Privacy Policy
Child Safety Child safety
Inspirations Performing Arts adheres to all Child Safety standards set by the Victorian government, making our school a child safe organisation. Read below for our Child Safe policy and Staff Code of Conduct
Purpose
At Inspirations Performing Arts we are dedicated to ensuring that all staff always display appropriate standard of behaviour towards children, ensuring that their rights are respected, they feel safe and protected and that their concerns are taken seriously.
Our Commitment
At Inspirations Performing Arts we are committed to the safety, wellbeing, and best interest of all children.
IPA:
- Will uphold the rights of all children who come in contact with our school so that they feel heard on matters relevant to their safety.
- Has zero tolerance for child abuse and will take all allegations of reportable conduct and safety concerns very seriously, ensuring that such conduct is dealt accordingly in regards with the Victorian Child Safety policies, procedures, and laws.
- Will actively work to listen to and empower all children who attend our school.
- Will provide a safe environment for and considers the needs of all children.
- Will provide culturally safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, those from culturally and or/linguistically diverse background, and children with a disability.
- Will provide training and education to all staff on the Child Safe standards, Reportable Conduct Scheme and creating a Child Safe organisation.
Inspirations Performing Arts requires all staff to uphold these commitments. IPA has specific policies, procedures and training put in place in order to achieve these commitments.
Statement of Conduct
Inspirations Performing Arts code of Conduct establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children.
The following Code of Conduct outline appropriate standards of behaviour by staff towards children. It aims to protect children and reduce opportunities for abuse or harm to occur. It also helps staff by providing them with guidance on how to best support children and young people and how to avoid or better manage difficult situations.
Everyone in IPA has a role to play- principal, assistant principal, teachers, marketing, secretary, students, and parents- they need to understand their roles and be supported to act.
Standards and obligations
All staff of IPA are responsible for the safety, wellbeing and empowerment of children who engage with IPA. All staff are expected to act in accordance with relevant Victorian legislations, our Code of Conduct, IPA policies and the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees.
IPA staff must:
- Uphold the rights of all children who come in contact with our school so that they feel heard on matters relevant to their safety.
- Provide a welcoming, inclusive, fun, and safe environment that supports the values, ideas, opinions of all children and treat them with respect regardless of their age, race, color, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, ethnic or social origin, culture, disability, or other status.
- Actively promote and consider the cultural safety and inclusion of all children.
- Empower all children to actively participate and “have their say” respectively on any issues they perceive as important to them.
- Listen and respond to all children views and concerns such as if they feel unsafe.
- Abide to IPA’s commitment and obligations to be a child safe organization.
- Identify and reduce the risk to the safety and wellbeing of all children.
- Take all reasonable steps to protect all children.
- Challenge unacceptable behaviours and report allegations or suspicious of any child abuse to the Child Safety Officer
- Report any concerns, allegations, disclosures, or observations of child abuse in line with IPA’s policies and process and reportable conduct reporting requirements.
- Work with children and young people in an open and transparent manner. For example, by ensuring that appropriate interactions with children can be observed by other adults this includes parents and visitors.
- Respect the privacy of all children and their families and only disclose information to people that need-to-know basis and in accordance with Privacy legislations.
- Always observe professional boundaries with all children.
IPA staff must not:
- Condone or take part in behaviour that is illegal, unsafe, or abusive to children.
- Ignore or disregards any concerns, suspicious or disclosures of child abuse.
- Discriminate against children based on their age, race, color, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, ethnic or social origin, culture, disability, or other status.
- Develop inappropriate relationship with children such as favouritism.
- Display violent or inappropriate behaviour towards children.
- Initiate unnecessary physical conduct with children or exhibit behaviours with children which may be construed as inappropriate.
- Put children at risk of abuse. For Example, allowing an unnecessary one adult/one child encounter to occur. - Engage in open discussions of mature nature with the presence of children.
- Use inappropriate, offensive, harassing, abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning, culturally inappropriate or discriminatory language when speaking with, or in the presence of a child or children.
- Exchange personal contact details with a child such as phone number, social networking sites or email address, unless necessary
- Have unauthorized contact with a child or their family outside IPA.
Consequences of breaching the Child Code of Conduct will be dealt seriously and Staff may be subjected to disciplinary procedures according to IPA terms, the Victorian government laws, and Child Safe policy For more information regarding the Victorian government Child Safety policy