Child Safe

Will Holmes à Court
Will Holmes à Court
Last updated 
Principles for keeping children and young people safe from harm

Overview

Introduction
  • The protection of children and young people is a cornerstone of safeguarding and improving their lives. 
  • While providing supports and services under the NDIS, workers are uniquely placed to identify and respond to the needs and vulnerabilities of children or young people. 
  • Everyone has a responsibility to protect the well-being and safety of children or young people with whom they have contact and to report any case in which a child or young person is suspected to be at risk of significant harm.
Policy objective
This policy aims to ensure that HWH provides supports and services in a child-safe environment and that concerns about the welfare or safety of children and young people are responded to appropriately.

The purpose of this policy is to:
  • Set out appropriate standards of behaviour and practices for people working and volunteering with children and young people (Code of Conduct)
  • provide standards by which HWH can be held accountable to workers, volunteers, parents, guardians, carers, children and young people who are involved with the organisation
  • increase worker awareness of factors that create a risk of harm to children and young people and the strategies in place to minimise risks
  • build worker knowledge of how to identify if a child or young person is, or maybe, at risk of harm and how to respond appropriately to allegations, concerns or instances of harm
  • ensure that all workers understand the reporting requirements and processes to follow.
Applies to 
  • all our services
  • all HWH representatives, including key managers and staff.
Related Items
National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth)


Policy

When is a child or young person at risk?
  • A child or young person is at risk when they have suffered or are likely to suffer harm. 
  • The relevant harm may be physical, emotional, or psychological. A child or young person is also at risk if the parent or guardian is unable or unwilling to care for them. 
Reporting concerns about children and young people at risk
  • All suspicions that a child or young person is at risk must be reported to key management. 
  • Suspicions that a child is at risk must also be reported to the appropriate state/territory child protection hotline.
  • All concerns that do not meet the threshold of a child at risk but involve a concern about the welfare or safety of a child are to be reported to key management.
  • The references below are for authorities and legislation related to reporting children and young people at risk. 
What is a child-safe environment?
Child-safe environments are safe and friendly settings where children and young people are protected and feel respected, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. To provide an environment safe for children and young people, we will:
  • Take a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child well-being and safety issues
  • seek out and embrace the opinions and views of children and young people on issues relating to our services that they consider important or impact them
  • take action to protect children and young people from harm.
Working with children and young people
  • The standards and requirements below identify the professional boundaries, ethical behaviours that are accepted, and unacceptable behaviours. 
  • All staff are required to abide by and follow these standards and requirements. 
Child safe code of conduct
  • maintain professional and courteous relationships with children and their families
  • provide services in a way that does not exploit or abuse our position
  • listen to the views of children and young people, respect what they say, and involve them when we make decisions, especially about matters that will directly affect them
  • respect children and young people’s rights, background, culture and beliefs as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • comply with all relevant Commonwealth, state or territory laws protecting children and young people
  • follow mandatory reporting requirements for children or young people suspected to be at risk of significant harm
  • report any concerning staff conduct towards children or young people, including any suspected risk of significant harm to a child, to the key management personnel
  • safeguard children or young people at all times and not place them at risk of abuse or condone unsafe behaviour
  • use appropriate language for the age and understanding of the child or young person, and avoid confusing or age-inappropriate discussions with sexual, discriminatory or violent references
  • avoid any actions or words intended to threaten, intimidate, shame, humiliate, belittle, embarrass or degrade children or young people
  • not attend work affected by illegal drugs or alcohol, consume them whilst on duty or supply them to children or young people in our care
  • not smoke whilst on duty.
Recruitment and worker screening
  • The organisation will comply with and carry out working with children checks following state/territory requirements of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth).
  • Our recruitment practices will consider risks and other factors that impact children and young people. 
  • We will review our recruitment and human resources management practices regularly to ensure that they are aligned with best practices for protecting children and young people.
Communication and review of children and young people protection policy and systems
  • All new workers, including volunteers and contractors, will be trained on the requirements of this policy.
  • All clients under 18 and their families will receive information about this policy.
Breach of child-safe policy
  • Breach of this policy or the child-safe code of conduct may result in disciplinary action and/or referral to the appropriate government authority.