Child Safe Standards

On the 1st July 2022, the Victorian Government introduced Eleven Child Safe Standards which include requirements to:

• involve families and communities in organisations’ efforts to keep children and young people safe
• provide greater focus on safety for Aboriginal children and young people
• manage the risk of child abuse in online environments.

These Standards provide greater clarity and practical steps for each Standard. They outline what action organisations need to take to keep children and young people safe. Under Victorian law St Mel’s has a legal obligation to comply with the 11 Child Safe Standards

Victorian 11 Child Safe Standards

At St Mel's, we believe all students enrolled, and any child visiting, have the right to feel safe and be safe at all times. The wellbeing of children in our care will always be our first priority and we have zero tolerance for child abuse. At St Mel’s we strive to maintain a child safe and child friendly environment where children feel safe and are free to enjoy life to the full without any concern for their safety.  We are committed to continually reviewing our Child Safe policies and practices to ensure that every effort is made for ongoing improvement of our Child Safe environment.

We recognise that some groups of children are particularly vulnerable and we are committed to promoting the cultural safety of Aboriginal/linguistically diverse children and also promoting the safety of children with a disability.

Please make yourself familiar with our Child Safe Policies and Procedures which can be found on the school website.