Volunteers

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If you need help to understand the information in this policy please contact the school office on (03) 9366 4322

Purpose

To outline the processes that Jackson School will follow to recruit, screen, supervise and manage volunteers to provide a child-safe environment, and to explain the legal rights of volunteers.

Scope

This policy applies to the recruitment, screening, supervision and management of all people who volunteer at our school.

Definitions

Child-connected work: work authorised by the school governing authority/provider of a school boarding services and performed by an adult in a school or school boarding premises environment while children are present or reasonably expected to be present.

Child-related work: As defined by the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic), child-related work is work that usually involves direct contact (including in person, over the phone, written and online communication) with a child that is a central part of that person’s duties. It does not include work that involves occasional direct contact with children that is incidental to the work.

Closely related family member: parent, carer, parent/carer’s spouse or domestic partner, stepparent, parent/carer’s mother or father in-law, grandparent, uncle or aunt, brother or sister, including step or half siblings.

Volunteer worker: A volunteer school worker is a person who voluntarily engages in school work or approved community work without payment or reward.

School work: School work means:

Carrying out the functions of a school council
Any activity carried out for the welfare of a school, by the school council, any parents’ club or association or any other body organised to promote the welfare of the school
Any activity carried out for the welfare of the school at the request of the principal or school council
Providing assistance in the work of any school or kindergarten
Attending meetings in relation to government schools convened by any organisation which receives government financial support

This is a broad definition and means that volunteers who participate in school community activities, such as fundraising and assisting with excursions, are legally protected (ie indemnified) from action by others in the event of an injury or accident whilst they are performing volunteer school work in good faith.

Policy

Jackson School is committed to implementing and following practices which protect the safety and wellbeing of children and our staff and volunteers. Jackson School recognises the valuable contribution that volunteers provide to our school community and the work that we do.

The procedures set out below are designed to ensure that Jackson School’s volunteers are suitable to work with children and are well-placed to make a positive contribution to our school community.

Becoming a volunteer

Members of our school community who would like to volunteer are required to apply to the Principal by emailing the school email or via the Contact Us FORM on the school website. For excursion support parents can communicate with the relevant classroom teacher to show their WWC Clearance and the teacher will seek principal approval prior to attendance.

Suitability checks including Working with Children Checks

Working with students

Jackson School values the many volunteers that assist in our classrooms/with sports events/swimming programs/camps/excursions/school concerts/other events and programs. To ensure that we are meeting our legal obligations under the Worker Screening ACT 2020 VIC and the Child Safe Standards, Jackson School is required to undertake suitability checks which in most cases will involve asking for evidence of a Working With Children(WWC) Clearance, and may also involve undertaking reference, proof of identity, qualification and work history involving children checks.

Considering our legal obligations, and our commitment to ensuring that Jackson School is a child-safe environment, we will require volunteers to obtain a WWC Clearance and produce their valid card to the office and or classroom teacher for verification in the following circumstances:

Volunteers who are not parent/family members of any student at the school if they are engaged in child-related work regardless of whether they are being supervised.
Parent/family volunteers who are assisting with any classroom or school activities involving direct contact with children in circumstances where the volunteer’s child is not participating, or does not ordinarily participate in, the activity.
Parent/family volunteers who assist with excursions (including swimming), camps and similar events, regardless of whether their own child is participating or not.
Parent/family volunteers who regularly assist in school activities, regardless of whether their own child is participating or not
Parent/community School Council members sitting on School Council with student School Council members, regardless of whether their own child is a student member or not

In addition, depending on the nature of the volunteer work, our school may ask the volunteer to provide other suitability checks at its discretion (for example, references, work history involving children and/or qualifications). Proof of identity may also be required in some circumstances.

Non child-related work

On some occasions, parents and other members of the school community may volunteer to do work that is not child-related. For example: volunteering on the weekend for gardening, maintenance, working bees, parents and friends club coordination, school council, participating in sub-committees of school council, fete coordination, other fundraising groups that meet in the evenings during which children will not be, or would not reasonably be expected to be, present.

Volunteers for this type of work are not required to have WWC Clearances or other suitability checks as they are not engaged in child-related work and children are not generally present during these activities. However, Jackson School reserves the right to undertake suitability checks, including proof of identity and WWC Clearances, at its discretion if considered necessary for any particular activities or circumstances.

School council members and volunteers on any sub-committee of school council will be asked to provide evidence of a valid WWC Clearance. Whilst we acknowledge that these volunteers will not be engaging in child-related work as part of their role, even when there is a student sitting on the school council, we believe that it is important that our volunteers who are involved in making important decisions about our school which will have an impact on students do have a valid WWC Clearance.

Training and induction

Under the Child Safe Standards volunteers must have an appropriate induction and training in child safety and wellbeing.

To support us to maintain a child safe environment, before engaging in any work where children are present or reasonably likely to be present, volunteers must familiarise themselves with the policies, procedures and code of conduct referred to in our Child Safety Induction Pack and ensure the actions and requirements in these documents are followed when volunteering for our school.

Depending on the nature and responsibilities of their role, Jackson School may also require volunteers to complete additional child safety training.

Management and supervision

Volunteer workers will be expected to comply with any reasonable direction of the principal (or their nominee). This will include the requirement to follow our school’s policies, including, but not limited to our Child Safety Policy / Statement of Commitment to Child Safety, our Child Safety Code of Conduct and our Statement of Values and School Philosophy.

Volunteer workers will also be expected to act consistently with Department of Education policies, to the extent that they apply to volunteer workers, including the Department’s policies relating to Equal Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Workplace Bullying.

The principal (or their nominee) will determine the level of school staff supervision required for volunteers, depending on the type of work being performed, and with a focus on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students.

The principal has the discretion to make a decision about the ongoing suitability of a volunteer worker and may determine at any time whether or not a person is suitable to volunteer at Jackson School.

Jackson School will provide any appropriate induction and/or training for all volunteer workers. The principal (or their nominee) will determine what induction and/or training is necessary depending on what type of work the volunteer will be engaged in.

All volunteers will be provided induction in relation to Jackson School’s child safety practices, including reporting obligations and procedures. Our school has a Child Safety Reporting Obligations Policy which all staff and volunteers should be aware of.

The principal (or their nominee) will determine what supervision, if any, of volunteers is required for the type of work being performed.

Privacy and information-sharing

Volunteers must ensure that any student information they become aware of because of their volunteer work is managed sensitively and in accordance with the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Department’s policy on Privacy and Information Sharing.

Under these policies, student information can and should be shared with relevant school staff to:

support the student’s education, wellbeing and health;
reduce the risk of reasonably foreseeable harm to the student, other students, staff or visitors;
make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the student’s disability; or
provide a safe and secure workplace.

Volunteers must immediately report any child safety concerns that they become aware of to a member of staff to ensure appropriate action. There are some circumstances where volunteers may also be obliged to disclose information to authorities outside of the school such as to Victoria Police. For further information on child safety responding and reporting obligations refer to: Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures.

Records management

While it is unlikely volunteers will be responsible for any school records during their volunteer work, any school records that volunteers are responsible for must be provided to the Assistant Principal to ensure they are managed in accordance with the Department’s policy: Records Management – Schools.

Compensation

Personal injury

Volunteer workers are covered by the Department of Education Workers Compensation Policy if they suffer personal injury in the course of engaging in school work.

Property damage

If a volunteer worker suffers damage to their property in the course of carrying out school work, the Minister (or delegate) may authorise such compensation as they consider reasonable in the circumstances. Claims of this nature should be directed to the principal who will direct them to the Department’s Legal Division.

Public liability insurance

The Department of Education public liability insurance policy applies when a volunteer worker engaged in school work is legally liable for:

a claim for bodily injury to a third party
damage to or the destruction of a third party’s property.

Communication

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways :-

Available publicly on our school’s website through iNewsletter
Included in induction processes for relevant staff
Included in our staff handbook/manual
Discussed in an annual staff briefing/meeting
Made available in hard copy from school administration upon request

Related policies and resources

Jackson School policies and resources relevant to this policy include: Statement of Values and School Philosophy, Visitors Policy, Statement of Commitment to Child Safety/Child Safe Policy, Child Safety Code of Conduct, Inclusion and Diversity Policy, Jackson School Child Safety Induction Pack

Department policies:

Policy review and approval

Policy last reviewed	18/4/2023
Consultation	School council
Approved by	Principal
Next scheduled review date	18/4/2025