Your child’s health, safety and wellbeing

We acknowledge that a child safe environment takes a preventative, proactive and participatory stance on all child safety issues. Woodridge acknowledges that physical, emotional, psychological and cultural safety of children is fundamental for their learning and development.

Child safe Standards

Woodridge Pre-school upholds the Child Safe Standards, introduced by the Victorian Government in January 2016.

Our Commitment Statement

• We hold children’s safety and wellbeing central to all of our work in practice, recruitment and professional development.
• We have a duty of care to ensure children in our centre are happy, safe, well and are empowered to have a voice.
• We are committed to the wellbeing of all children, families, staff and volunteers in delivering high-quality early childhood education and care.
• Woodridge is safe, inclusive and nurturing for all children attending our services.
• Woodridge actively encourages children to express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights.
• Woodridge actively supports children with additional needs, children experiencing vulnerability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Peoples, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and children who are unable to live at home.
• Woodridge facilitates child-friendly ways for children to express their views, participate in decision-making and raise their concerns.
• Woodridge is responsive to children’s contributions.
• Woodridge promotes social connections between children.
• Woodridge promotes prevention of child abuse by identifying potential risks early on and acting on these risks.
• Woodridge takes all concerns, allegations and indicators seriously by responding and keeping in line with Woodridge’s policies and procedures.
• Woodridge reports all allegations of abuse as required by law and by our duty of care to safeguard the children. All educators are trained in Child Protection and complete annual updates.
• Woodridge shares information when required for child safety and well-being purposes.

Woodridge Pre-school does not tolerate:

• The physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse of children or any form of child neglect, racism, discrimination or prejudice in any form.

Woodridge maintains these practices by:

• a Code of Conduct that includes expected behavioural standards and responsibilities for child safety and well-being.
• risk management procedures and practices to identify and mitigate risks to children’s safety.
• reference checks and pre-employment screening for staff members or volunteers looking to join us.
• continuous education and training to ensure all staff members are fully up to date with their child-safe knowledge, skills and obligations.
• practices in place to identify children who are at risk of abuse or neglect outside of our service.
• practices in place to ensure that families participate in decisions affecting their children.
• effective processes for allowing families to raise concerns.
• complaint handling processes that are understood by families, staff and volunteers.
• regularly reviewing our child-safe practices to ensure continuous improvement.