Policy Child and Vulnerable Person Safety and Protection

Purpose:

To describe the policy for ensuring Bridging the Gap Sydney West (“BTG”) is doing all it is reasonably able to ensure the safety and protection of children and vulnerable for which it has a duty of care, in accordance with The Children and Young Person’s (Care and Protection) Act 1998, the NSW Child Wellbeing and Child Protection Interagency Guidelines, the Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 1998 and the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

Policy:

Bridging the Gap Sydney West Inc (“BTG”) is committed to:

• Creating and maintaining a culture, and adopting strategies, providing services and running programs, that help children and youth flourish.
• Setting a high standard for who is selected to work in, or on behalf of, the organisation, including conducting screening of new workers before they commence in work that will bring them in contact with children, youth or vulnerable people.
• Reporting to the relevant authority instances where it is suspected that a child or young person is at significant risk of harm.
• Providing training and professional development to workers in the areas covered by this Policy.

BTG will ensure:

• All workers have a NSW Working with Children Check, before commencement, and this is maintained throughout employment or engagement with BTG.
• All workers have a national criminal history record “police” check clearance before commencement.
• Workers delivering or directly supporting NDIS service delivery have a NDIS worker check, before undertaking NDIS service delivery.
• Those in either a governance or executive leadership role have a NSW Working with Children Check, a NDIS worker check, and are set up as a NDIS key worker.
• Reference checks are conducted for anyone being considered to fill a role at BTG.
• The Code of Conduct is made available to anyone filling a role at BTG.

For clarity, a worker includes both staff and volunteers, but does not include a contractor delivering services that do not involve children or young people.  A role at BTG includes a being a member of the Board, but does not include being a member of the Association.

The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for implementation of the policy including developing supporting procedures, and for routinely reporting to the Board on implementation effectiveness, and on any occurrences of departure from the policy or a procedure supporting it.

Approval:

Approved by resolution of the Board on 13 August 2024.