26/06/2023

At the May 2023 Council Meeting, Council resolved to seek feedback on two Draft Child Safe Codes of Conduct to support Council’s commitment to upholding the safety of local children and young people.
 
Council recognises the rights of children and young people to feel safe when accessing Council services. At Georges River Council, we are committed to creating and maintaining an environment that promotes the safety of all children and young people. This includes leading a culture where the prevention and reporting of abuse is supported and encouraged.
 
To support this, we like community input on the two Child Safe Codes of Conduct; one specific to Council officials, and another for service users and the general community.
 
The Child Safe Code of Conduct – Council Officials document sets expectations for how Council officials are expected to behave around children and/or young people. The document outlines that child abuse can include physical, sexual and psychological abuse, as well as ill-treatment and/or neglect.
 
The Child Safe Code of Conduct – Service Users and Community document identifies positive child safe behaviours that everyone using a Council service or engaging in a Council-run program is expected to adhere to.
 
The Codes derived due to Council’s commitment to upholding the 10 Child Safe Standards. The Standards provide tangible guidance for organisations to create positive environments, adopt strategies and act to put the interests of children first and keep them safe from harm.
 
Standard 1 states “Child safety is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture”, while Standard 10 states “Policies and procedures document how the organisation is child safe”. The two Child Safe Codes of Conduct are an example of Council implementing strategies in accordance with these Standards.
 
Community feedback is essential in helping to guide us in our decision-making process. This also aligns with Standard 3 – “Families and communities and informed and involved”. Your feedback will influence the choices we make when developing our policies and ensure we are on the right path to achieving and managing our community's overall vision.
 
I encourage you to review the two Draft Child Safe Codes of Conduct by visiting Council’s Your Say page.