CS3 - Code of Conduct for Child Safety

Purpose

To provide guidance to owners or operators of aquatic facilities on the development and delivery of a code of conduct for child safety.

Description

Codes of conduct establish standards of behaviour to be followed and define how persons are expected to behave towards each other, towards the children and young people in their care, and towards other organisations and individuals in the community.

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should develop and implement a Code of Conduct for Child Safety

Scope

The code of conduct should include an appropriate scope. This should include:

• Who the code of conduct applies to, such as employees, volunteers and third parties (contractors and/or visitors to the facility)
• The name of the aquatic facility and the owner or operators
• The location of the facility

The scope should be broad enough to apply to a range of situations involving those who may interact with children and young people.

Consideration should be given to whether or not the scope applies to activities undertaken during the course of employment-only, or whether conduct which occurs outside of work is included in the scope.

Positive expressions

A code of conduct should include what employees, volunteers and contractors will do. This may include:

Statement of Organisational Commitment

• Abiding by the organisations’ commitment and obligation to be a child safe organisation
• Supporting and monitoring the safeguarding of children and young people
• Upholding the rights of a children and young people
• Providing an inclusive and safe environment that:
  • supports and values the ideas and opinions of; children and young people and;
  • treats them with respect regardless of their race, colour, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, culture, property, disability or other status.
  • Understands children and young people’s diverse circumstances, and provides support and responds to those who are vulnerable
• Establishes a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children are respected and valued
• A zero tolerance of racism and expectations that staff and volunteers will act on incidents of racism – that children will be supported to express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights

Presentation and behaviour

• Respecting the privacy of children and young people and their families and only disclosing information to people on a “need-to-know” basis and in accordance with privacy legislation for that jurisdiction.
• Always observing a professional boundary with children and young people.
• Being easily identifiable when providing direct care to a child or young person. (i.e., wearing a uniform or visible identification such as a name badge).

Communication

• Empowering children and young people by providing an environment where they can actively participate and “have a say”, especially on issues that are important to them
• Listening and responding to the views and concerns of children and young people, including where it relates to concerns that they feel unsafe
• Using language that is inclusive and accepting to all those in the workplace including children and young people
• Using communication appropriate for the age of a child or young person which embraces professional boundaries yet still provides a safe and caring environment for children and young people

Reporting and risk assessment

• Identifying and mitigating risks to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
• Taking all reasonable steps to protect children and young people from risk, abuse or neglect
• Challenging unacceptable behaviour and reporting all allegations or suspicions of risk, abuse or neglect
• Reporting any concerns, allegations, disclosures or observations of child abuse and / or neglect in line with the facility’s policies and processes, mandatory reporting and reportable conduct reporting requirements to a relevant person. (Such as Failure to report or Failure to disclose. If applicable to the jurisdiction.)
• Disclosing any information of charges, convictions of abuse and all other offence history

Negative expressions

A code of conduct should include what employees, volunteers and contractors will not do such as:

Statement of Organisational Commitment

• Condoning or participating in behaviour that is illegal, unsafe or abusive to children and young people
• Discriminating against children and young people on the basis of their age, gender identity, sex, race, cultural or sexual orientation
• Placing children and young people at risk of abuse or neglect (i.e., by allowing unnecessary one-adult / one-child encounters to occur)
• Using or being part of inappropriate, offensive, harassing, abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning, culturally inappropriate or discriminatory language when speaking with, or in the presence of, a child or young person
• Discriminating against any child or young person, including because of age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, sexuality, ethnicity or disability
• Provide gifts to children
• Offer transport to children
• Offer or provide private services to children or their families for services such as babysitting

Presentation and behaviour

• Developing inappropriate relationships with children or young people, including relationships that show favouritism.
• Displaying violent or inappropriate behaviour towards a child or young person
• Initiating unnecessary physical contact or exhibiting behaviours with children and young people which may be construed as inappropriate
• Conducting a sexual relationship or indulging in any form of sexual contact with a child or young person

Communication

• Engaging in open discussions of a mature nature in the presence of children and young people
• Using any computer, mobile phone, or video and digital camera to exploit, harass, expose children and young people to offensive or sexualised content
• Exchanging personal contact details with a child or young person such as phone number, social networking sites or email address, unless necessary (i.e, for an emergency situation)
• Having unauthorised contact with a child or young person client or their family outside of the department, including online, on social media or by phone

Reporting and risk assessment

• Ignoring or disregarding any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse or neglect
• Exaggerating or trivialising allegations or issues relating to child abuse, neglect or safety and wellbeing of children and young people

REFERENCES

• Child Safe Organisations: Example Code of Conduct. Child Safe Organisations National Principles. Accessed May 2022,
• Child Safe Code of Conduct. (2022) Victoria State Government, Justice and Community Safety,
• Child Safe standards. (2022) Health and Human Services,
• National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2018) Child Safe Organisations National Principles,
• Child Safe Code of Conduct, (2020). Royal Life Saving Society – Western Australia, Perth.
• Short Guide to the Child Safe Standards, Commission for Children and Young People (Victoria),