Child safe and Child Friendly Policy

1. INTRODUCTION

•  Pulse Gymnastics expects children and young people who participate in their activities to have a safe and happy experience. Pulse supports and respects children, young people, staff, officials, families, volunteers and participants.
• The aim of this Policy is to protect the safety of children in our care. In the event that allegations are raised in relation to child abuse, to ensure all allegations are properly addressed, all complaints will be treated seriously and will be fully investigated and handled with maximum confidentiality and discretion.

2. POLICY STATEMENT

• Pulse is committed to providing the highest level of service across all areas. This includes protecting member’s privacy, providing a positive environment for children, promoting and encouraging positive behaviour and attitude. It also includes protecting the health and safety of our members, staff and particularly children.
• Pulse views the health, safety and welfare of its members as a top priority. We believe that this is necessary in running a successful club.
• Pulse has a zero tolerance towards child abuse; therefore Pulse is committed to promoting and protecting children from abuse and neglect. All children have equal rights to protection of child abuse regardless of their sex, religion, disability or sexual orientation.
• Child protection is a shared responsibility between Pulse, its employees, workers, associates, spectators, volunteers, families and members. Everyone that participates in Pulse’s activities is responsible for the care and protection of children and reporting information about child abuse.
• Pulse supports active participation of all children. Pulse listens to children’s views and respect what they say. Pulse involves them when making decisions where appropriate, especially when matters directly affect them.
• Pulse is committed to the cultural safety of indigenous children, and those from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, Pulse is committed to providing a safe environment for children living with a disability. Pulse promotes fairness and consideration.
• If a report is made to regarding a child’s safety. Pulse Gymnastics will ensure the report is kept confidential and private and will ensure records are kept safely and securely and made only available to the MPIO &/or Manager &/or External Agencies if required.
• All reports regarding child safety &/or membership protection will follow Gymnastics Australia Child Safe Policy flow chart – Procedure for reporting and responding to child abuse allegations or Member Protection Policy flow chart – complaints handling process.
• A full copy of Pulse Gymnastics Child Safe and Child Friendly Policy is available per request and can also be found on the club website and displayed in the viewing area.

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3. SCOPE

The Policy applies to all participants, employees, coaches, parents, spectators, contractors, judges and staff throughout all Pulse activities. This Policy is supported by Gymnastics Victoria. Failure to comply with this Policy may cause Pulse to terminate membership and contact Gymnastics Victoria in relation to the breach.

4. RECOGNISING AND REPORTING CHILD ABUSE

• A person may, in the course of participating in the sport or activities of Pulse or carrying out their role of Pulse form a belief on reasonable grounds that a child is in need of protection from child abuse.

Pulse Gymnastics has a zero tolerance of child abuse and will treat all allegations of child abuse and/or misconduct with a child seriously, consistently and with a high degree of sensitivity. Pulse gymnastics recognises that every child has the right to be heard, supported and protected and for their concerns to be managed appropriately. Pulse gymnastics will seek to resolve the concerns of the child and/or their family in accordance with this policy.

All applicable persons are required to identify, report and respond immediately (or where reasonably practicable) to any concerns, suspicions or incidents of child abuse or misconduct with a child to the Manager or Membership Protection Officer and relevant paperwork must be completed.

Any child who attends Pulse Gymnastics can report child abuse or misconduct matters to a member of staff and the above procedures will be followed with the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality.

Anonymous Complains
Please refer to Gymnastics Australia (GA) Child Safe Policy 14.8 on anonymous complains handling process.

If a person is concerned about an immediate risk to a child’s safety, the person must phone 000 as soon as it is practical.

Child abuse is divided into four categories:

1. Physical abuse: occurs when a child has suffered, or likely to suffer significant harm as a result of a physical injury. Non accidental.
2. Sexual abuse: occurs when a child has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm as a result of sexual abuse. When a child is exploited or used by another for his/her sexual gratification or sexual arousal.
3. Emotional and psychological abuse: occurs when a child has suffered, or likely to suffer emotional or psychological harm of such a kind that the child’s emotional or intellectual development is likely to be significantly damaged.
4. Neglect: occurs when a child’s physical development or health has been or is likely to be significantly damaged. Such as depriving a child of food, clothing, hygiene, intellectual stimulation, supervision, safety, affection from adults and medical care.

5. Mandatory & Voluntary Reporting

Pulse gymnastics follows Victorian legislative requirements regarding mandatory reporting and reportable conduct.

Selected classes of people in the community are required by law to report to the child protection unit of the department of health and human services where they form a belief, on reasonable grounds, that a child is in need of protection because they have suffered or are likely to suffer significant harm due to physical or sexual abuse.

The selected class of people include teachers, nurses and doctors.

The report must be made as soon as practical and after each occasion where he or she becomes aware of a further reasonable grounds or belief.

• Reasonable grounds of belief – to form a reasonable belief, you should consider all relevant facts; such as source of allegation and how it was communicated, the nature of and the details of allegation and whether there are any other related matters known regarding the alleged perpetrator.
• A reasonable belief or a belief on reasonable grounds is not the same as having proof but is more than a rumour or speculation.

You will have reasonable grounds to notify if:

1. a) A child states that they have been physically or sexually abused.
2. b) A child states that they know someone who has been physically or sexually abused. (Sometimes the child is talking about themselves).
3. c) Someone who knows a child states that the child has been physically or sexually abused.
4. d) Professional observations of the child’s behaviour or development leads a professional to form a belief that the child has been physically or sexually abused or is likely to be abused.
5. e) Signs of abuse lead to a belief that the child has been physically or sexually abused.

In addition to mandatory reporting obligations any person who believes on reasonable grounds that a child is in need of protection from any form of child abuse may disclose that information to the Police or DHHS.