Red Lily Health Board Statement of Commitment to Child Safety

 

 

 

Child Safe Organisation

 

Red Lily Health Board (RLHB) is compliant with the requirements set out in the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and is committed to child safety and wellbeing. RLHB services strives to ensure a supportive working environment which places child safety and wellbeing at the forefront of all aspects of service delivery. We are committed to embedding child safety practices throughout our organisation and in undertaking ongoing policy development and continuous improvement to ensure the safety of all children who come into contact with our organisation and staff and services is maintained.

 

 

 

Statement of commitment to child safety

 

RLHB is committed to being a child safe and child friendly organisation, that recognises, respects, and promotes the rights of children. We recognise our responsibilities in keeping children safe from abuse, including any person associated with this organisation.

 

RLHB values diversity, will not tolerate discriminatory practices, and takes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of child abuse.

 

In recognition of the vulnerability of children, we pay particular attention to:

 

  • The cultural safety of Aboriginal Children.
  • The cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
  • The safety of children with a disability.
  • The safety of children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and/or intersex.
  • The safety of children in out-of-home care or children engaged in the youth justice system.

 

 

 

By being a child safe organisation, RLHB is committed to:

 

  • Foster an environment in which children are listened to, their views valued, and their concerns
    acted upon.
  • Actively encouraging children to have a say about things that are important to them, including
    contributing to how we plan, design, and develop our services and activities for children.
  • We welcome concerns being raised about the safety of children with whom we have contact with.
  • Proactively assessing and managing the risk of abuse to children who come into contact with our
    services.
  • Listen to and act decisively on any child safety concerns or allegations of abuse.
  • Have specific policies, procedures and supports in place to enable us to meet these obligations.

 

 

 

Principles for creating a maintaining a child safe organisation

 

RLHB is committed to developing and implementing a child safe system and will:

 

  • Consult with staff, Board Directors, community members, other agencies and service providers and
    other appropriate parties, including children, to create and maintain child safety.
  • Take a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child safety.
  • Recognise, respect and foster children’s rights.
  • Respect diversity in cultures and child rearing practices while keeping child safety paramount.
  • Value and empower children to participate in decisions which affect their lives.
  • Value the input of and communicate regularly with families and carers.
  • Engage people who are deemed suitable to work with children, with high quality staff and volunteer induction, supervision and professional development processes in place to ensure this.
  • Ensure that children know who to talk with if they have concerns or worries, or are feeling unsafe, and that they are comfortable and encouraged to raise such issues.
  • Foster a culture of openness that supports all persons to safety disclose risks of harm to children.
  • Report suspected abuse, neglect or mistreatment promptly to the appropriate authorities.
  • Share information appropriately and lawfully with other organisations where the safety and wellbeing of children is at risk, recognising our legal and statutory responsibilities as they relate to child safety.

 

 

 

Childrens’ rights
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to:

 

  • Be treated fairly.
  • Have a say about decisions affecting them.
  • Live and grow up healthy.
  • Have people do what is best for them.
  • Know who they are and where they came from.
  • Believe what they want to believe.
  • Privacy.
  • Find out information and express themselves.
  • Be safe no matter where they are.
  • Be cared for and have a home.
  • Education, play and cultural activities.
  • Help and protection if they need it.

Child Safety Statement of Compliance – Red Lily Health Service