OUR COMMITMENT TO CHILD SAFETY
Brenbeal Children’s Centre is committed to child safety and wellbeing. We want all children to be safe, happy, supported and empowered.
We recognise that the physical, emotional, psychological and cultural safety of children is fundamental to their learning and development. Everyone working at Brenbeal shares responsibility for creating an environment that reflects the Victorian Child Safe Standards and promotes a culture where child safety is always at the centre of our practice.
We have zero tolerance for child abuse. All allegations and safety concerns will be treated seriously, responded to promptly, and managed consistently with our legal obligations and robust policies and procedures.
We are committed to:
- the safety, participation and empowerment of all children
- listening to children and taking their views seriously
- supporting families to raise concerns safely
- identifying risks early and reducing or removing them
- meeting our legislative responsibilities to report and respond to child safety concerns
If you believe a child is at immediate risk, phone 000.
OUR CHILDREN
Children are active participants at Brenbeal. We empower children by involving them in decisions that affect them, especially in ways that are meaningful and child-friendly. We encourage children to express their views, participate in decision-making, and raise concerns in ways that feel safe and supportive.
We promote diversity and inclusion, and all children are welcomed and respected. In particular, we are committed to:
- promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
- supporting children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- ensuring children with a disability or additional needs are safe and able to participate equally
- supporting children experiencing vulnerability or those unable to live at home
OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
This commitment applies to all staff members, volunteers, students and contractors at Brenbeal. All staff and volunteers are required to uphold our Code of Conduct, which outlines expected behaviours, responsibilities and professional boundaries when working with children. Families and staff are given opportunities to contribute to the development and ongoing improvement of our child safe practices and organisational culture.
TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
Child safety is everyone’s responsibility. Brenbeal provides ongoing training to ensure all staff and volunteers:
Child safety is everyone’s responsibility. Brenbeal provides ongoing training to ensure all staff and volunteers:
- understand the Child Safe Standards and their obligations
can recognise indicators of abuse or harm - know how to respond appropriately to concerns
are supported to create culturally safe environments
New staff and volunteers receive induction and regular supervision to ensure safe and appropriate practices are consistently maintained.
Any inappropriate behaviour will be responded to and reported through appropriate channels, including relevant authorities where required.
RECRUITMENT
Brenbeal has strong recruitment practices to reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing staff and volunteers. We:
- clearly communicate our commitment to child safety in advertisements and selection criteria
- conduct rigorous reference checks and screening
- require Working with Children Checks for all staff and volunteers engaged in child-related work
- actively encourage applications from Aboriginal people, people from diverse backgrounds, and people with a disability
Where a person’s history raises concerns, they are provided the opportunity to respond and provide context through fair procedures.
FAIR PROCEDURES FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
The safety and wellbeing of children is our highest priority. We are also committed to being fair and transparent in our processes.
All decisions relating to recruitment, incident responses and disciplinary actions are:
- evidence-based
- documented
- thorough and consistent
- respectful of the rights of all involved
We record all allegations, incidents and safety concerns securely and provide updates to families as appropriate.
PRIVACY
Brenbeal respects the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals involved in child safety matters, including children, families, staff and volunteers.
Information is handled sensitively and only shared when necessary for child safety or as required by law. This ensures people feel safe and supported to raise concerns without fear of repercussions.
LEGISLATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
Brenbeal takes its legal responsibilities seriously and complies with all relevant child safety legislation, including:
- Failure to disclose obligations
- Mandatory reporting duties
- Failure to protect requirements for people in authority
- Reportable conduct obligations to notify the Commission for Children and Young People
- Duty of care responsibilities to take reasonable precautions to prevent abuse
RISK MANAGEMENT
Brenbeal has risk management procedures and practices in place to identify and reduce risks to children’s safety.
We proactively assess risks in:
- physical environments
- daily routines and supervision practices
- online and digital environments
- excursions and community activities
Our goal is to prevent harm before it occurs.
ALLEGATIONS, CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS
Brenbeal takes all concerns, complaints and allegations seriously. We have clear and accessible processes to ensure children, families, staff and volunteers know:
- what to do if they feel unsafe
- who to speak to
- how complaints are handled
All allegations of abuse are investigated promptly and reported to relevant authorities as required by law and our duty to safeguard children. We share information when required for child safety and wellbeing purposes.
REGULAR REVIEW AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Brenbeal regularly reviews its child safe practices to ensure continuous improvement. Families and children are encouraged to contribute to the review process, and we will work where possible with local Aboriginal communities and diverse community representatives.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further information about the Victorian Child Safe Standards is available from:
- Department of Health and Human Services child safe resources
- Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP)
JULY 2025