Child Safe Policy

In this policy, words in italic text are defined terms which have the specific meanings set out in Gowrie Victoria Policies and Procedures – Definitions and Abbreviations.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish and maintain a framework for Gowrie Victoria to operate as a child safe organisation. This includes ensuring that child safety is paramount, maintaining and creating child safe environments and supporting the health, wellbeing and dignity of all children enrolled in and attending our programs and services.

Scope

This policy applies to all Board members, staff members, volunteers, students on placements, parents/guardians, children, and contractors/labour hire employees at Gowrie Victoria.

Policy Statement

Gowrie Victoria is committed to being a child safe organisation that fulfils its obligations under the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the Victorian Child Safe Standards. This means firmly embedding a culture of child safety within our organisation and protecting all children from physical, sexual and psychological abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

Cultural safety, inclusion and empowerment of all children are promoted, with a strong commitment to recognising and upholding the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities, and those with diverse life experiences. Where appropriate, children are provided with agency and are encouraged to participate in decisions affecting them. Families are actively involved in decisions that may impact the safety and wellbeing of their children.

This includes ensuring that all staff and volunteers receive appropriate training in child safe practices, recognising signs of abuse and neglect and understanding mandatory reporting obligations. This also includes preventing and responding to allegations of child abuse by adhering to all relevant internal policies, procedures, and protocols and creating a culture that prioritises reporting to relevant authorities, where everyone feels safe to report concerns.

Child Safe Environments

All children have the right to experience quality education and care in environments that support their health, wellbeing and safety.

Gowrie Victoria acknowledges its duty of care responsibilities, to keep all children physically, psychologically and culturally safe and its legislative responsibilities to take every reasonable precaution to protect children from harm and hazards by proactively identifying and managing risks to child safety.

This also extends to the safe use of digital technologies, storage and use of videos and images, ensuring these technologies are managed in a manner that respects the privacy, dignity and rights of every child.

Gowrie Victoria places paramount importance on child safety in all activities, while also supporting children to engage in risky play and activities such as playing in or near water; being taken on excursions, using challenging play equipment in both indoor and outdoor environments with careful planning and management of these experiences and activities.

Supervision

The national law and national regulations require approved providers to ensure children are adequately supervised at all times while in the care of the service. This includes deploying staff in accordance with regulatory requirements and maintaining continuity of care for children. Our procedures outline our approach to supervision, and we ensure that volunteers and visitors to a service are adequately supervised to minimise and manage any risk to children.

Gowrie Victoria will prepare, maintain, and promote a Statement of Commitment to Child Safety. This statement will be included on Gowrie Victoria’s website, its intranet, be displayed at the entrance to each service, included in family and staff handbooks, and integrated into its Code of Conduct.

Gowrie Victoria’s approach to child safety is comprehensive and multi-dimensional. It is underpinned by a network of interconnected policies, procedures and practices that embed child safety and the best interests of the children across the organisation, in its culture, behaviours, daily practices and decision-making processes.

Through ongoing reflection, education, and continuous improvement, the organisation will uphold its responsibility to protect children and ensure their voices are heard, valued, and respected in every aspect of our programs and services.

Authorisation

Approved by	Chief Executive Officer
Name	Karen Weston
Signature
Date	8 September 2025

References