4.2 CHILD PROTECTION
DATED: May 2005
SOURCED: Choose with Care: A
Recruitment Guide for Organisations, Working
with Children, 1999, ECPAT
Working with Children Kit: Child and Youth
Friendly Environments are Everybody’s Business, 2003, Commission for Children
& Young People
_____________________________________________________________________
POLICY
This service has a commitment to the physical and
emotional safety of children. Carers and staff have a responsibility to promote
the safety of children. The service has a responsibility to inform the
Department of Families or the police of cases of suspected child abuse.
PROCEDURE
Where a parent or guardian is not caring
adequately for a child and the Carer has concerns about the child’s well-being,
the Carer must notify the Coordinator.
Strategies will be developed
to support and resource the parent. The parent may be
contacted and issues discussed. If parent is contacted,
options will be provided to the parent for extra support and resourcing such as
extra childcare, counselling, parenting courses, etc.
If the situation does not improve, a decision may be taken to discuss the concerns with the parent, or the
Coordinator may report the situation to the Department of Families.
Suspected Child Abuse
Where the Carer is concerned for the safety of
the child and believes the child has been harmed or is
at risk of harm, the Carer must contact the Coordinator immediately. The
Coordinator will make a decision with the Carer whether it is appropriate to
involve the parent or guardian in the notification of suspected child abuse or
neglect.
If it is determined that the parent or guardian
should be involved in the notification then the following procedure should be followed:
Ø
Explain the services
policy on child protection
Ø
Discuss the issue with
the parent or guardian to advise that there are concerns regarding the safety
and wellbeing of the child
Ø
Encourage or support the
parent or guardian to notify the Department of Families themselves and seek
help
Ø
Where the parent or
guardian refuses to notify, the Coordinator is to advise the person the service
will make the notification
Ø The Carer and Coordinator
continue to offer support to the person regardless of the parent’s/guardian’s
decision about the notification.
The Carer and Coordinator have the right to
confidentially report concerns where it is considered
appropriate. If it is determined that it is not appropriate to discuss the
notification with the parent or guardian of the child then the Coordinator will
contact the Department of Families or Police directly.
The Coordinator must recognise that Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people may have a distrust of authority and fear of
the child protection agencies. Where there is a case of suspected child abuse
or neglect, the Coordinator should seek the assistance of a specialist child
protection professional that works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
families and children
Note - 'Neglect' is failure to provide basic
necessities of life such as, love and affection, stimulation, safety,
nourishment, adequate clothing, personal hygiene, warmth and medical care - In
its extreme form, abandonment of a child.
Support & Debrief
Carers will be given the
opportunity for extra support during and after incidents of reporting of harm
of a child to ensure their own
well
being.