Child Safe Policy

CHILD SAFE POLICY

This purpose of this policy is to outline how Grace Community will protect children from abuse and ensure their safety and wellbeing.

Grace Community will work to:

• create an environment which is safe for children
• take all reasonable steps to ensure staff and volunteers do not put children at risk
• assess activities and our environment to reduce the likelihood of harm to children and young people

If Grace Community believes that any person associated with the Church is or has been a perpetrator of child abuse, the Church will act to protect children from abuse by that person and may prevent that person from participating in any Church related activities.

If any member of Grace Community believes a child is in immediate danger, they are to contact the police:

WA Police – 131 444 (if a child is in immediate danger)

Mandatory Reporters – All staff will comply with relevant legislative requirements in relation to the mandatory reporting of abuse which requires doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers, midwives, boarding supervisors, ministers of religion (& from November 2022), psychologists, early childhood workers, youth justice workers, out of home care workers, school counsellors, officers of the Department of Communities and residential care assessors to report abuse.

Section 12C of the Children and Community Services Act 2004 requires a mandatory report to be made as soon as practical after a reporter forms their belief regarding the sexual abuse of a child. The reporter must file a report via the Mandatory Reporting Service on 1800 708 704 or via www.mandatoryreporting.dcp.wa.gov.au (reports can be made 7 days / week and must contain:

• The reporter’s name and contact details
• The name of the child (or if this cannot be obtained, a description of the child)
• The grounds on which the reporter believes that the child has been the  subject of sexual abuse or is the subject of ongoing sexual abuse.
• If known: the child’s date of birth, address, parents / appropriate adults contact details, the name of the person who is alleged to be responsible and their contact details and relationship to the child.

All staff / volunteers – Anyone who has concerns about a child’s wellbeing (whether they are a mandatory reporter or not) should report their concerns to:

Child Protection Central Intake Team – 1800 273 889

email – cpduty@communities.wa.gov.au

Out of hours – Crisis Care Unit – 1800 199 008.

If a child discloses details of abuse, the recommended approach is to:

• listen and be respectful, don’t ask leading questions
• reassure the child that you believe them and take the disclosure seriously
• tell the child that it is not their fault and that telling you was the right thing to do
• reassure the child that there are people who can help protect them
• record all the information in as much detail as possible (using the child’s words)
• report the disclosures to the Child Safety Officer or a member of Grace Community Council as soon as possible
• care for other children of staff who may have heard details of the disclosures
• report any serious concerns for the wellbeing of a child.

• • Grace Community is committed to promoting and protecting at all times the best interests of children and vulnerable people involved in our programs. All people, regardless of their gender, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, or family or social background, have equal rights to protection from abuse.
  • Grace Community has zero tolerance for child and vulnerable person abuse. Everyone working and volunteering at Grace Community is responsible for the care and protection of the children and vulnerable people within our care and reporting information about suspected abuse.
  • Child and vulnerable person protection is a shared responsibility between Grace Community, all employees, volunteers, families, congregants and members of the community.
  • Grace Community is committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, and those from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for people living with a disability.
  • The church is committed to being a safe place for all people. We value diversity and do not tolerate any discriminatory practices. We are committed to the inclusion and empowerment of all people, and believe all people have the right to have their views and opinions valued, especially on matters that directly affect them. We actively work to create a culture of safety and employ transparency, accountability and risk management practices to prevent abuse from occurring.
  • The church has a zero-tolerance policy for any type of abuse and will report all allegations and concerns for the safety of vulnerable people to the appropriate authority.

All staff and volunteers involved in working with children must:

1. Be emotionally and spiritually suited to the role to be undertaken
2. Be properly trained and educated on child safety
3. Sign the Church Code of Conduct
4. Have all relevant Working with Children and police clearance checks*
5. Have a reference check to confirm suitability for the work

*family members taking part in youth / Sunday school activities with their own children do not need to provide certificates however youth leaders, pasters and staff must have a national police clearance every 3 years.

The Western Australian WWC Check is carried out by the Western Australian Working with Children Check Unit.

Phone: (08) 6217 8100 or free call 1800 883 979

Email: checkquery@dcp.wa.gov.au

Website: http://www.checkwwc.wa.gov.au

Address: PO Box 1262, West Perth WA 687

There are no fixed ratios, but as a guide, pre-school / under 5 years, approximately 1 worker to 5 children; primary school and under, approximately 1 worker to 10 children; secondary school, approximately 1 worker to 15 children

Where possible, parents or guardians will provide transport; staff or volunteers who drive children must have parents / guardians permission and obey all traffic laws, drive carefully, ensure seat belts are used, not consume alcohol. An employee or volunteer should not be alone in a vehicle with a child unless in an emergency.

Small children should be encouraged to go to the toilet with their parents / guardians however if a child needs the toilet and the parent is not available, at least 2 leaders must take children to the toilet, if a second leader is not available, 2 or more children should be taken to the toilet to ensure the leader is not alone with a child. All children must manage their toileting to the fullest extent possible. Male leaders are not to assist in the toileting of girls. At no time should a child be allowed to enter a public toilet alone during a church activity.

All children under 12 are to be signed in and out by their parent / guardian and a contact number and urgent medical issues are to be noted.

Parents must ensure that Church staff and volunteers are provided with all relevant information (allergies, illnesses etc.) to enable safe supervision. Parents are to be contacted if there are any behavioural concerns – leaders are not to discipline any child other than their own.

Leaders must make reasonable efforts to check the physical environment and keep children safe from hazards.

Approved by the Church Council on: 28 August 2022