What is a Child Safe Organisation?
A child safe organisation puts the best interests of children and young people first.
A child safe organisation:
- creates an environment where children’s safety and wellbeing is at the centre of thought, values and actions
- places emphasis on genuine engagement with and valuing of children and young people
- creates conditions that reduce the likelihood of harm to children and young people
- creates conditions that increase the likelihood of identifying any harm
- responds to any concerns, disclosures, allegations or suspicions of harm.
The Child Safe Standards
The NSW Child Safe Standards as recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission) are:
- Child safety is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
- Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
- Families and communities are informed and involved
- Equity is upheld and diverse needs are taken into account
- People working with children are suitable and supported
- Processes to respond to complaints of child abuse are child-focused
- Staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and training
- Physical and online environments minimise the opportunity for abuse to occur
- Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is continuously reviewed and improved
- Policies and procedures document how the organisation is child safe.
Read more information on The Office of Children's Guardian website.
Our commitment to Child Safety & Wellbeing
The Hills Shire Council provides for the needs of children within our community by providing:
- early learning education centres
- community centres
- libraries and
- aquatic and recreation facilities.
Council is committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations. In this way Council can maintain a safe and supportive environment for all children.
The Hills Shire Council organisational commitment to child safety is that children, and young people, have the right to be safe, respected and empowered.
Council is dedicated to listening to children’s views and committed to our responsibilities in keeping children safe.
The NSW Child Safe Standards, recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission), provides a framework for making organisations safer for children.
The Standards provide tangible guidance to:
- create a child safe culture
- adopt strategies and
- act to keep children safe from harm.
At The Hills Shire Council
- We support the rights of children and committed to their safety and wellbeing
- We believe that every child and young person have the right to feel safe. We all have a shared responsibility to protect each child from harm and abuse
- We support and respect children of all ages, cultures, religions, education levels, children of diverse sexualities and genders and children with disability
- We have zero tolerance for child abuse and have embedded policies and procedures to prevent and respond to any incidents
- We are committed to providing necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations
- All allegations and safety concerns are treated very seriously and consistently with our policies and procedures
- We have legal obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a Child’s safety, or where there is an allegation against one of our employees or volunteers, which we follow rigorously
- We are committed to training and educating Council employees, volunteers, management and Councillors on child abuse risks and obligations to prevent abuse and respond appropriately
- We believe that each stakeholder of the community has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role they play, individual and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children is at the forefront of all that they do and every decision that they make
- We are committed to becoming a Child Safe Organisation by embedding the NSW Child Safe Standards across our policies and practices.
Child-safe training and awareness for Council staff is currently in progress and an ongoing priority of the organisation.
The Hills Shire Council (THSC) Operational Procedures and Committees
- THSC Child Safe Policy (PDF)
- Children’s Services Complaint Management Internal Policy
- THSC Child and Vulnerable Person Protection Internal Policy 9
- THSC Recruitment Internal Policy
- THSC Use of Social Media Internal Policy
- THSC Electronic Devices, Email & Internet Usage Internal Policy
- THSC Waves and Aquatic Centre Child Safety Manual
- Children’s Services Child Safe Internal Policy
- Child Safe Committee
- Joint Consultative Committee (JCC)
- Child Safety Risk Management Plans
The Hills Shire Council Child Safe Policy
A Child Safe Policy promotes the health, safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people. The policy outlines The Hills Shire Council’s commitment to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation.
Policy 29 2021-2024 - Child Safe Policy(PDF, 146KB)
Council understands the importance of implementing a Child Safe Risk Management Plan to prevent and mitigate any risks to child safety.
Council’s Child Safety Risk Management Plans provide a framework and document on how the safety and wellbeing of children across the organisation will be identified and managed.
The plans will address the following risk factors:
People
The attitudes, behaviour and conduct of people who come into contact with or work with children with disability, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Processes
Processes and procedures used by Council. A risk management plan will mitigate the risks of ineffective processes which may result in a failure to prevent, identify and respond to incidents of abuse or harm.
Systems
Council systems or other systems that are accessed and used to provide services to children, for example customer databases, internet services, mobile phones and security systems.
Physical environment
Feature of the physical environment of Council, i.e. areas with poor visibility and surveillance and the online environment, such as direct, unsupervised and one on one contact with children that may expose children to harm.
Our Council Child Safe Risk Management Plan
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – THSC Overall Sites
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Event Sites (Castle Hill Showground, Bella Vista Farm & Pioneer Theatre)
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Customer Service
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Castle Hill Library
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Dural Library
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Vinegar Hill Memorial Library
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Baulkham Hills Library
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Balcombe Heights Childcare • Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Castle Glen Childcare
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Ellerman Childcare
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Eurambie Childcare
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan – Excelsior Childcare
Human Resource Management
- Recruitment and Selection
- Working with Children Checks
- Learning and Development
Child Focused Complaints Management
If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 000 (Triple Zero)
If you think a child or young person is at risk of harm from abuse or neglect, contact the Child Protection Helpline on 132 111
It is the responsibility of all employees, Councillors and volunteers, who has reasonable grounds to believe that a child, young or vulnerable person is in need of protection due to being at risk of being physically or sexually abused or illtreated, to make a report to the Office of Children’s Guardian.
The Mandatory Reporter Guide (MRG) is used to help determine when and what should be reported.
Staff who are not mandatory reporters, as well as members of the community, can also report the suspected risk of significant harm to the Child Protection Helpline.
The Child Protection Helpline receives reports either via telephone or eReporting. Mandatory reporting is outlined in the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998.
Once Council is aware of the reportable conduct, we will take immediate steps to assess and minimise any further risk of harm. Council will investigate internally the reportable allegations as per the 'Child and Vulnerable Person Protection Internal Policy'.
Council’s response to any report, complaint, incident or allegation will be child focused. This means prioritising the safety, interests and well-being of the child or children involved.
Council will:
- Ensure the processes for responding to alleged abuse and misconduct are fair and focus on the safety and wellbeing of the child
- In the event that an employee poses a serious risk to a child, remove or reduce the risk to the child
- Where there is an allegation against a Council employee notify the relevant authorities
- Conduct an investigation in line with Council processes
- Provide reports and/or progress updates to the relevant authorities (where required)
- Provide support or make referrals for support to alleged victims, their families and affected Council employees
- Undertake timely reviews of organisational child safety policies, procedures and/or relevant child safe risk management plans following an incident.
Resources
Support Services for Children and Families
The Kids Helpline - Visit kidshelpline.com.au
Support for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years. All issues are confidential and phone counselling is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
PH: 1800 551 800 or WebChat is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Headspace - Visit headspace.org.au
Headspace is available for 12 to 25 year-olds and for all issues. Phone counselling is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. PH: 1800 650 890
Beyond Blue - Visit www.beyondblue.org.au
All ages, all issues. Phone and webchat counselling is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. PH: 1300 224 636 or use Beyond Blue Webchat.
Head to Health - Visit www.headtohealth.gov.au
Head to Health is a Australian Federal Government online support site offering resources and contact information for support.
For an extensive list of other support services visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/services
The Hills Shire Council Child Safe Policy