We know that we are not alone in our sense of anger and disbelief at the seemingly endless revelations of institutional inaction and ineptitude that are emerging from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

We can assure you that at Chrysalis School our staff are given regular professional development on the subject of Child Protection. We belong to the Association of Independent Schools, NSW, whose job it is to interpret and update schools on legislative changes and mandatory obligations. Just last week we held a workshop at school which was run by the AIS on child protection issues; over thirty members of staff attended this three hour workshop. We keep abreast by attending regular update sessions as legislative changes occur, or reporting protocols change.

At Chrysalis School, Kelley McGlashan and Steve Klipin are the heads of agency and have statutory responsibility for this role. In addition, Kelley is an accredited Child Protection Investigator.

Chrysalis School has clear policies related to our statutory requirements and we would never shirk from fulfilling them. Policies are designed with child protection in mind and have been developed with the support and advice from the AIS. Registration with the NSW Board of Studies is dependent on having such policies and evidence of their implementation as applicable.

We can assure you that we would never dismiss out of hand any allegation or suspicion regarding reportable conduct. We would, as required by law, follow an objective process, and would not hesitate to seek the advice of AISNSW to assist in any investigation, or indeed to engage them to conduct an independent investigation. Reporting to the police, referral to the Ombudsman, or the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYC) would, as circumstances dictated, be necessary steps in the process.