Child Safety

CHILD SAFETY AT NUNAWADING BASKETBALL

The safety, participation and empowerment of the children associated with Nunawading Amateur Basketball Association (NABA) and Melbourne East Basketball Association (MEBA) will always be our first priority.

All children who are a part of NABA, MEBA and our affiliated Clubs have a right to feel safe and to be safe.  At NABA and MEBA, everyone must adhere to our accepted ethical framework, safety screening, policies and procedures and Codes of Conduct to ensure we provide our young people with the highest standard of care.

OUR COMMITMENT TO CHILD SAFETY

AT NUNAWADING BASKETBALL, WE WANT CHILDREN TO BE SAFE, HAPPY AND EMPOWERED.  WE SUPPORT AND RESPECT ALL CHILDREN, AS WELL AS OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.

Our organization is committed to child safety.

We are committed to the safety, participation, and empowerment of all children.

We have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently with our robust policies and procedures.

We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we follow rigorously.

• Our organisation is committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early and removing and reducing these risks.
• We support and respect all children, as well as our staff and volunteers. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, the cultural safety of children from a culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.
• If you believe a child is at immediate risk of abuse phone 000
• If you have any issues or questions relating to keeping our kids safe, please call or email our Child Safety and Wellbeing Officer on 0421 322 332/childsafety@nunawadingbasketball.com.au or the Chief Executive Officer mark@nunawadingbasketball.com.au

CHILD SAFETY IN VICTORIA

The Victorian Child Safe Standards, introduced in January 2016, aim to protect children from abuse in organisations, including physical violence, sexual offences, serious emotional or psychological abuse and neglect.  Changes have been made to make the standards even stronger, these changes come into effect on 1 July 2022.  All child based organisations need to be compliant with the standards.

To create and maintain a child safe organization, Nunawading Basketball must have:

Standard 1: Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

Standard 2: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organizational leadership, governance, and culture.

Standard 3: Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

Standard 4: Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.

Standard 5: Equity is upheld, and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.

Standard 6: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.

Standard 7: Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.

Standard 8: Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.

Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimizing the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

Standard 10: Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

Standard 11: Policies and procedures document how the organization is safe for children and young people.

CHILD SAFE POLICY AND CODE OF CONDUCT

NABA and MEBA’s Child Safe Policy and Code of Conduct create our foundation for a child safe environment, promotes good practice and provides children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of NABA and MEBA, and allows staff and volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues.

CHILD SAFE PROCEDURE

NABA and MEBA’s Child Safe Procedure explains the processes for identifying, responding, and reporting suspected child safety concerns or abuse.

CHILD SAFE REPORTING

The Child Safe Incident Reporting Process provides clear procedures for responding to and reporting child safety concerns or child abuse.

NABA and MEBA’s Child Safe Incident Report Form is to be used for ALL child safety incidents, including any Child Abuse Incident or Allegation.

Submit Incident Report Form to childsafety@nunawadingbasketball.com.au

WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK AND MEMBER PROTECTION DECLARTION

All adult Coaches, Team Managers, Officials, Staff and Volunteers working with children under the age of 18 are required to provide a current Working with Children Check (WWCC), linked to the Association and Member Protection statutory declaration.  If you require a WWCC you can apply for one here. (link to https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/)  Please also read NABA and MEBA’s Working with Children Check Policy and Working with Children Check Procedure.

The Basketball Victoria Member Protection By-Law sets out the obligations for screening persons who work with children and deal with discrimination, harassment, and vilification in an effective, appropriate, and timely manner.

MANDATORY TRAINING

NABA and MEBA have introduced two mandatory training courses that all Coaches, Team Managers and Officials complete annually.  Although not mandatory for all, the courses are available to anyone who would like to complete the training.

Play by the Rules – Child Protection Course ( https://www.playbytherules.net.au/online-courses/child-protection-online-course)

Play by the Rules – Harassment and Discrimination Course (https://www.playbytherules.net.au/online-courses/harassment-and-discrimination-online-course)

The courses will take approximately 15 minutes each to complete.  Coaches, Team Managers and Officials are to forward their training certificates annually to childsafety@nunawadingbasketball.com.au

CHILD SAFETY AND WELLBEING OFFICER

The Association has appointed Cathie Johns as Child Safety and Wellbeing Officer to oversee matters concerning child safety and abuse.  The identification of a Child Safety Officer provides children, young people, families, and volunteers with a clearly identifiable support network in the event of a suspected child safety issue.  However, this does not remove the statutory obligation of all adults to report child abuse as per the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) and Mandatory Reporting regulations.

Contact Us

Our team is here to support you and we encourage you to reach out for a confidential chat when needed.

Cathie Johns – Child Safety & Wellbeing Officer

childsafety@nunawadingbasketball.com.au

Mark Hallett – Chief Executive Officer

mark@nunawadingbasketball.com.au

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