Child Safe Environments Policy

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Children and young people have a right to be safe and protected at all times, including when accessing services in the community. Both the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 and the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 require a broad range of government and non-government organisations to provide child safe environments.

I am committed to providing a safe environment to all children and young people. My policy complies with the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017, the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 and aligns with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

I value and respect children and young people and welcome them regardless of their abilities, sex, gender, social economic, or cultural background. Bullying and harassment will not be tolerated.

 This policy applies to myself, as the Director, Owner, and Practitioner of Wild Therapy.

This child safe policy and related documents are available on my website, on request and provided as part of a welcome pack at the first parent/carer meeting.

I encourage and respect the views of children and young people and involve them in decision making as appropriate. I provide clear age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate explanations to children and young people including their right to safety, their right to be listened to, and that they can provide feedback or make a complaint if they have a concern, or ask their parent/guardian to do this on their behalf. I will listen to and act upon any complaints or concerns that a child or young person, their parent or carer raises.

Caring for children and young people brings additional responsibilities for myself. I am responsible for promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by:

• adhering to the company’s child safe policy at all times and taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety and protection of children and young people
• treating everyone including those of different race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes and religious beliefs with respect and honesty and ensure equity is upheld
• being a positive role model to children and young people in all conduct with them
• setting clear boundaries about appropriate behaviour between myself and children and young people – boundaries help everyone to understand their roles
• listening and responding appropriately to the views and concerns of children and young people
• being alert to bullying behaviours and responding promptly and appropriately
• ensuring the parent/carer is waits during the child/ren’s session within the waiting room and remains within earshot when I am conducting one to one sessions
• being alert to children and young people who have been harmed, or may be at risk of harm and reporting this within accordance to legislative timeframes to the Child Abuse Report Line (13 14 78)
• responding quickly, fairly and transparently to any complaints made by a child, young person, or their parent/guardian
• encouraging children and young people to ‘have a say’ on issues that are important to them.

I will not/must not:

• engage in rough physical games
• develop any ‘special’ relationships with children and young people that could be seen as favouritism such as the offering of gifts or special treatment
• do things of a personal nature that a child or young person can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes
• discriminate against any child or young person because of age, gender, cultural background, religion, vulnerability or sexuality.

Breaches or suspected breaches of the Code of Conduct can be reported as soon as practicable either in person, by telephone, or via email at admin@wildtherapy.net

• Breaches or suspected breaches of the Code of Conduct will be taken seriously and dealt with quickly, fairly and transparently.

I am a company with no employees or volunteers. In accordance with the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016, I hold a current, ‘not prohibited’ Working with Children Check (WWCC) issued by the Screening Unit of the Department of Human Services which permits me to work with children and young people in South Australia and I will renew this every 5 years.

To maintain my knowledge regarding child safe environments I:

• have read and understand the Mandatory notification information booklet available at https://dhs.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/103179/CSE-Mandatory-notification-information-booklet.PDF
• complete Safe Environments: Through their eyes training every 3 years or Responding to Risk of Harm, Abuse and Neglect Training 
• Engage in regular clinical supervision sessions with a senior Registered Play Therapist – Supervisor, that include a focus on child safety and wellbeing.

I aim to ensure that children and young people are safe from harm and risk of harm. Section 17 of the Safety Act defines ‘harm’ to mean physical or psychological harm (whether caused by an act or omission), including harm caused by sexual, physical, mental or emotional abuse or neglect. 

I am a mandated notifier under Section 30 of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017. I understand my legal obligation to notify the Child Abuse Report Line (CARL) on 13 14 78 as soon as practicable if I have a reasonable belief that a child or young person is or may be at risk of harm. If the child or young person is at immediate risk, I will report to South Australia Police (SAPOL) on 000.

Information about making appropriate reports of harm or risk of harm is available from the South Australian Department of Child Protection website: https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/reporting-child-abuse.

I understand as an adult worker, I have a legal obligation to report child sexual abuse to the police and to protect a child from sexual abuse. Failure to meet these obligations may be considered a criminal offence.

I will be guided by the Department for Child Protection and/or SAPOL after making a report.

Following a report to CARL or SAPOL I will support the child or young person by:

• referring the child, young person or their family to other appropriate services if required, or
• continuing to provide a service to the child, young person and their family and monitor their circumstances. 

I will document all information received regarding the report and store this securely in a separate file.

Providing opportunities for complaints and feedback ensures that children, young people and their parents/guardians feel valued and respected and enables me to improve the quality of my service. Children, young people and their families are informed that they can provide feedback or make a complaint at their intake meeting, they will get a hard copy of the policy as part of their Wild Therapy welcome pack.

Compliments, complaints or feedback should be directed to me, either in person, by telephone or via email at admin@wildtherapy.net or by post addressed to Wild Therapy, C/O The Riverdell Spiritual Centre, 51 Clifford Rd, Hillier South, 5116.

I will manage all complaints and feedback received from children, young people or their families promptly, sensitively and fairly and will:

• listen to the complaint/feedback.
• respond to the complainant with an outcome in a timely manner.
• clearly document and securely store decisions and actions taken in response to complaints and feedback.
• make sure that procedural fairness is followed at all times.

Where my response about a complaint is not considered sufficient or appropriate, further advice/support can be obtaining through the following agencies. 

• The Play Therapy Practitioners Association Tel: 1300 625 496 info@playtherapyassoc.com.au
• Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner 8226 8666 or Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency 1300 419 495
• Australian Human Rights Commission Online: www.humanrights.gov.au Tel: 1300 656 419
• South Australian Equal Opportunities Commission (for complaints relating to discrimination) Online: www.eoc.sa.gov.au Tel: 08 8207 1977.

Identified risk 

Culture of organisation is not child-safe focus ed

Actions to minimise risk

• Child focused Code of Conduct is in place that sets the behavioural standards expected including what happens when a breach occurs.
• I have a strong commitment to the safety of children and young people.
• The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations are embedded in this policy
• I meet the requirements of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 (which mandates child safe environments) and the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 and maintain a current, not prohibited Working with Children Check

Identified risk 

 I don’t understand my obligations to report harm and risk of harm to the Child Abuse Report Line (or SA Police if child/young person is at immediate risk)

Actions to minimise risk

• I am trained in Safe Environments – Through their Eyes and complete refresher training every 3 years.

or

• I am trained in Responding to Risk of Harm and Neglect – Education and Care and complete refresher training every 3 years after
• I abide by the child safe environments policy and Code of Conduct 

Identified risk  

Physical contact

Actions to minimise risk

• Any physical contact must be appropriate to the delivery of services being provided.
• Where physical contact is required, this is undertaken in a safe way by explaining why contact is required and what will happen, and asking the child/young person for their permission (or their family if this is more appropriate) before proceeding.
• Unnecessary physical contact is not allowed.

Identified risk  

Online communications

Actions to minimise risk

• Appropriate supervision is provided for all online activities.
• Telehealth practice guidelines will be implemented  
• I will not communicate with children or young people via social media.
• I will not friend or except children’s family as friends on social media.

Identified risk 

 Supervision 

Actions to minimise risk

• Children and young people are to be supervised by parents/guardians at all times when using toilet facility 
• When providing one to one therapy with a child or young person, parent must remain in waiting room and within ear shot of the session.

Identified risk 

Taking images of children and young people

Actions to minimise risk

• Images will not be taken of child/ren.
• Images of the playroom may be taken once the child has left the business for purpose of case notes only. This will be stored with case notes using a secure client management software (Splose). These will not be displayed or shared for any purpose.
• Where sessions are filmed as a part of a parent/carer and child dyad therapy, a parent/carer will always be present in the room with the child. The footage will only ever be used for the purposes of parent/carer attachment based learning, and behavioural skills. The footage will not be displayed or shared for any purpose. The footage will be stored on a secure hard drive with anti-virus software. The footage will be deleted upon the termination of the child’s involvement with the service. A separate consent document has been formulated for the purposes of seeking consent from the parent/carer and child should any session/s be filmed. This will be signed and uploaded to the Splose system before any filmed sessions commence.

Identified risk 

 Physical environment

Actions to minimise risk

• Maintain a risk register that is reviewed annually to ensure effectiveness.
• Conduct risk assessments for all activities.
• Ensure all equipment is in good working order.

Identified risk 

 Privacy and confidentiality 

Actions to minimise risk

• All documents containing confidential information will be digitally stored on Splose with restricted access.
• I will not disclose information regarding any child or young person without written consent of the child, young person and their parent/guardian

I will, at a minimum, review this policy and the related procedures once every 5 years as required by the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.  I will also review this policy when:

• new or added risks are identified for children or young people, which may require a change in the policy or procedures
• a critical incident where a child or young person has experienced harm through involvement in the organisation
• concerns are raised by anyone involved in your organisation about child safety or welfare in the organisation
• awareness or compliance to the child safe policy and/or procedures is low
• legislative changes/requirements.

I will lodge a new child safe environments compliance statement with the Department of Human Services each time I review and update this policy.

Policy Date:   3/02/2025