Interact Australia is committed to the safety of children who access and use our services.
Interact Australia is committed to the safety of children who access and use our services. All children have the right to feel safe and be safe at all times. Interact want all children to be safe, happy and empowered. With our commitment to the safe care and supervision of young people including children, we also acknowledge our obligations under the law.
Purpose
The purpose of our Child Safe Statement of Commitment is to guide the design and implementation of policies, procedures and practices with the aim of protecting children from abuse.
- This statement provides an overview of the key principles of our approach to child safety and their protection from abuse. Interact Australia and its Board:
- Have a zero tolerance for child abuse
- Is committed to acting in the best interests of children
- Promotes cultural safety for children from indigenous and culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
- Have systems in place to protect children from abuse
- Works towards informing and empowering children
- Is committed to providing a safe environment for children
- Will take any allegations of abuse seriously and respond to them promptly in line with organisation’s procedures
Scope
This statement is applicable to any Interact Australia staff and other relevant parties engaged in child- connected work. Staff and relevant parties are individuals employed or contracted as full-time, part-time or on a casual basis by Interact Australia.
Child Abuse
For the purpose of this statement, abuse constitutes any act committed against a child involving the categories below:
Physical violence – occurs when a child suffers or is likely to suffer significant harm from a non- accidental injury or injuries inflicted by another person.
Sexual offences – occur when a person involves the child in sexual activity, or deliberately puts the child in the presence of sexual behaviours that are exploitative or inappropriate to their age and development.
Serious emotional or psychological abuse – occurs when harm is inflicted on a child through repeated rejection, isolation, derogation, teasing or by threats of violence.
Serious neglect – is the continued failure to provide a child with the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, shelter, hygiene, medical attention or adequate supervision, to the extent that the child’s health, safety and/or development is, or is likely to be, jeopardised. Serious neglect can also occur if adequate measures are not taken to ensure the safety of a child exposed to dangerous or life threatening situations.
