Guardian Childcare and Education has appointed a former NSW Police Service child protection officer into its new national Investigations Lead role.
Jason Madsen takes on the new role as part of Guardian’s commitment to “caring more” about safety and wellbeing.
The organisation’s Safety Plus program has been designed to ensure Guardian continues to improve child protection, maintains it strong safety record and stays ahead of rapidly evolving legislative requirements.
Mr Madsen brings more than two decades of investigative and regulatory experience to the role, including extensive work in child protection during his career with the NSW Police Force.
His background includes years working within the Joint Investigation Response Team, where police collaborate with health and community services to investigate and respond to allegations involving children.
Mr Madsen said his focus on strengthening existing systems would ensure Guardian continued to be a high-quality provider with a longstanding commitment to the safety, protection and wellbeing of children.
“One of my key goals is to simplify the process and make sure there’s a clear, consistent system that guides people through what to do when something happens,” he said.
“When the process is straightforward and structured, we can respond faster and more effectively.”
Mr Madsen said he was currently developing a streamlined digital approach that helped teams document and manage incidents in real time.
“The aim is to ensure that relevant information is captured quickly, responses are consistent across centres, and regulatory reporting requirements are met efficiently,” he said.
The system would guide teams through a structured fact-finding process, prompting team members to record clear and factual details so that incidents could be assessed and addressed appropriately.
“Child safety is always the priority,” Mr Madsen said.
“You can’t prevent every situation from occurring, but what you can do is make sure that when something does happen, it’s handled quickly, properly and transparently.”
With his investigative background and deep experience in child protection, Mr Madsen said the opportunity to contribute to the safety of children in an education environment is what attracted him to the role.
“For me it has always been about making a difference and protecting children,” he said.
More more information about Guardian Childcare and Education’s safety program click here.
