Legend's Child Safety Policy
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1. Our Commitment to child safety
1.1 Legends Soccer promotes and maintains a culture that does not tolerate child abuse,
neglect or exploitation. This policy establishes the business’s expectations of all staff to
provide a safe environment for children..
1.2 The business’s priority is to ensure the welfare and safety of every child that has contact
with the business’s employees.
1.3 The policy outlined in this document has been developed to give effect to the
Commonwealth Child Safe Framework, the Australian Government policy that sets minimum
standards for creating and embedding a child safe culture in Commonwealth entities, and
the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
1.4 The business’s Child Safe Policy is guided by the following principles:
• Recognise children’s rights and interests
• Build and maintain a child safe culture and environment
• Provide support and protection to staff who report incidents under this policy.
1.5 If you are unsure about your obligations under this policy, please speak to Dan Pyke or Lewis Thompson or email dan@legendssoccer.com.au
2. Date of Effect
2.1 This policy is effective from 15th January 2024 and will be reviewed annually.
3. Scope
3.1 This policy applies to all persons who undertake work for the business.
3.2 This policy must be considered when developing, designing and managing the business’s
policies and programs to ensure they promote children’s rights and include relevant child
safety considerations.
3.3 For the purposes of this policy, the definition of child-related work is being engaged in:
a) work activities where contact (physical, face-to-face, oral, written or electronic contact)
between a staff member and a child would reasonably be expected as a normal part of
the work and such contact is not occasional (infrequently or irregularly) and incidental
(occurring by chance) to the work; or
b) work that requires a Working with Children Check (WWCC) in the state or territory
jurisdiction in which the work is being undertaken.
3.4 For the purposes of this policy, the definition of a child safe position is a
position that has been identified as having contact with a child as a normal part of work
activities (that is, it is child-related work), and therefore is required to obtain and maintain a
WWCC in order to be engaged in that position.
4. Child safe professional behaviours
4.1 All staff are expected to treat children with respect and act in accordance with
the APS Code of Conduct and APS Values.
4.2 Staff working with children, or who come in contact with children must:
a) Comply with relevant legislation including WWCC and mandatory reporting requirements.
b) Before photographing or filming a child or using children’s image for work related
purposes, obtain informed consent from the parent or guardian of the child.
c) Ensure the business’s communications present children in a dignified and respectful
manner and do not reveal identifying information about a child.
d) Not use any computers, mobile phones, video cameras, cameras or social media to
exploit or harass children, or access child exploitation material through any medium.
e) Not use language or behaviour towards children that is inappropriate, harassing,
physically or emotionally abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning or culturally
inappropriate.
f) Immediately report concerns or allegations of child exploitation and
abuse and any failure to comply with this policy.
g) Immediately disclose to the business all charges, convictions and other outcomes of
an offence that relate to child exploitation and abuse, including those that occurred
before or during association with the business
5. Accountability and Responsibility
5.1 Ensuring the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children is the responsibility of all staff.
5.2 The business will:
• Annually review and publish the business’s Child Safe Policy.
• Undertake an annual risk assessment in relation to child safety activities, to identify the
level of responsibility for, and contact with, children and young people, evaluate the risk
of harm or abuse, and put in place appropriate strategies to manage identified risks.
The results of the assessment will inform any revisions to the Child Safe Risk
Management Plan
• The annual risk assessment will be completed by 31 December of each year
and the Child Safe Risk Management Plan revised as appropriate.
• Coordinate child safe training for staff and monitor compliance.
• Maintain a record of relevant child safe complaints.
5.3 All staff will:
• Ensure child safety is considered when developing risk plans for any functions that are
associated with children.
• Ensure child safety in the design of programs and policies that impact upon children.
• Complete Child Safety training as directed.
• Appropriately report potential risk to child safety including any breaches of this policy.
• If they require a Working with Children comply with the appropriate legislative requirements of the jurisdiction,including reporting a change in circumstances and mandatory reporting requirements.
6. Working safely with children and young people
6.1 Staff employed in an identified child safe position, will be required to maintain a WWCC
before they are appointed to the position.
If, in the course of their employment in that position, they are not able to maintain their WWCC, they must inform Dan Pyke or Lewis Thompson immediately
7. Reporting suspicions of child abuse or harm
7.1 Mandatory reporting is the legislative requirement for the people to report suspected child
abuse and neglect to government authorities.
7.2 The failure to protect a child at risk of child sexual abuse offences and/or failure to report
child sexual abuse by a Commonwealth Officer is an offence under section 273B of the
Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Act 2019.
7.3 The term ‘Commonwealth Officer’ is defined broadly in the legislation to include
employees, contractors, subcontractors, persons hired under a labour hire agreement, who
work for, or on behalf of the Commonwealth.
8. Responding to complaints or disclosures about our department or staff
8.1 All complaints which involve children will be investigated in accordance with the Complaint Handling Guide: Upholding the rights of children and young people I National Office for Child Safety, published by the National Office for Child Safety.
8.2 All complaints which involve children must be notified to the relevant state or territory jurisdiction.
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Reference links -
Sporting Integrity Australia Do's and Don'ts
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Reporting and Responding Flow Chart
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