CHILD SAFETY STANDARDS

Introduction

Sydney Scooter Club is committed to promoting and protecting the interests and safety of children. We have zero tolerance for child abuse.

Everyone attending or working at any Sydney Scooter Club event, is responsible for the care and protection of children and reporting information about child abuse.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is

1. To maintain an organisational culture of child safety in accordance with Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Child Safety Standards) and all subsequent amendment.
2. To facilitate the prevention of child abuse occurring within the Sydney Scooter Club.
3. To ensure that all parties are aware of their responsibilities for identifying possible occasions for child abuse and for establishing controls and procedures for preventing such abuse and/or detecting such abuse when it occurs.
4. To provide guidance to members/volunteers/contractors as to action that should be taken where they suspect any abuse within or outside of the organisation.
5. To provide a clear statement to members/volunteers/contractors forbidding any such abuse.
6. To provide assurance that any and all suspected abuse will be reported and fully investigated.

Policy

Sydney Scooter Club is committed to promoting and protecting at all times the best interests of children involved in its programs.

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.

Sydney Scooter Club has zero tolerance for child abuse. Everyone working at Sydney Scooter Club, is responsible for the care and protection of the children within our care and reporting information about suspected child abuse.

Child protection is a shared responsibility between Sydney Scooter Club, volunteers, contractors, associates, and members.

Sydney Scooter Club will consider the opinions of children and use their opinions to develop child protection policies.

Sydney Scooter Club supports and respects all children, members, and volunteers and 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 children living with a disability.

If any person believes a child is in immediate risk of abuse, telephone 000.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Board of the Sydney Scooter Club has ultimate responsibility for the detection and prevention of child abuse and is responsible for ensuring that appropriate and effective internal control systems are in place. The Board is also responsible for ensuring that appropriate policies and procedures and a Child Protection Code of Conduct are in place.

The Executive Board of the Sydney Scooter Club is responsible for:

• Dealing with and investigating reports of child abuse;
• Ensuring that all contractors and volunteers are aware of relevant laws, organisational

policies and procedures, and the organisation’s “Code of Conduct”;

• Ensuring that all adults within the Sydney Scooter Club are aware of their obligation to report suspected sexual abuse of a child in accordance with these policies and procedures;
• Ensuring that all members, staff, contractors, and volunteers are aware of their obligation to observe the “Code of Conduct” (particularly as it relates to child safety);
• Providing support for members, staff, contractors, and volunteers in undertaking their child protection responsibilities.

All office holders must ensure that they:

• Promote child safety at all times;
• Assess the risk of child abuse within their area of control and eradicate / minimise any risk to the extent possible;
• Educate members and volunteers about the prevention and detection of child abuse; and
• Facilitate the reporting of any inappropriate behaviour or suspected abusive activities.

Office holders 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.

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

• Familiarise themselves with the relevant laws, the Code of Conduct, and Sydney Scooter Club Policy and Procedures in relation to child protection, and comply with all requirements;
• Report any reasonable belief that a child’s safety is at risk to the relevant authorities (such as the police and / or the state-based child protection service) and 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 a responsible person in the organisation); and

• Provide an environment that is supportive of all children’s emotional and physical safety.

Definitions

Child means a person below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.

Child protection means any responsibility, measure or activity undertaken to safeguard children from harm.

Child abuse means all forms of physical abuse, emotional and psychological ill-treatment, sexual abuse and exploitation, neglect or negligent treatment, commercial (e.g. for financial gain) or other exploitation of a child and includes any actions that results in actual or potential harm to a child.

Chairman is the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Sydney Scooter Club, as described in

the “Constitution, Rules and Standing Orders” of said organisation.

Executive Board is the Executive Board of the Sydney Scooter Club, as described in the

“Constitution, Rules and Standing Orders” of said organisation.

President is the President of the Sydney Scooter Club, as described in the “Constitution, Rules and Standing Orders” of said organisation.

Reasonable grounds for belief is a belief based on reasonable grounds that child abuse has occurred when all known considerations or facts relevant to the formation of a belief are taken into account and these are objectively assessed. Circumstances or considerations may include the source of the allegation and how it was communicated, the nature of and details of the allegation, and whether there are any other related matters known regarding the alleged perpetrator.

A reasonable belief is formed if a reasonable person believes that:

1. The child is in need of protection,
2. The child has suffered or is likely to suffer “significant harm as a result of physical injury”,
3. The parents are unable or unwilling to protect the child.

A ‘reasonable belief’ or a ‘belief on reasonable grounds’ is not the same as having proof but is more than mere rumour or speculation.

1. A ‘reasonable belief’ is formed if a reasonable person in the same position would have formed the belief on the same grounds. For example, a ‘reasonable belief’ might be formed if:
2. A child states that they have been physically or sexually abused;
3. A child states that they know someone who has been physically or sexually abused (sometimes the child may be talking about themselves);
4. Someone who knows a child states that the child has been physically or sexually abused;
5. Professional observations of the child’s behaviour or development leads a professional to form a belief that the child has been physically or sexually abused or is likely to be abused; and/or
6. Signs of abuse lead to a belief that the child has been physically or sexually abused.

Employment of New Personnel

Sydney Scooter Club undertakes a comprehensive recruitment and screening process for all workers and volunteers which aims to:

• Promote and protect the safety of all children under the care of the organisation;
• Identify the safest and most suitable persons who share the Sydney Scooter Club’s values and commitment to protect children; and
• Prevent a person from working at the Sydney Scooter Club if they pose a risk to children.

Sydney Scooter Club requires all appointees, workers and/or volunteers to pass through the organisation’s screening processes prior to commencing their engagement with at the Sydney Scooter Club.

Sydney Scooter Club requires Office holders and volunteers to provide a police check in accordance with the law and as appropriate, before they commence work or fulfil duties at Sydney Scooter Club and during their time with Sydney Scooter Club at regular intervals.

Sydney Scooter Club will undertake thorough reference checks as per the approved internal procedure.

Once engaged, workers/volunteers must review and acknowledge their understanding of this Policy.

Risk Management

Sydney Scooter Club will ensure that child safety is a part of its overall risk management approach.

The Executive Board will identify and manage risks at Sydney Scooter Club. Sub-committees will add to risk management and compliance. The Executive Board and compliance sub-committee members will receive regular updates and re-training in relation to child safety, as necessary.

Head of Organisation

For the purposes of reporting and investigation, the President of Sydney Scooter Club,

hereafter referred to as “the President”, is the Head of Organisation.

The Head of Organisation is required to:

1. have systems in place to prevent reportable conduct from being committed;
2. have systems in place to enable reportable allegations to be made;
3. have systems in place to investigate and respond to reportable allegations;
4. have systems in place to report allegations of criminal conduct or suspected criminal conduct to police;
5. ensure allegations are appropriately investigated;
6. notify the Commission of reportable allegations and the outcome of findings.

Reporting

Any member, volunteer, attendee, or contractor who has grounds to suspect abusive activity must immediately notify the appropriate child protection service or the police. They should also advise their supervisor about their concern.

In situations where the supervisor is suspected of involvement in the activity, or if the person having the suspicion does not believe that the matter is being appropriately addressed or dealt with, the matter should be reported to the next highest level of supervision, being any member of the Executive Board.

Supervisors must report complaints of suspected abusive behaviour or misconduct to the President of the Executive Board and also to any external regulatory body such as the police.

See Annex 1 for explanation of what is reportable conduct.

Refer to the website below for the New South Wales Government’s advice on mandatory reporting.

MRG (nsw.gov.au)

Investigating

In the case of a report which suspected to be criminal by nature, no investigation shall take place until New South Wales Police has provided clear direction that the Sydney Scooter Club may conduct its own internal investigation.

If the appropriate child protection service or the police decide to conduct an investigation of this report, all members, employees, contractors or volunteers must co-operate fully with the investigation.

Notifications of criminal reports and breaches of the Code of Conduct report must be lodged with the Commission for Children and Young People within three (3) business days by the Head of the Organisation.

A report must be submitted within thirty (30) calendar days.

The findings and conclusion of the report must be submitted to the Commission for Children and Young People.

The Sydney Scooter Club may help the “Head of Organisation”, but ultimate responsibility for

compliance with the Reportable Conduct Scheme remains with the Head of Organisation.

All members, employees, contractors, volunteers, and members must co-operate fully with the investigation. Any such investigation will be conducted according to the rules of natural justice.

The President will make every effort to keep any such investigation confidential, however, from time-to-time other members or staff may need to be consulted in conjunction with the investigation.

After an initial review and a determination that the suspected abuse warrants additional investigation, the President shall coordinate the investigation with the appropriate investigators and / or law enforcement officials. Internal or external legal representatives will be involved in the process, as deemed appropriate.

In the case where a report is made which is defined as a Breach of Conduct (but not a crime), the President shall investigate and act accordingly.

Responding

If it is alleged that a member, attendee, staff, contractor or a volunteer may have committed an offence or have breached the organisation’s policies or its Code of Conduct, the person concerned may be stood down and/or their appointment suspended while an investigation is conducted.

If the investigation concludes that on the balance of probabilities an offence (or a breach of the

organisation’s policies or Code of Conduct) has occurred, then disciplinary action may follow, upto and including dismissal or cessation of involvement with the organisation. The findings of the investigation will also be reported to any external body as required.