Child Safe Policy
Child Safe Policy
Updated: 1 December 2022
1. Our commitment to child safety
The Harrison Riedel Foundation (HRF) is committed to ensuring the safety, empowerment and wellbeing of all persons involved with HRF, including persons under the age of 18 years old (children). HRF is dedicated to by embedding the NSW Child Safe Standards within its organisational culture and practices.
HRF is committed to providing a safe environment for all children in all programs and services it provides, including the YourCrew application.
HRF has a zero-tolerance policy towards child abuse, and has implemented policies and procedures to ensure that all allegations and concerns relating to child abuse are properly addressed.
HRF is committed to preventing child abuse, through identifying early risks and removing them. HRF has policies in place to ensure compliance with its statutory obligations relating to child abuse, including the reporting of occurrences or suspected occurrences of child abuse. HRF is committed to following its legal obligations rigorously.
HRF has robust human resources and recruitment practices to reduce the risk of child abuse by its staff and volunteers.
2. Our children
This Child Safe Policy is part of HRF’s commitment to ensuring that children who are vital and active participants in informing the YourCrew App and YourCrew School Program, have an empowering, safe and happy experience.
HRF promotes diversity and acceptance. People from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to participate in HRF activities.
3. Training
HRF is committed to regularly training and educating our board members, staff, and volunteers on child abuse risks. HRF has implemented specific policies, procedures and a Code of Conduct that supports our board members, staff and volunteers in achieving these commitments.
HRF believes that training and education is essential to ensuring child safety. HRF conducts annual training for our board members, staff and volunteers to identify, assess, and minimise child abuse risks and detect potential signs of child abuse. HRF’s organisational culture aims for all board members, staff, contractors, volunteers, families and children to feel confident and comfortable discussing any allegations of child abuse or child safety concerns.
As part of the onboarding process, new board members, staff and volunteers receive information and training to ensure that they understand HRF’s commitment to child safety, and their role in protecting children from abuse.
Any inappropriate behaviour conducted by our staff or volunteers will be recorded in an Incident Report and reported in accordance with our statutory requirements, including being reported to external authorities.
4. Recruitment
When recruiting board members, staff and volunteers, HRF takes all reasonable steps to employ skilled and ethical people who will work with children. HRF develops selection criteria and advertisements demonstrating its commitment to child safety, to employ people who have an awareness of HRF’s social and legal responsibilities.
All people engaged in child-related work (excluding those who are exempt), including volunteers, are required to hold a current WWCC at all times. HRF carries out reference checks to ensure that it is recruiting the right people.
5. Fair procedures for staff and volunteers
HRF is fair and reasonable to all children, staff and volunteers, and is committed to ensuring that its decisions are always thorough, transparent, and evidence-based.
6. Privacy
All personal information that is collected and stored by HRF, is done accordance with the HRF Privacy Policy and in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and will respect the privacy of the individuals involved, whether they are staff, volunteers, families or children, unless there is a risk to someone’s safety.
HRF records all abuse, safety concerns and allegations using an incident reporting form. If an allegation of abuse or a safety concern is raised, HRF provides regular updates to children and families about the progress and actions taken. All records are securely stored.
7. Risk management
HRF has implemented risk management strategies to identify, assess, and take steps to minimise child abuse risks, including risks posed by both physical and online environments.
8. Child Protection and Reporting Procedures
HRF has clear internal reporting procedures for volunteers and members to report concerns
- any suspected matter must be reported to the Manager or to the HRF CEO – Amanda Riedel (ariedel@harrisonriedelfoundation.com), or the HRF Public Officer (PO) – Steven Shirtliff, (sshirtliff@harrisonriedelfoundation.com).
- If a Manager, CEO, PO or HR officer receives a report, they will complete a HRF Incident Report and advise you about the next steps.
- In line with its legal obligations, where necessary, HRF’s CEO will immediately report any suspected or alleged instances of child abuse, exploitation, harm or child protection policy non-compliance.
9. Allegations, concerns and complaints
HRF takes all allegations seriously and has practices in place to investigate all complaints thoroughly and quickly. HRF’s board members, staff and volunteers are trained to deal with allegations appropriately.
HRF ensures all children, families, board members, staff, and volunteers know what to do and who to tell if they notice inappropriate behaviour, observe abuse or are victims of abuse.
HRF and all of its staff and volunteers have a responsibility to report an allegation of abuse if they reasonably believe an incident has occurred. If an adult reasonably believes that an incident has occurred, they must report it. Factors contributing to reasonable belief may include:
- a child stating that they or someone they know has been abused (noting that sometimes the child may be referring to themselves)
- a child exhibiting behavior consistent with that of an abuse victim
- someone else has raising a suspicion of abuse who is unwilling to report it
- observing suspicious behaviour.
10. Regular review
This policy is reviewed every two years and following significant incidents (if they occur).
11. Associated documents
- Child Safe Code of Conduct Individual Declaration
- HRF Privacy Policy
- HRF Internal Reporting Procedure Guidelines
- HRF Child Safety Incidence Report
- YourCrew App Code of Conduct
- Deloitte Risk and Readiness Review YourCrew App (2018) – internal
12. Associated legislation and guidelines
Individual State and Territory legislation can be found here:
https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/australian-child-protection-legislation
Individual Sate and Territory reporting guidelines for service providers can be found here:
https://aifs.gov.au/resources/resource-sheets/reporting-child-abuse-and-neglect
Individual Sate and Territory mandatory reporting guidelines for services can be found here:
https://aifs.gov.au/resources/resource-sheets/mandatory-reporting-child-abuse-and-neglect
What is abuse and neglect can be found here:
https://aifs.gov.au/resources/policy-and-practice-papers/what-child-abuse-and-neglect
Preemployment individual Sate and Territory WWCC requirements: