Creating a Child Safe Organisation

Child Safe Standards

Working with children can be very rewarding, and it brings additional responsibilities. Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre strives to build an environment where children feel respected, valued, and encouraged to reach their full potential. This requires a culture of child safety to be embedded throughout our organisation so that child safety is part of everyone's everyday thinking and practice. Such a culture is achieved through proactive leadership in demonstrating the appropriate values, attitudes, and behaviours of an organisation. A child safe environment is the product of a range of strategies and initiatives. Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre should foster a culture of openness, inclusiveness, and awareness. Children and adults should know what to do if they observe or are subject to abuse or inappropriate behaviour. All committee and non-parent volunteers must consider the safety of all children and recognise the importance of cultural safety for Aboriginal children, cultural safety for children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and the safety of children with a disability.

Please find below our clubs child safe code of conduct and policy:

Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre

Child Safe Code of Conduct for CYP

This Code of Conduct outlines appropriate standards of behaviour of adults towards children.

The Code of Conduct aims to protect children and reduce any opportunities for abuse or harm to occur. It also helps volunteers by providing them with guidance on how to best support children and how to avoid or better manage difficult situations. This Code of Conduct applies to all people involved in Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre activities, including coaches, officials, volunteers, and parents. All people involved in Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre are expected to act in accordance with this Code of Conduct in their physical and online interactions with children and young people under the age of 18 years.

We want Children and Young People (CYP) in athletics to feel safe, included, encouraged, and supported - essentially, to enjoy themselves so that they keep participating. To make sure that we create this environment, Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre Code of Conduct for Dealing with Children & Young People (Code of Conduct CYP) requires everyone involved in Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre to abide by certain behavioural standards when it comes to dealing with Children & Young People (CYP). All behaviour towards CYP should consider the needs and safety of:

• indigenous CYP;
• CYP from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; and
• CYP with a disability

All Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre volunteers are responsible for promoting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by:

• Adhering to our Child Safe Policy, the Code of Conduct and other Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre policies
• Taking all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse
• Treating everyone with respect, including listening to and valuing other's ideas and opinions
• Demonstrating inclusivity by welcoming all children and their families and carers
• Respecting cultural, religious, and political differences.
• Acting in a respectful and sensitive way, particularly when interacting with children and young people with disability, children and young people who are unable to live at home, children and young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, and children and young people who are Aboriginal, or from other culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Modelling appropriate adult behaviour
• Listening and responding to the views and concerns of children, particularly if they communicate (verbally or non-verbally) that they do not feel safe or well
• Reporting and acting on any breaches of the Code of Conduct, complaints or concerns appropriately and treating them seriously and with respect.
• Complying with our guidelines on physical contact with children
• Working with children in an open and transparent way - other adults should always be aware of the work others are doing with children
• Respecting the privacy of children and their families, and only disclosing information to people who have a need to know.

Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre volunteers MUST NOT:

• Engage in any unlawful activity with or in relation to a child
• Engage in any activity that is likely to harm a child physically, sexually, or emotionally
• Ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions, or disclosures of child abuse
• Use prejudice, oppressive behaviour, or language with children
• Work with children while under the influence of alcohol or prohibited drugs
• Engage in rough physical games
• Discriminate based on age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, or sexuality
• Initiate unnecessary physical contact with children or do things of a personal nature that children can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes
• Develop 'special' relationships with specific children or show favouritism through the provision of gifts or inappropriate attention
• Exchange personal contact details such as phone number, social networking site or email addresses with children
• Have unauthorised contact with children and young people online or by phone

By observing these standards, you acknowledge your responsibility to immediately report any breach of this code. You agree to:

• Act to prioritise the best interests of children.

• Take actions promptly to ensure that children are safe.

• Promptly report any concerns to club President Steve Erlandsen - mil@salaa.org.au, Child Safety Officer or any other committee member

• Follow Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre policies and procedures for receiving and responding to complaints and concerns.

• Comply with [legislative requirements on reporting] if relevant, and with Mildura & District Little Athletics Centre policy and procedure on internal and external reporting.

Please click on link below for our child safe policy