CS5 - Induction and Training

Purpose of this guideline

To provide guidance to aquatic facility owners or operators on the induction and training arrangements appropriate for staff, volunteers and contractors to assist with the safeguarding of children and young people in aquatic facilities.

Background

To provide guidance to aquatic facility owners or operators on the induction and training arrangements appropriate for staff, volunteers and contractors to assist with the safeguarding of children and young people in aquatic facilities.

All employees and volunteers must comply with relevant state / territory legislation relating to child safety.

While the legal age requirements, process and the duration of each State / Territory approach to Working With Children Checks or their equivalents differ marginally by jurisdiction, on the whole, persons working in child-related work must hold a Working With Children Check or its equivalent in all jurisdictions.

If there is a child safety officer available in the organisation this employee may facilitate the development of resources and training. Other means of training are also suitable, such as online training.

A number of training resources are available through industry organisations, consultants and providers. You can contact your local industry peak body or Royal Life Saving member organisation for more information.

Description

The owner or operator should ensure all employees, volunteers and contractors working in the aquatic facility and / or its associated programs and activities - hold a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC) or its equivalent.

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should develop systems and procedures which imbed the organisation’s commitment to child safety throughout the employee journey and experience.

Pre-employment

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should ensure appropriate pre-employment checks are conducted and that child safety is imbedded from the start of an employee’s interactions with the organisation. This should include:

• Requiring a valid Working with Children Checks (or their equivalents) as a condition of employment
• Conducting reference checks – which include a child safety component
• Informing candidates about the organisation’s commitment and policy relating to child safety in:
  • Job advertisements
  • Position descriptions
  • Employment contracts
  • Interviews

Onboarding

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should ensure appropriate procedures are developed and implemented to ensure that child safety requirements are clearly communicated at onboarding and induction for all employees, volunteers and contractors.

A training action plan for staff and volunteers should include training on:

• the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• identifying indicators of child abuse and harm
• how to support a person making a disclosure about harm to a child
• how to respond to issues of child safety including internal and external reporting requirements, notifying families and carers and managing risks to children
• how to support cultural safety.

The initial training and induction process should include information, training and/or assessment of competency relating to the organisation’s:

• Child Safety Policy
• Child Safety Code of Conduct
• Child Safety Risk Assessment
• Relevant operating procedures
• Reporting arrangements and requirements
• Investigation procedures and requirements
• Relevant policy relating to filming and photography
• Relevant policy relating to online activities
• Record management
• Interaction management
• Ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion and cultural safety
• Any other relevant matters

Acknowledgement, Understanding and Declaration

It is in the organisation’s best interest to ensure that employees, volunteers and  contractors know and understand their obligations and expectations relating to child safety. Therefore, it is recommended that an employee, volunteer or third party are provided with:

• Adequate time to read and understand the contents of any documentation they are required to adhere to
• The opportunity to ask questions before acknowledging, understanding and signing any documentation including but not limited to the Code of Conduct declaration
• The opportunity to have the Code of Conduct translated to another language if the employee or volunteer indicates that English is not their primary language
• A copy of any employment, contract, code of conduct, policy or induction documentation they have signed

An employee, volunteer or third party under the age of majority may require the permission of their legal guardian before signing any documentation.

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should ensure employees and volunteers sign induction records relating to relevant policies, procedures and codes of conduct.

Contractors

It is noted that contractors delivering maintenance, cleaning and other services often do not attract the same level of supervision or pre-employment checks that an employee or volunteer would or a contractor delivering services to aquatic facility patrons (e.g., group fitness instructor).

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should ensure appropriate procedures are developed and implemented to ensure that child safety requirements are clearly communicated and enforced in the engagement and ongoing supervision of contractors delivering services at the aquatic facility or in association with aquatic facility. This may include:

• Maintaining supervision of contractors while delivering work where reasonably practicable to do so
• Conducting spot checks on contractor adherence to procedure
• Requiring copies of Working with Children Checks to be held on site
• Communicating the aquatic facility’s commitment to child safety to the contractor at periodical intervals (such as an annual compliance update letter)
• Making any child safety training resources available to contractors (such as online training) and inviting contractors to the facility’s in-service training sessions where applicable

In-service training

An aquatic facility owner or operator should provide on-going training opportunities to employees and volunteers on child safety.

The organisation should determine the frequency of training required that is appropriate to the needs of the organisation, however a minimum annual training or re-induction on relevant policies and procedures is recommended.

Record management

Copies of certificates, qualifications and / or statements of attainment in relation to child safety or the individual’s specific position should be held by the aquatic facility owner or operator and cross referenced on a regular basis with expiry dates and annual training requirements stipulated by the organisation’s record keeping system.

Any training that is completed by employees, volunteers and contractors (if necessary) should be recorded in the aquatic facility owner or operator’s record management system (see CS6).

If a person’s position changes within the organisation their records should be updated as soon as reasonably practicable.

REFERENCES

• National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2018) Child Safe Organisations National Principles
• Requirement 4 – Annual Reporting. Commonwealth Child Safe Framework Australian Government National Office for Child Safety. Accessed May 2022
• Annual Statement of Compliance with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 2021-2022 (2021) National Indigenous Australians Agency