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.
School
William Ruthven Primary School
Responsiblity
Gemma Albress, Wellbeing Leader
Endorsed:
Endorsed by:
Donald Eddington, Principal
Next review:
File location:
School website
Child Safe Standard 1 – Aboriginal cultural safety
Child Safe Standard 2 – School leadership, governance and culture
Child Safe Standard 3 – Children are safe, informed and actively participate
Child Safe Standard 4 – Family engagement
Child Safe Standard 5 – Equity and diverse needs
Child Safe Standard 6 – Suitable staff and volunteers
Child Safe Standard 7 – Complaints processes
Child Safe Standard 8 – Child safety knowledge, skills and awareness
Child Safe Standard 9 – Physical and online environments
Child Safe Standard 10 – Review of child safety practices
Child Safe Standard 11 – Implementation of child safety practices
RISK TITLE AND DESCRIPTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
Causes of the child safety risk
RISKASSESSMENT
Consequences if the child safety risk happens
EXISTING CHILD SAFETY AND WELLBEING CONTROLS
CONTROLS ASSESSMENT
NEW CONTROLS
New controls to mitigate the child safety risk further
BY WHEN
Leadership, governance and culture
Description:
There is a risk that child safety and wellbeing is not embedded in the school’s leadership, governance and culture
Risk type:
Organisational
Propensity
Child safety is not prioritised.
Decision-making power concentrated in one individual.
Unclear accountabilities
Staff and volunteers are unaware of the school’s expectations relating to their conduct and role in supporting child safety and wellbeing
Culture of secret keeping
Poor management of conflicts of interest
Lack of leadership on child safety
Poor understanding of the foreseeable risks relating to child abuse
Poor understanding of recordkeeping and information management
Poor child safety messaging
Increased risk of child abuse occurring, remaining undetected and not being responded to appropriately because the school does not have a culture of child safety and reporting of child safety incidents or concerns
Increased risk of child abuse occurring, remaining undetected and not being responded to appropriately because staff and volunteer roles and responsibilities are not clear
Poor practices and understanding of information sharing obligations may result in staff or volunteers not sharing important information to reduce the risk of child abuse or conversely, sharing sensitive information inappropriately contributing to further harm.
Poor records and record-keeping practice can contribute to delays or failures to identify and respond to child safety risks and incidents and can obstruct survivors seeking information about their time at our school. It can also compromise the school’s ability to monitor for systemic issues that required changes to policy, procedure or practice.
Physical and psychological harm as a result of child abuse
Our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy outlines the controls in place to ensure a child safe culture is embedded across our school and is implemented.
Our Child Safety Code of Conduct is adopted and actively enforced by our school leadership team. Inconsistent staff, contractor or volunteer conduct is swiftly addressed.
Our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and our Child Safety Code of Conduct are publicly available and promoted in the school community
This risk register is reviewed annually and after any significant child safety incident or concern.
Our Volunteers Policy supports the school’s volunteers to understand their obligations on information sharing and recordkeeping.
We display the PROTECT poster and the Four Critical Actions poster around our school.
We adhere to our records management obligations through the school’s adherence to the Records Management - School Records Policy and all staff and relevant volunteers understand their obligations on information sharing and record keeping through induction, training and support from our school’s leadership team.
We display our commitment to child safety prominently at reception and around the school grounds. Also include the statement in enrolment packages.
We communicate and demonstrate that mistreatment of students and racism is not tolerated in any way and that students who speak out are listened to and taken seriously.
We ask students what matters to them, what makes them feel safe and whether the school's child safety strategies are meeting their needs, through regular AtoSS-style surveys.
Child Safety Champion regularly reviews PROTECT guidance and other relevant policies to ensure our own local child safety policies, procedures and practices are informed by best practice and updated where required.
Seek input from staff, volunteers, families and the school community. Ask what the school does well, and what can be improved.
Provide regular reports to the school council or governing authority on child safety improvements.
Tolerable risk? Yes
