Child Safeguarding

Netball WA Working with Children Policy
Netball WA's WWC Check Policy outlines our obligations, responsibilities and expectations under the WWC Act.
It comprises part of Netball WA's commitment to be a child-safe organisation.

Netball WA Working with Children Policy (Member)
The WWC Check Policy (Member) outlines the requirements and expectations of Netball WA's member entities in regard to the WWC Act.

Netball WA Photography and Videography Policy
The Photography and Videography Policy is designed to safeguard children by stating under what circumstances photos can be taken of children at Netball WA events and competitions.

Netball WA Uniform Position Statement
Netball WA's Uniform Position Statement is designed to help Associations develop their own uniform policies that will make children feel safe, comfortable, and included.

Netball WA is committed to educating our Clubs and Associations to ensure they have the knowledge and tools necessary to appropriately screen their members and ensure they get the right people for their organisation.
Netball WA's Member Screening Guidelines, which were developed in 2018, are available to be read at the link below.

Netball is currently updating these guidelines, which will be made available here when appropriate.

At some point in their tenure, employees or volunteers involved in netball might be confronted by a situation where a child discloses an incident of abuse or neglect.
This can be difficult to handle, especially if you are not prepared, but there are guidelines on how best to respond, and how to report what you have been told.
Netball WA's Guidelines for Responding To and Reporting incidents of child abuse or neglect are available at the link below.

The Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 (WA) requires people who engage in paid or unpaid child-related work, and who are not eligible for an exemption, to obtain a Working with Children (‘WWC’) Card. This is a compulsory screening strategy that aims to protect children by deterring and detecting potential harm to children.

The WWC Screening Unit outlines what is required of organisations on their website, which you can access below.

More information on the Working with Children Check, as well as relevant templates, forms and resources can be found on the WA Department of Communities website through the link below.

The WWC Screening unit has developed a helpful toolkit for sport and recreation clubs.
This toolkit includes template processes and policies, checklists, and guidelines on how our club can comply to the legislation.
The following templates are provided in the toolkit:

Compliance Checklist
This compliance checklist covers the step by step process of recruiting someone to your organisation and maintaining your WWC records correctly.
By following this checklist, you can be confident that your organisation is meeting its requirements under the WWC legislation.

Registration Officer Position Description Template
This position description template is for a role that is dedicated to the maintenance of your organisation's WWC record-keeping requirements.
While you may not be able to recruit a volunteer to fulfil this dedicated position, you can include its duties in another position.
This way it is clear to any new volunteers what will be required of them. If you also provide them with the above Compliance Checklist, or the below WWC Check Procedures, you will be sure they know what they need to do, and how to do it!

Categories of Child-Related Work Record Sheet Template
This template is designed to help you identify what activities your organisation does and into which category of child-related work (as defined by the WWC Legislation) they would fall.
You don't need to use this template, but it can make knowing who will need a WWC Card much easier, as you will already know that if they do a certain activity at your organisation, they are doing a certain category of child-related work.

Roles Record Sheet Template
This template is designed to help you identify the usual duties of each role at your organisation, and if those usual duties will likely bring the person into contact with children.
Again, you don't need to use this template, but it can make things easier for your organisation when making a decision if a person needs a WWC Card or not.

Working with Children Check Policy Template
This a template WWC Policy that can be used by any club or association. All that is required is updating the yellow-highlighted sections, and double-checking that each part of the policy does not contradict any of your own policies.
While your organisation should already following the WWC requirements, this policy publicly announces the fact that you are complying, what you are doing to comply, and what you will do if something goes wrong.
This is an important part of child-safeguarding, as it shows your members and the public that your organisation is taking child-safeguarding seriously.

Working with Children Check Procedures
This procedure, while part of the above Policy, can be taken out separately and used by any club and sporting association.
As with the checklist above, it gives organisations a step by step process to follow to ensure they are complying to the WWC Legislation.
Importantly, it gives organisations a clear step by step process for what to do if they receive a Negative notice or Interim Negative Notice from the WWC Screening Unit.

The WWC Screening Unit provides an example spreadsheet which organisations can use to meet their record keeping obligations.
For more information about record keeping and your organisation's WWC obligations, please visit this page.

In 2018, the Council of Australian Governments endorsed the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations which show how an organisation can create a culture, adopt strategies and act to promote child wellbeing and prevent harm.
There are 10 Principles, all of which are:
Underpinned by a child rights, strengths-based approach.
Designed to allow for flexibility in implementation across all sectors engaging with children and young people, and in organisations of various sizes.
Aligned with existing child safe approaches at the state and territory level.
They were developed through a consultation process that included Australian governments, national peak bodies from sectors that work with children and young people, national advocacy and research organisations, and children and young people.
At present, the National Principles are not mandatory. However, organisations that implement them will be demonstrating their leadership and commitment to child safety and wellbeing. These organisations will become ‘organisations of choice’, because children, young people, families and communities will feel confident that they provide safe environments where children’s rights, needs and interests are met.

Training resources are available to help organisations implement the National Principles, including E-learning modules and self-assessment tools.

You can find more information on the National Principles at the Child Safe Organisations website below.

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations have been endorsed by members of the Council of Australian Governments, including the Prime Minister and state and territory First Ministers. The principles aim to provide a nationally consistent approach to creating organisational cultures that foster child safety and wellbeing.

The National Principles reflect ten child safe standards recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and are the vehicle for giving effect to recommendations relating to the standards. The National Principles have a broader scope that goes beyond child sexual abuse to cover other forms of potential harm to children and young people.

The National Principles are:
1. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
2. Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decision affecting them and are taken seriously.
3. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
5. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
6. Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.
7. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
8. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
9. Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved.
10. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

All organisations with an involvement of children should be able to say they already uphold some of these principles, and should now begin planning as to how their organisation will uphold the rest.
A good first step in this process is to complete the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries' (DLGSC) Child Safe Self-assessment Tool.
You can also read more about child safeguarding and the National Principles in WA at the link below.

The DLGSC has developed a self-assessment tool designed for organisations to reflect on their current child safe practices and identify areas for improvement.
This is a useful tool for netball organisations to review their child safe guarding practices and standards, and will become more and more important in netball's relationship to the DLGSC.
Some netball Clubs and Associations may have already completed this, but is a good idea to review this every year.

You can access the Child Safe Self-assessment Tool at the link below.
If you require any assistance with completing this self assessment, or have any questions around the process, please get in touch with Netball WA's Governance and Compliance Coordinator.

The Australian Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory organisation, established by an act of Federal Parliament to protect and promote human rights in Australia and internationally. The Commission does work in a number of fields, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice, Children's Rights, Race Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, and LGBTQI rights.
Follow the link below to find out more information on what the Commission does.

The Commission releases an annual Children's Rights Report that tracks the enjoyment and provision of children's rights throughout Australia. Brief summaries and a child-friendly version of the report are available alongside the full report at the link below.

Including young people's voices in the conversation around children's rights is just as important as anyone else's. The Australian Human Rights Commission has a number of useful resources to get young people involved in human rights. Visit the link below to learn more about what young people can do.

The Commissioner for Children and Young People (CCYP) position was created because the Western Australian Parliament made a commitment to the children and young people of WA that they would live in a state where they were heard, valued, healthy and safe. This role projects, commissions research, publishes reports, and hosts events to highlight specific aspects of children and young people’s wellbeing.

For more information, click the link below.

The CCYP has a number of resources that cover child safe organisations, culturally and linguistically diverse young people, homelessness, and LGBTQI young people.
These resources include papers on the relevant topic, news, and submissions made by the Commissioner to places such as the Western Australian Senate and the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Play by the Rules was first developed by the South Australian Department for Sport and Recreation in 2001 as an interactive education and information website (www.playbytherules.net.au) on discrimination, harassment and child protection in sport. Over the years, as more agencies have seen the need to promote Play by the Rules, they have joined as partners and helped by contributing funds, content and in-kind support.

Play by the Rules is now a unique collaboration between Sport Integrity Australia, Sport Australia, Australian Human Rights Commission, all state and territory departments of sport and recreation, all state and territory anti-discrimination and human rights agencies, the Office of the Children's Guardian (NSW) and the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW. These partners promote Play by the Rules through their networks, along with their own child safety, anti-discrimination and inclusion programs.

Play by the Rules provides information, resources, tools and free online training to increase the capacity and capability of administrators, coaches, officials, players, parents and spectators to assist them in preventing and dealing with discrimination, harassment, child safety, inclusion and integrity issues in sport.

The Play by the Rules - Child Protection course is a free, interactive online training course suitable for coaches, administrators, officials, players, parents and spectators. The course is short, user-friendly and features the latest interactive technology, including case studies, practical scenarios and a quiz. The course may be done in part, or all at once.
Additionally, Play by the Rules has courses on complaint handling, harassment and discrimination, inclusive coaching, being an LGBTI inclusive club, gender equality, and more.

Check out the link below to go to the Play by the Rules website where you can login or make an account with Sport Integrity Australia to enrol in the courses for free.

Australia held a Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse from 2013-2017, which included sport and recreation organisations. The Commission identified 10 elements of a child safe organisation. Play by the Rules has outlined each below, and have added some tips for clubs.

1. Child safety is embedded in sport club leadership, governance and culture
Develop a child safety commitment statement – champion a child safety culture
Have staff and volunteers comply with codes of conduct that set out behavioural standards towards children
Regularly discuss child safety - include child safety on all meeting agendas, club inductions, training and information
Develop a risk plan – identify and mitigate risks to children at your club
Appoint a person at your club who is the person to go to if a child related issue occurs

2. Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
Set up a youth advisory group at your club – get input from children and young people often
Allow kids to provide feedback in a way that’s friendly to them e.g., a suggestions box, social media survey
Talk to kids about safety at your club, let them know how you keep them safe

3. Families and communities are informed and involved
Communicate with families about your child safety approach, often and in a variety of ways e.g., newsletter, website, induction, parent handbooks etc
Get input from families on your club policies and practices

4. Equity is promoted and diversity respected
Make sure all children have access to information, support and complaints processes - this could be written, online, signage or pictures
Give particular attention to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disability, and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

5. People working with children are suitable and supported
Relevant staff and volunteers have working with children checks as required by the relevant law in the state or territory
Be aware, when teams travel, working with children check requirements vary between states/territories
Use accredited coaches and officials
All staff and volunteers receive an appropriate induction
Recruitment, paid and voluntary, emphasises child safety
Supervision and people management has a child safety focus

6. Processes to respond to complaints of child sexual abuse are child focused
Have a child focussed complaint handling policy
Complaint handling processes are understood by children, staff, families and volunteers
Encourage everyone to come forward and report misconduct by kids or adults
Complaints are taken seriously, responded to promptly and thoroughly, and reporting, privacy and employment law obligations are met. It is important to notify the relevant authorities if there is a suspicion or disclosure of child abuse

7. Staff and volunteers are continually trained and educated
Staff and volunteers receive training on child protection and your club’s child safe practices
Relevant staff and volunteers receive training on the nature and indicators of child abuse

8. Physical and online environments minimise opportunities for abuse to occur
Risks in the online and physical environment are identified and mitigated eg. signs, posters and codes of conduct in visible areas
The online environment is used in accordance with the clubs code of conduct and relevant policies. Read more on social media

9. Child safe standards are continually improved and reviewed
Your club regularly reviews and improves child safe practices
Complaints and concerns are reviewed for continuous improvement

10. Policies and procedures document how your sport organisation is child safe *
Policies and procedures address all child safe organisation elements
Policies and procedures are accessible and easy to understand
Leaders champion and model compliance with policies and procedures
Staff and volunteers understand and implement the policies and procedures

The Safe Clubs 4 Kids (SC4K) initiative encourages and supports the sport and active recreation industry to create and maintain safe environments for children and young people.

History shows that child abuse occurs across all sectors of the community, including the area of sport and recreation. However, by taking a few simple steps such as the Safe Clubs for Kids 4 considerations, you can adopt a proactive approach to creating a safe environment for children and young people.

SC4K was a proactive initiative designed to assist organisations to create child-safe environments. It was delivered by the WA Sports Federation (now SportWest) in partnership with the Department of Sport and Recreation (now the DLGSC), the Working with Children Screening Unit, the WA Police – Child Abuse Squad and Surf Life Saving WA.

While it is no longer in use, the initiative created some useful tools and resources, which you can learn about below.

The DLGSC has compiled a number of resources that will assist in developing your organisation's child safeguarding standards, available on their website. This includes:
Member Protection
Online Communication and Cyber Safety, and
Complaint Management