Child Safety

The Child Safe Standards came into effect in Victoria on 1 July 2022.  The Child Safe Standards are a compulsory framework that supports organisations to promote the safety of children by requiring them to implement policies to prevent, respond to and report allegations of child abuse. They are designed to drive cultural change and embed a focus on child safety by placing children’s rights and wellbeing at the forefront of everything done within an organisation. Organisations must comply with all aspects of the Standards and there can be legal consequences for non-compliance

The Child Safe Standards aim to:

• Promote the safety of children;

• Prevent child abuse; and

• Ensure organisations have processes in place to respond to and report all allegations of child abuse.

Child Safe Standards work by:

• driving changes in organisational culture – embedding child safety in everyday thinking and practice;

• providing a minimum standard of child safety across all organisations; and

• highlighting that we all have a role to keep children safe from abuse.

There are 11 Child Safe Standards, with each standard expressed as a statement of an expected outcome that organisations must achieve, as well as having minimum requirements to clarify what you need to do for your organisation:

1. 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

2. Standard 2: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture

3. Standard 3: Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously

4. Standard 4: Families and communities are informed, and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing

5. Standard 5: Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice

6. Standard 6: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice

7. Standard 7: Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused

8. 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

9. Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed

10. Standard 10: Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved

11. Standard 11: Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people

Every Community Language School must show a commitment to the Child Safe Standards and ensure that the 11 standards are embedded into everything that the school does.

Community Languages Schools must have:

1. Culturally Safe Environments

2. Child Safety and Wellbeing is Embedded in Leadership, Governance and Culture

3. Child and Student Empowerment

4. Family Engagement

5. Diversity and Equity

6. Suitable Staff and Volunteers

7. Complaints Processes

8. Child Safety Knowledge, Skills and Awareness

9. Child Safety in Physical and Online Environments

10. Review of Child Safety Practices

11. Implementation of Child Safety Practices

The School must appoint a Child Safe Officer. The Child Safe Officer must take deliberate steps to safeguard children from physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse and neglect. They provide advice across the organisation on all policies and procedures that relates to child safety in accordance with the Victorian Child Safe Standards. For further information on the roles and responsibilities of the Child Safety Officer, including their Position Description, refer to the Roles and Responsibilities page.

In addition:

• all staff, volunteers and committee members must undertake three hours of compulsory Child Safety training on a regular basis

• all staff, volunteers and committee members must sign a Code of Conduct annually to ensure they have read and understood its contents

• all staff, volunteers and committee members must have a current and valid Working with Children's Check

• the School must complete a child safe self-audit on an annual basis and submit this to Community Languages Victoria

The Child Safe Standards and Reportable Conduct Scheme create a distinct set of responsibilities for organisations and have been designed to complement one another. Together, the Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme strengthen the capacity of organisations to prevent and respond properly to allegations of child abuse.

The Reportable Conduct Scheme is focussed on worker and volunteer conduct, and how organisations investigate and respond to allegations of child abuse. The Scheme aims to improve organisational responses to allegations of child abuse and to facilitate the identification of individuals who pose a risk of harm to children.

Specifically, the Reportable Conduct Scheme imposes obligations on organisations involving children to:

• • have in place systems to prevent child abuse and, if child abuse is alleged, to ensure allegations can be brought to the attention of appropriate persons for investigation and response

  • ensure that the Commission is notified and given updates on the organisation’s response to an allegation.

The organisation must notify the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) of any alleged abuse by people employed by:

●        the organisation

●        volunteers

●        contractors

●        office holders

●        ministers of religion

●        officers of a religious body

●        foster and kinship carers in a formal care arrangement.

There are 5 types of ‘reportable conduct':

●        sexual offences (against, with or in the presence of, a child)

●        sexual misconduct (against, with or in the presence of, a child)

●        physical violence (against, with or in the presence of, a child)

●        behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm

●        significant neglect.

The Reportable Conduct Scheme does not replace the need to report allegations of child abuse, including criminal conduct and family violence to Victoria Police.

The school has a Child Safety Officer who provides advice to the School on all policies and procedures that relate to child safety in accordance with the Victorian Child Safe Standards. 

The Child Safety Officer is responsible to:

• Perform the role under delegation from the Principal, and report to the School Council;

• Provide a first point of contact/central point for reporting allegation of abuse;

• Implement quality business and practice systems and standards;

• Oversee that child protection services that are provided comply with relevant legislation, delegations, policies, quality standards and our Child Safety Practice Manual;

• Have a clear process in place to report allegations of child abuse;

• Establish enduring productive partnerships with foster and kinship carers in the school community;

• Oversee ongoing professional development and management of staff in relation to the Child Safe Standards; and

• Convene internal child safety meetings, on a regular basis.

CLV: Essential Aspects of Child Safe Organisations Training Presentation Slides

CLV: The 4Rs of Safeguarding Children and Ensuring their Wellbeing Training Presentation Slides

CLV: The Victorian Child Safe Standards Training Presentation Slides

The School has a suite of policies in place to support Child Safety. Refer to the Policies and Procedures page.

Commission for Children and Young People: Child Safe Standards

Commission for Children and Young People: Reportable Conduct Scheme

Community Languages School Child Safety Information