Elwood Toy Library Child Safe Policy
If you believe a child is at immediate risk of abuse phone 000.
Introduction
Elwood Toy Library is committed to promoting and protecting the interests and safety of children. We have zero tolerance for child abuse. We are committed to complying with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and all the compulsory minimum standards for organisations that provide services used by children and young people, to help protect children from harm.
Everyone working at Elwood Toy Library is responsible for the care and protection of children and reporting information about child abuse.
Application
This policy applies to all staff, contractors and volunteers and to the broad range of situations where interaction with children and young people may occur in the delivery of toy library services.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to:
- ensure that all staff, contractors and volunteers engaged by Elwood Toy Library are aware of the organisation’s commitment to creating and maintaining a child safe environment that meets the required minimum standards
- facilitate the prevention of child abuse within our organisation
- establish the framework for an organisational culture of child safety
- outline the responsibilities that various parties have for identifying possible occasions for child abuse, for establishing controls and procedures for preventing abuse, and for detecting abuse when it occur
- provide guidance to staff, contractors and volunteers as to action that should be taken where they suspect any abuse within or outside of the organisation
- provide a clear statement to staff, contractors and volunteers forbidding any such abuse
- provide assurance that all suspected abuse will be reported and fully investigated
Our commitment to child safety
Elwood Toy Library is committed to promoting and protecting the best interests of children involved in its service, and to providing a child-safe and child-friendly environment for all children and young people who engage with the organisation. Our organisation is committed to complying with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and state child safety standards to help protect children and young people from harm.
All children, regardless of their gender, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, or family or social background, have equal rights to protection from abuse. We have zero tolerance for child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently with our policies and procedures.
Everyone working at Elwood Toy Library is responsible for the care and protection of the children using our services and reporting information about suspected child abuse.
Child protection is a shared responsibility between the Elwood Toy Library and all staff, contractors, volunteers, associates, and members of our community.
We will consider the opinions of children and use their opinions to develop child protection policies.
We respect all children and young people and support them to be safe, happy, and empowered.
We are committed to the cultural safety of children, and pay particular attention to the safety and cultural safety of the following groups of children, in recognition of their increased vulnerability, and diverse and unique identities and experiences:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people
- children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- children living with a disability
- children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans
- children who are intersex, non-binary or gender diverse
- children in and out of home care and the youth justice system
Our approach to child safety
In continuing to implement and promote a child-safe system of work, we will:
- develop an environment in which children feel listened to and valued, and in which their concerns are acted upon, including encouraging and allowing children to participate in decisions important to them
- consult with staff, contractors and volunteers and other appropriate parties, including families and children
- assess and manage the risk of abuse to children who interact with our organisation, including through recruitment practices and online
- take a proactive approach to child safety, including fostering a culture of openness that encourages all staff, contractors and volunteers to report any concerns of child safety and supports them in this process
- report suspected abuse, neglect or mistreatment promptly to the appropriate authority, whether or not the law requires reporting
- ensure children know the options available to them if they are concerned or feeling unsafe, and foster an environment where children are safe to raise such concerns
- recruit staff, contractors and volunteers who are suitable to work with children and provide high quality training, supervision and professional development to staff, contractors and volunteers as appropriate.
- have policies, procedures and supports in place to reflect these commitments, and review these regularly
Authorised by Zoe Tovey
Secretary, Elwood Toy Library
11 April 2024
Elwood Toy Library Code of conduct
Staff, volunteers and contractors at Elwood Toy Library are required to abide by this Code of Conduct.
Elwood Toy Library recognises, respects and promotes its responsibilities to keep children safe from abuse, and commits to ensuring the safety of children as a first priority. We value diversity and will not tolerate child abuse or discriminatory practices.
The Code of Conduct aims to protect children and reduce opportunities for child abuse or harm to occur. It is intended to complement Elwood Toy Library’s other related policies.
The Code of Conduct applies to the broad range of situations where interaction with children and young people may occur in the delivery of our services, including through digital technology and social media.
The President, will:
- be responsible for the overall welfare and wellbeing of staff and volunteers
- be accountable for managing and maintaining a duty of care towards staff and volunteers
- act as our child safety officer to provide information and support to all staff, volunteers, children, young people and their carers regarding child safety matters.
All people involved in Elwood Toy Library's service will:
- work towards achieving the aims and purposes of the organisation
- take all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse and harm
- establish and maintain a child-safe environment for children and young people
- be fair, considerate and honest in their dealings with others
- work with children in an open and transparent way
- treat children and young people with respect and value their ideas and opinions
- encourage children to participate in matters important to them
- act as positive role models in their conduct with children and young people and model appropriate adult behaviour
- listen to children and respond to their needs appropriately
- be professional in their actions
- maintain strict impartiality
- not exhibit behaviours with children which may be construed as unnecessarily physical
- respect the privacy of children and their families and carers, and disclose information about them only to people who have a need to know
- operate within the policies and guidelines of Elwood Toy Library including adhering to the Child Safety Policy, at all times
- report any allegations of child abuse to the President
- contact the police if a child is at immediate risk of abuse (phone 000)
Staff, volunteers and contractors shall work to prevent discrimination and actively promote the participation and inclusion of all children, recognising in particular:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people
- children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- children with a disability
- children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans
- children who are intersex, non-binary or gender diverse
- children in and out of home care and the youth justice system.
Staff, volunteers and contractors shall not:
- shame, humiliate, oppress, belittle or degrade children or young people
- unlawfully discriminate against any child or young person, including because of age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, sexuality, ethnicity, religion or disability
- seek to use children in any way to meet the needs of adults
- ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosure of child abuse or harm
- engage in any activity with a child or young person that is likely to physically or emotionally harm them
- initiate unnecessary physical contact with a child or young person, or do things of a personal nature for them that they can do for themselves
- be alone with a child or young person unnecessarily and for more than a very short time
- develop a “special” relationship with a specific child or young person for their own needs
- show favouritism through the provision of gifts or inappropriate attention
- arrange contact, including online contact, with children or young people outside of the toy library’s activities
- have unauthorised contact with children and young people in person, online or by phone
- photograph or video a child or young person without the consent of the child and their parents or guardians
- work with children or young people while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs
- engage in open discussions of a mature or adult nature in the presence of children
- use inappropriate language or behaviour, including discriminatory or oppressive language or behaviour, in the presence of children
- do anything in contravention of the organisation’s policies, procedures or this Code of Conduct.
Consequences of breaching the Code of Conduct
A breach of this Code of Conduct by a staff member, contractor or volunteer may result in disciplinary action being taken against them in accordance with our policies, including and up to termination of employment or cessation of engagement or membership with the organisation.
In addition matters that indicate potential criminal conduct may be reported to police for investigation.
Authorised by Zoe Tovey
Secretary, Elwood Toy Library
11 April 2024
