STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO CHILD SAFETY

At DEBASCA, we believe all children and young people have a right to feel safe and be safe. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of children, fostered through responsive relationships, engaging experiences and a safe and healthy environment that empowers children. We will provide an environment where children’s participation is valued, their views respected, and their voices heard about decisions that affect their lives.

At DEBASCA, we have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns are listened to, treated seriously and in a manner consistent with our policies and procedures. We understand our mandatory responsibilities and duty of care to comply with the Child Safe Standards and to maintain a child-safe culture within the service.

We are committed to preventing child abuse and reduce risk through our recruitment practices, as well as ongoing training of staff to maintain their ability to identify and respond to situations of abuse and neglect.

We work to ensure there is clear awareness between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour concerning adults and children. We require clear boundaries between children and employees, volunteers, and the community to ensure children’s safety is kept paramount.

We are dedicated to promoting cultural safety for all children and young people, including First Nations children, children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities and/or those experiencing risk or vulnerability, and will provide a safe and inclusive environment for all.

We will regularly review our child safe practices, and seek input from our children, families, staff, and volunteers to inform our ongoing strategies.