Student Wellbeing - Child Safe

Child Safe Policy & Standards.

Edgars Creek Secondary College is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all students at the school.

On 26 November 2015, the Victorian Parliament passed the Child Wellbeing and Safety Amendment (Child Safe Standards) Bill 2015 to introduce child safe standards into law. The standards commenced 1 January 2016 for most organisations working with children, with the aim of promoting cultural change in the way organisations manage the risk of child abuse and neglect

The child safe policy defines and sets out the school’s approach to creating a child safe organisation where children and young people are safe and feel safe; and provides the policy framework for the school’s approach to the Child Safe Standards.

The Child Safe Standards aim to drive cultural change in organisations that provide services for children so that protecting children from abuse is embedded in everyday thinking and practice.

To create and maintain a child safe organisation, an entity to which the standards apply must have:

Standard 1: Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements 

Standard 2: A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety 

Standard 3: A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with

children 

Standard 4: Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel 

Standard 5: Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse (DET Mandatory Reporting policy which can be found at

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/safety/Pages/childprotection.aspx)

Standard 6: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse

Standard 7: Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children.

Edgars Creek Secondary College will implement the Child Safe Standards to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students at the College and promote an organisational culture that manages the risk of child abuse and neglect.

Our School has developed policies and procedures that aim to keep children safe. The standards will provide a framework to identify gaps and improve policy and practices specific to child safety. These policies can be found on the school website:

https://www.edgarscreeksc.vic.edu.au/index.php/child-safe-standards/#page-content

Chantelle Gianinotti (Student Wellbeing Coordinator) has been appointed as Edgars Creek Secondary College Child Safe Officer.