Child Safeguarding Policy

SCS is committed to promoting a strong system to ensure child safety, based on ten key areas in compliance with the Child Safe Standards.

5.1 Leadership Commitment and Governance (Child Safe Standard 1)

• Commitment to child safety is role modelled at all levels of leadership through the setting and maintenance of a culture of zero tolerance for harm and abuse. This includes the Board, Executive Director, Executive Leadership Team, Managers and Principals. Child safety is integrated into organisational leadership, governance and culture.
• SCS policies, procedures and guidelines collectively set out acceptable standards of child safe behaviour when interacting with students and mandatory reporting obligations that underpin the Child Safety Framework. The Policy should be read in conjunction with the relevant SCS documents, including, but not limited to, the SCS Code of Professional Conduct, Child Protection Policy: Mandatory Reporting Obligations and Supervision of External Providers.
• SCS management and all staff have clearly defined responsibilities for managing child safety risk as set out in Section 6.

5.2 Children’s Participation and Empowerment (Child Safe Standard 2)

• SCS is committed to empowering students to have a voice in decisions that affect them. Children are encouraged to participate in decisions affecting them and their voices are taken seriously.
• SCS ensures that students are provided with accessible information on their rights, including how to recognise abuse and seek help. This information is part of the mandatory Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) curriculum. This includes providing age-appropriate resources about protective behaviours, peer support and complaint processes.
• All SCS students have access to information on how to report issues of concern. Students have access to the Child Safe Communities website where they can make a complaint and seek support. Access to the site is promoted in schools through posters and during targeted lessons.
• SCS promotes student leadership programs that provide student voice through forums such as an elected Student Representative Council, Youth Forums and the Youth Ministry. Students are given opportunities to participate in the creation of materials and programs relevant to them and their peers. Regular surveys/feedback forums, including the Tell Them from Me survey, provide all students with the opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions.

5.3 Family and Community Engagement (Child Safe Standard 3)

• Families and communities are informed and involved in child safety initiatives. SCS actively engages with students, families and communities to support students’ needs by:
  • collaborating with families in decisions that affect their children recognising that parents and carers have the primary responsibility for their child’s upbringing and development.
  • being transparent with families and communities about child safety policies and procedures and ensuring that the information is accessible to all stakeholders by being publicly available on the website.
  • participating in activities that raise awareness of Child Safety including promoting National Child Safety Week in the Central Office and SCS Schools.

Families and communities may provide feedback or report concerns directly to the SCS Child Safeguarding team through the Child Safe Communities website.

5.4 Equity, Diversity and Cultural Safety (Child Safe Standard 4 and National Catholic Safeguarding Standard 4)

• SCS promotes equity and respects diversity to ensure all children feel safe, supported, included and free from abuse.
• SCS identifies the needs of students and families with diverse circumstances including students with disability, students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, those who are unable to live at home; and students experiencing confusion with their gender or sexual identity.
• SCS has policies and procedures in place to ensure students with diverse circumstances are provided with individualised learning plans, wellbeing and education. Policies include: Supporting Students with Complex Social and Emotional Needs Policy, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy, Gender Dysphoria Policy and Gifted Education Policy.

5.5 Staffing, Recruitment and Induction (Child Safe Standard 5)
People working with children undergo thorough suitability checks and are supported in their roles. SCS conducts all necessary due diligence and compliance checks of its workforce and suppliers, including:

• Working with Children Checks (WWCCs); the SCS Working with Children Check Policy sets out how SCS complies with our legislation obligations for WWCCs.
• Hiring managers are trained on child safety-focused questions. Job advertisements and Role Descriptions set out that SCS is a child safe organisation, and role descriptions include child safe responsibilities for supervisors and staff.
• Potential employees are subject to workforce screening that includes pre-employment declarations, interview questions to assess suitability in relation to child safety and referee checks. These practices are consistently applied and documented.
• Contractors and suppliers are required to hold WWCCs and undergo screening depending on the services proposed to be provided and the terms of the engagement in accordance with the Supervision of External Providers Policy and Engaging Contractors & Volunteers in Child Related Work Procedures.
• Onboarding induction on child safe behaviours, Safeguarding policies including complaints handling and reporting.

5.6 Reporting and Complaints Management (Child Safe Standard 6)

• All complaints about child abuse or neglect must be reported in accordance with the Child Protection Policy: Mandatory Reporting Obligations. The policy sets out all mandatory reporting obligations and outlines the process that an SCS staff member is required to follow if a concern is raised about the safety, welfare or wellbeing of a child (0 -15 years) or young person (16- 17 years) or student over 18 years.
• There are confidential processes for reporting and handling complaints related to child safety which are designed to be child-focused and adopt trauma informed practices.
• SCS takes all allegations (current and historical) or breaches of child safety seriously and will follow the process in response to child protection complaints and/or allegations being made against SCS staff, having regard to the particular facts of each individual case, as set out in the SCS Child Protection Policy: Responding to Allegations and Complaints Against SCS Staff. The policy sets out the required investigation process and risk assessment considerations.

5.7 Knowledge, Training and Capability (Child Safe Standard 7)
SCS has in place ongoing education and training activities for staff to maintain awareness and relevant skills to keep children safe. SCS ensures that:

• All staff have a responsibility to safeguard students from unsafe conduct or abuse.
• Training provides staff with the knowledge, skills and confidence to prevent and identify abuse, and to respond to complaints.
• Staff who are involved in roles and situations with higher risk, or who work with vulnerable children, are provided with opportunities for more advanced training.
• Completion of mandatory training for all staff is monitored and regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it includes emerging trends and best practice.
• Safeguarding considerations are included in day to day operations and all staff have access to child safety risk management resources and advisory support via the Intranet and Child Safety Team.

SCS coordinates general and targeted child safety training and awareness programs to promote staff and community awareness of child safety risks, prevention and response.

5.8 Physical and Online environments (Child Safe Standard 8)

• Proactive measures are taken to create safe physical and online environments which are designed to minimise opportunities for abuse.
• Safeguarding considerations are included in school infrastructure design, maintenance and management, especially in relation to higher risk areas such as playgrounds, bathrooms and areas with low visibility.
• SCS Policies and Procedures mitigate risk by ensuring safe practices are adopted such as restrictions for one-on-one activities between staff and students or additional supervision for higher risk areas.
• SCS ICT policies and procedures address online risks and include access controls to ensure safe student use of digital devices and online services (including social media).

5.9 Monitoring, review and improvement (Child Safe Standards 9 & 10)

• Implementation of child safe standards is continuously reviewed and improved.
• SCS reviews complaints to identify causes and systemic failures, and inform continuous improvement.
• All directorates are responsible for monitoring and testing the efficacy of compliance and controls related to safeguarding students from abuse.
• SCS undertakes annual reviews of school and system compliance with child safety obligations including:
  • Principal attestation of compliance against a checklist of school-based evidence,
  • audits of schools for compliance with selected child safety focus areas and;
  • assessment of system-based compliance in partnership with School Support experts
• SCS has up to date policies and procedures that document how the organisation is child safe.