Common use of Child safe environment Clause in Contracts

Child safe environment. Catholic school communities have a moral, legal, and mission-driven responsibility to create nurturing school environments where students are respected, their voices heard, feel safe and are safe. Every person involved in Catholic education, including all parents/guardians/carers at our school, has a responsibility to understand the importance and specific role they play individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make. The school’s child safe policies, codes of conduct and practices set out the commitment to child safety, and the processes for identifying, communicating, reporting, and addressing concerning behaviour and allegations of child abuse. These documents establish clear expectations for all staff and volunteers for appropriate behaviour with students to safeguard them against abuse. The school has recruitment procedures in place to ensure newly appointed staff, existing staff, visitors, contractors and volunteers in the school understand the importance of child safety, are trained to minimise the risk of child abuse, and are aware of the school’s relevant policies and procedures. The school also provides ongoing training, supervision, and monitoring of staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with students as part of our child safe human resources practices. The school has robust and structured risk management processes as prescribed by DOBCEL that help establish and maintain a child safe environment. This involves consideration of possible broad- based risk factors across a wide range of contexts, environments, relationships, and activities with which students within our school engage. The school, in partnership with families, ensures children and young people are engaged and are active participants in decision-making processes, particularly those that may have an impact on their safety. This means that the views of staff, children, young people, and families are taken seriously, and their concerns are addressed in a just and timely manner. The school’s child safety policies and procedures are readily available and accessible. Further information on DOBCEL’s and the Catholic education community’s commitment to child safety across Victoria can be accessed at the DOBCEL Child Safety webpage.