters trust and accountability.

6.    Recruitment & Training: Understand how recruitment acts as the first line of defence in safeguarding, including the risks posed by poor screening practices and the importance of embedding safeguarding throughout the employee lifecycle. You will gain insight into how induction, training, and employment agreements reinforce safeguarding beyond recruitment, helping to embed clear expectations, legal protections, and ongoing accountability across the organisation.

7.    Disclosures, Incidents & Reporting: In this module, you will explore how to recognise and respond to disclosures, incidents, and complaints related to abuse and safeguarding breaches. Key topics include legal and ethical obligations, emergency response procedures, accurate record-keeping, and trauma-informed responses—equipping you to manage concerns confidently while supporting victims and meeting compliance requirements.

8.    Online Risks & Situational Onsite & Offsite Risks: In this module, you will explore how to identify, assess, and manage safeguarding risks in both physical and online environments. You'll learn to conduct effective risk assessments for onsite, offsite, and digital settings, and apply continuous improvement strategies to ensure safe environments for children and vulnerable people.

Bonus Content: Upon completion of this course, gain access to resources and guides in our Essential Safeguarding Document Pack, to help you apply important safeguarding principles in your work life and organisation.
 

Contributors

Commissioner Julie Ingman-Grant – Australian e-Safety Commission

Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald AM – Australian Age Discrimination Commissioner

Commissioner Ann Hollonds – Australian Commission for Children

Commissioner Liz Hefren-Webb – Aged Care and Quality Standards

Former Royal Commissioner Bob (Robert Atkinson) AO, APM

Dr Cher McGillivray – Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychologist – Bond University

Professor Michael Salter – Director Childlight Hub UNSW 

Professor Daryl Higgins – Director of the Institute of Child Protection Studies ACU

Professor Jon Rouse APM  - Monash Uni AiLECS  Lab, Childlight Hub UNSW, Chair ICMEC Australia.

Dr Cher McGillivray – Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychologist – Bond University

Aimee Hele – Survivor, Policy Advisor Qld Child and Family Commission 

Anthony Black – General Manager Risk Solutions Ansvar Insurance

By browsing this site you accept that cookies are used to improve and personalise our services to you for a better experience on our website and for social activity. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our use of cookies statement
I Agree