Child Safe Environment

Child safe and child friendly environments support developmental progress

All children and young people serviced by Kid Sense staff have a right to feel and be safe. Everyone within our organisation has a role to play in ensuring a safe environment for children and young people. This includes all levels within the Kid Sense team from Board and Executive Management through to Therapy and Operational Staff.

We are committed to ensuring that children and young people are valued, respected and encouraged to participate and that the safety and protection of children and young people is always our first priority. Our internal Child Safe policy complies with the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017, Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 and the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Our Child Safe Environments policies and Code of Code available on this website.

We are committed to diversity, where all children, young people and adults are embraced regardless of their abilities, sex, gender or social economic or cultural background, and where equity is always upheld. Kid Sense recognises that all people may have diverse backgrounds and circumstances, but irrespective of this equity is upheld and diversity needs are respected and supported in our policies and practices.

Clients of Kid Sense are encouraged to advise our team of any cultural, spiritual, value or belief sensitivities, needs or diverse circumstances during their initial assessment phase, in their individual risk assessment (yearly), and at any time during their ongoing treatment sessions. Our team understands the importance of documenting these needs in a way that ensures all team members are aware of the client’s ongoing needs and can provide an environment where children and young people are empowered and can participate more effectively. Kid Sense aims to build an organisation that embraces all children and young people regardless of their abilities, sex, gender, or social, economic or cultural background.

Daily evidence of our child safe and child friendly environments include:

Staff Recruitment, Induction, Training and Support

Stringent recruitment processes to ensure we can maintain a child safe environment, and only employ the most suitable staff to work with children and young people
All staff, volunteers & work experience students or university placement students also are required to have a ‘not prohibited’ Working with Children Check that is current, while at kid sense
Staff are oriented to the Child Safe policy and Code of Conduct upon induction
Staff Training, regular workshops, regular experienced staff supervision, frequent performance audits and performance reviews are standard practice
Designated Child Safe Officers who has an educative role within our organisation

Staff and visitor Conduct and feedback

We are ‘zero tolerance’ to aggressive behaviour organic (as indicated by waiting room signage)
Information about our Complaints and Feedback process is available at each site, on the website and all staff are versed in how to accept and respond to complaints.
Annual Feedback Surveys to all current clients of Kid Sense as well as the staff team
All therapists (Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists) are ‘mandated notifiers’ with a legal obligation to report a reasonable belief that a child or young person has been harmed or is at risk of harm.

Staff Support and interaction

We display information about services that can assist children and young people, including the Kids Helpline (on 1800 55 1800), the Kids helpline wallet cards, 24/7 mental health supports for parents and kids, in our waiting rooms.
Kid Sense staff listen to and act upon any concerns that children, young people or their families raise with us.
Our therapy team can provide clear age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate explanations to children and young people, and allow for questions during consultation and treatment. We involve children and young people in decision-making as and where appropriate. All families are involved in the assessment process of the child or young person, and in relation to goal setting for therapy sessions. All families ‘sign off’ on agreed upon goals for therapy.
Kid Sense provides access to resources for our therapy team to utilise that enables them to educate children and young people on their rights including their right to safety and right to be listened to.

Physical Safety

Child safety gates, locked doors to rooms not in use to prevent injury and accident
All senior staff are required to hold a current First Aid and CPR
Duress mechanisms in place in the event of a childs distress
Kid Sense takes relevant steps to minimise the risks to children and young people due to the actions or omissions of employees, contractors or other people within our organisation. We review our risks regularly to address any new or emerging risks in order to maintain a safe environment for children and young people.

If you have any questions about our Child Safe and friendly environment, please simply ask any one of our team – we will be happy to speak with you.