We are committed to keeping children safe at all times.
We understand child safety is a shared responsibility and an action.
We are a child-first kindergarten, placing children at the heart of everything we do: our practice, programming, policies, processes and decision-making.
We show our commitment to Child Safe Standards by:
Promoting inclusion and diversity
Prioritising the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and children with disability.
Ensuring LGBTIQ+ children and their families feel safe and included at all times.
Actively fostering an environment where every child feels respected and valued.
Empowering and listening to children
Involving children in decision-making and supporting them to share their views.
Engaging children in discussions about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, empowering them to understand that their voice matters and can shape decisions at kindergarten and their world beyond.
Listening to children and taking their concerns, allegations, and indicators seriously, responding with care while following service policies.
Respecting and listening to families
Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all families.
Collaborating with families regarding children’s development, wellbeing and education and respecting them as their child’s first and foremost teacher.
Seeking regular family feedback.
Respecting diversity of cultures and parenting practices whilst always prioritising children’s safety.
Meeting our responsibility to keep children safe
Providing a safe environment that promotes children’s safety, health, wellbeing and learning and development.
Fostering a culture of openness where risk of harm to children can be raised confidently.
Understanding and following with the service Code of Conduct which outlines appropriate and expected behaviours from all engaging with the children at Denzil Don Kindergarten.
Understanding our obligation to respond to and report child abuse to the appropriate authorities. Staff are aware of signs of harm and are confident to support a child to safely voice their concerns.
We have processes in place to report suspicions of child abuse and staff know how to access and follow the processes.
Involving children in creating and maintaining a safe and equitable environment at kinder. This includes writing a Group Charter.
Actively managing and minimising the risk of abuse or harm to children, including fulfilling our duty of care and legal obligation to protect children and prevent any reasonable, foreseeable risk of injury or harm.
Maintaining effective recruitment processes to ensure only safe and suitable people work with the children and ensuring high standards of active supervision of all staff and people working with the children, at all times.
Continuously reviewing our practices, critically reflecting on how we identify and respond to risk, and making changes when children express discomfort or concern.
Never sharing photographs of children’s faces online.
Not allowing non-staff adults to enter the children’s bathroom (Additional Assistants are considered staff) or assist children with intimate changing. This includes parents/carers.
Never carrying or using a personal devices in the presence of children. This includes personal phones and tablets. Any devices used in the presence of children belong to Denzil Don Kindergarten.
Ensuring that every person engaging with the children (working or volunteering) has a valid Working with Children check. This includes parent/carers.
