Child Safe Schools

Child Safety Obligations

Mazenod College has a moral and legal responsibility to create nurturing school environments where children and young people are respected, their voices are heard and they are safe and feel safe. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all our students, and ensuring communication with staff, contractors, volunteers to enable them to fulfil their roles.

Mazenod’s Child Safety Policy takes into account relevant legislative requirements within the state of Victoria, including the specific requirements of the Victorian Child Safe Standards as set out in Ministerial Order No. 1359. The policy applies to school staff, including school employees, volunteers, contractors and clergy.

Expectation of our School Staff – Child Safety Code of Conduct

At Mazenod College, we expect school employees, volunteers, contractors and clergy to proactively ensure the safety of students at all times and to take appropriate action if there are concerns about the safety of any child at the school. All school staff must remain familiar with the relevant laws, the code of conduct, and policies and procedures in relation to child protection and to comply with all requirements. We have developed a Child Safety Code of Conduct, which recognises the critical role that school staff play in protecting the students in our care and establishes clear expectations of school employees, volunteers, contractors and clergy for appropriate behaviour with children in order to safeguard them against abuse and/or neglect.

Our Code also protects school staff through clarification of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

Acceptable Behaviours

All staff, volunteers, contractors, clergy, and board members are responsible for supporting the safety of children by

• Adhering to the school’s child safe policy and upholding the school’s commitment at all times

• Taking all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse

• Treating everyone in the school community with respect

• Listening and responding to the views and concerns of children, particularly if they are telling you that they or another child has been abused or that they are worried about their own safety or the safety of another child.

• Promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

• Promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of children with culturally and/or linguistically diverse background (by having a zero tolerance of discrimination)

• Promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of children with a disability

• Ensuring as far as practicable that adults are not alone with a child

• Reporting any allegations of child abuse to the Deputy Principal Students and to the school leadership team

• Understand and complying with all reporting obligations as they relate to Mandatory Reporting

• Reporting child safety concerns to the Deputy Principal Students or the Leadership team

• If allegations of child abuse are made, ensuring as quickly as possible, that the individual/s are safe

• Reporting to the Victorian Institute of Teaching, any charges, committals for trial, or convictions in relation to a sexual offence, by a registered teacher, or certain allegations or concerns about a registered teacher