We are committed to the effective implementation of a comprehensive Child Safety Program and ensuring that it is appropriately reviewed and updated. Our Child Safety Program itself is one of the strategies employed by Wesley College to embed a culture of child safety at the College.
Our Child Safety Program relates to all aspects of child safety and wellbeing and establishes work systems, practices, policies and procedures to create and maintain a child safe environment and culture at the College. It includes:
- the Child Safety Codes of Conduct;
- clear information about what is child abuse and other harm and key indicators of child abuse and other harm;
- clear procedures for responding to and reporting child safety incidents or concerns internally to a Child Safety Officer, and for responding to incidents or allegations of child abuse or other harm;
- strategies to support, encourage and enable Staff, Volunteers, Contractors, parents/carers and students to understand, identify, discuss and report child safety matters;
- procedures for recruiting and screening members of the College Executive Team, Staff, Volunteers and Contractors;
- procedures for reporting to external agencies including Mandatory Reporting to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Child Protection), reporting reportable conduct to the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) and reporting child sexual abuse to police;
- pastoral care strategies designed to empower students and keep them safe;
- strategies to support and encourage the participation and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and students with disability;
- child safety training;
- information regarding the steps to take after a disclosure of abuse or other harm to protect, support and assist students;
- guidelines with respect to record keeping and confidentiality;
- policies to ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and standards (including the Victorian Child Safe Standards and Ministerial Order 1359); and
- a system for continuous review and improvement.
