Child Safety Risk Register: Standard 7

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:	February 2024	Endorsed by:	Donald Eddington, Principal
Next review:	February 2025	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

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	ASSESSMENT 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
Child Safe Standard 7 – Complaints processes
Complaints processes Description: There is a risk that processes for complaints and concerns are not child focused. Risk type: Organisational Vulnerability	Students and parents/carers are uncertain about how to raise a complaint or concern because information is not accessible or easily understood. Processes do not support students, parents and carers to make complaints or raise concerns. Complaints processes or responsible staff do not make students feel safe or supported to report Student input in decision making is not valued. Student, parent and carer concerns/complaints are not taken seriously Inadequate response to complaints or concerns relating to child abuse	Failure to ensure there is accessible, culturally safe and easily understood information on how to raise a complaint or concern increases the risk of students, parents and carers not reporting behaviours of concern or abuse. Students may be unwilling to report behaviours of concern or abuse if they feel they will not be taken seriously or if they do not feel safe to report. Failure to have a clear process for responding to complaints and concerns about child abuse may result in inappropriate or insufficient action being taken resulting in continued or further harm to the child and other children. Physical and psychological harm as a result of child abuse	Our Complaints Policy outlines the controls in place to ensure students are provided with accessible, culturally safe and easily understood information on raising a complaint or concern. Our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures outlines the procedures for responding to complaints or concerns relating to child abuse. Our Complaints Policy and our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures are publicly available on the school website. Our Complaints Policy and our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures are implemented by all relevant staff. Our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy sets out all recordkeeping, privacy and information sharing obligations that must be met when responding to complaints and concerns. All complaints and concerns are managed in accordance with employment law obligations and our school seeks advice from Employee Conduct Branch and Legal Division when dealing with complaints and concerns relating to child abuse by a member/former member of staff or school council employee or contractor. We encourage students to raise concerns with a trusted adult if anything makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe. We display the Four Critical Actions poster in the staff room. Ask students about their experiences making complaints and act on feedback from students in your policies and the complaints process. Let students know that they can bring a support person of their choice to any interviews or meetings related to the complaint. Ensure that students understand who will be told about their complaints. Report back to complainants to close the loop, where appropriate. Offer counselling or support services to complainants as appropriate.	Tolerable risk? Yes

RISK TITLE AND DESCRIPTION

RISK ASSESSMENT

Causes of the child safety risk

ASSESSMENT

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

Child Safe Standard 7 – Complaints processes

Complaints processes

Description:

There is a risk that processes for complaints and concerns are not child focused.

Risk type:

Organisational

Vulnerability

Students and parents/carers are uncertain about how to raise a complaint or concern because information is not accessible or easily understood.

Processes do not support students, parents and carers to make complaints or raise concerns.

Complaints processes or responsible staff do not make students feel safe or supported to report

Student input in decision making is not valued.

Student, parent and carer concerns/complaints are not taken seriously

Inadequate response to complaints or concerns relating to child abuse

Failure to ensure there is accessible, culturally safe and easily understood information on how to raise a complaint or concern increases the risk of students, parents and carers not reporting behaviours of concern or abuse.

Students may be unwilling to report behaviours of concern or abuse if they feel they will not be taken seriously or if they do not feel safe to report.

Failure to have a clear process for responding to complaints and concerns about child abuse may result in inappropriate or insufficient action being taken resulting in continued or further harm to the child and other children.

Physical and psychological harm as a result of child abuse

Our Complaints Policy outlines the controls in place to ensure students are provided with accessible, culturally safe and easily understood information on raising a complaint or concern.

Our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures outlines the procedures for responding to complaints or concerns relating to child abuse.

Our Complaints Policy and our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures are publicly available on the school website.

Our Complaints Policy and our Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures are implemented by all relevant staff.

Our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy sets out all recordkeeping, privacy and information sharing obligations that must be met when responding to complaints and concerns.

All complaints and concerns are managed in accordance with employment law obligations and our school seeks advice from Employee Conduct Branch and Legal Division when dealing with complaints and concerns relating to child abuse by a member/former member of staff or school council employee or contractor.

We encourage students to raise concerns with a trusted adult if anything makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

We display the Four Critical Actions poster in the staff room.

Ask students about their experiences making complaints and act on feedback from students in your policies and the complaints process.

Let students know that they can bring a support person of their choice to any interviews or meetings related to the complaint.

Ensure that students understand who will be told about their complaints.

Report back to complainants to close the loop, where appropriate.

Offer counselling or support services to complainants as appropriate.

Tolerable risk? Yes