Risk Assessment, Management and Mitigation

It would be very easy for me to have written about or created a video on the remarkable learning and experiences Annesley’s students have had in the first two weeks of this term including the commencement of The Quest for Years 5, 6 and 7, our new partnership with Cleland Wildlife Park ‘kicking off’ or the brilliant new Nature Play spaces that are nearing completion in our Early Learning Centre. Instead I felt it important as we move into our ‘new normal’ in the world of COVID-19, to share some insights with you with regards to our thorough approach to risk assessment, management and mitigation.

Risk is part of everyday life. The moment we get out of bed, we are constantly, mostly subconsciously, assessing and managing risk. Is the water in the shower the right temperate? Is the milk in the fridge out of date? Is the stair gate closed so my toddler doesn’t embark on an elevated adventure? Is my car registration and insurance paid and up to date? Did I destroy that bit of paper with my credit card pin number on it? The list goes on and on.

In a school setting, risk is diverse and ever present. A vital part of our role is to ensure we constantly and thoroughly assess, manage and mitigate risk across the whole of our organisation, in line with legislative requirements. At Annesley, we invest significant resources and time to ensure we are assessing and managing risk and it is our collective responsibility to ensure the implementation of this core responsibility. Much of this important work is ‘unseen’, but happening formally and informally every day across our campus.

At the start of 2020, we created the new, key position of Risk and Compliance Officer at Annesley. Our Risk and Compliance Officer Danielle holds a Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice and Graduate Diploma in Nursing Science. Her diverse professional experience includes, but is not limited to, working as a Solicitor at the Crown Solicitor’s Office, Compliance Analyst at a major private company, Auditor for Work Health Safety (WHS) and Injury Management for a major state government department. She is an expert in the provision of legal advice in relation to WHS, risk management and general liability issues. She has been responsible for creating and managing risk and compliance frameworks, registers, reporting, audits and staff professional learning. She has a proven track record of successfully advising various high profile clients on risk and compliance functions in accordance with relevant legislation, regulatory requirements and standards, embedding cultures of best practice risk mitigation. We are blessed to have a high calibre Risk and Compliance Officer on our team as an expert advisor. The important advisory work of this role supports our action in risk assessment, management and mitigation. The most recent examples of our Risk and Compliance Officer’s important work at Annesley includes facilitating detailed Professional Learning for our Teachers this week on identifying and planning to assess and mitigate risk on excursions and on-campus learning experiences, as well as creating an updated WHS Policy that was analysed and approved by the Annesley College Council.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. It is a true privilege. It brings with it the greatest of responsibility and we don’t take it lightly. Rather we treat it with the ultimate, utmost respect.

Luke Ritchie
PRINCIPAL