Child Protection

Child-Safe Child-Friendly
Community Language Schools

1. Introduction Child-Safe Child-Friendly
2. How does the 'The Working with Children Check' affect Community Language Schools
3. How to develop a Child-Safe and Child-Friendly Policy and a Code of Conduct for your Community Language School
4. 'Prohibited Employment Declaration' form and what to do with it

1. Introduction

Child-safe child-friendly

Most children and young people enjoy participating in the activities and services provided by communities and organisations.

The staff, volunteers and students on work experience with these organisations make a valuable contribution to kids' lives.

In this section of our website you will find sensible advice, information and resources that will help your organisation, program or group to promote child-safe and child-friendly policies and practices.

Child-safe means taking steps to keep children safe from physical, sexual or emotional abuse.

Child-friendly means kids are valued, respected and included so they feel confident they will be listened to.

Kids, parents, staff, volunteers and students can all contribute to - and benefit from - creating child-safe and child-friendly environments.

There are some simple and easy-to-follow strategies you can use to make your organisation safer for kids. They will also help make your service more attractive and fun to the children and young people who spend time there.

2. How does the 'The Working with Children Check' affect Community Language Schools

Community Language Schools need to be Child-Safe and Child-Friendly places. To make sure this is happening, we have to look at who gets into contact with the children during Community Language School (CLS) time. There are mainly the teachers, the parents and family members of students.

The following question comes up again and again: Do teachers, parents, student family members or anybody entering the school during CLS time need a 'Working With Children Background Check'?

The answer is on the website under the Frequently asked Questions link:www.kids.nsw.gov.au/kids/check

9. Can volunteers have a Working With Children background check?

Working With Children background checks are not currently available for volunteers. Volunteers entering child-related employment are required to provide a completed Prohibited Employment Declaration form. It is an offence to engage anyone in paid or unpaid child-related employment without requiring them to do this. Research shows that the most effective way on protecting children is by supporting organisations to be more child-safe and child friendly. This includes implementing good policies and practices around risk and the importance of supervision. Information to help organisations to do this is available at http://www.kids.nsw.gov.au/director/check/safefriendly.cfm. Employers are ultimately responsible for the risk in their organisations, and are accountable for the ongoing management of risks to children.

This says, that Community Language School working volunteers, who are teachers, parents, student family members or anybody entering the school during CLS time, do NOT need a Working With Children Background Check done. Even if the teachers get some reimbursement money for their teaching time, they are still volunteers. BUT it also says that everyone involved with the students has to fill out a 'Prohibited Employment Declaration' form. Please find this form attached and ready for you to copy. It is also advisable for all CLS to have Child-Safe and Child-Friendly Policy and a Code of Conduct for your CLS.

3. How to develop a Child-Safe and Child-Friendly Policy for your Community Language School

Policies and code of conduct
Having a policy and a code of conduct shows staff, volunteers, kids, their families and the community that you are an organisation that is committed to being child-safe and child-friendly. You can provide parents and carers with the A Parent's Guide to Choosing Child-Safe and Child-Friendly Programs resource (available below) to help them understand what makes an organisation child-safe and child-friendly. Policy

A "Children and Young People's Policy" guides you on how to treat the kids in your organisation, and how to encourage their participation. You want this policy to reduce the risk of harm to kids in your organisation. A clear, well thought out policy reflects your organisations needs and activities and increases awareness about the importance of building child safe and friendly environments. Follow the link below to download the Child-Safe and Child-Friendly Policy resource for help on how to develop and put a policy into practice.

Code of Conduct

A Code of Conduct outlines your organisations values and provides boundaries for behaviour of staff, parents and kids. It also sets out how to respond when anyone does not behave properly. Involving everyone in the development of both your Policy and Code of Conduct means it will more likely be used. A widely promoted Code of Conduct helps everyone to keep an organisation child-safe and child-friendly. Follow the link below to download the Developing Codes of Conduct resource for help on developing a code of conduct for your organisation. A similar code can be developed for kids to help them define their rights and responsibilities.

Follow the link to download the Developing Codes of Conduct for kids, with kids resource.
Examples and templates on how to develop a Child-Safe and Child-Friendly Policy can be found at the following website:
http://www.kids.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/develop_childsafechildfriendlypolicy.pdf Examples and how to develop a Code of Conduct can be found at the following website:
http://www.kids.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/develop_codesofconduct.pdf

5. 'Prohibited Employment Declaration' form and what to do with it

The Prohibited Employment Declaration form should be filled out and signed by everyone who comes into contact with the students. It is advised that you always keep copies ready for visitors or guests who come to your school. These forms should then be filed in a folder you keep at your Community Language School. You do not have to send them anywhere. Signing this form makes it a legal document. The person who signs the form also gives his/her permission to get a check of his/her criminal record, in case this may be necessary. The form only has to be signed once and does NOT have to be done ever again. It stays current for as long as you have it in your file. http://www.kids.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/wwcc_form4.pdf