CHILD SAFE/ CHILD FRIENDLY POLICY
We at Hudson Street Hum want young people who participate in our programs to have a safe and happy experience.
We support and respect young people, our facilitators and volunteers. Our policy guides facilitators and volunteers on how to behave with young people in Hudson Street Hum. This policy focuses on how we can promote young people’s participation and make it safer for them.
Hudson Street Hum supports the active participation of young people. We listen to young people’s views, respect what they say and involve them when we make decisions, especially about matters that will directly affect them.
Support for young people, facilitators and volunteers and selection processes:
1. We promote respect, fairness and consideration for all teachers and volunteers. Bullying in any form or at any level will not be tolerated.
2. All teachers and volunteers will have a supervisor (who has satisfied a Working with Children Check) assigned to support them and their work. Teachers and volunteers will at all times be directly supervised, by a supervisor who has satisfied a Working with Children Check, in their interactions with young people at Hudson Street Hum.
3. Hudson Street Hum will maintain a rigorous and consistent facilitator and volunteer screening and selection process. All potential teachers and volunteers will be required to declare that they are not prohibited persons under the Commission for Children and Young People Act 1998. Working with Children Checks will be undertaken where required by law and all potential teachers and volunteers will have to provide police criminal record certificates. All potential teachers and volunteers will be interviewed and reference checks will be conducted.
4. All new teachers and volunteers will receive a copy of Hudson Street Hum’s Childsafe Child-friendly Policy and Code of Conduct. All facilitators and volunteers will be expected to sign agreements acknowledging that they have received, read and understood Hudson Street Hum’s policies and procedures and that they agree to be bound by them.
5. Probationary or trial periods may be imposed on facilitators or volunteers in relation to their provision of services to Hudson Street Hum.
Dealing with complaints:
A nominated Child Safety Contact Person (CSCP) will manage all formal complaints. As at 1 January 2019, the CSCP for Hudson Street Hum is Susan Galwey. Complaints about any child safety or welfare issue may be addressed to the CSCP orally or in writing (including anonymously). Child safety is paramount.
Communicating this policy:
1. Our policy will be discussed during induction sessions for all new facilitators and volunteers and additionally when there is any change to the policy, the Code of Conduct or the relevant legislation.
2. Young people and parents joining our programs will easily be able to access a copy of Hudson Street Hum’s Child-safe Child-friendly Policy and Code of Conduct from the Hudson Street Hum website.