Child Safety

Tamar Valley Steiner School is committed to safety and well-being of all children and young people. This will be the primary focus of our care and decision-making, with particular attention paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability and vulnerable children

Tamar Valley Steiner School has zero tolerance for child abuse and is committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives.

Every person involved in Tamar Valley Steiner School has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role they play individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

In its planning, decision-making and operations, Tamar Valley Steiner School will:

Take a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child safety
Value and empower children to participate in decisions which affect their lives
Foster a culture of openness that supports all persons to safely disclose risks of harm to children
Respect diversity in cultures and child rearing practices while keeping child safety paramount
Provide written guidance on appropriate conduct and behaviour towards children
Engage only the most suitable people to work with children and have high quality staff and volunteer supervision and professional development
Ensure children know who to talk with if they are worried or are feeling unsafe, and that they are comfortable and encouraged to raise such issues
Report suspected abuse, neglect or mistreatment promptly to the appropriate authorities
Share information appropriately and lawfully with other organisations where the safety and wellbeing of children is at risk
Value the input of families and carers and correspond with them regularly.