Purpose
The Sharon Davis Music Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy demonstrates our commitment to creating and maintaining a child safe and child-friendly organisation, where children and young people are safe and feel safe.
Scope
This policy:
- applies to all school staff, volunteers and contractors whether or not they work in direct contact with students.
- applies in all physical and online school environments used by students, including other locations provided by for a student’s use (for example, a performance venue) and those provided through third-party providers
Statement of commitment to child safety
Sharon Davis Music is a child safe organisation which welcomes all children, young people and their families.
We are committed to providing environments where our students are safe and feel safe, where their participation is valued, their views respected, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Our child safe policies, strategies and practices are inclusive of the needs of all children and students.
We have no tolerance for child abuse and take proactive steps to identify and manage any risks of harm to students in our school environments.
We promote positive relationships between students and adults and between students and their peers. These relationships are based on trust and respect.
We take proactive steps to identify and manage any risk of harm to students in our school environment. When child safety concerns are raised or identified, we treat these seriously and respond promptly and thoroughly.
Particular attention is given to the child safety needs vulnerable students. Inappropriate or harmful behaviour targeting students based on these or other characteristics, such as racism or homophobia, are not tolerated at our school, and any instances identified will be addressed with appropriate consequences.
Child safety is a shared responsibility. Every person involved in our school has an important role in promoting child safety and wellbeing and promptly raising any issues or concerns about a child’s safety.
We are committed to regularly reviewing our child safe practices, and seeking input from our students, families, staff, and volunteers to inform our ongoing strategies.
Roles and responsibilities
Our leadership team is responsible for ensuring that a strong child safe culture is created and maintained. They will:
- ensure effective child safety and wellbeing governance, policies, procedures, codes and practices are in place and followed
- model a child safe culture that facilitates the active participation of students, families and staff in promoting and improving child safety, cultural safety and wellbeing
- enable inclusive practices where the diverse needs of all students are considered
- reinforce high standards of respectful behaviour between students and adults, and between students
- promote regular open discussion on child safety issues within the school community including at staff meetings
- create an environment where child safety complaints and concerns are readily raised, and no one is discouraged from reporting an allegation of child abuse to relevant authorities.
Managing risks to child safety and wellbeing
At our school we identify, assess and manage risks to child safety and wellbeing in our physical and online school environments. These risks are managed through our child safety and wellbeing policies, procedures and practices.
Suitable staff and volunteers
At Sharon Davis Music, we apply robust child safe recruitment, induction, training, and supervision practices to ensure that all staff, contractors, and volunteers are suitable to work with children.
When engaging staff to perform child-related work, we:
- sight, verify and record the person’s Working with Children clearance or equivalent background check such as a Victorian teaching registration
- collect and record:
- proof of the person’s identity and any professional or other qualifications
- the person’s history of working with children
- references that address suitability for the job and working with children.
Privacy and information sharing
Sharon Davis Music collects, uses, and discloses information about children and their families in accordance with Victorian privacy laws, and other relevant laws. For information on how our school collects, uses and discloses information refer to; https://sharondavismusic.com.au/privacy-policy/.
Dated: 13.02.25
Issued by: Sharon Davis Music