Child Safe Policy

The Speechie Crew Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy demonstrates our commitment to creating and maintaining a child safe and child-friendly practice, where children and young people are safe and feel safe.

This policy provides an overview of our practice’s approach to implementing Ministerial Order 1359 (PDF, 363KB) which sets out how the Victorian Child Safe Standards apply in our environments.

It informs our community of everyone’s obligations to act safely and appropriately towards children and guides our processes and practices for the safety and wellbeing of clients across all areas of our work.

Scope

This policy:

· applies to all staff, volunteers and contractors whether or not they work in direct contact with clients.

· applies in all physical and online environments used by clients

· should be read together with our other policies, procedures, and codes

Statement of commitment to child safety

The Speechie Crew is a child safe organisation which welcomes all children, young people and their families.

We are committed to providing environments where our clients 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 and clients.

We have no tolerance for child abuse and take proactive steps to identify and manage any risks of harm to clients in our practice environments.

We promote positive relationships between clients and adults and between clients and their peers. These relationships are based on trust and respect.

We take proactive steps to identify and manage any risk of harm to clients in our practice environment. 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 clients, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, international clients, clients 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 clients experiencing risk or vulnerability. Inappropriate or harmful behaviour targeting clients based on these or other characteristics, such as racism or homophobia, are not tolerated at our practice, and any instances identified will be addressed with appropriate consequences.

Child safety is a shared responsibility. Every person involved in our practice 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 clients, families, staff, and volunteers to inform our ongoing strategies.

Roles and responsibilities

Practice leadership team

Our practice leadership team (comprising the practice manager/director) 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.

The practice leadership team will:

· ensure effective child safety and wellbeing governance, policies, procedures, codes and practices are in place and followed

· model a child safe culture that facilitates the active participation of clients, families and staff in promoting and improving child safety, cultural safety and wellbeing

· enable inclusive practices where the diverse needs of all clients are considered

· reinforce high standards of respectful behaviour between clients and adults, and between clients

· promote regular open discussion on child safety issues within the practice community

· facilitate professional learning for staff (where appropriate) to build deeper understandings of child safety, cultural safety, student wellbeing and prevention of, and 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.

Practice staff

All staff will:

· participate in child safety and wellbeing induction and training provided by the practice and always follow the practice’s child safety and wellbeing policies and procedures

· act in accordance with our Child Safety Code of Conduct

· identify and raise concerns about child safety issues in accordance with the law

· ensure clients’ 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 clients.

Child Safety Code of Conduct

Our Child Safety Code of Conduct sets the boundaries and expectations for appropriate behaviours between adults and clients. It also clarifies behaviours that are not acceptable in our physical and online environments.

We ensure that clients also know what is acceptable and what is not acceptable so that they can be clear and confident about what to expect from adults in the practice.

The Child Safety Code of Conduct also includes processes to report inappropriate behaviour.

Managing risks to child safety and wellbeing

At our practice we identify, assess and manage risks to child safety and wellbeing in our physical and online practice environments. These risks are managed through our child safety and wellbeing policies, procedures and practices.

Our Child Safety Risk Register is used to record any identified risks related to child abuse alongside actions in place to manage those risks. Our practice leadership team will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the actions in the Child Safety Risk Register at least annually.

Client and family empowerment

To support child safety and wellbeing at The Speechie Crew, we work to create an inclusive and supportive environment that encourages clients and families to contribute to our child safety approach and understand their rights and their responsibilities.

We inform clients of their rights and give them the skills and confidence to recognise unsafe situations with adults or other clients and to speak up and act on concerns relating to themselves or their peers. We ensure our clients 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. Clients and families can also access information on how to report concerns to our Director, Martina Beggs. Alternatively you can lodge a complaint with or contact the Health Complaints Commissioner through their website https://hcc.vic.gov.au or the Disability Services Commissioner by their website https://odsc.vic.gov.au

When the practice is 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 student and keep them (and their parents and carers, as appropriate) informed about progress.

Diversity and equity

As a child safe organisation, we celebrate the rich diversity of our clients, 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 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

· children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

· children and young people with disabilities

· children unable to live at home or impacted by family violence

· international clients

· children and young people who identify as LGBTIQ+.

Suitable staff and volunteers

At The Speechie Crew, we apply robust child safe recruitment, induction, training, and supervision practices to ensure that all staff and contractors are suitable to work with children.

Staff recruitment

When recruiting and 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 Speech Pathology Australia registration

· collect and record:

o proof of the person’s identity and any professional or other qualifications

o the person’s history of working with children

o references that address suitability for the job and working with children.

Staff induction

All newly appointed staff will be expected to participate in our child safety and wellbeing induction program. The program will include a focus on:

· the Child Safe Policy (this document)

· the Child Safety Code of Conduct

· any other child safety and wellbeing information that practice leadership considers appropriate to the nature of the role.

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.

Inappropriate behaviour towards children and young people will be managed swiftly and in accordance with our practice policies and our legal obligations. Child safety and wellbeing will be paramount.

Child safety knowledge, skills and awareness

Ongoing training and education are essential to ensuring that 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.

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

Complaints and reporting processes

The Speechie Crew fosters a culture that encourages staff, clients, parents, and the practice 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.

If there is an incident, disclosure, allegation or suspicion of child abuse, all staff must report the incident immediately to Manager/Director. Our policy and procedures address complaints and concerns of child abuse made by or in relation to a child or client, practice staff, contractors, visitors or any other person while connected to the practice.

In accordance with the Victorian Government and Commission for Children and Young People, allegations or incidences concerning child protection must be reported to Department of families, fairness and Housing – for contact details go to Making a report to child protection