Child Safe Commitment
Eltham Woods Childcare Cooperative is committed to the safety, wellbeing, empowerment and support of all children and young people within our facility.
Management, staff and visitors treat all children with the utmost respect and understanding. We have zero tolerance of child abuse and all allegations and safety concerns are treated very seriously and consistently with our robust policies and procedures. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.
At Eltham Woods we are committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early and reducing and removing these risks. Our educators undertake annual training in both child protection and mandatory reporting. We support and respect all children and our educators.
To create and maintain a child safe organisation, we meet the 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards. The 11 standards are:
Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Processes for complaints and concerns are child-focused.
Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Implementation of the child safe standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.
We have a child safe and wellbeing policy in place which is updated regularly in partnership with all staff, families using the service and our committee of management.
