Child Safe and Vulnerable Persons Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

The Learning for Life Autism Centre Inc. (Learning for Life) is committed to promoting and protecting the well-being and safety of children and other vulnerable persons. We have zero tolerance for child abuse or abuse of any other vulnerable person. 

Child safety is a shared responsibility between all adults in the Learning for Life community and this policy therefore applies to all those directly associated with the programs run by Learning for Life, including all Board and staff members, contractors, volunteers, students on placement and all parents or guardians of the children directly involved in a Learning for Life program. 

2. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to: 

1. ensure a safe environment is provided for all children and vulnerable persons who may come into contact with Learning for Life; 
2. promote an organisational culture of child safety;  
3. identify, reduce and remove risks associated with child abuse so as to prevent harm from occurring within Learning for Life;  
4. ensure identification and intervention when a child involved in a Learning for Life program is at risk of abuse or neglect from outside of the organisation; 
5. ensure that all parties are aware of their responsibilities for identifying and reporting child abuse and for establishing guidelines, controls and procedures for preventing, detecting and/or reporting such abuse within or outside the organisation; 
6. provide a clear statement to all Responsible People (refer definition in Attachment 1) and families that Learning for Life is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and vulnerable persons and has zero tolerance for child abuse of any sort or by any person;  
7. outline how Learning for Life will conduct appropriate checks on workers through its recruitment and onboarding process; 
8. ensure Clients (and/or their parents/guardians, as applicable) are aware of their rights to be safe from abuse, violence, neglect, exploitation and discrimination at all times and to outline the steps Learning for Life is taking to protect its Clients; 
9. strive to ensure children are involved in their own safety, including listening to children and incorporating their views about how to provide a safe environment. 

3. Values

All children and other Vulnerable Persons, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, or family or social background, have equal rights to protection from abuse.  

Learning for Life: 

• has zero tolerance for child abuse; 

• is committed to promoting and protecting, at all times, the best interests of children or other Vulnerable Persons involved in its programs, including (without limitation): 

• promoting the cultural safety of Aboriginal children; 

• promoting the cultural safety of children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; and 

• promoting the safety of children with a disability; 

• will encourage and listen to the opinions of children (so far as appropriate and possible in the context) and use such opinions to develop child protection policies; and 

• supports and respects all children, staff, volunteers, students on placement, contractors and parents/guardians of children directly involved in a Learning for Life program. 

4. Responsibilities

The Board of Learning for Life has ultimate responsibility for the detection and prevention of, and response to child abuse by virtue of it being responsible for: 

• providing leadership for an organisational culture of accountability for child safety and wellbeing which is open to scrutiny and is continuously reviewed and improved; 

• ensuring that appropriate policies and procedures and a Code of Conduct are in place and regularly reviewed; and 

• ensuring that appropriate and effective internal control systems are in place. 

The Chief Executive Officer and the Child Safety Officer of Learning for Life are each responsible for:  

• keeping up to date and complying with relevant changes in legislation and practices in relation to this policy and informing all Responsible People (see definition in Attachment 1) of any changes impacting their responsibilities under this policy; 

• ensuring that all Responsible People are aware of relevant laws, policies and procedures and of their obligation to observe the Code of Conduct (particularly as it relates to child safety and wellbeing);  

• ensuring that all Responsible People are aware of their obligation to report suspected abuse of a child in accordance with this policy and the procedures outlined in Attachment 3;  

• providing support for all Responsible People in undertaking their child safety responsibilities, including providing adequate resources and training to assist all Responsible People to undertake their child safety responsibilities;  

• ensuring recruitment and induction processes for all Responsible People are in line with this policy; 

• receiving and ensuring Learning for Life responds to reports of child abuse in accordance with this policy and applicable legislation and regulations;  

• ensuring compliance with the Reportable Conduct Scheme, including, without limitation, ensuring investigations and reporting processes are followed as required by the Reportable Conduct Scheme; 

• ensuring a report is submitted to each board meeting which provides an update on the following (whilst respecting the confidentiality of any family or child involved): 

1. any child safety notifications that have been made in relation to the actions or behaviour of Learning for Life personal (including any notifications raised on a working with children check record) and any associated reports made to external parties (such as the police or the Reportable Conduct Scheme); 
2. any reports that have been made by Learning for Life in relation to external parties; 
3. any amendments that have been made to the “Child Safe Risk Register”. 

The Clinical Director, Head of Allied Health, Head of Early Intervention and each Clinical Consultant (together, Senior Clinical Staff) must ensure that they:  

• promote child safety at all times and contribute to an organisational culture of child safety.  For example, by (i) maintaining regular communication with their teams and ensuring teams are equipped to prevent, detect and respond to child abuse; (ii) using supervision and performance review opportunities to monitor compliance with child safe policy and promote the importance of child safety; 

• keep up to date and comply with relevant changes in legislation and practices in relation to this policy;  

• assess the risk of child abuse within their area of control and eradicate / minimise any risk to the extent possible; 

• educate employees about the prevention and detection of, and response to, child abuse; and  

• facilitate the reporting of any inappropriate behaviour or suspected abusive activities.  

Senior Clinical Staff should be familiar with the types of abuse that might occur within their area of responsibility and be alert for any indications of such conduct. Refer to the definitions in Attachment 1 for explanations of types of abuse and neglect.  

All Responsible People share in the responsibility for the prevention and detection of, and response to, child abuse, and must:  

• familiarise themselves with the relevant laws, the Code of Conduct (including signing and returning the Code of Conduct Acknowledgement) and Learning for Life’s policy and procedures in relation to child safety, and comply with all requirements. Without limitation, this includes: 

• understanding and complying with legal obligations (refer to Attachment 1 for relevant legislation) in relation to: 

• discrimination, harassment and vilification; 

• negligence; 

• grooming; 

• protection from and disclosure of child sexual abuse; 

• protection of a child from abuse;