Synopsis:

The learner wellbeing and safety system is a crucial aspect that Tertiary Institutions must ensure to maintain a healthy and safe environment for their learners. The system has four processes and two outcomes. The first outcome emphasises a whole-of-provider approach to maintain a strategic and transparent learner wellbeing and safety system, whereas the second outcome focuses on understanding and responding to diverse learner voices and wellbeing and safety needs in a way that upholds their mana and autonomy.

Process 1:

Strategic Goals and Strategic Plans: Providers must have strategic goals and strategic plans for supporting the wellbeing and safety of their learners across their organisation, including student accommodation. They also need to describe how they will give effect to the outcomes sought and processes required by this code, and contribute to an education system that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi and supports Māori- Crown relations.

Discussion Points:

– How does your Tertiary Institution promote and implement strategic goals and strategic plans that reflect the unique needs of your diverse learners?
– How often are these goals and plans reviewed, and how are amendments made?
– How does your Tertiary Institution work proactively with learners and stakeholders when developing and reviewing these wellbeing and safety strategic goals and strategic plans?

Process 2:

Self-Review of Learner Wellbeing and Safety Practices: Providers must use strategic goals and strategic plans to regularly review the quality of their learner wellbeing and safety practices to achieve the outcomes and practices of this code. Providers need to review their learner wellbeing and safety practices using input from diverse learners and other stakeholders, and relevant quantitative and qualitative data consistent with current privacy legislation, disaggregated by diverse learner groups.

Discussion Points:

– How does your Tertiary Institution ensure that learner wellbeing and safety practices meet the required standard?
– How often are self-review reports conducted, and how are any deficiencies addressed?
– How does your Tertiary Institution involve diverse learners, stakeholders and communities in the review process?

Process 3:

Publication Requirements: Providers must make certain information, such as strategic goals and plans, revisions to strategic goals and plans, and self-review reports on the quality of learner wellbeing and safety practices readily available to learners, staff and the general public, including on their websites (where available).

Discussion Points:

– How does your Tertiary Institution ensure that information related to learner wellbeing and safety is accessible to all stakeholders?
– How often is this information updated and reviewed?
– How is this information disseminated to learners and staff effectively?

Process 4:

Responsive Wellbeing and Safety Systems: Providers must gather and communicate relevant information across their organisation and relevant stakeholders to identify emerging concerns about learners’ wellbeing and safety or behaviour. Providers must take all reasonable steps to connect learners quickly to culturally appropriate social, medical, and mental health services. Providers must also provide staff with ongoing training and resources tailored to their roles in the organisation in relation to various topics related to wellbeing and safety.

Discussion Points:

– How does your Tertiary Institution ensure that learners are quickly connected with culturally appropriate services in emergencies?
– How does your Tertiary Institution provide staff with ongoing training and resources tailored to their roles in the organisation?
– Does your Tertiary Institution have plans in place for assisting learners, responding effectively and handling emergency situations adequately?

Outcome 2:

Learner Voice: Providers understand and respond to diverse learner voices and wellbeing and safety needs in a way that upholds their mana and autonomy.

Process 1:

Learner Voice: Providers must have practices for proactively building and maintaining effective relationships with diverse learner groups within their organisation. They need to work with diverse learners and their communities to develop, review, and improve learner wellbeing and safety strategic goals, strategic plans, and practices.

Discussion Points:

– How does your Tertiary Institution ensure that diverse learner voices are heard and responded to in a way that upholds their autonomy?
– Does your Tertiary Institution engage effectively with diverse learner groups to develop, review and improve learner wellbeing and safety strategic goals and plans?

Process 2:

Learner Complaints: Providers must have practices for effectively responding to and processing complaints. They need to inform learners on how the complaint will be handled and how it is progressing. Providers need to handle complaints timely and efficiently.

Discussion Points:

– How does your Tertiary Institution handle complaints from diverse learner groups?
– How does your Tertiary Institution ensure that the complaints process is easily accessible to learners?
– Does your Tertiary Institution have practices for providing learners with clear information on how to use the internal complaints processes and the possible outcomes of the process?