Updates have been made to a number of HR (Human Resources) policies and procedures, approved by the SCEA Board and Senior Leadership Team, to strengthen our identity as a CHARIS workplace marked by unity and shaped by the CHARIS Virtues.
These updates bring greater clarity, consistency, and alignment across key HR areas, including recruitment, onboarding, staff conduct, performance, equality, and dispute resolution.
More importantly, they help ensure that the way we work reflects who we are and what we value by seeking the following outcomes:
- Clearly reflecting SCEA’s Christian Ethos in the workplace, including the CHARIS Way and Virtues.
- Providing a safe, respectful, and unified workplace while faithfully maintaining our identity as a Christian educational organisation.
- Equipping our staff and leaders with practical, fair, and transparent processes to support everyday decisions and interactions.
For those who value the fine print of any document, here are the changes that are present in the new documents:
- Review and re-write of the existing Recruitment and Selection Policy, creating a new Recruitment, Selection, and Onboarding Policy and Procedure. Proposed changes include stronger links to the new Christian Ethos, new CHARIS Education Framework, and revised Staff Code of Conduct, as well as clear and accurate descriptions of SCEA’s legal rights with regard to employment and discrimination law. The Policy and Procedure establish a more rigorous and contemporary model for recruitment, selection, and onboarding and ensures that all processes include clear and upfront statements about SCEA’s Christian Ethos and expectations for applicants.
- Review and re-write of the existing Staff Code of Conduct, creating a new Staff Code of Conduct Policy and Code of Conduct. Proposed amendments strengthen the alignment of the Code with the new Christian Ethos, including the CHARIS Way and Virtues, Statement of Faith, and Christian Lifestyle Expectations.
- Repeal the existing Equal Opportunity Policy and Gender Equity Policy and replace them with a single Equality Policy. The new Equality Policy is significantly shaped by the Association’s Christian Ethos and legal requirements.
- Review and re-write of the existing Sub-Standard Performance Policy, creating a new Sub-Standard Performance and Misconduct Policy and Procedure. Proposed amendments significantly strengthen SCEA’s approach to the management of staff underperformance, as well as creating a comprehensive model for addressing employee misconduct, drawing on both the Association’s Christian Ethos and best practices and legal requirements.
- Creation of a new Dispute Resolution Policy and Procedure to fill an existing gap in the Association’s policy landscape. These are modelled on Fair Work Australia requirements through the lens of the Association’s Christian Ethos.
Over the coming months, training and further guidance will be provided to support staff and leaders in understanding and applying these policies and procedures in their roles.
View the HR policies at the SCEA Intranet link below: