Child Safe Standards

The Victorian Government is introducing child safe standards to improve the way that organisations that provide services for children prevent and respond to child abuse that may occur within their organisation. Child abuse includes categories as outlined by the Victorian Department of Human Services; physical violence, sexual offences, serious emotional or psychological abuse, serious neglect.

 

To create and maintain a child safe organisation, Fairfield Primary is working to comply with the child safe standards as outlined below:

  • Standard 1: Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements.
  • Standard 2: A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety.
  • Standard 3: A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children.
  • Standard 4: Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel.
  • Standard 5: Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse.
  • Standard 6: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse.
  • Standard 7: Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children.

 

The school will continue to communicate its commitment to meeting these standards to the school community. The safety and wellbeing of our school population is our highest priority and our first consideration. We have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated seriously and consistently with our robust policies and procedures.

 

The school has recently performed a review of our current child safe policies and procedures. Our future work includes:

  • Development of a Child Safe Policy
  • Development of a Code of Conduct for staff
  • Reviewing policies to align with the Child Safe Standards
  • Creating policies to align with the Child Safe Standards
  • A commitment to professional learning for all staff

 

Find out more about the Standards here.

 

Volunteer Policy

Parents are invited to provide feedback on the Volunteer Policy. Some points of interest included in this draft are:

  • This policy relates to volunteers engaging in school work or community approved work during the school day.
  • All volunteers are to sign in when at school. This will be done in the classrooms in which they are volunteering.
  • Working With Children Checks are required for volunteers accompanying camps, excursions and swimming programs. We strongly encourage all parents who intend to volunteer at the school to obtain a Working With Children Check and pass on their certificate to the school office.
  • Children of pre-school age are not to accompany volunteers due to possible disruption to students’ learning.

 

Bullying Prevention Policy

Parents are invited to provide feedback on the Bullying Prevention Policy.

 

Please email any feedback that you may have on either of these policies by Monday 7 November.