CS7 - Child Safe Interactions
| Issue Date | Effective Date | Version |
|---|---|---|
| 14/12/2023 | 01/07/2024 | 1.0 |
Purpose
To provide guidance to owners or operators of aquatic facilities in ensuring processes and procedures support and/or enhance safe interactions between staff, volunteers and contractors and children as well as between children.
Description
The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should integrate interactions into all procedures which cover daily practices across the operations of the aquatic facility, its programs and activities.
Procedures may need to consider:
Interactions between adults and children and young people
Consideration should be given to how the aquatic facility owner or operator will design and implement programs and daily practices that effectively:
- Encourage children and young people to express themselves and their opinions
- Support children and young people’s thoughts, feelings, efforts and experiences to develop a strong sense of self, wellbeing and confidence
- Assist new children or young people to settle into the program or activity by including them and communicating with their families
- Respond openly, positively and respectfully to children and young people’s comments, questions and requests for assistance
- Show enthusiasm and respect when interacting with all children and young people
- Comfort children and young people who cry or show other signs of distress, fear or anger, or other strong emotions
- Maintain each child and young person’s dignity and rights at all times
- Provide each child or young person a path of positive guidance and encouragement towards acceptable behaviour
- Offer an environment where children and young people feel safe, secure and supported to increase their confidence to explore and learn
- Have regard for the family unit and cultural values, age, and physical and intellectual development and abilities of each child or young person
- Provide children and young people with opportunities to interact and develop respectful relationships with staff, volunteers and contractors
- Recognise the importance of friendships (The facilitating of friendships by staff and volunteers within programs is encouraged so that children and young people are less isolated)
- Children and young people are encouraged to receive support from their peers to help them feel safe Use appropriate techniques, such as sign language and other resources and tools, to support communication with all children and young people
- Develop a plan (and record) or seek additional guidance for any child or young person who has been diagnosed with behavioural or social difficulties
Interactions between children and young people
- Encourage children and young people to include and accept others from different backgrounds, cultures etc.
- Identify the responsibility of their own actions and how their behaviour impacts others.
- Understand positive guidance towards acceptable behaviour and learn what acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is.
- Learn to respect the rights and needs of others by anticipating the results and consequences of their behaviour
- Be encouraged to use their words rather than actions to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings that may arise
- Build on strengthening their communication through intentional teaching moments which may include greetings when arriving and departing a program or activity, and encouraging positive language between children
- A better understanding of “turn-taking” (when applied to an appropriate age and development)
Community support and other references
Aquatic facility owners or operators should understand that National Law states organisations, employees and volunteers must ensure that no child or young person being educated or cared for is subject to any form of corporal punishment, or discipline that is unreasonable.
Legislations do not currently stipulate requirements for behaviour guidance. However, many organisations utilise a “reasonable step” process to prevent harm and hazard to children and young people, especially those who may require additional needs.
REFERENCES
- Interactions with Children Guidelines (2021). Australian Children’s Education & care Quality Authority.
- Children's Rights, Simplified United Nations convention on the rights of the child (2022) Unicef
- Guide to the National Quality Framework, Guide to the National Quality Framework (2022)
- National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2018) Child Safe Organisations National Principles
- Goolwa Children’s Centre Behaviour Guidance Policy (2017).
