Child Safe Protection Policy

Commitment to Child Safety

1. GeckoSports is committed to providing a child-safe, child-friendly environment and has a zero tolerance of child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional and serious neglect).
2. GeckoSports vision is to provide quality education and wellbeing programs that are supported by best practice coaching so that our children are able to develop to their full potential. Our aim is to provide an inclusive, supportive and nurturing environment. Harm prevention is central to our vision and practice. Integrity is a key value of GeckoSports because it comes from a basis of trust, ethics and accountability and these inform our policies and practices to keep children and young people safe.
3. GeckoSports works in partnership with host organisations including but not limited to schools to provide high quality programs that promote safety, participation and wellbeing.
4. GeckoSports is aware that all children are vulnerable and require adults to keep them safe. Some children are even more vulnerable to abuse and disrespect than others. GeckoSports has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion and are attuned to cultural sensitivities and those with additional needs. ALL children have the human rights to be safe, are equally valued, and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. GeckoSports recognises this and is committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children, other cultural and linguistic diverse children, children with a disability and LGBTQI.

Policy Purpose and Scope

1.  The purpose of this policy is to outline GeckoSports commitment to child safety, the child abuse prevention measures it has in place and outlines how we will respond to concerns about child safety. Everyone involved with GeckoSports must adhere to this policy and Employees and sub-contractors are required to understand and implement this policy, the Child Safe Code of Conduct and all associated GeckoSports policies.
2. GeckoSports encourages and actively seeks feedback from children, parents/carers and host organisations about ways to improve the quality and safety of our programs. Our child safe policy is linked to the website for easy accessibility. GeckoSports seeks feedback from children, parents and host organisations for the development and review of our policies and practices.

Definitions

1. For the purpose of this policy a child is a person under the age of 18 years. The word ‘child’ will be used to describe both young children and youth up to the age of 18 years old.
2. This policy relates to all forms of child abuse including:
   1. Physical Abuse
   2. Sexual Abuse
   3. Family Violence
   4. Severe Neglect
   5. Serious Emotional Harm
3. Host organisation, GeckoSports works in partnership with other organisations to run its programs and they will be referred to as host organisations.

Child Safety Responsibility and Accountability

1. GeckoSports co-founders and senior leaders accept ultimate responsibility for ensuring GeckoSports is child-safe and operates within a best practice framework that complies with legislation and regulation. They are responsible for policy and procedures, for recruitment of suitable employees and subcontractors as well as the design of programs and activities.
2. Kim O’Donnell (Director) has adopted the child safety portfolio as the Child Protection Officer (‘CPO’). The CPO is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation and monitoring of GeckoSports child safe policies and practices. She creates quarterly reports where required to be analysed and monitored to ensure policies and procedures are effective using outside specialist counsel as required. Kim is responsible for ensuring the accountability of all subcontractors and employees and responds to any concerns. Kim will ensure risk is assessed and mitigated while ensuring incident trends are analysed and addressed.
3. All those in leadership have a level of responsibility for ensuring a child safe culture is modelled and actioned. The Leadership Team and Team Leaders in GeckoSports, and their respective operation areas, have a clear set of accountabilities within their roles as outlined in appendix 1 (Item 1, Schedule 1). Each Team Leader is responsible for ensuring the
   implementation and supervision of child safety in their operations area. Any concerns noted should be immediately reported to the CPO. Quarterly reports are also required -not needed in this policy-transfer to staff booklet.
4. The Leadership Team, Team Leaders are the people in GeckoSports, who hold recognised positions in, or who are responsible for, Coaches and participants in the programs and activities we provide.
5. All employees, coaches and sub-contractors are responsible for implementing GeckoSports commitment to child safety as outlined in policy, training and employment contracts. If they have any concerns, they are required to immediately report those concerns to the CPO and
   authorities.
6. At the centre of wellbeing is respectful relationships. GeckoSports requires employees,
   coaches and subcontractors to meet or exceed the standards set out in the Child Safety Code
   of Conduct. It also expects all host clients to meet it’s child safety obligations. Participants will
   be expected to adhere to respectful, safe behaviour including peer to peer interactions.

Risk Management

1. GeckoSports undertakes a range of processes to identify risk and prevent harm. Risk management plans consider all the risks posed by the host organisations settings, activities and the physical environment. Online risks are addressed through the Child Safety Code of Conduct. The organisation regularly reviews, evaluates and improves child safe practices.
2. Risk assessments are undertaken for each program/activity and a Team Leader or Coach cannot go ahead with an activity unless ‘Permission To-Proceed’ has been granted by the Leadership Team. This is a critical, risk-based principle for child-related operations at GeckoSports.
3. GeckoSports works in partnership with host clients who are also required to ensure they are compliant child safe organisations and that environmental and other risks associated with child safety are addressed. GeckoSports contractual agreements with the host organisation outline individual and mutual child safety requirements. Employees and subcontractors undertake an environmental risk scan upon arrival at the host organisation to identify potential risks and address areas of concern and mutual responsibility.

Recruitment and Screening

1. GeckoSports is committed to high quality programs and in order to achieve that they recruit high quality employees, coaches and sub-contractors. GeckoSports undertakes screening and recruitment practices to ensure only those most suited to working with children
   are involved with our programs.
2. Those who work for GeckoSports must provide certified copies of qualifications, have a Working with Childrens Check (WWCC) and undergo interview and referee checks. A person must have a valid ‘Working with Children Check’ as per their State legislative requirement (as outlined in the Recruitment Policy)
3. All applicants must undertake a recruitment process that involves best practice recruitment processes such as application screening, interviews and referee checks in accordance with child abuse prevention best practice
4. A person who has been charged with a violent or sexually-related offence (whether convicted or not) cannot be involved in child-related programs or work in immediate proximity to child-related programs.

Training

1. GeckoSports ensures that employees and subcontractors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through ongoing supervision, education and training.
2. All employees, coaches and sub-contractors receive mandatory training (face-to face and/or online) so that they understand child abuse and know who to prevent and respond in a child informed, child safe practices.
3. The CPO maintains a training register of those trained and ensures refresher training is undertaken every 2-3 years.

Child Safe Code of Conduct

1. Every person involved in programs and activities of GeckoSports must treat the safety and care of children as paramount.
2. GeckoSports requires all employees and subcontractors to role model the organisational commitment to child safety and to demonstrate appropriate behaviour towards children. The Child Safety Code of Conduct outlines acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and must be
   signed as part of the employment procedure to ensure they are clear about their expectations. Each person involved in operations in GeckoSports, including every Team Leader and Coach, must comply with the Codes of Conduct. Failure to do so will result in discipline under the
   Discipline Procedure. The only person authorised to speak to the media in relation to any GeckoSports operations is Kim O’Donnell, Director. No other person is authorised to speak to the media.

Child Safety Complaints procedure and Reporting Process

1. GeckoSports has a range of strategies in place that build on a culture that facilitates participation and is responsive to the input of children and families. There are a range of feedback options that are provided that are child friendly including online, by phone, through the host organisations.
2. At the beginning of each activity/program children are advised that their feedback is welcome and how they can raise any concerns including peer to peer abuses.
3.  GeckoSports has an accessible child focused complaint handling policy which clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of employees and subcontractors regarding different types of complaints.
4. Allegations of abuse are very serious and require a high degree of care when handling. Children should be believed, and therefore appropriate action taken in response. The common basis for responding is based on the premise of ‘reasonable belief’ of the allegation and/or disclosure. Children or their families can report their concerns directly to the CPO lor through the host organisation or coach.
5. All Incidents must be reported by employees and subcontractors to the CPO.
6. GeckoSports will ensure that reports are made to the relevant authorities and GeckoSports will fully co-operate with their investigation.

Record-keeping

1. Information and documents that contain personal information will be stored confidentially and securely in accordance with GeckoSports Privacy Policy.
2. The procedures and other documents that will be used by GeckoSports to implement this policy are set out in Items 3 and 4 in Schedule 1.
   Review
3. This policy must be reviewed and updated every two years or sooner if there are regulatory or legislative changes.