Surf Coast Suns Football Netball Club
Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
1. PURPOSE
1.1. The purpose of this Policy is to educate all members, staff, supporters and spectators of
the Surf Coast Suns Football Netball Club (SCSFNC) on their responsibilities when
interacting with children and young people at our Club and to inform members, staff,
supporters and spectators of the Club’s processes for responding to any concerns,
incidents or allegations of harm or abuse to children and young people.
2. POLICY STATEMENT
The Surf Coast Suns Football Netball Club:
2.1. Is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all children and
young people who participate in football, netball, umpiring or volunteering at our Club.
2.2. Want children and young people to be safe, happy and empowered. We support and
respect all children and young people, as well as our staff and volunteers.
2.3. Is committed to implementing child safe practices in accordance with the Victorian Child
Safe Standards (Appendix 1).
2.4. Has zero tolerance for any form of child abuse or harm and will act quickly to protect
children and young people should an allegation or incident occur. All complaints will be
treated seriously, fully investigated and handled confidentially in accordance with our
complaints policy.
2.5. Is committed to ensuring all children and young people know their rights, have their views
taken seriously and are involved in decisions that may directly affect them.
2.6. Recognise the important role families play in supporting children and young people to
participate in our Club and values the input of families in decision-making at our Club.
2.7. Will take appropriate steps to recruit safe and suitable people and provide appropriate
supervision to staff and volunteers to fulfill their safeguarding obligations.
2.8. Recognise the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people
and will promote their cultural safety within the Club environment.
2.9. Recognise the importance of cultural safety for children and young people from culturally
and linguistically diverse backgrounds and will promote their cultural safety within the
Club environment.
2.10. Recognise that all children and young people have equal rights to protection from harm
and abuse regardless of their race, religion, age, disability, cultural background, gender,
sexual orientation or family/social background. Our Club considers that the health, safety
and wellbeing of children and young people take priority over all other competing
considerations.
2.11. Encourages that the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people at our Club is
the shared responsibility between the Club, its staff, contractors, associates,
parents/carers, coaches, umpires, spectators, volunteers and members of our Club
community.
3. SCOPE
3.1. This Policy applies to everyone involved at our Club including (but not limited to) its staff,
participants, contractors, associates, parents/carers, coaches, umpires, spectators,
volunteers and members of our Club community.
3.2. This Policy should be read in conjunction with the Victorian Child Safe Standards
(Appendix 1), the Club’s related policies and procedures, and relevant Commonwealth and
Victorian legislation (Appendix 2).
3.3. Our Club is committed to continually reviewing its policies and practices to protect the
safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This policy will be reviewed on a
regular basis.
4. DEFINITIONS
4.1. Child and young person means a person under the age of 18.
4.2. Child abuse includes all forms of physical, emotional, psychological, verbal and/or sexual
abuse. Child abuse also includes sexual exploitation, neglect or negligent treatment,
grooming, harassing behaviour, bullying or other exploitation of a child or young person
and includes any actions that results in actual or potential harm to a child or young
person. Child abuse can be a single incident or take place over time.
4.3. Child protection means any responsibility, measure or activity undertaken in response to a
child in need of protection.
4.4. Club means Surf Coast Suns Football Netball Club
4.5. Family violence occurs when children and young people are forced to live with violence
between adults in their home. Family violence includes violence between members of a
family, or extended family, or those fulfilling the role of family in a child or young person’s
life. It can include witnessing violence or the consequences of violence. Exposure to family
violence places children and young people at increased risk of injury and harm and has a
significant impact on their wellbeing and development.
4.6. Grooming is a term used to describe what happens when a perpetrator builds a
relationship with a child or young person with the intent to abuse or harm them.
Perpetrators may also groom parents/carers by forming relationships of trust with
parents/carers before harming a child or young person. Grooming can take place over a
long period of time before abuse occurs or the abuse can happen relatively quickly.
Grooming can take in physical (face-to-face) environments or online.
4.7. Harm can be any action that may have a significant impact on a child or young person’s
physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing. Harm can be caused by:
● Physical, psychological or emotional abuse or neglect;
● Sexual abuse or exploitation;
● Family violence;
● A single act, omission, or circumstance; and
a series or combination of acts, omissions, or circumstances.
4.8. Sexual abuse or exploitation is any act which exposes a child or young person to or
involves them in sexual acts beyond their understanding or contrary to accepted
community standards. Sexual offence behaviours can include the fondling of genitals,
masturbation, oral sex, vaginal or anal penetration by a penis, finger or any other object,
fondling of breasts, grooming, voyeurism, exhibitionism, and exposing the child to or
involving the child in pornography. It also includes engaging a child or young person to
participate in sexual conversations online.
4.9. Concerns include any issue that an adult or peer considers may negatively impact on the
safety or wellbeing of a child or young person. This includes complaints, incidents,
disclosures, allegations or suspicions.
5. EXPECTED BEHAVIOUR AT OUR CLUB
5.1. All participants, committee members, staff, contractors, officials, parents/carers, coaches,
spectators, volunteers and members have responsibilities in relation to the safety and
wellbeing of children and young people at our Club and are expected to:
● Read, know and follow this Policy and related child safety and wellbeing guidance
(including but not limited to our Club’s Child Safe Code of Conduct and Complaints
Handling and Reporting procedures).
● Sign and comply with the Surf Coast Suns Football Netball Club Code of Conduct,
and Child Safety and Wellbeing Code of Conduct.
● Understand the definitions of child abuse and harm and act on anything they hear
or see.
● Understand the rights of children and young people as appropriate to their role and
cause no harm to a child or young person.
● Value equity and diversity at the Club and treat all children and young people with
respect regardless of their race, religion, age, disability, cultural background,
gender, sexual orientation or family/social background.
● Cooperate with police and/or other formal investigations to the best of their ability.
● Support the wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
and young people.
5.2. All third-party contractors are expected to abide by our Club’s Child Safe Code of Conduct,
and where they may engage with children or young people, sign an agreement requiring
them to comply with this Policy and our Club’s Child Safe Code of Conduct, prior to
delivering any services.
5.3. Our Club will appoint a Child Safeguarding Officer or equivalent role that will be the
primary point of contact for all concerns and complaints related to child safety and
wellbeing.
6. RECRUITMENT AND SCREENING
6.1. Our Club seeks to implement screening processes that reduce the risk of harm or abuse to
children and young people by:
6.2. Developing selection criteria and advertisements which clearly demonstrate our
commitment to child safety and an awareness of our social and legislative responsibilities.
Our organisation understands that when recruiting staff and volunteers we have ethical as
well as legislative obligations.
6.3. Requiring all people engaged in child-related work, including volunteers, are required to
hold a Working with Children Check and to provide evidence of this Check. Please see the
Working with Children Check website for further information -
http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/
6.4. Ensuring that all committee members hold a valid Working with Children Check.
6.5. Ensuring that all owners of Working with Children Checks are aware of their responsibility
to hold a valid Working With Children Check throughout the whole season and to renew if
it expires at any point throughout the season.
6.6. We actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,
people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with a
disability.
6.7. We actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,
people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with a
disability.
6.8. Once engaged, staff, volunteers, committee members and contractors must read this
Policy and related documents and familiarise themselves with child safe practices at our
Club.
7. TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
7.1. Training and education is important to ensure that everyone in our Club understands that
child safety is everyone’s responsibility. Our club culture aims for all staff and volunteers
(in addition to parents/carers and children) to feel confident and comfortable in discussing
any allegations of child abuse or child safety concerns.
7.2. We support our staff and volunteers through ongoing supervision to:
● Develop their skills to protect children from abuse.
● Promote the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
● Promote the cultural safety of children from linguistically and/or diverse
backgrounds.
● Promote the safety of children with a disability.
7.3. New staff and volunteers will be supervised to ensure they understand our organisation’s
commitment to child safety and that everyone has a role to play in protecting children
from abuse, as well as checking that their behaviour towards children is safe and
appropriate.
7.4. Our Club recommends that all staff, contractors, associates, parents/carers, coaches,
spectators, volunteers and members familiarise themselves with the following online
training in child safe practices: AFL Safe Footy Safeguarding webinars and resources, Play
by the Rules training (child protection, cultural awareness, LGBTI+ inclusive clubs, Let Kids
be Kids, Complaint handling) and eSafety Commissioner (safe online environments)
https://www.esafety.gov.au/communities/sport and Netball Victoria Child Safety in
Netball Resources.
8. RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACH
8.1. Our Club recognises the importance of identifying and managing risks to children and
young people in physical and online environments and will implement a risk management
plan to address risks.
8.2. The risk management plan will be updated on a regular basis in consultation with staff,
volunteers, parent representatives and children and young people to ensure it is fit for
purpose.
9. COMPLAINTS AND REPORTING
9.1. If there is concern for the immediate safety of a child or young person, immediately call
the Police ‘000’.
9.2. Our Club will take all concerns and complaints seriously, whether they are raised by an
adult, child or young person. All child related concerns and complaints will be responded
to promptly and confidentially.
9.3. Our Club has a Complaints Policy and Procedures in place and other resources to help
children and young people to understand how they can raise a concern or a complaint
with the Club.
9.4. If a child or young person is not in immediate danger but any person who believes on
reasonable grounds that a child or young person is in need of protection from any form of
child abuse or harm, may disclose that information to the Police, Child Protection or the
Commissioner for Children & Young People.
9.5. If a concern or complaint includes an allegation or incident of child abuse or harm, Club
staff and volunteers must report it in accordance with our Club’s ‘Complaints Policy and
Procedures’.
9.6. Any Club staff, contractors, associates, parents/carers, coaches, spectators, volunteers and
members who is the subject of a child or young person related concern or complaint may
be requested to stand down from their position in the Club during an investigation, have
their duties altered so they do not engage with children and young people and/or have
their access to the Club’s IT system/database removed.
9.7. Our Club will investigate allegations of inappropriate conduct against a child or young
person in accordance with procedural fairness and will handle the allegations in a
confidential and sensitive manner.
9.8. Our Club will keep a register of any allegations regarding inappropriate conduct.
10. REPORTING SEXUAL ABUSE
10.1. If a person receives information that leads them to form a reasonable belief that a
sexual offence has been committed, that person has a legal obligation to disclose that
information to the Police as soon as it is practicable.
10.2. Individuals who fail to comply with this obligation under the Failure to Disclose
Crimes Amendment (Protection of Children) Act 2014 (Vic) and the Failure to Protect
Crimes Amendment (Protection of Children) Act 2014 (Vic) may be subject to a penalty of
imprisonment.
10.3. A number of professions in the community (including but not limited to teachers,
nurses and doctors) are also required by law to report to Child Protection where they have
formed a belief, on reasonable grounds, that a child is in need of protection because they
have suffered (or are likely to suffer) significant harm due to physical or sexual abuse.
10.4. This report must be made as soon as practicable, and on any occasion where they
become aware of other allegations and have reasonable grounds for belief.
11. POLICY BREACHES
11.1. It is a breach of this Policy for any person or organisation subject to this Policy to
have been found to have done anything contrary to this Policy.
11.2. Any person who breaches this Policy is subject to (insert relevant Club discipline
process, Member Protection Policy and/or grievance procedure outlined in the Club
constitution/Handbook)
12. RECORD KEEPING AND INFORMATION SHARING
12.1. Our Club is committed to making and retaining accurate records of reports of child safety
related concerns and complaints.
12.2. Our Club will maintain records and outcomes of investigations and resolutions of
concerns and complaints. In maintaining records of reports about child safety, our Club
will maintain confidentiality and privacy for children and families in accordance with
legislation.
12.3. From time to time, our Club may share relevant information to promote the safety and
wellbeing of children and young people where appropriate and in their best interest. This
may include sharing information with external authorities to comply with the law or to
prioritise the safety of a child or young person.
13. REVIEW
13.1. This Policy is dated 25 March 2026.
13.2. This Policy will be reviewed every 3 years or before as required.
Appendix 1 – Victorian Child Safe Standards
Standard
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Requirement
1 Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and
unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are
respected and valued.
2 Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance
and culture.
3 Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in
decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
4 Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and
wellbeing.
5 Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
6 People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to
reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
7 Processes for complaints and concerns are child-focused.
8 Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to
keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
9 Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising
the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
10 Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
11 Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and
young people.
Appendix 2 – Related documents and legislative requirements
This Policy should be read in conjunction with:
The laws of the Commonwealth and Victoria (as amended from time to time) including but not
limited to:
● Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic);
● Child Wellbeing and Safety Amendment (Child Safe Standards) Act 2015 (Vic);
● Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) Failure to Disclose Sexual Offence Committed Against a Child Under
16 (section 327);
● Failure by a Person in Authority to Protect a Child from a Sexual Offence (section 49 O);
● Working with Children Act 2005 (Vic); and
● Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) Organisational liability for child abuse.