Children and young people have a right to:

· be treated with respect and to be protected from harm

· be asked to express their views and wishes about matters affecting their lives and to have those views appropriately considered by adults

· feel and be safe in their interactions with adults and other children and young people

· understand, as early as possible, what is meant by ‘feeling and being safe’

· the support of school based counsellors or designated staff in their education or care

· An environment whose role includes being an advocate for their safety and wellbeing.

Child Safety Responsibilities

· All people employed by Catholic Education WA (CEWA) must have annual training in Child Protection Procedures and Mandatory Reporting

· Protective behaviours and sexual abuse prevention education is mandated in all non-government schools in Western Australia

· All CEWA teachers must be trained in the Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum

· Supporting policies and regulations:

o Non-Government School Registration Standards

o CEWA Community Policy

o Student Safety, Wellbeing and Behaviour Executive Directive

o Child Safe Framework

Child Safety – Child Safe Framework

The wellbeing and safety of all students is the highest priority for St Brigid’s Primary School. St Brigid’s Primary School is committed to child safety and leading and supporting a child safe culture for all our schools, care centres and communities. We encourage and support every member of our school communities to make good decisions that always keep the best interests of the child or young person first.

St Brigid’s Primary School utilises The Catholic Education Western Australia Child Safe Framework which is based on the latest research in child safety for institutions, is in support of best practice, and is consistent with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommendations.

Please follow the link below for more information regarding the framework: https://www.childsafe.cewa.edu.au

Support and Healing: Responding to those who have been injured or hurt through abuse and harm and assisting them to heal

Voice of the Child: Recognising each child and young person’s right to be heard and to have a voice in all decisions affecting them

Culture: All members of the school community share responsibility for, and actively promote an environment that prioritises the best interests of children and young people

Governance and Leadership: School leaders create and promote environments that are safe, supportive and engaging. They make their decisions based on the best interests of children and young people

Policies and Procedures: Having structures and processes that are accessible, consistent and transparent. Policies must be understood, implemented and actioned everyday

Human Resource Practices: Assisting our schools and care centres to identify the most suitable people to work with children and young people, and to provide appropriate training Investigating and Reporting: Following, or developing and implementing where required, processes that are transparent, fair and clearly understood by the community

Risk Management: Proactively identifying and limiting potential risks

Quality Assurance: Improving systematically and continually through ongoing evaluation and assessment

St Brigid’s Primary School uses the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum (KS:CPC) is a world class, evidence-based child safety curriculum that teaches children and young people to recognise abuse, tell a trusted adult, understand what is appropriate and inappropriate touching and ways of keeping themselves safe. The KS:CPC is delivered to students by educators that have completed a comprehensive training course.

The curriculum is based on two main themes:

• We all have the right to be safe
• We can help ourselves to be safe by talking to people we trust.

The themes are presented through four Focus Areas:

1. 1. The right to be safe
   2. Relationships
   3. Recognising and reporting abuse
   4. Protective strategies

For more information, please follow the link below:

https://www.education.sa.gov.au/teaching/curriculum-and-teaching/keeping-safe-child-protection-curriculum/about-keeping-safe-child

Implementing the KS:CPC

• A whole site commitment on keeping children safe
• Is part of the school learning program
• with teachable moments being an important component
• Fits within the Australian Curriculum
• Taught every year at every year level
• Provides children with knowledge and skills to recognise abuse and tell a trusted adult
• Provides children with knowledge and skills to help keep themselves safe

Focus Area 1: The right to be safe

Progression of topics

Although some topics are not identified in all year levels, the concepts are covered within other topics, eg feelings.

Focus Area 2: Relationships

Progression of topics

Focus Area 3: Recognising and reporting abuse

Progression of topics

Focus Area 4: Protective strategies

Progression of Topics