CHILD SAFETY AND CODE OF CONDUCT
This Child Safety Code of Conduct outlines appropriate standards of behaviour for all adults towards students. The Code serves to protect students, reduce any opportunities for abuse or harm to occur, and promote child safety in the college environment. It provides guidance on how to best support students and how to avoid or better manage difficult situations. Where a staff member breaches the Code, Acknowledge Education may take disciplinary action, including in the case of serious breaches, summary dismissal.
Acknowledge Education has the following expectations of behaviours and boundaries for all adults interacting with students within our institution. This includes all teaching staff, non-teaching staff, volunteers (direct and indirect), third party contractors, external education providers and parents/carers.
DO
AE’s Board has endorsed this Child Safety Code of Conduct.
Behave as a positive role model to students.
Promote the safety, welfare and wellbeing of students.
Be vigilant and proactive with regard to student safety and child protection issues.
Provide age appropriate supervision for students.
Comply with guidelines published by Acknowledge Education with respect to child protection.
Treat all students with respect.
Promote the safety, participation and empowerment of students with a disability.
Promote the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of linguistically and culturally diverse students.
Use positive and affirming language towards students.
Encourage students to ‘have a say’ and then listen to them with respect.
Respect cultural, religious and political differences.
Help provide an open, safe and supportive environment for all students to interact, and socialise.
Intervene when students are engaging in inappropriate bullying behaviour towards others or acting in a humiliating or vilifying way.
Report any breaches of this Child Safety Code of Conduct.
Report concerns about child safety to one of the college’s Child Protection Officers and ensure that your legal obligations to report allegations externally are met.
Where an allegation of child abuse is made, ensure as quickly as possible that the student involved is safe.
Call the Police on 000 if you have immediate concerns for a student’s safety.
Respect the privacy of students and their families and only disclose information to people who have a need to know.
DO NOT
Engage in any form of inappropriate behaviour towards students or expose students to such behaviour.
Use prejudice, oppressive behaviour or inappropriate language with students.
Express personal views on cultures, race or sexuality in the presence of students or discriminate against any student based on culture, race, ethnicity or disability.
Engage in open discussions of an adult nature in the presence of students.
Engage in any form of sexual conduct with a student including making sexually suggestive comments and sharing sexually suggestive material.
Engage in inappropriate or unnecessary physical conduct or behaviours including doing things of a personal nature that a student can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes.
Engage in any form of physical violence towards a student including inappropriately rough physical play.
Use physical means or corporal punishment to discipline or control a student.
Engage in any form of behaviour that has the potential to cause a student serious emotional or psychological harm.
Develop ‘special’ relationships with students that could be seen as favouritism (for example, the offering or receipt of gifts or special treatment for specific students).
Engage in undisclosed private meetings with a student that is not your own child.
Engage in meetings with a child that is not your own, outside of school hours and without permission from AE and the child’s parent.
Engage in inappropriate personal communications with a student through any medium, including any online contact or interactions with a student.
Take or publish (including online) photos, movies or recordings of a student without parental/carer consent.
Post online any information about a student that may identify them such as their: full name; age; e-mail address; telephone number; residence; school; or details of a club or group they may attend.
Ignore or disregard any suspected or disclosed child abuse.
Our Child Protection Program includes a Staff and Student Professional Boundaries Policy that provides detailed guidance for all staff and Volunteers on how to maintain professional boundaries between students and adults at AE.
Report any Concerns
The Program also includes information for governing body members, staff and Direct Contact Volunteers as to how to identify key risk indicators of child abuse and how to report child abuse concerns to one of our nominated Child Protection Officers.
It also contains detailed procedures with respect to the reporting of child abuse incidents to relevant authorities.
Third Party Contractors, External Education Providers, Indirect Contact Volunteers, students, parents or other community members who have concerns that a child may be subject to abuse are asked to contact one of the Child Protection Officers.
Communications will be treated confidentially on a ‘need to know basis’.
Whenever there are concerns that a child is in immediate danger, the Police should be contacted on 000.
Please download Child Safety and Risk Management Policy.