Our school is committed to providing a child friendly and safe environment. It is our highest priority that our students are safe. We regard our child safeguarding responsibilities with utmost importance. We are committed to providing the resources required to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations.
We believe that each member of our school community has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role that they play individually and collectively. This is to ensure the wellbeing and safety of students is at the forefront of all that we do and in every decision that we make.
Key responsibilities include:
- Meeting Child Safe Standards;
Recognising and reporting where students may be at Risk of Significant Harm; - Recognising and reporting where workers engage in reportable conduct or other inappropriate behaviour;
- Recognising and reporting where students engage in concerning or harmful sexual behaviour;
- Maintaining an up to date Working with Children Check clearance;
- Participating in training as required by the Principal
- Educating and involving our students;
- Involving and informing families and the community;
- Understanding and managing risks to child safety; and
- Compliance, Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
Claremont's Child Safe Policy and the broader program has been developed, as articulated by the Office of Children’s Guardian (OCG). We hold ourselves to account against these standards:
- Child Safety is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
- Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
- Families and communities are informed and involved.
- Equity is upheld and diverse needs are taken into account.
- People working with children are suitable and supported.
- Processes to respond to complaints of child abuse are child focused.
- Employees are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and training.
- Physical and online environments minimise the opportunity for abuse to occur.
- Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is continuously reviewed and improved.
- Policies and procedures document how the organisation is child safe.
We have received the following feedback from the Office of the Children's Guardian:
*"Your school is doing very well with plenty of strengths to highlight. In fact, during de-briefing here at work, we’ve identified your school as one that we can feature in our next video, ‘The Child Safe Standards in Practice’ which will aim to showcase the good practice of selected child-related organisations. I hope that your school will participate."* If you are interested in reading more about Child Safe practices at Claremont College, you can find our updated Child Safe Policy on our school website.
*"Children are God’s love-gift; they are heaven’s generous reward."Psalm 127:3 (TPT)*
Please keep safe, and let's all work together to keep all our children safe.
