Child Safeguarding

At St Joseph's, we are committed to creating and maintaining a safe environment for children and young people, adhering to the Child Safe Standards and relevant legislation.

There are 11 Child Safe Standards - we will explore each one and how St Joseph's addresses the standards.

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

Standard 5 of the Child Safe Standards focuses on equity and diversity, requiring organisations to uphold equity and respect diverse needs in policy and practice. This includes paying particular attention to the needs of children with disabilities, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children who are unable to live at home, and those questioning their sexuality or gender. It also emphasizes the importance of creating a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal children and young people. 

Ways St Joseph's achieves this standard:

• Policies
• Behaviour Frameworks
• Code of Conduct for all (staff, students and families)
• National Days of Action
• Fortnightly BLITZ
• Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships Program
• Wellbeing Week
• Staff Training

Volunteers - NEW registration process

Engagement of Volunteers

At St Joseph’s Primary School, Rochester the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. To uphold our commitment to child safety, ALL Volunteers are required to review and acknowledge our Child Safe Code of Conduct, Staff & Students Professional Boundaries Policy and Photography & Video Policy and Procedures. 

Additionally, Volunteers must complete a Volunteer Registration form and successfully complete the CESL School Volunteer Induction before commencing their role as a Volunteer.

We deeply value the contributions of our Volunteers and appreciate your support in maintaining a culture of care and protection. Together, we can continue to provide a safe and nurturing space for every child to thrive.

For more information regarding volunteering contact us or click on the link to complete the Volunteer Registration form. 

Volunteer Registration Form (click to access the link)

All Volunteers will be asked to:

• Complete a Volunteer Registration form (including personal details, Working with Children Check (WWCC) and 2 personal referees), please inform your referees they will be contacted by the school in relation to your volunteering.
• Once you have completed the Volunteer Registration form and are approved to Volunteer at the school, you will be sent an email with a link to access the required training:
• (Please note – Completing this induction replaces the previous onsite induction interview)
• CESL School Volunteer Induction; and
• Read and acknowledge the Child Safe Code of Conduct, Staff & Students Professional Boundaries Policy and Photography & Video Policy and Procedures.

All Volunteers will be required to update details at the start of each year and inform the school of any changes to your circumstances or updates to your WWCC. 

All Volunteers will need to complete the CESL School Volunteer Induction and read and acknowledge all relevant safeguarding policies at the start of each school year even if an existing Volunteer.

All information received regarding volunteering and providing referee details will be maintained in line with CESL Privacy Policy.