Our Community

Charity, Service, Humility and Compassion

Child Safety

Statement of Commitment

Carnarvon Christian School (CCS) is committed to providing education and care to children and young people to assist them to develop into resilient students who are positively connected to each other and to the communities in which they live and will serve.

Acknowledging our responsibility to God, CCS is committed to ensuring the safety, welfare and wellbeing of all children and young people at the School. We are dedicated to protecting students from abuse and grooming by implementing robust policies and procedures to deter abuse and/or grooming and to facilitate detection and reporting at CCS.

At Carnarvon Christian School, we have a zero tolerance for child abuse and grooming. CCS regards its child protection responsibilities with the utmost importance. As such we are committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and regulations and to maintain safe and supportive physical and online environments for all children and young people at CCS.

Download our Student Code of Conduct

Objectives

This Statement provides the framework for:

• The development of work systems, practices, policies and procedures that promote child protection, safety and wellbeing, deter inappropriate interactions and facilitate detection of abuse and grooming within CCS;
• The creation of a safe and supportive School environment and a positive and robust child protection culture;
• The promotion and open discussion of child protection issues within CCS; and
• Complying with all laws, regulations and standards relevant to child protection in WA.

Child-Safe Values & Principles

The following child-safe values and principles guide Carnarvon Christian School’s commitment to child safety and form the basis for all child protection policies and procedures at the CCS:

1. All children have the right to be safe.
2. The welfare and best interests of the child are paramount.
3. The views of the child and their privacy must be respected.
4. Clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children are established in our Child Safety Code of Conduct and Staff and Student Professional Boundaries Policy.
5. The safety of children is dependent upon the existence of a child-safe culture.
6. Child safety awareness is promoted and openly discussed within our School community.
7. Procedures are in place to screen all staff, direct contact volunteers, third party contractors and external education providers who have direct contact with children.
8. Child safety and protection is everyone’s responsibility.
9. Child protection training is mandatory for all Carnarvon Christian School’s staff members .
10. Procedures for responding to alleged or suspected incidents of child abuse and grooming are simple and accessible for all members of the CCS community.
11. Procedures are in place to ensure all CCS premises are designed to ensure the safety of children.

Standards of Behaviour

Carnarvon Christian School demands the highest standards of behaviour for all stakeholders interacting with children and young people in our School environment. Our Child Safety Code of Conduct clearly outlines expected standards of behaviour and the consequences if stakeholders fail to meet the School’s expectations.

Responsibilities

Carnarvon Christian School acknowledges that child protection is everyone’s responsibility. At CCS all members of staff and the Board, parents/guardians, volunteers (direct and indirect), external education providers and third party contractors have a shared responsibility for contributing to the safety and protection of children.

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Reporting Child Protection Concerns

Our Child Protection Program provides detailed guidance for all members of the School community on how to identify key risk indicators of child abuse and grooming and how to report child protection concerns to the Principal. It also contains detailed procedures with respect to the reporting of child abuse and grooming incidents to relevant external authorities.

Staff, third party contractors, external education providers, volunteers, students, parents/guardians and other community members who have concerns that a child may be subject to abuse or grooming are asked to contact the School’s Principal by phoning 99414533 or emailing office@ccs.wa.edu.au.

In accordance with the WA Registration Standards for Non-Government Schools, all breaches and suspected breaches of the School’s Child Protection Code of Conduct must be reported to the Principal or the Chair of the CCS Board.

All communications will be treated confidentially on a ‘need to know basis’.

Whenever there are concerns that a child is in immediate danger the Police should be called on 000.

Program Compliance and Review

Carnarvon Christian School is committed to the continuous improvement of our Child Protection Program and to ensuring the School’s compliance with WA Child Protection Law and Regulation. The Program is reviewed annually and updated regularly for overall effectiveness, in light of experience and to ensure compliance with all child protection related laws, regulations and standards. For more information, refer to the Continuous Review & Improvement section of our Child Protection Program.

Child Safety Student Feedback Form