Victoria’s Child Safe Standards are a set of mandatory requirements to protect children and young people from harm and abuse. All children have the right to feel safe and be safe, but safety does not just happen. The Standards exist to prevent harm and abuse from happening in organisations.
The Child Safe Standards commenced in Victoria in January 2016 and recent changes make the Standards even stronger. The new Child Safe Standards came into force on 1 July 2022 and organisations now need to comply with these new Standards.
The Child Safe Standards
Standard 1: Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
Standard 2: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
Standard 3: Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
Standard 4: Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Standard 5: Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
Standard 6: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Standard 7: Processes for complaints and concerns are child-focused.
Standard 8: Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Standard 10: Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
Standard 11: Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.
Child Safety at the Vermont Vultures
Everyone who participates in our Club’s activities is entitled to do so in an enjoyable and safe environment. Vermont Vultures Basketball Club has a moral and legal obligation to ensure that, when given responsibility for children and young people, coaches, officials, volunteers, staff members and parents provide them with the highest possible standard of care.
Vermont Vultures Basketball Club is committed to devising and implementing policies so that everyone in our sport accepts their responsibilities to safeguard children from harm and abuse. This means to follow policies and procedures to protect children and report any concerns about their safety and/or welfare to appropriate authorities.
The aim of the policy is to promote good practice, provide children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of the Club and to allow staff and volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child safety issues. This policy guides how all our staff and volunteers behave with children in our organisation. The policy applies to all people associated with the Vermont Vultures including committee members, management, coaches, team managers, parents of player and players themselves.
This policy document sets out how the Vermont Vultures Basketball Club recognises the importance of child safety and how we work to ensure our Club creates and maintains an environment where all children are safe.
If you are a committee member, a coach or assistant coach or team manager or you know you will volunteer for one of these roles in the future, please print a copy of this document, read it and sign the back page in acknowledgement of the Policy and email the signed copy to playerwelfare@vermontvultures.org.au for our records.
