The Child Safe Policy was adopted by Council at the 28 February 2023 Council Meeting

Two submissions were received, which were included in the Council Meeting report

In August 2020, Council adopted a Child Safe Policy. Since that time, a new set of Child Safe Standards (the Standards) has been released by the Victorian Government and these have been incorporated in the Policy

The Draft Child Safe Policy can be viewed below.

Submissions are open until 5:00pm Wednesday 22 February

Once submissions have been reviewed, the Child Safe Policy will be presented at the 28 February 2023 Council Meeting.

Ararat Rural City Council has a zero tolerance towards abuse and neglect of children and young people. We are committed to the rights of all children and young people to feel safe and be safe when participating in Council activities, services, and programs. It is important not to underestimate the relevance of child safety to our organisation. When child safety is taken for granted, the wellbeing of children and an organisation’s reputation can be at risk. Engagement with a child or young person can happen incidentally and need not be planned or coordinated. Being a child safe organisation is therefore everyone’s business.

The purpose of the Child Safe Policy is to ensure that Councillors and all Council employees, volunteers and contractors are aware of Council’s commitment to being a child safe organisation. It provides strategic and operational guidance to keep children safe, and outlines the responsibilities, procedures and practices that support this. It applies in all our operational environments and without fail wherever children and young people are participating in our organisation’s activities, programs, services and/or facilities, as well as within the community of Ararat when Councillors, employees, volunteers, and contractors are fulfilling their roles when children are present.