CHILD SAFE POLICY

Woodcroft College has developed the following Child Safe Policy as an overarching document that provides key elements of our approach to protecting children from harm and risk of harm.

This policy forms the foundation of the College’s policy framework, procedures and practices, and ultimately the Woodcroft College culture with respect to child safety. It is designed to be the College’s public statement of commitment to child safety and a demonstration of the commitment to champion child safety in our College community.

The College’s Child Safe Policy has been approved and endorsed by the College Council.

This policy is published on our public website, and is included in induction and welcome packs for Council members, staff, direct contact volunteers, direct contact contractors and external education providers.

Council members, staff, direct contact volunteers, direct contact contractors and external education providers are required to sign a written statement acknowledging they have read and understood the policy. Such statements are retained in accordance with the Child Protection Record Keeping Policy.

This policy provides the framework for:

• the development of work systems, practices, policies and procedures that promote child protection within the College; the creation of a positive and robust child protection culture
• the promotion and open discussion of child protection issues within the College
• complying with all laws, regulations and standards relevant to child protection in South Australia

This policy has been developed in accordance with Principle 2 of the Child Safe Environments Principles of Good Practice.

Woodcroft College is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. We support the rights of the child and will act without hesitation to ensure a child safe environment is always maintained. We also support the rights and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers, and encourage their active participation in creating and maintaining a child safe environment for all members of the College community.

The College’s commitment to child safety is based on the following overarching principles that guide the development and regular review of our work systems, practices, policies and procedures to protect children from harm, abuse, grooming and neglect.

It is everyone’s responsibility to be aware of key risk indicators of child harm, to be observant, and to raise any concerns they may have relating to child abuse with one of the College’s Child Safety Officers.

1. All children have the right to be safe.
2. The welfare and best interests of the child are paramount.
3. The views of the child and a child’s privacy must be respected.
4. Clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children are established in our Child Safety Code of Conduct and Professional and Role Boundaries Policy.
5. The safety of children is dependent upon the existence of a child safe culture.
6. Child safety awareness is promoted and openly discussed within our College community.
7. Procedures are in place to screen the Principal, members of the College Leadership Team, all staff, direct contact volunteers, direct contact contractors and external education providers.
8. Child safety and protection is everyone’s responsibility.
9. Child protection training is required for all Council members, staff, direct contact volunteers and direct contact contractors.
10. Procedures for responding to alleged or suspected incidents of child harm, are simple and accessible for all members of the College community.
11. Children from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds have the right to special care and support including those who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
12. Children who have any kind of disability have the right to special care and support.

Woodcroft College has developed procedures and standards to support our overarching Child Safe Policy.

This relates to all aspects of protecting children from harm and establishes work systems, practices, policies and procedures to protect children from harm. It includes:

• clear information as to what constitutes child harm and associated key risk indicators
• clear procedures for responding to and reporting allegations if a child is harmed or is at risk of harm
• strategies to support, encourage and enable staff, direct contact volunteers, third-party direct contact contractors, external education providers, parents/guardians and students to understand, identify, discuss and report child protection matters
• procedures for recruiting and screening Council members, staff, direct contact contractors and direct contact volunteers
• pastoral care lessons designed to empower students and keep them safe
• policies with respect to cultural diversity and students with a disability
• a child protection training program
• information regarding the steps to take after a disclosure of harm
• guidelines with respect to record keeping and confidentiality

It is everyone’s responsibility to be aware of key risk indicators of a child being harmed and to raise any concerns they may have relating to child abuse with one of the College’s Child Safety Officers.

At Woodcroft College all Council members, staff, volunteers, third-party contractors and external education providers have a shared responsibility for contributing to the safety and protection of children. Specific responsibilities include:

College Council
Each Council member is required to ensure that appropriate resources are made available to allow the College’s Child Safe Policy to be effectively implemented within the College and are responsible for holding the Principal and College Leadership Team accountable for effective implementation.

The Principal
The Principal is responsible, and will be accountable for, taking all practical measures to ensure that this Child Safe Policy is implemented effectively and that a strong and sustainable child protection culture is maintained within the College.

The College’s Child Safety Officers
A number of staff are nominated as the College’s Child Safety Officers including the Principal, Deputy Principal – Wellbeing and Student Experience, Heads of School and School Counsellors.
They are the first point of contact for raising child protection concerns within the College. They are also responsible for championing child protection within the College and assisting in coordinating responses to child protection incidents.

Staff Members
All staff are required to comply with our Child Safe Policy and their legal obligations with respect to reporting if a child is harmed or is at risk of harm. Each current and new staff member is required to sign a written statement indicating that they have read and acknowledged the College’s Child Safe Policy, Child Safety Code of Conduct and Professional and Role Boundaries Policy.

Staff, as a condition of employment at the College, must adhere to the College’s Child Safety Code of Conduct and Professional and Role Boundaries Policy.

Direct Contact Volunteers
All direct contact volunteers, as defined in this policy, are required to comply with our Child Safe Policy and their legal obligations with respect to the reporting of child abuse. Each current and new direct contact volunteer is required to sign a written statement indicating that they have read and acknowledged the College’s Child Safe Policy and Child Safety Code of Conduct.

Direct contact volunteers are those volunteers who are involved in providing support, guidance and supervision directly to students and could potentially have direct unsupervised contact with students during the normal course of providing the volunteer service.

Examples of direct contact volunteer activities may include volunteers involved in College camps and excursions, coaching sporting teams or assisting in learning activities.

Indirect Contact Volunteers
Indirect contact volunteers are those volunteers who are involved in providing support and services whilst not directly assisting a specific group of students. Indirect contact volunteers are not responsible for supervising students and would not have “unsupervised” contact with students during the normal course of providing the volunteer service.

All indirect contact volunteers are responsible for contributing to the safety and protection of children in the College environment. Examples of indirect contact volunteer activities may include assisting with College functions, or the College canteen and fundraising barbeques.

Third-Party Contractors
All third-party contractors engaged by the College are responsible for contributing to the safety and protection of children in the College environment.

Third-party contractors include, for example, maintenance and building personnel, consultants, casual teachers, tutors, sports coaches and College cleaners. This also includes peripatetic music teachers and other extra-curricular teachers and instructors who are engaged by students and their families directly, rather than the College, but have an agreement with the College to use the College’s facilities.

Third-party contractors are classified as either “direct contact contractors” or “indirect contact contractors”.

Direct contact contractors are:

• those who have direct unsupervised contact with students during the normal course of their work
• those who may be in a position to establish a relationship of trust with a student notwithstanding that unsupervised access to students would be rare (for example fulltime maintenance personnel)
• any contractors whom a College is legally required to screen

Each direct contact contractor is required to sign a written statement indicating that they have read and acknowledged the College’s Child Safe Policy and Child Safety Code of Conduct.

Indirect contact contractors are those contractors who do not meet the definition of “direct contact contractor”.

The College may include this requirement in the written agreement between it and the third-party contractor.

External Education Providers
An external education provider is any organisation that the College has arranged to deliver a specified course of study that is part of the curriculum, to a student or students enrolled at the College.

The delivery of such a course may take place on the College premises or elsewhere. All external education providers engaged by the College are responsible for contributing to the safety and protection of children in the College environment.

All external education providers engaged by the College are required to comply with our Child Safe Policy and their legal obligations with respect to the reporting of child abuse, grooming and neglect.

Each external education provider is required to have appropriate child protection policies and procedures within their organisation.

Woodcroft College may include this requirement in the written agreement between it and the external education provider.

Staff, third-party contractors, external education providers, volunteers, students, parents/guardians and other community members who have concerns that a child may be subject to harm, grooming or risk of harm are asked to contact one of the following on (08) 8322 2333 or by email:

All communications will be treated confidentially on a ‘need to know basis’.

Whenever there are concerns that a child is in immediate danger the police should be called on triple zero.

If you have any questions regarding the College’s Child Safe Policy, and how it applies to you, College’s Child Safety Officers are available for advice.