Child Protection & Safety

Child Safety Code of Conduct

A Child Safety Code of Conduct clearly outlines expected standards of behaviour for all stakeholders interacting with children and young people in our School environments, and the consequences if they fail to meet the School’s expectations.

When individuals are clear about behavioural expectations, they are much more likely to act appropriately with each other and with children. When everyone is educated about the Code of Conduct and the reasons it is so important to uphold, the School environment becomes much more transparent and people are accountable for their behaviour. Above all, a Child Safety Code of Conduct helps to protect children from harm.

School environments include both physical and online environments, as well as those outside the School’s grounds when School-related activities are occurring.

This Code applies to:

• All staff members, including non-teaching staff and temporary or casual staff
• Volunteers
• Students
• Parents and carers
• Third Party Contactors and External Education Providers
• Directors of the Board of Directors
• Teaching students on placement at the School; and
• Visitors.

Our Child Safety Code of Conduct is published on the School’s public website and the staff intranet.
In addition to our broad expectations for child safe behaviour in all School environments, the School has developed a comprehensive Staff and Student Professional Boundaries policy.

Canberra Grammar School’s Child Safety 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 School 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, Canberra Grammar School may take disciplinary action, including in the case of serious or persistent breaches, dismissal. The School revises the Code annually.

Canberra Grammar School has the following expectations of behaviours and boundaries for all adults interacting with students within our School community. This includes all teaching staff, non-teaching staff, Board directors, Volunteers, Third Party Contractors, External Education Providers and parents/carers.

DO:

• Uphold Canberra Grammar School’s Statement of Commitment to Child Protection at all times.
• 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 the School with respect to child protection, specifically the School’s Statement of Commitment to Child Protection, our Staff and Student Professional Boundaries policy and the overarching Staff Code of Conduct.
• 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 appropriate, 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 School’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 of gifts or special treatment for specific students).
• Provide students with alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco or tobacco products.
• Consume alcohol or possess/take illegal drugs while on duty and responsible for students.
• Expose students to any harmful by-products of tobacco or tobacco products, such as second-hand smoke.
• Engage in undisclosed private meetings with a student that is not your own child.
• 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; email address; telephone number; residence; school; or details of a club or group they may attend.
• Ignore or disregard any suspected or disclosed child abuse or grooming.

Disciplinary Procedures

Where a staff member breaches the Code, Canberra Grammar School will investigate the misconduct and may take disciplinary action, including in the case of serious breaches, dismissal.

Where any other member of the School community breaches any obligation, duty or responsibility within our Child Safety Code of Conduct, Canberra Grammar School will take appropriate action.

Report Any Child Protection Concerns

All breaches of the School’s Code of Conduct must be reported to the Head of School through the Head of Primary School and the Head of Senior School, unless the breach involves one of these two positions. This includes self-reporting by a staff member who breaches or believes that may have breached the School’s Code of Conduct.

Our Child Protection Program also includes information for staff members, Board directors Direct Contact Volunteers and Direct Contact Contractors as to how to identify key risk indicators of child abuse or grooming and how to report child abuse or grooming concerns to one of the School’s Child Protection Officers.

It also contains detailed procedures with respect to the reporting of child abuse or grooming incidents to relevant authorities.

Indirect Contact Volunteers, Third Party Contractors, External Education Providers, students, parents/carers or other community members who have concerns that a child may be subject to abuse are asked to contact one of the School’s 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.

Statement of Commitment to Child Protection

Canberra Grammar School has developed the following Statement of Commitment to Child Protection as an overarching statement that provides key elements of our approach to protecting children and young people from abuse and grooming and sets the tone for the School’s entire Child Protection Program.

It is designed to be Canberra Grammar School’s public statement of commitment to child safety and a demonstration of the School leaders’ commitment to champion child safety in our School.

The School’s Statement of Commitment to Child Protection has been approved and endorsed by the School’s Board of Directors and is regularly reviewed by the Board.

The Statement is published on our public website as well as communicated through other mediums such as newsletters, our annual report and in induction and welcome packs for Board of Directors, staff members, Direct Contact Volunteers and Direct Contact Contractors.

Canberra Grammar School’s Statement of Commitment to Child Protection

Statement Objectives

This Statement provides the framework for:

• the development of work systems, practices, policies and procedures that promote child protection, safety and wellbeing within the School;
• the creation of a safe and supportive School environment and a positive and robust child protection culture;
• the promotion and open discussion of child protection issues within the School; and
• complying with all laws, regulations and standards relevant to child protection in the ACT.

Our Statement of Commitment

Canberra Grammar School is committed to providing education and care to children and young people to assist them to develop into high- achieving, supported students, positively connected to each other and to the communities in which they live and which they will serve.

The School is committed to ensuring the safety, welfare and wellbeing of all children and young people at the School and is dedicated to protecting them from abuse and grooming.

At Canberra Grammar School, we have a zero tolerance for child abuse. The School regards its child protection responsibilities with the utmost importance, as such is committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations and to maintain safe and supportive School physical and online environments for all children and young people.

Our Child Safe Values and Principles

The following child safe values and principles guide the School’s commitment to child safety and form the basis for all child protection policies and procedures at the School.

1. All children have the right to be safe.
2. The welfare and best interests of the child are paramount.
3. The views of the child and their privacy must be respected.
4. Clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children are established in our Child Safety Code of Conduct and Staff and Student Professional Boundaries policy.
5. The safety of children is dependent upon the existence of a child safe culture.
6. Child safety awareness is promoted and openly discussed within our School community.
7. Procedures are in place to screen all staff, Direct Contact Volunteers, Third Party Contractors and External Education Providers who have direct contact with children.
8. Child safety and protection is everyone’s responsibility.
9. Child protection training is mandatory for all Board directors, staff members, Direct Contact Volunteers and Direct Contact Contractors.
10. Procedures for responding to alleged or suspected incidents of child abuse and harm are simple and accessible for all members of the School community.
11. Procedures are in place to ensure all School premises are designed to ensure the safety of children.

Our Child Protection Officers

As part of our commitment to child safety and protection, Canberra Grammar School has appointed a number of Child Protection Officers as honest, mature, ethical and experienced members of the School community who can deal with sensitive issues relating to child protection and safety.

Our Child Protection Officers are available to answer any questions that you may have with respect to our Statement of Commitment to Child Protection and the Child Protection Program.

Child Protection Responsibilities

The School acknowledges that child protection is everyone’s responsibility.

At Canberra Grammar School all directors of the Board of Directors, staff members, Volunteers, Third Party Contractors and External Education Providers have a shared responsibility for contributing to the safety and protection of children. All parties are to conform with the School’s Child Safety Code of Conduct.

Reporting Child Protection Concerns

Our Child Protection Program provides detailed guidance for all members of the School community as to how to identify key risk indicators of child abuse and grooming and how to report child abuse and grooming concerns to one of our School’s nominated Child Protection Officers. It also contains detailed procedures for staff, Board directors, Volunteers and Third Party Contractors with respect to the reporting of child abuse or grooming incidents to relevant external authorities.

Staff, Third Party Contractors, External Education Providers, Volunteers, students, parents/guardians and other community members who have concerns that a child may be subject to abuse or grooming are asked to contact the School’s Senior 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 called on 000.

Child Protection Program Review and Improvement

Canberra Grammar School is committed to the continuous improvement of our Child Protection Program and to ensuring the School’s compliance with ACT child protection law and regulation.

The Program is regularly reviewed for overall effectiveness and to ensure compliance with all child protection related laws, regulations and standards.