CHILD SAFETY IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY 

Child Safe Standard 6:

"Ensure that people working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice".

Suitable and Supported Staff and Volunteers at Ripponlea Primary School

At Ripponlea Primary School, we are unwavering in our commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment where all children thrive. To uphold this, we take proactive steps to ensure that the adults working and volunteering in our school are suitable, well-prepared, and continuously supported to reflect our child safety values.

We proudly meet this standard by embedding strong processes in our recruitment, induction, training, and supervision of staff and volunteers.

Key Actions Our School Takes

1. Robust Recruitment and Screening

• All job advertisements for child-connected roles outline clear expectations regarding child safety, including:
  • Knowledge of child development
  • Responsibilities for child safety and wellbeing
  • Relevant qualifications and experience
• We provide all job applicants with our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and Child Safety Code of Conduct.
• All staff and volunteers are screened for their suitability, including:
  • Working With Children Check (WWCC) or VIT registration
  • Identity and qualification verification
  • Reference checks that assess previous experience working with children, including vulnerable cohorts such as children with disabilities or Aboriginal children

2. Child Safety-Focused Interview and Selection

• Our interview panels include staff with knowledge of child safety responsibilities.
• We ask applicants specific questions about working safely with children and seek referee comments about their behaviour in previous child-related roles.
• When appropriate, we consider involving student voice in the recruitment process (e.g. leadership roles or student-facing wellbeing positions).

3. Comprehensive Induction for All Adults in Child-Connected Work

Every new:

• Staff member
• Volunteer
• School Council or governing body member

Receives a detailed child safety induction, covering:

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Child Safety Code of Conduct
• How to identify and manage risks to children
• Reporting obligations (including mandatory reporting and PROTECT guidelines)
• Complaints procedures, privacy protocols, and information sharing expectations

New staff are also assigned mentors to support safe practice, professional conduct, and understanding of school culture.

4. Ongoing Supervision and Performance Management

• Leaders regularly monitor staff and volunteers in classrooms, the yard, and school programs to ensure ongoing safe practices.
• Performance appraisals include goals related to child safety and wellbeing.
• Child safety is included as a standing item in staff meetings, where we discuss:
  • Recognising concerning behaviour
  • Safe ways to respond to disclosures
  • Strategies for supporting cultural safety and student voice
• Staff and volunteers receive formal and informal feedback on their interactions with students and conduct.

5. Training and Support to Build Knowledge and Confidence

• Ongoing training is provided on:
  • Mandatory reporting and student sexual offending
  • Harassment, bullying, and family violence
  • Cultural safety, diversity and inclusion
  • Identifying grooming and other risk behaviours
• Child safety briefings are delivered through staff meetings, year-level briefings, and newsletters.
• We have a Child Safety Champion who helps lead training and ensure the Child Safe Standards are visible and active in daily school life.

6. Clear Systems for Accountability and Improvement

• We maintain up-to-date registers and conduct termly checks of WWCCs and VIT status.
• Our role descriptions for all staff and volunteers clearly define responsibilities around supervision, safety, and inclusion.
• There are clear procedures for reporting concerns, managing conflicts of interest, and escalating safety issues when necessary.
• In the event of a safety incident, staff are involved in after-action reviews to improve practice.

A Shared Responsibility

Creating a culture of child safety is not just about compliance; it’s about living our values every day. Ripponlea Primary School works in partnership with staff, families, and volunteers to build an environment where every child feels safe, respected, and heard.

If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more about our child safety practices, we warmly invite you to contact the school office or visit our Child Safety section on the school website.