ST JUSTIN'S PARISH PRIMARY SCHOOL
WHEELERS HILL
Child Safety
SAFETY & WELLBEING OF OUR CHILDREN
We commit to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people enrolled in our school.
We commit to providing children and young people with positive and nurturing experiences.
At St. Justin’s we hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school. Our commitment is drawn from and inherent in the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ, with love, justice and the sanctity of each human person at the heart of the gospel.
In July 2021, the Victorian Government announced new Child Safe Standards (CSS) to further strengthen child safe environments and protect children from abuse. The new CSS came into effect on Friday 1 July 2022.
From 1 July 2022, 11 new Victorian Child Safe Standards will replace Victoria’s seven current Child Safe Standards and principles in place since 2016.
The revised Victorian CSS support greater national consistency, reflecting the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, developed following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The CSS include new requirements, including:
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the involvement of families and students in child safety efforts
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focus on the safety of Aboriginal children and young people
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management of the risk of child abuse in online environments
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governance, systems and processes to keep students safe.
The CSS are underpinned by Ministerial Order No. 1359 (MO 1359), which was released by the Victorian Government on 10 February 2022. MO 1359 defines the actions schools and school boarding premises must take to meet the requirements associated with the new CSS.
For more information please refer to our Policies and Forms page
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Volunteers
Integral to the school experience for our students
St Justin’s Primary School seeks to provide a safe, open and nurturing learning environment for all students. The school acknowledges the value that volunteers play in a variety of learning, school based and community activities and actively encourages their participation.
To ensure the safety and wellbeing and protection of all students, St Justin’s Parish Primary School, ensures that all of our policies and practices embed a child-safe culture that has zero tolerance for child abuse. Our recruitment, screening, induction, ongoing monitoring and assessment for volunteers align with our Child Safety Policy and our Child Safety Code of Conduct and adhere to the requirements of Victorian Child Safe Standards and Ministerial Order No. 1359 (MO 1359).
St Justin’s Primary School takes its commitment to maintaining a ‘child safe’ environment for all students and young people seriously and implores that all members of the school community, including volunteers, work with us to achieve this.
A volunteer is defined as any unpaid individual who provides support in educational, sporting, extra curricula or school community activities to the school. Their assistance is provided under the direction and supervision of identified school representatives.
All volunteers at St Justin's must:
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Provide evidence (driver’s license/Medicare card/passport) of personal identity
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Provide a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) which is registered with St Justin’s Primary School
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Complete Volunteer Application form which requires the reading of the Volunteer Policy and Volunteer Code of Conduct (available on St Justin’s website)
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Complete two Referee Reports for Volunteers that affirm that volunteer’s suitability for working with children
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Meet with the Principal and/or Deputy Principal as part of our regular interview process. A Record of Interview will be completed at this time.
As some our programs are commencing soon eg: PMP program, Literacy Helpers program, Working Bees, Parents and Friends, Kitchen Garden, Interschool Sports and Hot Lunches, you might like to complete the relevant forms (see below) and contact the school office to make a time for an interview with Mrs Herbison or Mr Torpey.
If you are unable to make a time to meet face to face, we can conduct a phone interview. To request a phone interview, please email Mr Torpey - principal@sjwheelershill.catholic.edu.au with:
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the preferred phone no
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the preferred days and times
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a copy of the documentation from steps 1 - 4.
We thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer with St Justin’s Primary School. Our volunteers are integral to the school experience for our students and they provide an important link to the community. We welcome your inquiry about volunteering and hope you will find the experience rewarding.