Child Safe Standards

Child Safe Standards
Protecting Young People

Clarinda Primary School has zero tolerance for child abuse. Everyone working at Clarinda Primary School is responsible for the care and protection of the children and young people within our care and reporting of information about suspected child abuse.

All members of staff share in the responsibility for the prevention and detection of child abuse, and must:

  • Familiarise themselves with the relevant laws, Code of Conduct and Clarinda Primary School’s policies and procedures concerning child protection, and comply with all requirements
  • Receive the School’s Code of Conduct for staff
  • Take all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse
  • Report any reasonable belief that a child’s safety is at risk to the Principal or delegate
  • Teachers fulfil their obligations as mandatory reporters
  • Report any suspicion that a child’s safety may be at risk to their supervisor (or if their supervisor is involved in the suspicion, to the Principal or delegate)
  • Promote the cultural safety, participation, and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
  • Promote the safety, participation and empowerment of children with culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
  • Promote the safety, participation, and empowerment of children with a disability, and
  • Provide an environment that is supportive of all children’s emotional and physical safety.

What are Child Safe Standards?

These standards fall under the Ministerial Order 870 – Managing the risk of child abuse in schools and take effect as of 1 August 2016. The development of the Child Safe Standards forms part of the Victorian Government’s response to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Non-Government Organisations.

All Victorian schools are required to operate within a child-safe environment. Clarinda Primary School has met all the required standards for child safety and will continue to screen staff and train them to identify and report any suspected abuse.  Clarinda Primary School will also work with students to make sure they also understand these important policies.

The Child Safe Standards consist of the following seven areas:

  1. Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements
  2. A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety
  3. A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
  4. Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel
  5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
  6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
  7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children