Tomorrow Man & Tomorrow Woman (ACN 627 119 402) ("Organisation")
1. Purpose Of This Policy
At Tomorrow Man & Tomorrow Woman (we, our, us), we are committed to providing an environment which is safe for children and youths, and to ensuring that this is reflected in all aspects of our business operations.
This Child Safety Policy (Policy) sets out the general principles that guide the management of child and youth safety at Tomorrow Man & Tomorrow Woman.
We have developed this Policy to help our team members understand and manage child and youth safety, and to set a framework to ensure that we provide a safe environment for children and young people, and that we meet all of our objectives and comply with all of our legal and regulatory obligations in relation to these matters.
2. Status Of This Policy
This Policy does not form part of any contract of employment or any other contract for work or services.
3. Applicable Rules
(a) We are committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations as well as codes of practice and other safety guidance in all jurisdictions where we operate. This may include the following laws:
- Family Law Act 1975 (Commonwealth)
- Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) - Children Youth and Families Act 2005 (VIC)
- Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (VIC)
- Child Protection Act 1999 (QLD)
- Children and Community Services Act 2004 (WA)
- Family Court Act 1997 (WA)
- Education and Care Services National Law (WA) Act 2012
- Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 (SA)
- Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 (TAS)
- Children and Young People Act 2008 (ACT)
- Care and Protection of Children Act 2007 (NT)
4. National Principles For Child Safe Organisations
(a) We support the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (National Principles) and will endeavour to embrace them at our Organisation.
(b) The National Principles require that:
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 decisions 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.
5. Our Other Policies
In addition to this Child Safety Policy, you are required to be familiar with, and to comply with, all other workplace policies which may apply from time to time, including:
- Wellbeing Requirements
- Acceptable Use Policy
- Privacy Policy
6. Application Of Policy
(a) This Policy applies to any people who perform work for Tomorrow Man & Tomorrow Woman, including all our managers, employees, contractors, subcontractors, employees of our contractors and subcontractors, apprentices, trainees, volunteers, interns, work experience students, labour hire employees and any other people who perform work for or on behalf of our Organisation.
(b) We are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all team members and visitors to our Organisation. However, this Policy specifically addresses our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of youths and children at our Organisation. Throughout this Policy, we use the terms "youth", "young person", "child" and "children" to refer generally to people under 18 years of age.
(c) This Policy applies to all activities in our Organisation which involve children, or which result in or relate to contact with children.
(d) This Policy is intended to help manage the safety and wellbeing of any children that come into contact with our Organisation, whether they are receiving services from us, are the children of someone who is receiving services from us, are the children of our team members, or come into contact with us in any other way.
7. Our Commitment To Child Safety
(a) Safeguarding children from harm and abuse is an essential responsibility for our Organisation. We are committed to ensuring that any child who comes into contact with our Organisation orservices is properly safeguarded. Every person under this policy must ensure that they play an active role in ensuring that children are properly safeguarded.
(b) We believe that no child or young person should experience abuse or harm and we are committed to the protection of children and young people. This policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.
(c) It is our intention that a child safe culture should be embedded in all levels of our Organisation, including but not limited to our leadership and governance as well as amongst all of our other team members.
(d) When dealing with concerns about a child's safety or wellbeing, we are guided by a consideration of what is in the best interests of the child.
(e) We strive to:
- ensure that our team members have the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe
- ensure that any of our team members who work with children have the necessary skills, attributes, experience and qualifications to uphold this Policy and provide the support and supervision that children require
- ensure that any children who come into contact with our Organisation and who have concerns about their safety or need assistance know where to go and who to talk to
- ensure that any children who come into contact with our Organisation and who have concerns about their safety feel comfortable seeking assistance
- maintain the safety and security of any of our facilities or environments which may be accessed by children (including any online facilities or environments, websites or platforms)
- promote a workplace which values diversity and inclusion
- where appropriate, involve children and their families in decisions that affect them
- promote a culture of child safety at all levels in our Organisation
- take any allegations or complaints in relation to child safety seriously, and respond promptly and appropriately
- report any allegations or concerns to relevant authorities whenever appropriate or necessary
8. General Worker Responsibilities
(a) Our team members must uphold our Organisation's values in accordance with this Policy. Our team members must demonstrate behaviour which is consistent with this Policy and with our Organisation's values. Our team members must be proactive about upholding and promoting our values and this Policy, including by doing the following:
- remaining alert and aware of possible safeguarding risks to children
- guarding children against harmful environments with appropriate actions (for example, adequate supervision or ensuring safe environments)
- taking positive steps to maintain the safety and wellbeing of children engaging with our Organisation
- reporting concerns expeditiously and appropriately, in line with child protection procedures
- understanding the duty to report specific concerns (and understanding how this interplays with confidentiality)
- challenging any inappropriate or harmful behaviour of any other adult and reporting this accordingly
- acting appropriately in the presence of children
- not taking any inappropriate risks
- not smoking, drinking or taking any form of illicit substances in the presence of children
- ensuring that any children who come into contact with our Organisation or access our services understand their rights and responsibilities
- communicating with children clearly and respectfully and using language which they can understand and which is appropriate for their age and level of development
- ensuring that any children who come into contact with our Organisation or access our services are supported and get any necessary assistance with exercising their rights and responsibilities
(b) Our team members are responsible for ensuring that they personally comply with all applicable laws in the state or territory where they are based including any applicable Commonwealth laws.
9. Responsible Person
The management and oversight of all child safeguarding matters is allocated to the following people (Responsible Persons)
- State Program Managers
- General Manager TMTW
- Head of People
- CEO
10. The Risks To Children
(a) Children can be vulnerable to different forms of abuse and harm. It is important to recognise that abuse and harm of children can cover a wide range of circumstances and behaviours. For example, children can be at risk of:
- physical or emotional abuse
- neglect
- sexual abuse
- female genital mutilation (FGM) - grooming and exploitation
- trafficking and modern slavery
- exposure to or infliction of domestic abuse
- bullying or cyberbullying
- exposure to other inappropriate content or behaviour, such as violence or criminal behaviour
- self-harm
- physical harm when engaging with activities without adequate supervision
(b) The causal factors of any such harm and/or abuse can also be wide-ranging. For example, children can be placed at risk by family members or by members of the community.
11. Taking Child Participation Seriously
We strive to ensure that children who come into contact with our Organisation or our services are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them, and are taken seriously.
12. Engaging With Families And Communities
(a) We encourage our team members, when engaging with children, to involve the families of those children whenever it is appropriate, and provided that doing so will not compromise the safety of the child.
(b) When doing this, our team members should keep in mind that in some cases, children can be placed at risk by family members or by members of the community, so involving the child's family could expose the child to additional risk.
13. Respecting Equity And Diversity
We strive to create an environment where children and young people's diverse needs and circumstances are recognised and all children feel safe, welcome and included. We do this by using the following measures:
- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander cultural competency training
- LGBTQIA+ inclusion training
14. Ensuring Staff Are Suitable And Supported
We strive to ensure that team members at our Organisation who are working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice. We do this by using the following measures:
- National Police Check
- Valid Working With Children Check
- Mandatory monthly group supervision and individual supervision when necessary
15. Confidentiality And Data Protection
All personal information we may process relating to children, shall be processed and stored in accordance with our data protection privacy policy which can be located at:
www.tomorrowman.com.au/privacy-policy
16. Responding To A Child Safety Concern
(a) We aim to provide accessible and responsive complaints management processes that are focused on the needs of children and young people.
(b) Where a child is at immediate risk of serious harm, any adult present should call 000. Thereafter, an available Responsible Person should be contacted as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(c) Where there is a safeguarding concern but no immediate risk of serious harm, the adult who has heard or witnessed this concern should consult with an available Responsible Person as soon as practicable and by no later than the end of that same day.
(d) Where any child makes a disclosure relating to harm or abuse to an adult, it is important for that adult to:
- listen calmly and carefully, showing that their their views are taken seriously
- provide an appropriate and honest level of reassurance
- avoid interrogating children and asking probing, intrusive and/or leading questions
- avoid making false promises regarding secrets and confidentiality with the child (because any concern of abuse/harm must be shared with a Responsible Person and any subsequent safeguarding referral)
- make a confidential written record of the discussion either during the discussion or immediately afterwards. The record should include the key details of the disclosure together with any relevant times, dates, places and people concerned. Audio and video recordings of children making disclosures should be avoided.
- refer all relevant information to an available Responsible Person as soon as practicable afterwards, and by no later than the end of the day
(f) Upon receipt of any safeguarding concern, a Responsible Person shall consult with any other relevant persons and will make any appropriate referrals to the relevant authorities.
(h) Complaints or concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child can also be raised via the website and will be responded to by the Responsible Person
www.tomorrowman.com.au/child-safety-standards
17. Reporting Concerns About Other Adults
(a) Where any person has a concern regarding the conduct of an adult connected to the Organisation, which poses or may pose a safeguarding risk to children such as:
- harming a child either physically or emotionally
- exposing a child to behaviour which may cause physical or emotional harm
- engaging in criminal activity concerning a child
this must be raised in the first instance with an available Responsible Person (or where this is not appropriate, a different senior member of the Organisation) so that the next appropriate steps may be agreed and actioned. We recognise that there could be circumstances where a person may need to report a matter that has taken place in a setting outside of the person's engagement with the Organisation.
(b) Usually, any appropriate steps following a safeguarding referral in respect of an individual connected to the Organisation will include either:
- further initial enquiries
- escalation to the applicable authority for assessment and/or the police for investigation
- instigation of any appropriate disciplinary, formal investigation processes and suspension of any person concerned within the Organisation
- a referral to any relevant regulatory bodies
(c) Any person within the Organisation who has allegations made against them shall be informed properly in a formal meeting of the particulars of the allegations and the relevant next steps which shall be taken. Such a meeting should ordinarily be held by a Responsible Person. On certain occasions, such a meeting may not be convened until this has been approved by any authorities involved (such as the police or the relevant local authority).
(d) Any person from within the Organisation who has allegations made against them shall be treated fairly. All enquiries, investigations and decisions taken shall be just and fair, with the safety of any child concerned at the heart of the process.
(e) Complaints or concerns can also be raised via the website and will be responded to by the Responsible Person
www.tomorrowman.com.au/child-safety-standards
(e) Any person from within the Organisation who makes an allegation against another person from within the Organisation shall be listened to, taken seriously and shall be treated fairly and justly throughout the process of enquiries, investigations and decision making.
18. Managing Risks Posed By Other Children
(a) It is important for all adults engaged by us to recognise that children can face harm from their peers. This can commonly take the form of bullying. Bullying can be defined as any behaviour which is:
- repeated; and
- has the intention of hurting somebody either physically or emotionally.
(b) Bullying can sometimes be motivated by prejudices based on certain groups, for example gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. Bullying can often include:
- physical harm perpetrated against another child
- name calling and threats
- cyberbullying (threats and abusive comments made via technology)
(c) Any instance of bullying or concern relating to possible bullying between children at any event or activities arranged by us will usually be dealt with by us in the first instance as follows:
Tomorrow Man & Tomorrow Woman will ensure that a representative of the school or sporting club is present to observe and to address any concerns regarding bullying following the workshop.
(d) All steps in relation to the prevention or management of bullying should be taken in consultation with a Responsible Person.
19. Staff Knowledge, Skills And Awareness
We use a variety of measures to ensure that staff and volunteers are provided with relevant knowledge, skills and awareness on an ongoing basis to keep children safe, including ongoing education and training as follows:
- Mental Health First Aid accreditation
- ASIST (Suicide Prevention) accreditation
- Trauma informed training
20. Safe Physical And Online Environments
We believe in promoting child safety and wellbeing in physical and online environments in order to reduce the risk of harm. We use a variety of measures to ensure that our physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed. This includes:
- Participating schools and sporting clubs receive a copy of our Wellbeing Requirements outlining the pre-brief process; participant briefing and opt out; participant follow-up in response to a disclosure and mandatory reporting obligations
- Refer www.tomorrowman.com.au/acceptable-use-policy
21. Safeguarding Children At The Organisation
Responsibilities and Planning
(a) Although the Responsible Persons will hold ultimate responsibility for overseeing the safety of children present at the Organisation, all individuals under this policy must also play an active role in ensuring the safety of children at all times.
(b) Where a certain type of events, activity or trip is taking place, we may issue an additional code of conduct, policy, or some specific other requirements which are specific to that occasion. Any such additional documentation will be made available to all those concerned (staff members, parents, guardians etc.) in advance. They should be read carefully and adhered to.
(c) Appropriate background checking shall be undertaken wherever we are legally required to do so in respect of adults who are engaged by us (see the relevant section above).
Venues
(a) The location for any events, activities and trips which are held by us shall always be risk assessed properly in reference to the suitability and safety for children. Fire and safety procedures and precautions shall be made clear to all those involved.
First Aid
(a) If an ambulance is required, call 000. Please notify a manager or supervisor if an ambulance has been called.
(b) Any accident or injury concerning a child should be brought to the attention of the nearest first aider and should thereafter be formally reported to an available Responsible Person.
(a) Wherever a child attends our premises alongside their parent or guardian, parents and guardians should ensure that children are properly supervised.
22. Managing Behaviour Of Children Generally
(a) Whenever any adult engaged by us is faced with challenging or inappropriate behaviour from a child or with conflict between children, they must:
- treat each child fairly and equally
- approach the situation in a calm and neutral manner
- only ever use physical restraint/intervention in order to protect the immediate safety of a person, for example to prevent an injury or harm either to the child or others
- wherever it is justified to physically restrain a child or to physically intervene, the amount of force used should be kept to the absolute minimum taking into account the risk posed
- make a written record of the incident and ensure this is reported appropriately to an available Responsible Person
23. Photography
Our Photographs
(a) On some occasions, we may take photographs featuring children. We recognise that photography of children carries risks, such as:
- the potential for images to be reused, shared or adapted in a damaging or inappropriate manner
- the general risk of sharing images and the impact this could have on child's public image as they grow older
(b) In view of these risks, we will:
- always ask for written permission from a child and their parent/guardian before taking and sharing any image of them
- always ensure that a child and their parent/guardian are properly informed how an image will be used and shared
- always ensure that a child's identity is protected as far as is possible within any published material
- ask that parents, guardians, children and any other person connected to them who may wish to share any of our published images which features other children to refrain from doing so unless they have the permission of the other children and their parent/guardian
- always store photos in accordance with our data protection policy.
Members of the Public
We ask that any members of the public attending our premises, events or activities do not take photographs.
(a) Further information is contained in our photography policy which can be found:
www.tomorrowman.com.au/privacy-policy
24. Reviewing Our Child Safe Policies And Practices
We regularly review our child safe policies and practices so that we can continue to improve them.
25. Making Our Policies And Procedures Available
(a) We strive to ensure that our child safe policies and procedures are understood by all team members and relevant stakeholders.
(b) We strive to ensure that children who engage with our Organisation, as well as their families and relevant community members, are aware of and have confidence in our child safety policies and procedures.
(c) We make our child safe policies and procedures (including this Policy) available on our websites
Tomorrow Man is a social enterprise in partnership with Tomorrow Woman and Tomorrow Architects. Our offices are located in Sydney and Melbourne – and we travel everywhere across Australia.
