Safety at Dilworth

Safety at Dilworth School

Dilworth School cares deeply about the safety, welfare, and wellbeing of those in our school community.

We are fully committed to providing a safe and supportive environment where students can achieve personal excellence.

Dilworth has a zero tolerance for abuse of any kind. In recent years we have undertaken measures to ensure safeguarding and wellbeing at Dilworth are in-line with current and world-leading best practice. We take a whole-community approach to safety, with a focus on providing our students with a voice in decision making.

In 2022 Dilworth School became the first school in Aotearoa, New Zealand to become Child Wise accredited. Child Wise is an independent consultancy and accreditation programme that helps organisations to strengthen and develop their child safety processes and culture. The Child Wise framework will continue to guide our school as we uphold an environment where student safety and wellbeing are intrinsic to our culture and remain at the centre of our thinking, values, and actions.

Find out more about Child Wise here.

 

Student Safety at Dilworth School

 

 

 

Healing Historical Harm

The Dilworth Trust Board is committed to fully confronting the issue of historical sexual and other abuse openly and honestly.

The Board unreservedly apologises to all former students who suffered abuse when they were at Dilworth, and acknowledges that the School’s past procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse were inadequate and did not meet the standards in place today.

Dilworth Redress Programme
While redress cannot undo the harm done to former students who suffered abuse, the Board is committed to supporting them through an independent Redress Programme. The Programme is designed to support former students who suffered abuse through various forms of redress including financial awards, access to funded counselling and therapy, an apology, and other forms of personalised redress. Financial redress is available to any Dilworth former student who suffered sexual or serious physical abuse committed by a Dilworth representative, as well as those who suffered sexual abuse committed by another student while at Dilworth. Families of former students who were abused who have died can also make an application for redress. Find out more on the Dilworth Redress website.

Dilworth Independent Inquiry
Separately, the Board commissioned an Independent Inquiry to establish an understanding of the causes, nature and extent of the abuse experienced by former students at Dilworth School. The Independent Inquiry report is due to be published in the second half of 2023. Find out more on the Dilworth Independent Inquiry website.

Confidential Listening Service
Completely independent of Dilworth, a confidential Listening Service is available to any former student who suffered abuse while at the School. There is also access to fully funded counselling or psychological therapy and support. For more information, email assist@dobsupport.com.

Read more about the Dilworth Trust Board’s response to historical abuse at www.dilworthresponse.org.nz.