TG's Child Care - Riverbreeze, Wauchope
Commitment to Child Safety Statement
TG’s Child Care is committed to Child Safety
Aim
To ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of children through organisational culture, values and practices that embed a culture of child safety.
Commitment to Child Safety Statement
TG’s Child Care is committed to child safety.
• We want children to be safe, loved, respected, happy and empowered, in accordance with the UN Rights of the Child.
• We support and respect all children, as well as our educators, families volunteers, students and visitors, in line with our TG’s Code of Conduct and TG’s Child Safe Code of Conduct.
• We have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently with our policies and procedures.
• We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we follow rigorously.
• TG’s Child Care is committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early, and removing and reducing these risks.
• TG’s Child Care has strong human resources and recruitment practices to reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing educators, team players and volunteers.
• TG’s Child Care is committed to regularly training and educating our educators, team players and volunteers on child abuse risks.
• We are committed to the cultural safety of people who identify as First Nations people -Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.
• We have specific policies and procedures in place that support our educators, team players, families, visitors, students and volunteers to achieve these through the 10 Child Safe Standards and commit and support to everyone’s wellbeing.
Related Policies
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Active Supervision Policy
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Additional Needs Policy
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CCTV Policy (if applicable)
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Code of Conduct Policy
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Complaints and Grievances Management Policy
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Child Protection Policy
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Education, Curriculum and Learning Policy
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Educator and Management Policy
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Excursion Policy
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Family Interaction and Involvement in the Service Policy
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Governance Policy
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Grievance Policy
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Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy
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Policy and Procedure Review Policy
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Photography Policy
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Privacy and Confidentiality Policy
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Relationships with Children Policy
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Social Media Policy
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Staffing Arrangements Policy
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Student, Visitor & Volunteer Policy
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Technology Usage Policy
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Tobacco, Drug and Alcohol Policy
Our Child Safe Policy is available to all families in our policy and procedure manual, as part of our regular policy review program, and as part of our enrolment pack for families and educators.
Implementation
All managers, educators and volunteers are committed to implementing the NSW Child Safe Standards. The safety, health and wellbeing of children is the number one priority of all educators and volunteers who understand children’s safety is a shared responsibility. We have zero tolerance for any form of child abuse and are committed to acting in children’s best interests.
Our policies and procedures support and inform this commitment, and our leaders and managers regularly review educator and volunteer practices and understanding, prioritising training or taking other relevant action if required. Our policies and procedures also support and comply with the Education and Care National Law and Regulations, and the National Quality Standard (NQS), whose guiding objective and principles outlined in section 3 include ensuring “the safety, health and wellbeing of children attending education and care services”, “the rights and best interest of children are paramount”, the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity underlie this Law”,” that Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are valued”, and “that the role of parents and families is respected and supported.” These objectives and principles are embedded in many of the Laws and Regulations which we must comply with.
Below we discuss our service’s approach to the 10 Child Safe Standards, and outline service policies or practices which support them (Standard 10 Policies and procedures document how the organisation is child safe.) Our job descriptions require all employees to comply with service policies and procedures.
Standard 1: Child safety is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
A child safe organisational culture drives the way things are done and how issues and risks are managed. Strong, transparent and accountable leadership can deter perpetrators of abuse, and ensure educators and team players
understand and comply with their obligations to report suspicions or disclosures of abuse.
Service policies which support this standard include our:
• CCTV Policy (if applicable)
• Child Protection Policy
• Educator and Management Policy
• Governance Policy
• Complaints and Grievances Management Policy
• Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy
• Relationships with Children Policy
• Staffing Arrangements Policy
Standard 2: Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
Educators promote a culture of participation and inclusion, viewing all children as active participants and decision makers as they seek to include the interests, ideas, strengths, culture and abilities of each child. They understand this is an essential part of effectively implementing the NQS and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). The elements in the NQS and the EYLF also promote respectful and reciprocal relationships with children, based on play-based learning of their interests, community and culture.
As part of this process, educators regularly empower children to take part in discussions about their safety and decisions that affect them, valuing their ideas, suggestions and feedback. Educators are attuned to babies’ and younger children’s non-verbal cues to plan the curriculum and respond in ways that
empower them. Our Educational Leader and Centre Manager regularly review educators’ practices and supports them to continually improve.
We also display the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Service policies which support this standard include our:
• Child Protection Policy
• Education, Curriculum and Learning Policy
• Relationships with Children Policy
Standard 3: Families and communities are informed and involved
Educators constantly build partnerships with families and community members, which provides many opportunities for discussion and feedback about safety practices. Educators and team players regularly encourage families to contribute to decisions about service practices as well as their child’s learning through questionnaires, face to face conversations and our ‘Open Door Policy.’ Families know they can locate service policies and procedures in our service’s
foyer and are asked for feedback when we review our policies.
Service policies which support this standard include our:
• Child Protection Policy
• Educator and Management Policy
• Governance Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Family Interaction and Involvement in the Service Policy
• Policy and Procedure Review Policy
Standard 4: Equity is upheld, and diverse needs are taken into account
Educators regularly plan and implement learning which promotes the benefits of cultural diversity, and the unique abilities and strengths each child, educator and team player has regardless of any additional needs, personal preferences, orientations, or family structure. Educators focus daily on ensuring each child can reach their fullest potential in an inclusive environment which supports their participation, identity, connection to their world and sense of wellbeing.
Within our TG’s family, we embrace a sense of diversity within the service and in the local community, as this assists in building relationships with children and families, and in building the cultural competence of all educators and team
players.
Service policies which support this standard include our:
• Additional Needs Policy
• Child Protection Policy
• Education, Curriculum and Learning Policy
• Relationships with Children Policy
Standard 5: People working with children are suitable and supported
Management do not rely solely on verified Working with Children Checks and Blue Cards. TG’s supports the recruitment and ongoing management of educators and team players who implement strong child safe practices every
day.
Our educator, team player, student, visitor and volunteer induction processes include reviewing child safe policies, procedures and expectations, and educators and team players review one or two service policies every week in line with the QIP Policy Review Calendar and Universal Calendar. Students, visitor, and volunteers are required to comply with all service policies and procedures and code of conduct.
Service policies which support this Standard include our:
• Child Protection Policy
• Educator and Management Policy
• Staffing Arrangements Policy
• Student, Visitor & Volunteer Policy
• Tobacco, Drug and Alcohol Policy
Standard 6: Processes to respond to complaints of child abuse (or other concerns) are child-focused
Complaints are taken very seriously at TG’s, and children’s safety and wellbeing is always our number one priority. Our child safety practices emphasise a child- focused approach and we engage with families and/or community members to
respond in culturally sensitive ways where appropriate.
Service policies which support this standard include our:
• Child Protection Policy
• Complaints & Grievances Management Policy
• Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy
Standard 7: Staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and training
Our service is committed to a culture of ongoing learning and continuous improvement. This includes a commitment to ensuring all educators and team players know how to identify and respond to all forms of child abuse, and refresh their knowledge, practices and understanding on child safety annually.
Service policies which support this standard include our:
• Child Protection Policy
• Educator and Management Policy
Standard 8 Physical and online environments minimise the opportunity for abuse or other kinds of harm to occur
We comply with child safety requirements under the National Education and Care Law and Regulations. Risk assessments always involve identifying and assessing risks, implementing measures to eliminate risks or to reduce them to acceptable levels, and ongoing monitoring. Notification requirements are outlined in our Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy to promptly notify the Regulatory Authority of child safety issues.
Management, team players and educators understand the physical environment can provide opportunities for abuse to occur and implement supervision practices that reduce this risk. Where possible, physical environments are altered to increase natural lines of sight while respecting a child’s right to privacy, and their need for adventurous play.
Service policies which support this Standard include our:
• CCTV Policy (if applicable)
• Educator and Management Policy
• Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Policy
• Interactive Supervision Policy
• Photography Policy
• Social Media Policy
• Staffing Arrangements Policy
• Student, Visitor & Volunteer Policy
• Technology Usage Policy
Standard 9 Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is continuously reviewed and improved
We are committed to a culture of continuous improvement where we continually review our child safe practices and policies, and review any incidents and complaints which we address within TG’s. We provide regular training which includes group chat posts, webinars, in-house training, resources, external support and fact sheets to embed child safety practices. To support our continuous improvement, all managers, educators and team players also regularly engage in documented critical reflection of service practices and policies.
Service policies which support this standard include our:
• Policy and Procedure Review Policy
• Relationships with Children Policy
Standard 10: Policies and procedures document how the organisation is child safe
Management implements a regular performance management procedure where non-compliance with the National Law, Regulations or Service policies and procedures is identified, for example through reporting and feedback arrangements between team leaders, the Educational Leader and the Nominated Supervisor/Centre Manager, or through our complaint handling process.
Families can access online e-learning modules around child safety via Office of the Children's Guardian - eLearning | Office of the Children's Guardian (nsw.gov.au).
Child Safe Recruitment
The recruitment process will be consistent, transparent and professional. Any complaints relating to the recruitment procedure will be addressed as per the Complaints and Grievances Management Policy. All personal information regarding recruitment will be treated with strict confidentiality.
Selection criteria for each vacant position will be determined before advertisement and will take the following into consideration:
• position title
• qualifications required for the position
• experience required for the position
• position description/skills required for the position
• conditions of employment
• mandatory employment screening requirements including verifying Working with Children Checks (WWCC), where applicable National Police Criminal History checks, immunisation requirements and conducting reference checks for every candidate to ascertain the candidate’s attitudes and behaviours in previous child-related roles.
• clear expectations about commitment to child safety (Child Safe Standards)
Comprehensive job descriptions for each advertised position will be available for all applicants. Any applicants deemed unsuitable will be advised within an appropriate time frame.
Advertisements
Information about the position and the Service will be provided to potential applicants which includes:
• job title
• job description
• location
• hours of work
• salary (award/ above award)
Service Philosophy
• operation hours, age group of children educated and cared for
• selection criteria relating to the position available
• how to apply for the role
• a commitment to providing a safe environment for children
• closing date for applications
• contact information for further information
• immunisation requirements
• WWCC/Blue Card requirements
Vacant positions may be advertised internally to encourage career advancement and opportunity. External advertisements may be placed through relevant media and networks including online platforms, newspapers and employment services.
Pre-Employment Screening
Effective pre-employment screening ensures our Service is compliant to legislative and regulatory requirements and aims to ensure we engage educators and team players who have the skills, experience and qualifications.
All preferred candidates will undergo appropriate pre-employment checks including reference checks, Working with Children Checks (WWCC), Blue Card checks, ID verification and where applicable, National Police criminal history checks (for management) before an offer of employment is recommended.
Reference Checks
Verbal reference checks will be conducted over the phone for preferred applicants. Reference check questions will be determined prior to the check conducted and will establish the relationship the referee has with the applicant
(see Appendix E).
At least 2 references are to be provided for a reference check. Where possible, references should be from the immediate previous employer. The reference checks will ascertain, where possible, the applicant’s attitudes and behaviours in previous child-related roles.
WWCC / Blue Card
Working with Children Check legislation aims to prevent people who pose a risk from working with children as paid employees. All employees must undergo a Working with Children Check or Blue Card prior to working at the service if over 18 years of age. Employees that are unable to provide a copy of a validated WWCC or Blue Card prior to the start of engagement or employment will not be able to undertake any work-related activity within the service.
New South Wales
A Working with Children Check (WWCC) clearance is required for all employees over the age 18. The service will verify the WWCC every 3 months and ensure the employee is cleared to work with children online at the Office of the
Children’s Guardian website in NSW prior to ALL employees undertaking work at the service. Office of the Children’s Guardian. Employees under the age of 18 do not require a WWCC, however will be under constant supervision at all times while working directly with children.
Queensland
All employees are required to apply for a Blue Card before beginning work. The service will check if an individual’s blue card or exemption card is still valid and does not have any relevant criminal information attached to it. Employees
under the age of 18 will need to apply for a student Blue Card. Blue Card Services.
Probationary Period and Induction
Each new employee is subject to a probationary period of six months. This ensures assessment for both the employee and service to ensure suitability of the role for the employee. During this time, employees will receive mentoring,
training and guidance to help them become familiar with and competent in performing the work they have been appointed to do.
TG’s is committed to providing a comprehensive induction program to ensure the smooth integration of new employees. The Centre Manager will support the new employee and help them to understand the organisational structure, how
decisions are made and communicated and what role they will have in the decision-making process (TG’s hierarchy). An induction checklist will be used to support this process, which explains an employee’s responsibility to know the
policies, procedures and practices within our Service and their duty of care obligations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children. Inductions will include relevant information on child safe practices, child protection
requirements, adhering to the Child Safe Standards, Code of Conduct, strategies that identify, assess and minimise risks to children and mandatory reporting procedures.TG’s is committed to providing a comprehensive induction program to ensure the smooth integration of new employees. The Centre Managerere will support the new employee and help them to understand the organisational structure, how decisions are made and communicated and what role they will have in the decision-making process (TG’s hierarchy). An induction checklist will be used to support this process, which explains an employee’s responsibility to know the policies, procedures and practices within our Service and their duty of care obligations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children. Inductions will include relevant information on child safe practices, child protection requirements, adhering to the Child Safe Standards, Code of Conduct, strategies that identify, assess and minimise risks to children and mandatory
reporting procedures.
Any questions about child safety or this policy may be directed to the Centre Manager or Responsible Person in Charge. If employees have concerns about the Centre Manager’s or Nominated Supervisor’s ability to provide or maintain a
child safe environment, they should first discuss their concerns with management who will investigate and if required, contact the Child Protection Hotline on 132 111, the NSW Regulatory Authority on 1800 619 113, the Police on 000 or the Children’s Guardian on 8219 3600 for advice. Employees, volunteers and families may contact these organisations directly if they believe management has not taken appropriate action.
Created: July 2024 Next review: July 2025
