This child safe policy and related documents are available on our website or on request.

This child safe policy and related documents are referred to for all officials, coaches, and volunteers as part of their information pack at the commencement of their role/involvement within the Grange Uniting Netball Club Incorporated.

We encourage and respect the views of children and young people and involve them in decision-making as appropriate. We provide clear age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate explanations to children and young people 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, to any volunteer or ask their parent/guardian to do this on their behalf. We will listen to and act upon any complaints or concerns that a child or young person raises with us.

Caring for children and young people brings additional responsibilities for all officials (paid or unpaid), coaches, volunteers, committee members and visitors. All officials (paid or unpaid), coaches, volunteers, committee members and visitors within Grange Uniting Netball Club Incorporated are responsible for promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by:

•  sticking to the organisation’s 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.

Officials (paid or unpaid), coaches, volunteers, committee members and visitors 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 the club president or secretary either in person, email at grangenetball@gmail.com

Breaches or suspected breaches of the Code of Conduct will be taken seriously and dealt with quickly, fairly and transparently. Any official (paid or unpaid), coach, volunteer, committee member and visitor who breaches the Code of  Conduct will face disciplinary action and depending on severity of the breach, the person may be suspended.

The Grange Uniting Netball Club Incorporated carefully considers applications for committee members which are appointed by the club’s members at the AGM each year. All officials are appointed by the President or members of the committee.

In accordance with the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016, our organisation is registered with the DHS Screening Unit and we link all Working with Children Checks (WWCC).

All officials (paid or unpaid), coaches, volunteers and committee members in the organisation 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 officials (paid or unpaid), coaches, volunteers and committee members 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.

The Grange Uniting Netball Club Incorporated We have strategies in place to supervise, train and support all officials (paid or unpaid), coaches, volunteers and committee members 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:

1. Training:
   • as part of their induction, ensure all officials (paid or unpaid), coaches, volunteers and committee members read and understand the Mandatory Reporting Information Booklet available at: Mandatory Notification Booklet
2. Support
   • an induction process for all new officials (paid or unpaid), coaches,
     volunteers and committee members including a copy of this policy document
   • appointing a child safety officer who has an educative role within our
     organisation

The Grange Uniting Netball Club Incorporated We aim 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.

Mandated reporters in our organisation are those who:

•  provide services to children and young people
• 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.

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 is encouraged to make the report to authorities and can request the support from a member of the committee or Child Safety Officer 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 to the police and to protect a child from sexual abuse. Failure to meet these obligations may be considered a criminal offence.

Following a report being made to CARL or SAPOL workers must make an internal report to the president, secretary or member of the committee of Grange Uniting Netball Club Incorporated. 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.

If an official (paid or unpaid), coach, volunteer or committee member 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.

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.

Compliments, complaints or feedback can be provided verbally to the club president, secretary, or committee member, or by email grangenetball@gmail.com

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

• listen to the complaint/feedback
• make a record of it if received verbally (by the person receiving the complaint)
• advise the time expected for an outcome
•  if an official, coach, volunteer or committee member receives a complaint, they must forward it to the secretary as soon as possible
• the president or secretary 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:

South Australian United Church Netball Association (SAUCNA)
Complaints Officer: saucnacomplaints@gmail.com

Grange Netball takes steps to minimise the risks to children due to the actions or omissions of officials, volunteers or other people within our club. We review our risks regularly to address any new or emerging risks in order to maintain a safe environment for children.

Strategies and actions we suggest for families to  minimise and control risks to children and young people include:

Risk Identified
Actions to minimise risk

1. Physical contact
   • any physical contact must be appropriate to the delivery of services being provided (e.g. related/in relation to the sport)
   • 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
   • not using unnecessary physical contact
2. Transport of children and young people
   • parents/guardians must provide consent before transporting a child or young person
   •  if no consent from parents/guardians has been given prior to transportation of a child or young person (for example, in case of emergency or unpredicted circumstance), the driver must have a current WWCC
   • the driver must have a valid, unrestricted driver’s licence
   •  vehicle must be registered, insured and in roadworthy condition
   • driver must not be alone in a vehicle with a child or young person (unless parent/guardian consent is given before
     transportation)
3. Supervision
   • children and young people are to be supervised by parents/guardians at all times
   • if child/young person not collected by parent/guardian at end of training/match, 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.
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
   • officials, coaches, volunteers and committee members must not disclose information regarding any child or young person without written consent of the child, young person and their parent/guardian
7. Change room requirements
   • adults must not shower or change whilst supervising children or young people
     • phones, cameras and recording devices must not be used in change room.

Grange Netball 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.