Mr. Darran Heaney:

The language within the policy itself is important and it should be made accessible for parents and students. The Senator asked about parents and how they can contribute. There should be a consultation with parents on policy and how it is being developed, rather than it being something they might download from the website when there is an issue, in order that they will feel they are being brought along in the process.

On interventions, it is important for schools to evaluate their incidence of bullying and respond to that with the most appropriate intervention that will tackle the specific needs in their school. I have found from my engagement with schools that that is often where they struggle, unsure of the best intervention to use. It is important to acknowledge that many schools are doing really well. A forum or other way for them to share with other schools what they are doing well, in order that they can learn in a community-practised type of approach, would be very useful as well.