Children and Vulnerable People Policy

Background

CBFE Incorporated (CBFE) is required to comply with the Child Safe Standards (Standards) introduced by the Queensland Government, which set out the compulsory minimum standards for organisations that provide services for children and young people (or are used by children and young people), to help protect them from harm.

Definitions

A child is an individual under the age of 18 years.
A vulnerable person means an individual aged 18 years or older who is or may be unable to take care of themselves against harm or exploitation by reason of age, illness, trauma or disability or any other reason. All CBFE policy requirements for children also apply to vulnerable people.

Objective

The objective of this policy is to outline the steps CBFE will take to ensure a safe environment for children and vulnerable people in accordance with legal and contractual requirements including the:

Child Safe Organisations Act 2024
Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (WWC Act).
Contractual requirements and government funding.

Scope

This policy applies to all staff, contractors and volunteers and to the broad range of situations where interaction with children and vulnerable people may occur in the delivery of CBFE’s activities. Everyone working at CBFE is responsible for ensuring that children and vulnerable people in CBFE workspaces are safe and for reporting abuse of children or vulnerable people.

This policy does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment.

Staff, volunteers and contractors may have limited day-to-day interaction with children and vulnerable people during CBFE activities; however, they may have interaction in the following circumstances:

Working alongside or supervising young people in a workshop or work experience setting
When an employee’s child attends their parent’s worksite
A child or vulnerable person enters premises controlled by CBFE or other places on CBFE business.

Policy

To achieve a safe service environment, CBFE will undertake the following:

Meet or exceed the Queensland Government’s 10 Child Safe Standards and Universal Principle and incorporate them into policies and procedures.
Have a child-focussed Complaints Handling and Dispute Resolution Policy and publish accessible versions of the complaints procedure.
Complete and review annually risk assessments with respect to children and vulnerable people are identified for CBFE activities and document the risks, consequences and actions in a risk register document.
Ensure that actions listed in the risk register are completed and that all incidents are reported, documented and followed up.
Ensure during CBFE activities where children are involved that either a parents or guardian of each child and/or one Blue Card qualified member of CBFE is present at all times.
Ensure that all staff, volunteers or contractors sign off on this policy on commencement of employment.

CBFE Inc’s Commitment

CBFE is committed to promoting and protecting the best interests of children involved in its programs, and to providing a child-safe and child-friendly environment for all children and young people who engage with CBFE.

CBFE is committed to complying with the Universal Principle and 10 Child Safe Standards (Standards) introduced by the Queensland Government, which set out the compulsory minimum standards for organisations that provide services for children and young people (or are used by children and young people), to help protect them from harm.

All children, regardless of their gender, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, or family or social background, have equal rights to protection from abuse. CBFE has zero tolerance for child abuse. Everyone working at CBFE is responsible for the care and protection of the children within our care and reporting information about suspected child abuse.

Child protection is a shared responsibility between the CBFE and all staff, contractors, volunteers, associates, and members of the CBFE community.

CBFE will consider the opinions of children and use their opinions to develop child protection policies.

CBFE supports and respects all children, staff, contractors and volunteers.

CBFE is committed to the cultural safety of children, and pays particular attention to the safety and cultural safety of the following groups of children, in recognition of their increased vulnerability, and diverse and unique identities and experiences:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people
children in and out of home care and the youth justice system.