Child Safety

Our commitment:

Neptune Royal Life Saving Club (Neptune RLSC) is committed to child safety.

We want children to be safe, happy and empowered.

We support and respect all children, as well as our members and volunteers.

We are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children.

We have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently with our robust policies and procedures.

We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we follow rigorously.

We are committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early, and removing and reducing these risks.

We have robust recruitment and screening practices to reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing committee members, members and volunteers.

We are committed to regularly training and educating our committee members, members and volunteers on child abuse risks.

We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.

We endorse and support the 10 National Child Safe Principles for child safety.

All members, volunteers, committee members, suppliers and contractors are expected to abide by the above and below principles and maintain compliance against all regulatory requirements.

We encourage other aquatic organisations and facility operators to ensure the same.

The 10 National Child Safe Principles

  • Child safety and well-being is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture

  • Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously

  • Families and communities are informed, and involved in promoting child safety and well-being

  • Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice

  • People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and well-being values and practice

  • Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused

  • Members and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training

  • Physical and online environments promote safety and well-being while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed

  • Implementation of the National Child Safe Principles is regularly reviewed and improved

  • Policies and procedures document how Neptune RLSC is safe for children and young people

Our Code of Conduct for Child Safety

Neptune Royal Life Saving Club (Neptune RLSC) members, volunteers, committee members, suppliers and contractors are expected to comply with the following code of conduct:

We will always:

  • Abide by the organisation’s commitment and obligation to be a child safe organisation

  • Support and monitor the safeguarding of children and young people

  • Uphold the rights of children and young people

  • Provide an inclusive and safe environment that:

    • supports and values the ideas and opinions of children and young people; and

    • treats them with respect regardless of their race, colour, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, culture, property, disability or other status

  • Understand children and young people’s diverse circumstances, and provide support and respond to those who are vulnerable

  • Establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children are respected and valued

  • Enforce zero tolerance of racism and the expectation that all members and volunteers will act on incidents of racism – and that children will be supported to express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights

  • Respect the privacy of children and young people and their families and only disclose information to people on a “need-to-know” basis and in accordance with privacy legislation

  • Always observe professional boundaries with children and young people

  • Be easily identifiable when providing direct care to a child or young person (i.e. wearing a uniform or visible identification such as a name badge)

  • Empower children and young people by providing an environment where they can actively participate and “have a say”, especially on issues that are important to them

  • Listen and respond to the views and concerns of children and young people, including where it relates to concerns that they feel unsafe

  • Use language that is inclusive and accepting to all those in the club including children and young people

  • Use communication appropriate for the age of a child or young person which embraces professional boundaries yet still provides a safe and caring environment

  • Identify and mitigate risks to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people

  • Take all reasonable steps to protect children and young people from risk, abuse or neglect

  • Challenge unacceptable behaviour and report all allegations or suspicions of risk, abuse or neglect

  • Report any concerns, allegations, disclosures or observations of child abuse and/or neglect in line with Neptune RLSC policies and processes, mandatory reporting and reportable conduct requirements

  • Disclose any information of charges, convictions of abuse and all other relevant offence history

We will never:

  • Condone or participate in behaviour that is illegal, unsafe or abusive to children and young people

  • Discriminate against children and young people on the basis of their age, gender identity, sex, race, culture or sexual orientation

  • Place children and young people at risk of abuse or neglect (e.g. by allowing unnecessary one-adult/one-child situations)

  • Use or be part of inappropriate, offensive, harassing, abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning, culturally inappropriate or discriminatory language when speaking with, or in the presence of, a child or young person

  • Discriminate against any child or young person, including because of age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, sexuality, ethnicity or disability

  • Provide gifts to children unless as part of a planned and approved activity

  • Offer transport to children unless as part of a grouped, planned, supervised and approved activity

  • Offer or provide private services to children or their families for services such as babysitting

  • Develop inappropriate relationships with children or young people, including relationships that show favouritism

  • Display violent or inappropriate behaviour towards a child or young person

  • Initiate unnecessary physical contact or exhibit behaviours that may be construed as inappropriate

  • Conduct a sexual relationship or engage in any form of sexual contact with a child or young person

  • Engage in open discussions of a mature nature in the presence of children and young people

  • Use any computer, mobile phone, or video/digital camera to exploit, harass or expose children and young people to offensive or sexualised content

  • Exchange personal contact details with a child or young person unless necessary (e.g. emergency situation)

  • Have unauthorised contact with a child or young person or their family outside of club activities, including online or via social media or phone

  • Ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse or neglect

  • Exaggerate or trivialise allegations or issues relating to child abuse, neglect or the safety and wellbeing of children and young people