Our Commitment
Sparkle Child Safety Commitment
At Sparkle, the safety and well-being of children are our top priorities. We are dedicated to creating and upholding a child-safe organization where every child can thrive in a secure and nurturing environment. Our commitment extends beyond mere compliance; we strive to foster a culture of vigilance and care that ensures every child feels safe and supported.
Through comprehensive training for our staff, regular safety audits, and open communication with families, we aim to create a sanctuary where children can explore, learn, and grow without fear. We believe that a proactive approach to child safety not only protects our little ones but also cultivates a community of trust and respect. Together, we can ensure that every child’s experience at Sparkle is both safe and enriching.
Child safety is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
- Sparkle Centre has a set of core values that inform the organisation’s approach to Child safety including as set out in its Policies and Procedures and supporting governance and operational documentation.
- This Policy reflects our public commitment to child safety and the commitment of Key Management Personnel to championing a child safe culture. Our responsibility to child safety is shared at all levels of the organisation.
- All Workers and Key Management Personnel at Sparkle Centre are required to demonstrate attitudes and behaviours that prioritise the safety of Children through the behaviours and practices they reward and challenge.
- The Child Safe Code of Conduct is required to be signed by all Workers providing services to Children as well as Key Management Personnel.
- Sparkle Centre incorporates risk management of all risks to Children (including child abuse) into decision making and actively monitor such risks to child safety.
- Sparkle Centre encourages day-to-day practices that prioritise Child safety.
- Sparkle Centre sets clear expectations around Child safety and ensuring they are followed by Workers.
- Sparkle Centre promotes a culture of reporting which is supported in part by the Sparkle Centre Child Safe Reporting Policy and Incident Management and Reporting Policy.
- Workers understand their obligations on information sharing and record keeping including as set out in the Information Management Policy, Child Safe Reporting Policy, Incident Management and Reporting
Policy and Feedback and Complaints Management Policy.
Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
- Children’s participation in decisions affecting their lives is embedded in Sparkle Centre’s practice through induction, communication and feedback processes including as set out in the Sparkle Centre Choice, Advocacy and Control Policy.
- Sparkle Centre creates opportunities for Children (in their capacity as Clients) to be included in organisational decision making in accordance with the Governance Policy.
- Sparkle Centre gives Children and their Guardians information on internal and external support services.
- Sparkle Centre’s Workers are provided with knowledge and skills to support Child participation and access to abuse prevention programs and information.
- Sparkle Centre’s Workers encourage peer support and friendship for Children.
- Sparkle Centre ensures Workers understand what safety means to Children.
- Sparkle Centre provides age appropriate information and training that describes how adults should behave to Children and this behaviour is consistently reinforced.
Families and communities are informed and involved
- Families are acknowledged as having primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of their Child are encouraged by Sparkle Centre to take an active role in decisions affecting the Child and keeping Children safe.
- Sparkle Centre’s Policies and procedures (including the Child Safe Code of Conduct) are clearly communicated to parents and carers.
- Open, two-way communication with families and community members is encouraged by Sparkle Centre, including encouraging families to provide feedback on how Sparkle Centre should keep Children safe, and this information is acted upon where necessary.
- Families and communities are informed about Sparkle Centre’s operations and governance.
Equity is upheld, and diverse needs are taken in to account
- Sparkle Centre ensures barriers that prevent Children from disclosing abuse or adults from recognising Children’s disclosure are understood and actively prevented.
- Sparkle Centre ensures the diverse needs, abilities and backgrounds of Children are identified and respected, and the value of treating them fairly and equitably is understood and actively anticipates and responds to those Children with additional vulnerabilities including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and those from CALD backgrounds.
- All Sparkle Centre Workers are given information and trained about the factors that increase a Child’s vulnerability to harm.
- All Children have access to information, support and complaint processes including how to make a complaint.
- Sparkle Centre’s workforce reflects the diversity of the Children it provides services to, where possible.
- Sparkle Centre’s activities and services are adapted to ensure all Children feel included.
People working with Children are suitable and supported
- Sparkle Centre’s recruitment process does not rely solely on the working with children check and ongoing training opportunities are encouraged for all Workers including in accordance with the Sparkle Centre Human Resources Management Policy.
- Sparkle Centre ensures Key Management Personnel are trained in child safe recruitment practices.
- Sparkle Centre’s recruitment includes identification of the importance of Child safety.
- Sparkle Centre’s recruitment processes involve a range of interview questions to establish Worker suitability.
- Sparkle Centre ensures background and reference checks are carried out and recorded.
- Sparkle Centre’s supervision procedures include regular reviews to check whether Workers are following this Policy, the Child Safe Code of Conduct and the Child Safe Reporting Policy.
- Sparkle Centre ensures Workers, families and the community are aware of recruitment and other child safe human resource practices.
Processes to respond to complaints of child abuse are child focused;
- Sparkle Centre maintains a culture where complaints are taken seriously and all adults take responsibility for the safety of Children.
- Sparkle Centre ensures breaches of the Child Safe Code of Conduct will result in disciplinary action.
- Sparkle Centre give Workers support and information on what and how to report, including to external bodies.
- Sparkle Centre has a Feedback and Complaints Management Policy to enable Children, Workers and others to make complaints.
- Sparkle Centre complaints procedures describe likely time frames, review processes and potential outcomes of complaints.
- Sparkle Centre will ensure Complaints are handled confidentially.
- Sparkle Centre’s procedures are reviewed at regular intervals and after complaints are made.
- Sparkle Centre’s complaint handling procedures are publicly available upon request.
- Sparkle Centre’s offers its Workers a variety of learning strategies.
- Sparkle Centre ensures its documents are confidential where required.
Staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep Children safe, through continual education and training
- Sparkle Centre provides ongoing education and training opportunities for all Workers.
- Sparkle Centre ensures its training provides Workers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to prevent and identify abuse, and to respond to complaints.
- Sparkle Centre ensures Workers who are involved in roles and situations with higher risk are provided more advanced training opportunities.
- Sparkle Centre’s Principal and Key Management Personnel are responsible for ensuring Workers are properly trained.
- Sparkle Centre ensures specialised training is provided to Workers working in high-risk situations or with vulnerable Children.
- Sparkle Centre’s training practices are regularly reviewed in response to emerging best practices.
- Sparkle Centre encourages attendance to conferences and other forums to learn about improvements in Child safe practices.
Physical and online environments minimise the opportunity for abuse or other kinds of harm to occur.
- Sparkle Centre ensures clear expectations about behavioural standards are set for Workers interacting with Children in physical and online environments.
- Sparkle Centre ensures completion of risk assessments to identify areas where adults have opportunities to interact with Children unsupervised, including for one-off events and overnight camps.
- Sparkle Centre endeavour to ensure physical work environments are altered to increase natural lines of sight while respecting a Child’s right to privacy.
- Sparkle Centre will ensure Higher-risk areas such as change rooms, cars, boarding facilities and offsite locations are managed using specific safety measures, such as spot checks and log books.
- Sparkle Centre will ensure Children are provided information about online safety and are regularly encouraged to tell Sparkle Centre Workers about any negative experiences.
- Sparkle Centre will ensure Workers and Guardians are provided information about risks in the online environment, such as online grooming, cyberbullying and sexting.
Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is continuously reviewed and improved
- Sparkle Centre maintains a culture of continuous improvement to ensure that policies and procedures are implemented and routinely reviewed even though staffing may change.
- Sparkle Centre procedures encourage continuous monitoring, open conversations and exploring new ways to keep Children safe.
- Sparkle Centre’s Child safe policies and practices are regularly reviewed.
- Sparkle Centre refers to the Child Safe Standards when creating, reviewing or evaluating this Policy and other Related Documentation or organisational policies and procedures directed at ensuring child safety.
- Sparkle Centre will ensure critical Incidents are reviewed to identify the root cause of the problem, identify risks to the safety of Children and make improvements.
- Sparkle Centre will support Children to provide feedback and ensure the information provided is acted on.
Policies and procedures document how the organisation is Child safe
- This Policy is implemented in a manner which is specific to the service delivery environment, and ensures it addresses local risks to the safety of Children.
- Sparkle Centre’s Child safe policies, Child Safe Code of Conduct and Feedback and Complaints Management Policy (and summaries thereof) are publicly accessible upon request.
- Sparkle Centre’s Workers are trained to follow this Policy and Related Documentation.
- All Sparkle Centre documents are saved in accordance with NSW record keeping requirements which are reflected in the Information Management Policy
By adhering to these standards, Sparkle maintains a vigilant and proactive stance in ensuring the safety, welfare, and rights of all children under our care, reflecting our core values of sincerity, compassion, nurture, and professionalism.