Leadership and Management

Staff Closure Day

On Tuesday 18th April, the staff participated in training sessions to update their knowledge about Occupational Health and Safety, First Aid, CPR and Anaphylaxis.  The Occupational Health and Safety component included Child Safety and Working With Children updated information.

Below details the changes that have been made to the Working With Children's Act 2005.

Amendments come into effect from 1 August 2017

 

On 1 August 2017 a number of important amendments to the Working withChildren Act 2005 (the Act) will come into effect. 

 

In its report titled 'Working with Children Checks', the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse made several recommendations aimed at strengthening the protection children receive through Working with Children Checks. The following amendments to the Act implement these recommendations:

 

1. Expand the definition of 'direct contact' in the Act

The definition of direct contact will now include oral, written or electronic communication as well as face-to-face and physical contact.

2. Remove 'supervision' from the Act

The removal of references to ‘supervision’ from the Act will mean that even if a person’s contact with children as part of their child-related work is supervised by another person, they will still need to apply for a Check.

 

3. Require kinship carers to obtain a Check

People caring for a child placed by Child Protection under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 will be required to obtain a Check. 

 

4. Consider non-conviction charges

Non-conviction charges (charges that have been finally dealt with other than by a conviction or finding of guilt) for serious sexual, violent or drug offences will be able to be considered as part of Check assessments and re-assessments.

 

4. Compel information 

The Secretary to the Department of Justice and Regulation will now be able to compel the production of certain information for the purposes of compliance monitoring.

 

We thank Martin Tennant (SafeSmart Solutions) and Katie Burt (Pulse CPR) for facilitating the sessions.

Galilee School Vision

Late last term a representative team made up of staff, students and parents gathered together to continue work on the renewed Galilee School Vision. We would like to thank Charlotte, Ethan, Brendan, Jane, Danielle and Amy for their work drafting the revised School Vision. The draft was been presented to staff and the leadership team late last term. It will be presented to the School Education Board and our student leadership group next week. The draft will be revised following the recommendations from the staff, leadership team, school board and student leadership group. We hope to be able to finalise and publish the renewed Vision Statement in a few weeks time.