Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy

NQS

QA2

2.2.3

Child Protection – Management, educators and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to identify and respond to every child at risk of abuse or neglect.

National Regulations

Regs

Awareness of child protection law

Related policies and procedures

This Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy is to be read in conjunction with other related policies, procedures, and codes.

These include our:

Related documents

Educator and Management Policy – Code of conduct, Determining the responsible person present, Participation of volunteers and students.

Governance and management of the service, including confidentiality of records

Child Safe Environment

Interactions with Children, Families and Staff

Child Safe, Child Protection and Risk Management inc child safety reporting obligations policy and procedures

Delivery and Collection of Children

Dealing with Complaints

Identifying and Responding to All Forms of Abuse in Victorian Schools

Four Critical Actions for Schools

Identifying and Responding to Student Sexual Offending

Four Critical Actions for Schools: Responding to Student Sexual Offending

Recording your actions: Responding to suspected child abuse – A template for Victorian schools

Purpose

This policy is called the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy to align with the title referenced in the Child Safe Standards and Ministerial Order 1359. Daylesford Community Child Care Centre Inc’s (DCCC) Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy demonstrates our commitment to creating and maintaining a child safe and child friendly organisation, where children and young people are safe and feel safe.

This policy will outline how DCCCC will prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and the child safe practices that we will implement within our Long Day Care, Family Day Care, Outside School Hours and Vacation Care Services.

Having this policy informs all stakeholders (educators, staff, families and carers, Committee of Management, trade and delivery people who enter the service and the general community) of the obligations to act safely and appropriately toward children and guides processes and practices for safety and wellbeing of children within all of our services.

Scope

This policy applies to all teachers, educators, staff, volunteers, contractors, students (placement and work experience) and Committee of Management irrespective of whether they work with or have direct contact with children or young people. This policy applies to physical environments used by children during or outside of the working hours of Long Day Care, Family Day Care, Outside School Hours Care and Vacation Care including other locations or those provided through third party providers.

Background / Context

The Victorian Government updated its Child Safe Standards to create greater consistency with the National Principles. From 1 July 2022, eleven new updated Standards replace the previous seven Standards and principles.

The Standards are a compulsory framework that support organisations to promote the safety of children by requiring them to implement policies to prevent, respond to and report allegations of child abuse and harm, whether caused by adults OR by other children.

The eleven Victorian Child Safe Standards are:

Standard 1	Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
Standard 2	Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance, and culture.
Standard 3	Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
Standard 4	Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Standard 5	Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
Standard 6	People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Standard 7	Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.
Standard 8	Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
Standard 9	Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Standard 10	Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
Standard 11	Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

Statement of Commitment to Child Safety

Daylesford Community Childcare Child Care Centre Incorporated is a child safe organisation which welcomes all children, young people, and their families/carers. We are committed to providing environments where the children in our services are safe and feel safe, where their participation is valued, their views respected, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Our child safe policies, strategies and practices are inclusive of the needs of all children. We have no tolerance for child abuse and take proactive steps to identify and manage any risks of harm to students in our environments. We promote positive relationships between children and adults and between children and their peers. These relationships are based on trust and respect. We take proactive steps to identify and manage any risk of harm to children in our environments. When child safety concerns are raised or identified, we treat these seriously and respond promptly and thoroughly. Particular attention is given to the child safety needs of Aboriginal children, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, international children, children with disabilities, those unable to live at home, children and young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) and other children experiencing risk or vulnerability. Inappropriate or harmful behaviour targeting children based on these or other characteristics, such as racism or homophobia, are not tolerated in any of our learning and care spaces, and any instances identified will be addressed with appropriate consequences.

Child safety is a shared responsibility. Every person involved in our company has an important role in promoting child safety and wellbeing and promptly raising any issues or concerns about a child’s safety. We are committed to regularly reviewing our child safe practices, and seeking input from our children, families, educators, staff, and volunteers to inform our ongoing strategies.

Roles and responsibilities

The Leadership Team

The leadership team (comprising of Early Years Manager, Assistant Manager, Educational Leader, Teachers, and Room Leaders) is responsible for ensuring that a strong child safe culture is created and maintained, and that policies and practices are effectively developed and implemented in accordance with Ministerial Order 1359.

Management will:

ensure effective child safety and wellbeing governance, policies, procedures, and practices are in place and followed
model a child safe culture that facilitates the active participation of children, families, and staff in promoting and improving child safety, cultural safety and wellbeing
enable inclusive practices where the diverse needs of all children are considered
reinforce high standards of respectful behaviour between children and adults
promote regular open discussion on child safety issues within the community including at leadership team meetings, staff meetings and Committee of Management meetings
facilitate regular professional learning for staff and volunteers (where appropriate) to build deeper understandings of child safety, cultural safety, student wellbeing and prevention of responding to abuse
create an environment where child safety complaints and concerns are readily raised, and no one is discouraged from reporting an allegation of child abuse to relevant authorities.

Educating Children about Protective Behaviour

Educators will regularly include child protection issues in the curriculum. For example, they will intentionally teach children:

about acceptable/unacceptable behaviour, and appropriate/inappropriate contact in a manner suitable to their age and level of understanding
Intentional Teaching of Gentle Hands, Personal Space Bubble and My body, My Choice supports this and occurs within LDC, FDC & OSHC.
that they have a right to feel safe at all times
to say ‘no‘ to anything that makes them feel unsafe
the difference between ‘fun’ scared that is appropriate risk taking and dangerous scared that is not ok
to use their own skills to feel safe
to recognise signs that they do not feel safe and need to be alert and think clearly
that there is no secret too awful, no story too terrible, that they can’t share with someone they trust
that educators are available for them if they have any concerns
to tell educators of any suspicious activities or people
to recognise and express their feelings verbally and non-verbally
that they can choose to change the way they are feeling.

Educators believe that:

children are capable of the same range of emotions as adults
children’s emotions are real and need to be accepted by adults
an adult’s response to a child during their early emotional development can be hugely positive or detrimental depending on the adult’s reaction
children are very in touch with their bodies’ reactions to their emotions
children who better understand their body’s response to an emotion are more able to foresee the outcome of a situation and avoid them or ask for help.

Staff and volunteers

All staff and volunteers will:

Have access to the child safety and wellbeing policy and those relating to it.
Participate in any relevant training that supports the child safety and wellbeing policy
act in accordance with our Child Safety Code of Conduct that are within the Educator and Management Policy and Child Protection Policy.
identify and raise concerns about child safety issues, in accordance to the Child Protection Policy, including following the Four Critical actions for Early Childhood Report child abuse in early childhood (education.vic.gov.au)
ensure students’ views are taken seriously and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives
implement inclusive practices that respond to the diverse needs of students.

Committee of Management

As the approved provider of Daylesford Community Childcare Centre Inc. the Committee of Management are to champion and promote a child safe culture with the broader community. They will:

ensure that child safety is a regular agenda item at Committee of Management meetings to maintain a culture of child safety and ensure up to date resources and information is shared. This may be presented by the Early Years Manager, Educational Leader, Assistant Manager, or members of the committee
undertake annual training on child safety, ensuring they are aware of current practice
approve updates to, and act in accordance with the Child Safety Code of Conduct to the extent that it applies to employees and members
when inducting Committee of Management members, ensure that selection, supervision, and management practices are child safe

The Management Team and Committee of Management will monitor, support reviews and ensure the use of:

Child Safety Code of Conduct
Our Child Safety Code of Conduct sets the boundaries and expectations for appropriate behaviours between adults and students. It also clarifies behaviours that are not acceptable in our physical and online environments.
We ensure that children also know what is acceptable and what is not acceptable so that they can be clear and confident about what to expect from adults within Long Day Care, Family Day Care, Outside School Hours Care and Vacation Care.
The Child Safety Code of Conduct also includes processes to report inappropriate behaviour.
Managing risks to child safety and wellbeing
We identify, assess, and manage risks to child safety and wellbeing in our environments. These risks are managed through our child safety and wellbeing policies, procedures and practices, and in our risk management plans, such as those we develop for excursions, incursions, holiday program events, facilities and services we contract through third party providers.
Our Child Safety Risk Register is used to record any identified risks related to child abuse alongside actions in place to manage those risks. This will be monitored annually, in line with the review of this policy.
Establishing a culturally safe environment
We are committed to establishing inclusive and culturally safe environments where the strengths of Aboriginal culture, values and practices are respected. We think about how every child can have a positive experience in a safe environment. For Aboriginal children, we recognise the link between Aboriginal culture, identity and safety and actively create opportunities for Aboriginal children and the Aboriginal community to have a voice and presence in our planning, policies, and activities.
We have developed the following strategies to promote cultural safety in our community/ centres?
Acknowledge and draw on the knowledge of Aboriginal children and their families
Events and meetings will begin with Acknowledge of Country or Welcome to Country as a standing agenda item.
Plaques and signs will be displayed to Acknowledge Country and Traditional Owners
Presence of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags within our buildings
Use our Koorie Engagement Support Officers (KESOs) to provide advice about creating culturally inclusive learning environments
Use the Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026 as a guide to support Aboriginal self-determination [A1]
Express zero tolerance of racism in your statement of commitment to child safety that exists within the Child Safety & Wellbeing Policy and is on display and other documents and within the service.
Address racism with children, staff, volunteers, or visitors directly. Racist speech and actions are always dealt with, and the culture of the spaces prevents incidents and promotes effective allies in non-Aboriginal staff and educators. Work toward addressing unconscious bias and racism within the community.
Training of educators and staff to understand the importance of Aboriginal culture.
Include local Aboriginal history when planning for children.
Develop and implement an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reconciliation Action Plan [A2] .
(https://www.vic.gov.au/schools-culturally-safe-environments-guidance#examples-of-actions-to-support-cultural-safety)

Student empowerment

To support child safety and wellbeing, we work to create an inclusive and supportive environment that encourages young people and children and families to contribute to our child safety approach and understand their rights and their responsibilities. Respectful relationships between young people and children are reinforced and we encourage strong friendships and peer support in our spaces to ensure a sense of belonging for all young people and children. This will be through the intentional teaching provided by educators and teachers and the relationships modelled by educators, teachers, and staff. We inform young people and children of their rights through the educational program we provide and give them the skills and confidence to recognise unsafe situations with adults or other young people or children and to speak up and act on concerns relating to themselves or their peers. We ensure our young people and children know who to talk to if they are worried or feeling unsafe and we encourage them to share concerns with a trusted adult at any time.

When Daylesford Community Childcare Centre Inc are gathering information in relation to a complaint about alleged misconduct or abuse of a child, we will listen to the complainant’s account and take them seriously, check our understanding of the complaint, support the young person or child and keep them (and their parents and carers, as appropriate) informed about progress.

Family engagement

Our families/carers and the local community have an important role in monitoring and promoting young people’s and children’s safety and wellbeing and helping young people and children to raise any concerns. To support family engagement, we are committed to providing families and community with accessible information about our services child safe policies and practices and involving them in our approach to child safety and wellbeing.

We will create opportunities for families to have input into the development and review of our child safety policies and practices and encourage them to raise any concerns and ideas for improvement.

We do this by:

Communicating via email or newsletter about what work we are partaking in that relates to Child Safe Standards – new policies for them to have input, provide feedback to – professional development that educators and staff are engaged in
Ensure that families/carers have an awareness of our commitment to safety and where our child safety policies are kept for their perusal.
Rights of the child & Child Safety Posters displayed within our learning spaces.
Provide new enrolments with family welcome packs that include information about child safety, the services complaints processes and how to raise concerns.
Create a welcoming environment from entry for community members and families to feel respected, included, and safe to visit/enter.
Ask parents and carers about their young people and children. This can be in formal settings like parent/teacher interviews, or during chance meetings at pick-up and drop-off and provide regular opportunities for families/carers to communicate and discuss their young person’s or child’s experiences

Diversity and equity

As a child safe organisation, we celebrate the rich diversity of our young people and children, families and community and promote respectful environments that are free from discrimination. Our focus is on wellbeing and growth for all.

We recognise that every young person and child has unique skills, strengths and experiences to draw on.

We pay particular attention to individuals and groups of children and young people in our community with additional and specific needs. This includes tailoring our child safety strategies and supports to the needs of:

Aboriginal children and young people
Young people and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
children and young people with disabilities
young people and children unable to live at home or impacted by family violence
international students
children and young people who identify as LGBTIQ+.

Suitable staffing and volunteers

We apply robust child safe recruitment, induction, training, and supervision practices to ensure that all staff, educators, contractors, and volunteers are suitable to work with children.

Staff recruitment

When engaging staff to perform child-related work, we:

sight, verify and record the person’s Working with Children clearance or equivalent background check such as a Victorian teaching registration
develop questions about child safety that are asked within interviews.
collect and record:
proof of the person’s identity and any professional or other qualifications
the person’s history of working with children
references that address suitability for the job and working with children.

Staff induction

All newly appointed staff will receive a copy of Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy (this document) and the Educator and Management Policy – Code of Conduct, Determining Responsible person, participation of volunteers and students Policy.

Ongoing supervision and management of staff

All staff engaged in child-connected work will be supervised appropriately to ensure that their behaviour towards children is safe and appropriate. Staff will be monitored and assessed to ensure their continuing suitability for child-connected work. This will be done by critical reflection of practice, ensuring qualifications remain in date and annual staff appraisals. A clear grievance policy for educators and families allows transparency in practice. Inappropriate behaviour towards children and young people will be managed swiftly and in accordance with department policies and our legal obligations. Child safety and wellbeing will be paramount.

Suitability of volunteers

All volunteers are required to comply with our Educator and Management Policy – Code of conduct, Determining the responsible person present, Participation of volunteers and students. which describes how we assess the suitability of prospective volunteers and outlines expectations in relation to child safety and wellbeing induction and training, and supervision and management.

Child safety knowledge, skills and awareness

Ongoing training and education are essential to ensuring that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities and develop their capacity to effectively address child safety and wellbeing matters.

In addition to the child safety and wellbeing induction, our staff will participate in a range of training and professional learning to equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain a child safe environment.

Staff child safety and wellbeing training will be delivered at least annually and will include guidance on:

our child safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, codes, and practices

completing the Protecting Children – Mandatory Reporting and Other Legal Obligations online module annually

recognising indicators of child harm including harm caused by other children and students

responding effectively to issues of child safety and wellbeing and supporting colleagues who disclose harm

how to build culturally safe environments for children and students

information sharing and recordkeeping obligations

how to identify and mitigate child safety and wellbeing risks in the learning environment.

Other professional learning and training on child safety and wellbeing, will be tailored to specific roles and responsibilities and any identified or emerging needs or issues.

Committee of Management training and education

To ensure our CoM is equipped with the knowledge required to make decisions in the best interests of child safety and wellbeing, and to identify and mitigate child safety and wellbeing risks in our school environment, the committee is trained at least annually. Training includes guidance on:

individual and collective obligations and responsibilities for implementing the Child Safe Standards and managing the risk of child abuse
child safety and wellbeing risks in our learning environments
child safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, codes and practices

Complaints and reporting processes

Daylesford Community Child Care Centre Inc fosters a culture that encourages educators, staff, volunteers, students, parents, and the community to raise concerns and complaints. This makes it more difficult for breaches of the code of conduct, misconduct, or abuse to occur and remain hidden. We have clear pathways for raising complaints and concerns and responding and this is documented within two policies: Dealing with Complaints Staff & Dealing with Complaints Families.

If there is an incident, disclosure, allegation or suspicion of child abuse, all staff, educators, and volunteers must follow our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures. Our policy and procedures address complaints and concerns of child abuse made by or in relation to a child or student, school staff, volunteers, contractors, service providers, visitors or any other person while connected to the school.

As soon as any immediate health and safety concerns are addressed, and relevant staff or educators have been informed, we will ensure DCCC LDC, FDC & OSHC follows:

the Four Critical Actions for complaints and concerns relating to adult behaviour towards a child

the Four Critical Actions: Student Sexual Offending for complaints and concerns relating to student sexual offending

Communications

Daylesford Community Child Care Centre Incorporated is committed to communicating our child safety strategies to the community through:

ensuring that key child safety and wellbeing policies are available on our website including the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy (this document), Child Safety Code of Conduct, and the Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations (including Mandatory Reporting) Policy and Procedure
displaying PROTECT posters in our spaces
updates in our newsletter or within parent communications
ensuring that child safety is a regular agenda item at staff meetings, FDC meetings and Committee of Management meetings.

Privacy and information sharing

Daylesford Community Child Care Centre Inc., collects, uses, and discloses information about children and their families in accordance with Victorian privacy laws, and other relevant laws.

Records management

We acknowledge that good records management practices are a critical element of child safety and wellbeing and manage our records in accordance with our Governance and management of service including confidentiality of records policy.

Review of child safety practices

At Daylesford Community Child Care Centre Inc., we have established processes for the review and ongoing improvement of our child safe policies, procedures, and practices.

We will:

review and improve our policy every 2 years or after any significant child safety incident
analyse any complaints, concerns, and safety incidents to improve policy and practice
act with transparency and share pertinent learnings and review outcomes with educators, staff and our community.

Review The policy will be reviewed regularly by:

Committee of Management / Staff / Educators / Families / Interested Parties

Reviewed: 29/09/2022 Ratified: 16/11/2023

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