As part of our commitment to embedding a culture of child safety and wellbeing as per the Victorian Child Safety Standards, Clonard appoints Child Protection Officers to act as Child Safeguarding Champions in leading, developing and enhancing child safeguarding strategies at our College.  Information about our CPO’s and some of the key descriptors from this role are outlined below:

Major Areas of Responsibility

  • Child Safety Implementation and Communication
  • Child Safety Training
  • Child Safety Assessment and Review

Child Safety Implementation and Communication

Key responsibilities for the College’s Child Protection Officer(s) include:

  • promptly managing the College’s response to an allegation or disclosure of child abuse and ensuring that the allegation or disclosure is taken seriously
  • being the first point of contact for staff, or other members of the College community, raising child protection concerns within the College
  • responding appropriately to and providing support and assistance for students and/or their families following child safety incidents, concerns, complaints and disclosures
  • leading the school’s child safety culture
  • developing and enhancing the school’s child safety strategies
  • documenting, collating, and maintaining all records pertaining to reporting child safety issues

Child Safety Training

  • ensuring that the School Leadership Team, all staff, and relevant volunteers and contractors undertake child safeguarding training so that they can identify signs of abuse and other harm, understand how to respond, and know when to make a referral either internally or to an external agency, and understand our procedures for responding to and reporting child safety incidents or concerns
  • leading or delivering programs for children about the school’s child safety strategies

Child Safety Assessment and Review

  • ensuring the College’s Child Safety Policy and Child Protection Program are reviewed on a regular basis by an appropriate member of staff
  • actively involved in Child Safeguarding Team/Committee and contribute to management of risk register and relevant controls
  • ensuring all school staff complete the annual Mandatory Reporting online training module

The Child Safeguarding Team are also seeking feedback from families in regard to our Child Safeguarding Program, so we ask families to please familiarize themselves with the details on the Clonard Webpage Child Safeguarding – Clonard College Geelong, and an Operoo containing a small number of questions will be available for completion this week.

Tania Anticev – School Improvement Leader: Wellbeing