Willa: Hi, and welcome to “Protect.” My name is Willa.
Dane: And I’m Dane.
Willa: We’re here to help you understand how to best Identify and Respond to All Forms of Child abuse within Victorian Schools.
Dane: As a community we all have to work together to keep children safe and protect them from abuse.
Willa: And as school staff members we all play an especially critical role in protecting the children in our care.
We’re often best placed to identify signs and behaviours that may indicate that a child has been abused, or even that a school staff or community member is perpetrating abuse.
Dane: We must act whenever we suspect that a child has been abused, or is at risk of abuse. In fact every school staff member, not just teachers, must act. That’s right Willa?
Willa: Yes, even Principals, allied health staff and contractors. The Identifying and Responding to All Forms of Abuse policy resource has been developed to help all staff fulfil their moral and legal obligations.
It includes details on:
- Understanding our obligations
- Signs of Abuse
- Four Critical Actions- Responding to Suspected Abuse
- Reporting Concerns About the Wellbeing of a Child, and
- Sharing Information and Managing Privacy
Dane: There is a lot to remember, but we’re here to help. You’ll see us at the start of the first five sections of this resource.
Willa: We’ll run through the key points in that section of the resource and then look at how the information might apply in our school.
Dane: So, see you soon and remember that every staff member and contractor has legal and moral obligations to identify and respond to child abuse, and we all must follow the Four Critical Actions whenever you suspect that a child has been, or is at risk of being abused.