1. Purpose

To set out a clear policy in relation to Saints Basketball Club’s commitment to child safety and to the 7 Child Safe Standards (CSS) as made and gazetted by the Minister pursuant to the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act2005 (the Act).

The child safe standards are as follows:

1. Embed a culture of child safety

2. Adopt a child safe policy

3. Adopt a code of conduct for appropriate behaviour with children

4. Screen, supervise and train volunteers, coaches and committee members

5. Process for responding to and reporting abuse

6. Identify child abuse risks and ways to reduce these risks

7. Empower Children to share feedback and experiences

2. Scope

Saints Basketball Club is committed to and required to abide by the Child Safe Standards at all times. This policy explains the clubs commitment to meet the Child Safe Standards.

3. Definitions

4. Policy

Saints Basketball Club is committed to:

the safety of children being paramount
Compliance with the Child Safe Standards

5. Statement of Commitment

The Saints Basketball Club is committed to:

The welfare of children in our care will always be our highest priority and we have a zero tolerance to child abuse.

Putting in place strategies that recognise that children in its care have the right to safety, participation and empowerment.

Preventing child abuse and identifying risks early, and removing and reducing these risks.

Treating allegations of child safety concerns seriously and responding appropriately;

Contacting authorities when there are reasonable concerns about a child’s safety.

The cultural safety of all children, including Aboriginal children, children from a culturally or linguistically diverse background and children with a disability.

Putting in place and adhering to specific policies and procedures to deliver on these commitments.

We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we follow rigorously.

6. Reporting Child Abuse

All parties in scope at the Saints Basketball Club who form a reasonable belief, that abuse against a child or young person has been committed by an adult, have an obligation to report that information to police.

If you believe a child is at immediate risk of abuse or harm phone 000

7. Failure to Disclose and Failure to Protect

The failure to protect offenceapplies to those who knew of a risk of child sexual abuse by someone in the organisation and had the authority to reduce or remove the risk, but did not act to protect that child.