Minister for Education Video Message: Child Safe Standards
Transcript of web video published on www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/childsafe
This video is three minutes and forty-five seconds long.
[Video begins.
Music playing over the title Victoria’s child safe standards: A message to school professionals and parents from the Minister for Education, The Hon. James Merlino MP].
[The Minister of Education speaks to the camera. Behind him, school children play in a primary school yard. At times, the Minister for Education’s voiceover is played over video footage from a variety of Victorian schools featuring students, teachers and parents].
Our children must be safe and protected, including at school.
In 2013, the Victorian Parliament held an Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Non-Government Organisations, resulting in the Betrayal of Trust Repot.
The report found that more could be done to strengthen existing approaches to child safety.
That’s why the Victorian Government is making a number of important changes to keep our children safe.
These changes include new child safe standards for organisations that work with children, including schools.
Victorian schools already work hard to ensure student safety and wellbeing.
But we can and must do more to have effective arrangements in place for managing and reducing the risk of child abuse.
As set out in a Ministerial Order, Victorian Government funded and regulated organisations have had to meet the child safe standards since the 1st of January of this year.
But I recognise schools need additional time to prepare so they have until 1 August to make these important changes.
All schools already have processes in place that focus on child safety. The child safe standards strengthen these existing processes and include some important features to make sure we’re thinking broadly when preventing and responding to child abuse.
So that children are protected from child abuse in all its forms, the standards identify a wide variety of conduct that constitutes child abuse.
To reflect the importance of leadership in protecting children, school governing bodies are accountable for meeting the child safe standards.
And finally, the standards apply to all activities and all locations where schools operate, not just in the classroom and not just during school hours.
[Minister for Education voiceover is heard as the standards appear on screen]
The child safe standards are:
One: Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety
Two: A child safety policy or statement of commitment to child safety
Three: A child safety code of conduct
Four: School staff selection, supervision and management practices for a child-safe environment
Five: Procedures for responding to and reporting allegations of suspected child abuse
Six: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove the risk of child abuse
Seven: Strategies to promote child empowerment and participation.
[The Minister of Education speaks to the camera].
As we adapt and shape our polices and processes to meet the standards, we need to consider the diversity of students and make sure we’re inclusive of all children – particularly those with a disability, those who are Indigenous and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Every school community is unique.
While the standards set specific actions schools need to take, we’ve allowed for flexibility.
Schools can decide how they implement the standards taking into account their particular governance structure and how they best engage with their school community.
We recognise that many schools are already well on the way to meeting the new requirements.
Over the next few months, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority will be providing information and resources to help school communities develop and strengthen existing procedures, so that protecting children from abuse is part of everyday thinking and practice.
The Victorian Government is committed to creating child safe organisations for our children, families and communities.
By working together and making the necessary adjustments we can ensure our children and supported and safe.
We owe nothing less to our kids.
[Closing slide displaying VRQA contact details and an acknowledgment].
Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/childsafe
The VRQA wishes to thank Abbotsford Primary School for their assistance in the production of this video.