Child Safe Environment and Wellbeing Policy
POLICY CONTENT
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCR) outline that children and young people have a right to be safe and cared for, no matter where they are or who they are with. Children have the right to be protected from violence, abuse or neglect. When working with children and young people, it is important to understand children’s rights and needs.We are advocates for children and have a strong commitment to child safety and establishing and maintaining a child safe environment. Our School embeds the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and promotes a culture of safety and wellbeing to minimise the risk of child abuse or harm to children whilst promoting children’s sense of security and belonging.
NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)
| QUALITY AREA 2: Children's Health and Safety |
|---|
| 2.2 | Safety | Each child is protected |
| 2.2.1 | Supervision | At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazards. |
| 2.2.2 | Incident and emergency management | Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practiced, and implemented. |
| 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. |
| QUALITY AREA 5: Relationships With Children |
|---|
| 5.1.1 | Positive educator to child interactions | Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included. |
PURPOSE
Our School has a legal and ethical responsibility to provide a safe and friendly environment where all children are respected, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. Children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount, and we aim to take all practical steps to protect children from harm, ensuring a healthy and safe environment. Our School provides children and staff with an environment free from the use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.SCOPE
This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of the School.NATIONAL PRINCIPLES FOR CHILD SAFE ORGANISATIONS
Our School is committed to being a child safe organisation and endorses the National Principles for Child Safe organisations, placing the protection of children as a priority of our responsibilities and obligations. The Child Safe Standards recommended by the Royal Commission provide guidance for our School to ensure our policies and procedures, strategies and attitudes, ensure children’s safety is paramount.Our School has a zero tolerance to child abuse, and we are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children. We promote diversity and tolerance and aim to form equitable and positive relationships with children. We ensure children participate in decisions affecting them and listen and respect their suggestions and ideas. We respond to any concerns, disclosures, allegations or suspicions of harm. We are dedicated in promoting cultural safety for children, cultural safety for children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.
IMPLEMENTATION
Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations the approved provider must ensure that policies and procedures are in place for providing a child safe environment and take reasonable steps to ensure those policies and procedures are followed. (Regulation 168, Regulation 170). The National Law requires management to ensure all children being educated and cared for are adequately supervised and every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm and any hazard likely to cause injury. Our focus is to build a child safe environment which is reflected in our School policies and procedures and understood and practiced by all educators and staff. ‘Child safety is everyone’s responsibility.’ (A guide to the Child Safe Standards. p.26. 2020)GOVERNANCE
RECRUITMENT
Our School maintains a rigorous and consistent recruitment, screening and selection process to ensure the best staff possible based on skills, qualifications, experience and suitability for the position available. All staff participate in robust interviews and have reference checks completed to ensure the applicant’s suitability to the role, previous experiences and their commitment to child safe values and practices. All staff are provided with a comprehensive induction process which outlines our Code of Conduct, identifying and responding to child abuse, grievance processes, and work health and safety.PERSONNEL INFORMATION
All personnel information regarding the staff members work history, qualification, WWCC, emergency contact details, staff accident and incident reporting, performance reviews and management, and employment agreement at stored on Employment Hero online platform. This includes all compliance checks and training undertaken by staff.WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK- POLICE CHECKS
Working in conjunction with the Child Protection Act and National Regulations, the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children is paramount within our School and community. A Working with Children Check (WWCC) is a requirement for people who work in child-related work. It involves a national criminal history check and a review of findings of workplace misconduct.The result of a Working with Children Check is either a clearance to work with children and is valid for five years, or a bar against working with children. Cleared applicants are subject to ongoing monitoring and relevant new records may lead to the clearance being revoked.
Management is responsible for the periodic review and maintenance of up to date records of employees’ Working with Children Check, including the Working with Children Check number and the date on which each clearance expires. Once an employee provides their WWCC clearance, management will verify the clearance to ensure that is it valid and current. The WWCC will be placed in the individual’s file in Employment Hero Online platform and will continue to be updated as required.
CHILD PROTECTION- REPORTABLE CONDUCT SCHEME
Children and young people always have a right to be safe and protected. To comply with legislation and ensure a child safe environment, educators are provided with training and ongoing supervision to ensure they understand that child safety is everyone’s responsibility.All educators and staff are mandatory reporters and must make reports if they suspect on reasonable grounds, a child is at risk of significant harm. All staff are provided with up to date training about child protection law and their obligations under this law and to ensure they are confident in following the reporting guidelines within WA and adhere to our Child Protection Policy. (reg 84).
Through continual education and training, educators and staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe. Training gives educators and staff confidence to identify, respond and report child abuse.
Nominated supervisors and persons in day-to-day charge must complete a course in Child Protection approved by the Regulatory Authority on an Annual basis.
CHILD PROTECTION- ALLEGATIONS AGAINST EMPLOYEES
To protect children and ensure their safety, welfare, and wellbeing, management is responsive to reports of allegations or convictions of child abuse and child related misconduct by any staff member, volunteer, or contractor to the Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) as part of the Reportable Conduct Scheme.It important to Note that if Educators or Families report the allegation with respect to Child or Staff Member that this needs to be reported immediately to the Nominated Supervisor and School Director to notify the Police, ECRU and Department of Communities Child Protection and Approved Provider. The Approved Provider and Management has zero tolerance for not reporting the incident immediately to Regulatory Authority.
Our School will ensure an appropriate level of confidentiality of information relating to the reportable allegations as per the Children’s Guardian Act 2019. As part of the Reportable Conduct Scheme, we take our legal responsibilities seriously and will respond to any reportable allegation or conviction against an employee or volunteer.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT – SUPERVISION AND SAFETY CHECKLISTS
Children’s safety is embedded in our day-to-day practices. We ensure effective and adequate supervision is provided to children at all times. Educators will employ ‘active supervision’ strategies within the school environment and when participating in excursions or transporting children. Consideration will be made for the different ages and abilities of children and the activities that may require different levels of supervision.Sleeping infants and toddlers will be closely monitored at regular intervals and will always be within sight and hearing distance of educators so a child’s breathing, and the colour of their skin can be monitored.
Through conducting risk assessments, we assess and manage risks in the physical environment collaborating with children to develop behaviour guidelines for play including adventurous play to ensure their safety. Educators have a sound understanding of their duty of care and responsibilities in ensuring a child safe environment.
Educators conduct regular safety checks to maintain basic standards of safety within our School. We believe that child safety is a shared responsibility at all levels within our School. Children are encouraged to speak up about their safety and the safety of their friends by telling an educator if they feel unsafe in a particular situation or environment.
Any findings that require attention will be either dealt with immediately or submitted into the maintenance log. The maintenance log are communicated via the Maintenance Log Form on Smartsheet or EarlyWorks depending on priority.
STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
We reduce the risk of harm to children and educators by using eco-friendly products. Our School will endeavour to provide a safe environment where necessary chemical and hazardous equipment are safely stored away from children and handled appropriately.Management and educators will keep a register of hazardous chemicals used at the School, including relevant Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE & MAINTENANCE RECORD
There are several factors that can contribute to a hazard, such as a deprived program, insufficient supervision and dilapidated equipment. To ensure a child safe environment free from hazards, we have implemented practices and continue to monitor School policies and procedures that uphold Australian Safety Standards.The premises and all equipment and furniture used within the School are audited to ensure all aspects are safe, clean and in good repair. We understand that hazards are specific to developmental stages; educators are aware that toys and equipment need to be checked to ensure they are safe and developmentally appropriate for children. Regular checks occur within the School to ensure that all toys, furniture and equipment are in good condition and working order.
RISK ASSESSMENT & RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL
It is a legislative requirement that Management and Educators implement a risk management system where they identify and manage hazards and risks within the workplace to ensure a child safe environment. The key principles of risk management include:- Identifying all hazards or potential hazards in the school/residence/venue
- Assess the risk of harm or potential harm for each hazard
- Control or manage the risk – Risk Rating Matrix
- Monitor and improve safety – Risk Assessment Action Plan
- Evaluate and Review
- cross-infection and infectious disease
- administration of medication
- anaphylaxis procedures and management
- building and equipment (including storage)
- inadequate space for conducting activities and experiences
- hazardous chemicals
- electrical appliances
- food preparation and storage
- environmental influences such as shade, noise etc
- sun safety
- children’s behaviours
- water safety
- fire equipment
- stray animals
- inadequate supervision of children
- children’s activities and experiences
- Work Health and Safety such as manual handling (e.g., safe lifting children from cots and highchairs)
- non-compliance risk
- hot drinks
- transportation of children (regular outing and regular transportation)
- incursions/excursions
- events and training
EMERGENCY AND EVACUATION PROCEDURES
Management will ensure that copies of the emergency and evacuation floor plan is displayed in prominent positions near each exit of the school premises, including indoor and outdoor learning areas.All staff are familiar with emergency evacuation procedures and regulatory requirements. Rehearsals for emergency and evacuation procedures, including lock downs, are conducted at least once every 3 months.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE AUTHORISATION
Our School prioritises children’s safety at all times. We will only release children to an authorised person as named on the child’s enrolment form. We request families provide current court orders, and parenting plans to ensure our records are up to date.National Regulations require our School to keep a record of children and visitor’s arrival and departures with the QR code for parents and visitors for verifying the accuracy of the record and the identity of the person collecting the child. Educators will work in collaboration with our Arrival and Departure Policy and Student and Visitors Policy to ensure children feel safe and secure.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Management, educators, staff, volunteers and students will adhere to our School’s Code of Conduct Policy. We will:- provide adequate supervision of children at all times
- take reasonable action to protect children and young people for risk of harm
- ensure the school premise is free from the use of tobacco, illicit drugs and alcohol
- adhere to our Privacy and Confidentiality Policy
- not discriminate against any child, because of culture, race, ethnicity or disability
- be responsible for their own, and others health and safety
- be a positive role model to children
- respect children’s privacy and dignity at all times
- not put children at risk of abuse- refusing food/play, making threats, exposing children to inappropriate language or material (movies, internet, photos)
- report any allegations of child abuse to the Approved Provider as mandatory reporter
- notify the approved provider and/or the regulatory authority within 24 hours of any serious incident or complaint as per the National Regulations
ONLINE SAFETY
Our School is committed to create and maintain a safe online environment with support and collaboration with staff, families and community. Management ensures anti-virus and internet security systems are installed to block access to unsuitable web sites, newsgroups, and chat rooms.Our School ensures backups of important and confidential data is made regularly and either stored securely offline, or online. Software and devices are updated regularly to avoid any breach of confidential information.
Families are provided with information about our software program which is password protected and used to share observations, photos, videos, daily reports and portfolios. Passwords are not to be shared with others.
Authorisation is requested as part of the enrolment process for children to use computers/tablets; have their photo taken and published as part of promotional marketing or on the app program used by the school. The identity of a child is not published on any platform.
Personal mobile phones are not used to take photos or videos of children at the School.
Only educational software programs and apps that have appropriate content and have been examined prior to allowing their use are used in the School. Children are always supervised using any technology.
CONTINUOUS REVIEW & IMPROVEMENT
To ensure we maintain a culture of continuous improvement, we will ensure our child safe practices are regularly reviewed, evaluated, and improved. We aim to ensure all educators, staff, and volunteers understand and effectively implement our policies and procedures to provide a child safe environment at our School.We will regularly review and monitor the effectiveness of our Child Safe policies and procedures and invite children, staff members, families and communities to contribute to their development. Any updates or revisions will be communicated to all stakeholders.
Our School ensures families are always welcome and feel comfortable asking questions on how we prioritise child safety. We provide a range of opportunities for consultation and collaboration about decisions about their child’s safety whilst at our School including:
- policy and procedure review
- child protection training or course (inhouse and online)
- allegations/grievance procedures
- sun safety
- written authorisations- parenting orders
- code of conduct
- school events and child handover
- inclusivity and supporting children with diverse needs.
SOURCE
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).ACECQA. (2021). Policy and procedure guidelines. Providing a Child Safe Environment.
Australian Government. Department of Skills, Education and Employment. Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. (2009).
Australian Human Rights Commission (2020). Child Safe Organisations. childsafe.humanrights.gov.au/
Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012
Children’s Health and Safety – An analysis of Quality Area 2 of the National Quality Standard
Department of Education NSW Providing a child safe environment
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020).
NSW Department of Education (2021). Guide to the Child Safe Standards for early childhood education and care and outside schools hours care services
NSW Government Office of the Children’s Guardian A guide to the Child Safe Standards. (2020).
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
United Nations Convention of Rights of the Child, (1989). (UNCRC)
Victoria State Government Health and Human Services. Creating child safe organisations: providers.dhhs.vic.gov.au/creating-child-safe-organisat...
Work Health and Safety Act, (2011).
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