Help for non-English speakers
If you need help to understand this policy, please contact Donald Eddington, Principal. Non-English speakers can also access Google translate at the bottom of this web page.
As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at William Ruthven Primary School, we welcome and encourage your feedback. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions in relation to our child safe policies and practices, please contact the Principal, Donald Eddington via email, donald.eddington@education.vic.gov.au.
To outline the processes that William Ruthven Primary School will follow to recruit, screen, supervise and manage volunteers to provide a child safe environment, and to explain the legal rights of volunteers.
This policy applies to the recruitment, screening, supervision and management of all people who volunteer at our school.
Definitions
Child-related work: As defined by the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic), child-related work is work that usually involves direct contact (including in person, over the phone, written and online communication) with a child that is a central part of that person’s duties. It does not include work that involves occasional direct contact with children that is incidental to the work.
This is a broad definition and means that volunteers who participate in school community activities, such as fundraising and assisting with excursions, are legally protected (i.e., indemnified) from action by others in the event of an injury or accident whilst they are performing volunteer school work in good faith.
William Ruthven Primary School is committed to implementing and following practices which protect the safety and wellbeing of children and our staff and volunteers. The school also recognises the valuable contribution that volunteers provide to our school community and the work we do.
The procedures set out below are designed to ensure that William Ruthven Primary School’s volunteers are suitable to work with children and are well-placed to make a positive contribution to our school community.
Becoming a volunteer
Members of our school community who would like to volunteer are encouraged to do so.
Suitability checks including Working with Children Clearances
Working with students
William Ruthven Primary School values the many volunteers that assist in our classrooms (with reading, writing and mathematics), sports events, camps, excursions, school concerts as well as other events and programs. To ensure that we are meeting our legal obligations under the Worker Screening Act and the Child Safe Standards, William Ruthven Primary School is required to undertake suitability checks which in most cases will involve asking for evidence of a Working with Children (WWC) Clearance. Additional suitability checks may also be required depending on the volunteer role, such as reference, proof of identity, qualification and work history involving children checks.
Considering our legal obligations, and our commitment to ensuring that William Ruthven Primary School is a child safe environment, we will require volunteers to obtain a WWC Clearance and produce their valid card to administration office to copy for our records and show the classroom teacher for verification in the following circumstances:
In addition, depending on the nature of the volunteer work, our school may ask the volunteer to provide other suitability checks at its discretion (for example, references, work history involving children and/or qualifications). Proof of identity may also be required in some circumstances.
Non child-related work
n some occasions, parents and other members of the school community may volunteer to do work that is not child-related. For example, volunteering on the weekend for gardening, maintenance, working bees, during which children will not be, or would not reasonably be expected to be present.
Volunteers for this type of work are not required to have WWC Clearances or other suitability checks as they are not engaged in child-related work and children are not generally present during these activities. However, William Ruthven Primary School reserves the right to undertake suitability checks, including requiring proof of identity and WWC Clearance, at its discretion if considered necessary for any particular activities or circumstances.
School council members and volunteers on any sub-committee of School Council will be asked to provide evidence of a valid WWC Clearance. While we acknowledge that these volunteers will not be engaging in child-related work as part of their role, we believe that it is important that our volunteers who are involved in making important decisions about our school which will have an impact on students do have a valid WWC Clearance.
Training and induction
Under the Child Safe Standards volunteers must have an appropriate induction and training in child safety and wellbeing.
To support us to maintain a child safe environment, before engaging in any work where children are present or reasonable likely to be present, volunteers must familiarise themselves with the policies, procedures and code of conduct referred to in our Child Safety Induction Pack and ensure the actions and requirements in these documents are followed when volunteering for our school.
Depending on the nature and responsibilities of their role, William Ruthven Primary School may also require volunteers to complete additional child safety training.
Management and supervision
Volunteer workers will be expected to comply with any reasonable direction of the principal (or their nominee). This will include the requirement to follow our school’s policies, including, but not limited to our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy, our Child Safety Code of Conduct and our Statement of Values and School Philosophy.
Volunteer workers will also be expected to act consistently with Department of Education and Training policies, to the extent that they apply to volunteer workers, including the Department’s policies relating to Equal Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Workplace Bullying.
The principal (or their nominee) will determine the level of school staff supervision required for volunteers, depending on the type of work being performed, and with a focus on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students.
The principal has the discretion to make a decision about the ongoing suitability of a volunteer worker and may determine at any time whether or not a person is suitable to volunteer at William Ruthven Primary School.
Privacy and information-sharing
Volunteers must ensure that any student information they become aware of because of their volunteer work is managed sensitively and in accordance with the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Department’s policy on Privacy and Information Sharing.
Under these policies, student information can and should be shared with relevant school staff to:
Volunteers must immediately report any child safety concerns that they become aware of to a member of staff to ensure appropriate action. There are some circumstances where volunteers may also be obliged to disclose information to authorities outside of the school such as to Victoria Police. For further information on child safety responding and reporting obligations refer to: Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations (including Mandatory Reporting) Policy and Procedures.
Records management
While it is unlikely volunteers will be responsible for any school records during their volunteer work, any school records that volunteers are responsible for must be provided to the Business Manager to ensure they are managed in accordance with the Department’s policy: Records Management – Schools.
Compensation
This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:
Related policies and resources
School policies and resources relevant to this policy include:
Department policies
