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Child Safety Policy – Smile Patrol Pty Ltd

At Smile Patrol, the safety and well-being of children are of utmost importance to us. We are dedicated to creating a safe and secure environment for all children who engage with our dental services. This policy outlines our commitment to child safety and the measures we have in place to ensure their protection.

1. Staff Qualifications and Checks:

a. All Smile Patrol staff members, including dental practitioners and support staff, are required to undergo thorough background checks, including a Working with Children’s Check (WWCC) before joining our team.

b. Our dental practitioners hold valid registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), ensuring they meet the highest standards of professionalism and competence.

2. Verification of Checks:

a. Before conducting dental visits to schools, Smile Patrol provides schools with copies of our staff members’ valid WWCC and AHPRA registration certificates. This transparent approach ensures that schools have access to the necessary information to verify the credibility of our team.

3. Use of Cameras:

a. Our dental vehicles are equipped with cameras to enhance security during dental visits. These cameras are used solely for monitoring and safeguarding the well-being of both our staff and the children we serve.

4. Supervision and Escorting:

a. To ensure the safety of children during their interactions with our dental services, we employ a systematic approach to supervision and escorting.

b. Children are escorted to and from their classroom appointments in groups of 2-3 by our trained staff members. This practice helps maintain a secure and controlled environment.

c. Older children are sent back to their classrooms in pairs, ensuring that they are not left unattended and that they feel secure throughout the process.

5. Continuous Review and Improvement:

a. Smile Patrol is committed to continuously reviewing and improving our child safety measures. We actively seek feedback from schools, parents, and staff to identify areas for enhancement and implement necessary changes.

6. Reporting and Response:

a. In the event of any concerns or incidents related to child safety, Smile Patrol has established a clear reporting and response protocol. Any suspicions, complaints, or incidents are treated with the utmost seriousness and addressed promptly.

7. Training and Awareness:

a. Our staff members are provided with comprehensive training on child safety protocols and best practices. This training empowers them to recognize potential risks, respond appropriately to safety concerns, and ensure a secure environment for children.

Conclusion:

Smile Patrol is dedicated to maintaining a safe, secure, and supportive environment for all children who engage with our dental services. We prioritize their well-being by implementing rigorous staff checks, utilizing cameras for monitoring, providing supervised escorting, and continuously improving our child safety measures. Our commitment to child safety reflects our unwavering dedication to the health and happiness of every child we serve.

This policy is subject to regular review and updates to ensure its ongoing effectiveness and alignment with best practices in child safety.

Below is a copy of the Child Safety Policy outlined by the Department of Justice and Community Safety, Victoria.

Child Safe Policy – Interacting with children

Information for children and young people

We have a web page that is written for children and young people under 18. It has information about child safety at the Department of Justice and Community Safety that includes:

    • what the department is doing to keep you safe

    • what child safety policies we have and how they work

    • who to tell if you feel unsafe at the department.

Purpose

The Victorian Government introduced the Child Safe Standards, which are compulsory minimum standards for organisations that provide services for children and young people (or are used by children and young people), to help protect them from harm.

The purpose of the Child Safe Policy is to ensure that all employees, consultants, contractors or volunteers engaged by the department (staff) are aware of the Department of Justice and Community Safety’s (the department) commitment and obligation to creating a child safe organisation.

The policy aims to communicate the department’s commitment to child safety, in a way that can be understood by all, including children and young people, and it explains key features of the department’s approach to meeting the standards.

Scope

This policy applies to the following people and organisations:

    • all staff engaged by the department

    • organisations and entities which the department regulates

    • organisations and entities which the department provides funding to.

    • It applies to a broad range of situations where interaction with children and young people may occur. For example, the Child Safe Policy will apply when staff come into contact with children and young people:

    • in the youth justice system

    • in the adult corrections systems through their parents, carers or other means

    • who appear in court as a child witness

    • through incidental contact (e.g. via home visits, children and young people visiting Justice Service Centres)

    • through services provided by funded agencies.

It is important that all staff are aware of their obligations under the department’s Reportable Conduct Policy, whereby allegations of staff misconduct involving children and young people can be made against a staff member even if the conduct occurred outside of their work.

Statement of Commitment

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people’s rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon.

We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.

This department requires all staff to uphold these commitments. The department has specific policies, procedures and training in place to achieve these commitments.

Department’s approach to child safety

This section provides an overview of the measures in place to support child safety across the department.

Building a child safe culture

All staff of the department have a responsibility to support the department’s commitment and obligation to creating a child safe environment.

Child Safe Code of Conduct

All staff must ensure that at all times they display appropriate standards of behaviour towards children and young people, ensuring their rights are respected, they feel safe and protected and their concerns are taken seriously.

The department’sChild Safe Code of Conduct outlines appropriate standards of behaviour by adults towards children and young people. It aims to protect children and young people and reduce opportunities for abuse or harm to occur. It also helps staff by providing them with guidance on how to best support children and young people and how to avoid or better manage difficult situations.

Training and supervision

The department is committed to ensuring that staff have access to appropriate professional learning and training opportunities to develop and maintain an understanding of child safety and prevention of harm. To support staff, relevant training programs, including the department’s induction program, should include appropriate content which outline the department’s expectations and commitment to child safety.

In addition to position specific training requirements, training will be available to staff who are likely to come into regular contact with children and young people. This training will include how to identify, assess and minimise risks of child abuse and to detect potential signs of child abuse.

Recruitment

The recruitment and selection of staff aims to support the department’s commitment to promoting an organisational culture of child safety. The department has robust recruitment and selection processes. The department carries out reference checks and police record checks to ensure that the right people are recruited.

For positions that involve contact with children and young people, recruitment should be based on selection criteria which clearly demonstrate commitment to child safety to assist the department in ensuring that the most appropriate staff are employed. Selection policies and guidelines, including pre-screening activities, are to reflect an understanding of, and commitment to, a child safe environment.

The department’s Criminal Record Check Guideline and Related Policy details the requirement for all prospective / new staff members to the department to undertake a National Criminal History Record Check prior to commencement of employment.

All people engaged in child-related work as defined in the Working with Children Act 2005, including volunteers, are required to hold a Working with Children (WWC) Check and to provide evidence that the WWC Check is valid at all times whilst employed by the department.

In addition, positions that may have contact with children and young people due to their working environment are to be assessed as to whether a WWC Check is required to minimise the risk of harm to children and young people.

Reporting a child safety concern or complaint

The department works to ensure all children and young people, families, staff and volunteers understand their obligations and know who to tell if they observe abuse, are a victim, or if they notice inappropriate behaviour. The department takes all allegations of child abuse and reportable conduct seriously. It is committed to ensuring that such allegations are addressed in accordance with departmental processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse.

Child safe issues should be reported to the appropriate manager and to the Child Safety Officer. If a staff member has a reasonable belief that reportable conduct may have occurred, then they must report the incident to the department’s Child Safety Officer. If the incident is a criminal offence or, the incident must also be reported to the police on 000.

The following reportable conduct must be reported:

Reportable conduct includes:

(a) a sexual offence committed against, with or in the presence of, a child, whether or not a criminal proceeding in relation to the offence has been commenced or concluded, or

(b) sexual misconduct, committed against, with or in the presence of, a child, or

(c) physical violence committed against, with or in the presence of, a child, or

(d) any behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child, or

(e) significant neglect of a child.

The Child Safety Officer can be contacted by email at childsafe@justice.vic.gov.au (External link) or by phone on (03) 9136 3666.

Please refer to the department’s Reportable Conduct Scheme Policy and A Guide to Implementing the Child Safe Standards for further information on the process for reporting and responding to allegations of reportable conduct.

In order for the department to perform its functions under the Child Safe Standards, it may be required to collect personal information about an employee, consultant/contractor or volunteer and disclose that information to a third party.

Personal information which is collected and/or disclosed about an individual will be managed in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 and the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005.

Definitions

Child means a child or young person under the age of 18 years.

Child abuse means a sexual offence committed against, with or in the presence of, a child, whether or not a criminal proceeding in relation to the offence has been commenced or concluded, sexual misconduct, committed against, with or in the presence of, a child, physical violence committed against, with or in the presence of, a child, any behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child or significant neglect of a child.

Child Safe Standards as made under section 17(1) of the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005.

Approval

This Child Safe Policy is issued under the authority of the Secretary under section 16K (1) of the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005.

The contents of this document represent the current policy of the department and reflect its current practices and experience.

This policy is subject to biennial review and will be altered (and the alterations communicated to users) as, and when, appropriate in order to ensure that it remains current.

Contact

Please contact the Child Safety Officer in relation to the matters arising under this policy:

Child Safety Officer

Phone: (03) 9136 3666

Email: childsafe@justice.vic.gov.au 

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