Safeguarding.

Safeguarding extends beyond child safety. It encompasses the systems, culture and governance required to protect children and vulnerable people from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Moores is a national leader in safeguarding law and advisory. We work with organisations across the education, disability, aged care and for-purpose sectors to design safeguarding frameworks that are practical, compliant and embedded in day-to-day operations.

We bring deep, specialist expertise across prevention, governance and response, supporting organisations to manage safeguarding risks in complex and highly regulated environments.

What we do

The safety of children and vulnerable people does not exist in a vacuum and often raises privacy, governance, compliance and workplace relations issues.

We provide comprehensive safeguarding support, including:

• developing safeguarding strategies and advising Boards and executives on governance and risk;
• delivering tailored training for staff, volunteers and leadership teams;
• designing and implementing policies, procedures and codes of conduct;
• advising on disability inclusion, gender diversity and complex regulatory obligations;
• conducting complex investigations and supporting responses to serious allegations;
• strengthening recruitment, screening and risk mitigation processes; and
• advising on crisis management, regulatory engagement and litigation, including historical abuse claims.

What you can expect

Integrated support

Safeguarding issues often intersect with workplace, governance, privacy and regulatory obligations.

We work closely with our not-for-profit, workplace and education teams to provide integrated, end-to-end support for complex matters.

National capability in safeguarding

Legislative frameworks across child safety, disability and aged care sectors are complex and rapidly evolving.

We guide national organisations through this landscape to ensure a cohesive, compliant and practical approach across jurisdictions.

Our approach

Safeguarding requires careful, informed handling. Our work is grounded in a trauma-informed approach and a deep understanding of how safeguarding risks arise in practice. We support organisations to respond to concerns in a way that is respectful, procedurally fair and aligned with regulatory expectations.

Recent Experience

We are regularly engaged to support complex and sensitive safeguarding matters, including:

• advising organisations through Royal Commissions, public inquiries and regulatory scrutiny;
• working with regulators such as the Social Services Regulator, Victorian Institute of Teaching and police in relation to serious allegations, investigations and enforcement action;
• conducting and overseeing complex investigations into abuse, harm and reportable conduct matters, particularly in the disability and aged care sectors;
• advising on complex and evolving areas of law, including disability inclusion, gender diversity and change and suppression practices for religious and for-purpose organisations;
• designing safeguarding strategies, governance frameworks and stakeholder consultation processes, including leading focus groups and preparing tailored consultation materials;
• advising on cross-disciplinary risk issues, including governance, discrimination, workplace, privacy and contractual obligations, particularly in innovative or high-risk contexts (such as digital platforms for people with disability);
• strengthening organisational systems, including recruitment, screening, accessibility and capacity considerations; and
• delivering training and capability uplift programs to large, national workforces and volunteer networks.

Our work is underpinned by deep sector knowledge, a trauma-informed approach and a strong focus on preventing harm. We support organisations to design and embed safeguarding systems, manage risk and respond to concerns in a way that is practical, compliant and defensible. We work closely with regulators, stakeholders and those affected by safeguarding issues to provide clear, strategic advice that protects both people and organisational integrity.

Our sector expertise

Children

We support organisations working with children to meet their positive obligations and manage risk in a way that is proactive, defensible and embedded in organisational practice. We understand the significant legal, regulatory and human consequences of getting this wrong, and help organisations strengthen governance, culture and response frameworks accordingly.

Further information about our child safety expertise can be found on our Child Safety webpage.

Disability

We assist organisations across the disability sector to design and implement safeguarding systems that protect people with disability and meet the expectations of a highly regulated and evolving environment. Our advice is grounded in the practical realities of service delivery, regulatory oversight and the need for accessible, inclusive systems.

Aged Care

We work with aged care providers navigating ongoing reform to strengthen safeguarding frameworks, governance and operational practices. Our focus is on supporting organisations to deliver safe, high-quality care, while meeting legislative and regulatory expectations in a rapidly changing sector.

Social housing

We advise social housing providers on safeguarding, discrimination and governance risks, recognising the complexity and vulnerability of the communities they serve. Our work supports the creation of safe, equitable environments, underpinned by clear policies, strong decision-making and compliant practices.