Commitment to the safety of children and young people

Creative Ground Studio employees acknowledge the responsibility of providing a child safe dance environment. We value and respect young people and welcome them regardless of their abilities, sex, gender, or social or economic or cultural background. At Creative Ground Studio we are committed to protecting all children from harm and risk of harm. Workers will do this by ensuring each child feels respected, valued, heard, and encouraged to assist them in reaching their full potential. Workers will endeavour to create a child safe culture within its community by adhering to and role-modelling the child safe behaviours and practises outlined in this policy. Bullying and harassment will not be tolerated.

Our policy complies with the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017, the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 and aligns with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Scope of policy

This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, work placement students and contractors at Creative Ground Studio referred to throughout the policy collectively as “workers”.

All workers are required to agree in writing to accept and act in accordance with the CGS Child Safe Policy, prior to commencement of work at Creative Ground Studio.

Communication 

This child safe policy and related documents are available on the Creative Ground Studio website, on request and provided as part of the Creative Ground Studio Parent Handbook. Prior to commencing work at CGS workers are provided with the Child Safe Policy and are required to agree in writing to act in accordance with the policy.

Creative Ground Studio students and their families were consulted during the writing of this policy via informal written responses to the question: 

“How can Creative Ground Studio create a safe place for children?” 

CGS aims to also invite students and their families to give informal feedback on the Child Safe Policy updates.

CGS workers encourage and respect the views of children and young people and involve them in decision making when it comes to their own dance training, such as setting goals that are appropriate to their skill level. Workers provide clear age-appropriate explanations to students including their right to safety, their right to be listened to and that they can provide feedback or make a complaint if they have a concern or ask their parent/guardian to do this on their behalf. These explanations are outlined in the Creative Gound Studio ‘Rights and Responsibilities’ document, given to students and their parent/guardian upon registration.

Workers will listen to and act upon any complaints or concerns that a child or young person raises with them promptly and sensitively.

Code of Conduct

Caring for children and young people brings additional responsibilities for Creative Ground Studio workers. They are responsible for promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by:

• adhering to the CGS child safe policy at all times and taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety and protection of children and young people.

• treating everyone including those of different race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes and religious beliefs with respect and honesty and ensure equity is upheld.

• being a positive role model to children and young people in all conduct with them.

• setting clear boundaries and maintaining appropriate behaviours with children and young people – boundaries help everyone to understand their roles.

• listening and responding appropriately to the views and concerns of children and young people.

• being alert to bullying behaviours and responding promptly and appropriately.

• ensuring another adult is always present or in sight when conducting one to one consulting, coaching, instruction or other activity.

• being alert to children and young people who have been harmed, or may be at risk of harm and reporting this quickly to the Child Abuse Report Line (13 14 78)

• responding quickly, fairly and transparently to any complaints made by a child, young person or their parent/guardian.

• encouraging children and young people to ‘have a say’ on issues that are important to them.

CGS workers must not:

• engage in rough physical games.

• develop any ‘special’ relationships with children and young people that could be seen as favouritism such as the offering of gifts or special treatment.

• do things of a personal nature that a child or young person can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes.

• discriminate against any child or young person because of age, gender, cultural background, religion, vulnerability or sexuality.

Breaches or suspected breaches of the Code of Conduct should be reported as soon as practicable to management either in person, by telephone on 0408772289, or via email at info.creativegroundstudio@gmail.com. 

Breaches or suspected breaches of the Code of Conduct will be taken seriously and dealt with quickly, fairly and transparently. Any worker who breaches the Code of Conduct will face disciplinary action and depending on severity of the breach, the worker may have their employment terminated.

Recruitment

To ensure Creative Ground Studio engages the most suitable people to work with children and young people we have the following recruitment practices in place:

• our commitment to child safety is included in all job advertisements.

• clear position descriptions that include our commitment to child safety and wellbeing.

• face-to-face interviews that use behavioural questions to determine the applicant’s knowledge of child safeguarding.

• at least 2 referee checks and qualification checks.

In accordance with the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016, Creative Ground Studio is registered with the DHS Screening Unit and we link all Working with Children Checks (WWCC). All workers over the age of 14 years, even if not providing services directly to children or young people, must hold a current, not prohibited WWCC issued by the Screening Unit of the Department of Human Services. All workers must provide evidence of their WWCC prior to employment and renew the WWCC every 5 years. We will verify the accuracy of all WWCCs in the DHS Screening unit portal as required by law.

We will immediately contact the Department of Human Services Screening Unit when we become aware of assessable information regarding any person involved with our organisation, including any serious criminal offence, child protection information, or disciplinary or misconduct information.

Training, supervision and support for workers

Creative Ground Studio has strategies in place to supervise, train and support workers to understand our organisation’s child safe policy, their mandatory reporting obligations, how to build culturally safe environments and their responsibilities to create a child safe and friendly environment. Our strategies include:

• Training:

• as part of their induction, ensure all workers read and understand the Mandatory Reporting Information Booklet available at: https://dhs.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/103179/CSE-Mandatory-notification-information-booklet.PDF 

• complete ‘Safe Environments Through their eyes’ training every 3 years 

• include child safety as a standing item on meeting agendas.

• Supervision:

• regular supervision sessions that include a focus on child safety and wellbeing.

• Support:

• an induction process for all new workers including a copy of this policy document.

• regular performance appraisals that discuss child safeguarding.

• appointing a child safety officer who has an educative role within our organisation.

Reporting and responding to harm or risk of harm

Creative Ground Studio aims to ensure that children and young people are safe from harm and risk of harm. Section 17 of the Safety Act defines ‘harm’ to mean physical or psychological harm (whether caused by an act or omission), including harm caused by sexual, physical, mental or emotional abuse or neglect.

All Creative Ground Studio workers (administration staff, teachers and cleaners) are required to hold a current “Safe Environments Through their eyes” training certificate (course for mandated notifiers).

Mandated reporters in our organisation are workers who:

• provide services to children and young people in group and/or private lessons

• hold a management position in the organisation the duties of which include direct responsibility for, or direct supervision of, the provision of those services to children and young people.

Mandated reporters have a legal obligation to notify the Child Abuse Report Line (CARL) on 13 14 78 as soon as practicable if they have a suspicion that a child or young person has been harmed or may be at risk of harm. If the child or young person is at immediate risk, report to South Australia Police (SAPOL) on 000.  

All reports made by Creative Ground Studio workers are to be made by the worker who identified the harm or risk of harm and treated with the required confidentiality. All information regarding the report will be documented and stored securely in a file only accessible by management. If a worker makes a report to CARL/SAPOL an internal report will also be required and this is to be completed together with the Creative Ground Studio Director, and stored together with all other documents related to the report.

We will be guided by the Department for Child Protection and/or SAPOL after a report has been made as to whether we can conduct an internal investigation.

Creative ground studio champions a culture of trust and respect for all children, young people and families involved with Creative Ground Studio. Open communication is encouraged and working together with children and their families to maintain the health and wellbeing of all children and young people is at the forefront of our work. This also applies in the case following a report being made to CARL. Workers will support children, young people and their families to the best of their ability following a report and be guided by the relevant authority (CARL/SAPOL) as how to best do this. Through our parent handbook families are also made aware of procedures for non-mandated notification, and their right to file a report to CARL in the case of harm or suspected harm of a child attending Creative Ground Studio. Even if not a mandated reporter, any person can report harm or risk of harm to a child or young person. The individual who identifies the harm or risk of harm (for example a parent, family member or a non-mandated worker) is encouraged to make the report to authorities and can request the support from another worker to do so if required.

Information about making appropriate reports of harm or risk of harm is available from the South Australian Department for Child Protection website: https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/reporting-child-abuse. 

All adult workers (even if not a mandated reporter) have a legal obligation to report child sexual abuse by another worker to the police and to protect a child from sexual abuse by another worker. Failure to meet these obligations may be considered a criminal offence.

If a worker is reported to CARL or SAPOL for causing harm or risk of harm to a child or young person, they will be removed from any role that involves working with any child or young person until authorities have concluded their investigation.

Following a report to CARL or SAPOL we will support the child or young person by:

• referring the child, young person or their family to other appropriate services

• continuing to provide a service to the child, young person and their family and monitor their circumstances.

We will document all information received regarding the report and store this securely in a separate file.

Reporting and responding to general complaints or feedback

Providing opportunities for complaints and feedback ensures that children, young people and their families feel valued and respected and enables us to improve the quality of our service.  Children, young people and their families are informed that they can provide feedback or make a complaint when they join the studio, and this is also outlined in Creative Ground Studio’s Parent Handbook, available online and in hard copy at the premises. 

Creative Ground Studio teachers regularly remind students during class that they can talk to staff or their parents about any unsafe feelings or thoughts they may have, and enforce a culture of safety and kindness throughout their interactions and practise. A “student feedback and complaints box” is also situated in the students waiting room for students to share anonymous grievances or suggestions of how we might be able to improve our child safety policies and procedures. 

Compliments, complaints or feedback can be provided verbally to any worker or direct to management either by telephone on 0408772289 or via email at info.creativegroundstudio@gmail.com

We will deal with all complaints and feedback received promptly, sensitively and fairly. We will:

• listen to the complaint/feedback.

• the person receiving the complaint will make a record of it if received verbally.

• advise the time expected for an outcome.

• if a worker receives a complaint, they must forward it to management as soon as possible.

• management will respond to the complainant with an outcome in a timely manner.

• clearly document and securely store decisions and actions taken in response to complaints and feedback.

• make sure that procedural fairness is followed at all times.

If the child, young person or their family is not happy with the outcome from the complaints process they can contact:

• Ausdance SA (08) 7120 7136 (https://www.ausdancesa.org.au/contact-us/)

• Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner 8226 8666

• Australian Human Rights Commission Online: www.humanrights.gov.au Tel: 1300 656 419

• South Australian Equal Opportunities Commission (for complaints relating to discrimination) Online: www.eoc.sa.gov.au Tel: 08 8207 1977.

Risk management

Identified risk & Actions to minimise risk

Physical contact

• any physical contact must be appropriate to the delivery of services being provided

• where physical contact is required, this is undertaken in a safe way by explaining why contact is required and what will happen, and asking the child/young person for their permission (or their family if this is more appropriate) before proceeding

• unnecessary physical contact is not allowed

Online communications

• cyber safety and social media guidelines are in place and provided to all workers

• appropriate supervision is provided for all online activities

• workers must not communicate with children or young people via social media

Transport of children and young people

• workers must not transport a child or young person unless specifically approved

• parents/guardians must provide consent before transporting a child or young person

• worker must have a valid, unrestricted driver’s licence

• vehicle must be registered, insured and in roadworthy condition

Supervision

• if child/young person not collected by parent/guardian at end of class, two adults are to stay with child/young person until they are collected 

• if providing one to one consultation with a child or young person, it will be in line of sight of another adult

Taking images of children and young people

• consent of child young person and their parent/guardian required

• disclosure will be made as to how the image is to be used and consent must be provided by the child, young person and parent/guardian

• images must be presented in a way that de-identifies the child or young person

Physical environment

• maintain a risk register that is reviewed annually to ensure effectiveness

• conduct risk assessments for all activities

• ensure all equipment is in good working order

Privacy and confidentiality

• all documents containing confidential information will be stored privately in a locked filing cabinet (or similar place with restricted access)

• digital files containing confidential information shall be protected electronically by restricting the access to only those requiring it to perform their duties

• workers must not disclose information regarding any child or young person without written consent of the child, young person and their parent/guardian

Off-site activities

• consent of parent or guardian must be given

• children and young people must be supervised by a minimum of 2 adults of the same gender as the children attending

• privacy when children or young people are toileting and dressing must be provided

• children and young people will not be left under the supervision of unauthorised persons

• children and young people have the right to contact their parents, or another adult, if they feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or distressed during the activity.

Change room requirements

• a minimum of two adults of the same gender as the children or young people must be present

• supervision will be provided ensuring the child or young person’s right to privacy

• adults must not shower or change whilst supervising children or young people

• phones, cameras and recording devices must not be used in change room

Related policies and procedures

Creative Ground Studio Rights and Responsibilities (students, parents, teachers, studio)

Phone and Social Media Policy

Policy review

We will, at a minimum, review this policy and the related procedures once every 5 years as required by the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.  We will also review this policy when:

• new or added risks are identified for children or young people, which may require a change in the policy or procedures

• a critical incident where a child or young person has experienced harm through involvement in the organisation

• concerns are raised by anyone involved in your organisation about child safety or welfare in the organisation

• awareness or compliance to the child safe policy and/or procedures is low

• legislative changes/requirements.

We will lodge a new child safe environments compliance statement with the Department of Human Services each time we review and update this policy.

Policy Date: August 2024

Review Date: August 2029