Catholic Healthcare is a leading provider of aged care, health, and community services across New South Wales and Southeast Queensland. Guided by values of compassion, courage, and integrity, Catholic Healthcare is dedicated to delivering high-quality care and support to meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves.
Client
Catholic Healthcare
Service
Training
Organisation size
Medium
Industry
Healthcare
Context
Catholic Healthcare, a large aged-care provider in Australia, saw that many of its senior residents and home-care clients needed help staying safe online as more everyday activities moved onto the internet. Older Australians are widely recognised as a high-risk group for scams. The latest Scam watch data for the full 2024 calendar year shows Australians aged 65 and over reported 62,147 scams with total losses of $99.6 million.
To address this risk, Catholic Healthcare partnered with Engage Squared to deliver a pilot cyber safety program, designed to build seniors’ confidence and digital skills in a friendly, accessible way. The pilot concentrated on residents of retirement villages and home-care services, with the aim that, if successful, it could be expanded more widely throughout the community.
Challenge
Some of Catholic Healthcare’s residents living in retirement villages are susceptible to online scams due to their limited experience with digital technology. Recognising this, Catholic Healthcare has committed to empowering their community to better protect themselves from malicious actors and build safer online habits. Their primary objective is to minimise the number of victims by drawing attention to common tactics to stay safe online.
The main challenge was making cyber security simple and engaging for a non-technical audience. Many participants had limited experience with smartphones, so the training had to avoid jargon and be easy to follow. The content needed to cover important topics like strong passwords and scam awareness without overwhelming or frightening people. It was also important to create a safe, supportive environment while also reducing the stigma and embarrassment often associated with being targeted by scams.
Solution
Engage Squared designed a three-part workshop series using the acronym PIT: “Prevent, Identify, Take Action.” Each session focused on a core cyber safety theme. Workshops were delivered in a friendly, interactive style using real-life examples, plain language, and simple quizzes over a 5-week period.
Session 1: Prevent
This session set the foundation by explaining why online safety matters and how small actions can reduce risk. Participants learned how to:
- Create strong, easy-to-manage passwords
- Use a password manager safely
- Understand what personal information should and should not be shared online
Session 2: Identify
This session focused on recognising common scams and warning signs. Participants learned how to:
- Spot the red flags in scam phone calls
- Identify phishing emails
- Recognise scam text messages
- Avoid fake or unsafe websites
- Identifying romance scams
Session 3: Take action
This session covered what to do if something goes wrong and aimed to remove the stigma around reporting scams. Through shared stories and discussion, participants learned:
- What steps to take if they have been scammed
- Who to contact for help and support
- How to build a personal support network to stay safe online
Participants also received easy-to-read handouts such as ‘spot the scam and seek support’ flyer as well as a strong password checklist to enable them support in the event they are the victim of an attempted scam. Short video clips were created so seniors and their families could revisit the tips at any time. This mix of live training and take-home resources made the learning practical, accessible, and engaging.
Results
- Participants rated the workshops an average of 4.6 out of 5 and all surveyed attendees said they would recommend the training to others.
- Follow-up surveys showed that 100% of participants felt more confident recognising and avoiding scams. Attendees praised the clear and human approach, saying the sessions were easy to understand and made them feel supported.
- Catholic Healthcare employees also noticed that even less tech-savvy residents were actively participating and sharing their own stories by the end of the program. The printed materials and videos continue to be used, helping reinforce good habits.
Final thoughts
Based on the success of the first round of training, Catholic Healthcare and Engage Squared are exploring how the program can be expanded to reach more retirement village residents and home-care clients through interactive online sessions, helping more seniors to feel safe, supported and confident online.
