Child Safe Standards

Mater Christi College believes that students have the right to a safe and non-threatening learning environment. In this environment, students are respected, treated with consideration always and their voices are heard. They have a right to feel safe and be safe. This commitment is drawn from the Benedictine tradition for Colleges of Good Samaritan Education. In his Rule, St Benedict urges us to move towards a better life, persevering through hardship, being open about our faults and placing the welfare of others above our own. The Principal together with Board Directors remains committed to a zero tolerance of child abuse. The Child Safe Program at the College is reviewed and regularly updated to achieve best practice for the whole school community. All Staff understand their duty of care and commitment to child safety. The program strategy is reviewed and updated regularly in accordance with legislative requirements. As the College moved to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, extra measures were put in place to protect students working from their homes such as implementing guidelines around one-on-one teacher/student engagement and an increased focus on student body and mind wellbeing.

Achievements

The Child Safe Program is a central focus for Board Directors and College leadership. While student safety is embedded in our culture, the College continues to maintain awareness by: • Including student safety and risk as a regular agenda item for Staff and Board meetings • College leaders meeting with Student Protection Officers regularly • Providing Student Care Plans for all teaching staff • College leaders and Wellbeing staff (Psychologists & Nurses) meet regularly to share case management of students needing additional supervision and support • Staff screening, induction and training • Preparing Staff for Child Information Sharing Scheme • Staff completing and signing off on compliance checklist of policy, procedures and child safe requirements • Providing parenting workshops with leading experts as key presenters • Reporting to DHHS and ChildFirst as required • Encouraging students to report issues of safety and concerns, via a range of contacts -

Pastoral Teacher, Student Protection Leader • Providing safe spaces for students to report and discuss concerns • Communicating with parents via eNews • Placing posters in key student areas around the college which display names of the Student

Protection Leaders (Child Protection Officers) • Requiring Staff and all visitors to wear ID cards

• Providing inductions for students going on work experience included information about safety. All workplaces are checked prior to the visit, and students are contacted during the experience • Subscribing to SchoolTV, a valuable resource for students and parents, easily available via the College website