Child Safe

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St Kilda Primary School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. As part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust report, there is a new regulatory landscape (Ministerial Order No. 870) surrounding child safety, underpinned by new Child Safe Standards. This order came into operation on the 1st of August 2016.

In response to this legislation the St Kilda Primary School Welfare Team, Leadership Team, staff and School Council have reviewed the Student Engagement and Wellbeing Policy and included our Statement of Commitment to Child Safety and our SKPS Code of Conduct within this document.

As the leader of child safety, the SKPS Welfare Team supports all members of our community in understanding their role and responsibility as individuals, and as a collective, to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

The Principal is the nominated Child Safety Leader (CSL).

The CSL will:

Lead the development of the school’s child safety culture, including being a child safety champion and providing coordination in communicating, implementing, monitoring, enhancing and reporting on strategies to embed a culture of child safety.
Raise awareness of the importance of child safety within the community.
Promptly managing the school’s response to an allegation or disclosure of child abuse, and ensure that the allegation or disclosure is taken seriously
Ensure the school’s policies are known and used appropriately.
Ensure that Child Safety is a standing agenda item at LAT meetings.
Ensure that policies reviewed in the context of school self-evaluation are undertaken as part of the school accountability framework.
Ensure the Student Engagement and Wellbeing Policy is available publicly.
Ensure parents are aware of the fact that referrals about suspected abuse or neglect may be made, and the role of the school in this.
Be alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs and young carers.
Encourage a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings in any measures to protect them.
Ensure they are well informed about all relevant information and that all members of the community are kept up to date so that they can act confidently when the situation arises. This may include completing any required training programs.
Have a working knowledge of how the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Community Service Organisations conduct a Child Protection Case Conference so that they are able to attend and contribute to these effectively when required to do so.
Keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of concerns and referrals.
Ensure each member of staff has access to, and understands, the school’s child safety policy and procedures, especially new and part-time staff.
Ensuring volunteers, including parents, have a Working With Children Check (exceptions include when parents are volunteering at events such as working bees, school fete, special friends’ stalls) and that the Working With Children Check register is maintained.
Ensure relevant checks are undertaken with DE&T’s Recruitment in Schools Guide and SKPS Recruitment Procedures regarding the recruitment of staff.
Make sure staff are aware of the latest DHHS and DE&T policies and guidance.

To ensure that everyone is well informed about all relevant information please read the attached documents:

Please call into the office if you would like to read the SKPS policies relating to the Child Safe Standards.

If a member of the SKPS community has any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of any child please follow the guidelines below:

If you would like any further information, please feel free to contact the principal, Sue Higgins.

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