Child Safety in Casey | City of Casey

Overview

The City of Casey is committed to creating and maintaining a child-safe organisation where protecting children from abuse, harm and neglect is embedded in the everyday thinking and practice of Council, its employees, contractors, and volunteers.

View Child Safe Policy

Alternatively, a simplified easy-to-read Child Safe Policy is also available.

Reporting child abuse

Reporting immediate danger

The safety of children and young people is everyone’s responsibility. If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 000 and/or the Child Protection Southern Division Intake on 1300 655 795 or 13 12 78 after hours.

Reporting other concerns

If you have any concerns about the conduct of a City of Casey employee, administrator, volunteer or contractor toward a child or young person, your concerns will be taken seriously.

To notify Council of any concerns, please email childsafe@casey.vic.gov.au or call 9705 5200 and ask to speak to a member of the Internal Response Team.

If you speak a language other than English, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450.

You can also contact the Commission for Children and Young People at contact@ccyp.vic.gov.au or call 03 8601 5884 (Monday to Friday).

The reporting process

Who can report?

Anyone can report – child, young person, parent, carer, Councillor, employee, volunteer, contractor or others in the community.

What to report?

Any concern or complaint, in regard to:

The conduct of a child or young person at a City of Casey service, program or event.
General concerns about the safety of a group of children or young people at a City of Casey service, program or event.
The way a prior concern was handled.
Any allegation of abuse, harm or neglect of a child or young person by an employee, Councillor, contractor or volunteer.
Disclosures of abuse, harm or neglect made by a child/young person who attends a Council service, program or event.

Before reporting abuse, harm or neglect, it is important that you have formed a 'reasonable belief'.

A person forms a ‘reasonable belief’ that a child is in need of protection, or their safety or well-being is at risk when:

A reasonable person in the same position would have formed the belief on the same grounds. It does not require proof.
The belief is formed through disclosures, observations or other information of which you have become aware.

Who to report to and how?

For immediate concerns and to report abuse, harm, or neglect, contact the Police on 000 and/or Child Protection Southern Division Intake on  1300 655 795  or 13 12 78  after hours.

For a concern or complaint regarding a City of Casey service, program or event, the City of Casey’s Complaints Handling Policy will be followed for a complaint or allegation concerning abuse, harm or neglect of a child/young person (17 years of age and under) by a City of Casey employee, Councillor, contractor or volunteer.

Contact the Internal Response Team. Email childsafe@casey.vic.gov.au or call 9705 5200 and ask to speak to a member of the Internal Response Team.

What happens next?

The Internal Response Team, Department Manager, Supervisor or employee will:

Offer support to the person who reports and the employee, Councillor, contractor or volunteer subject of the complaint or allegation.
Initiate internal processes to ensure the safety of all children/young people, including the alleged victim, clarify the nature of the complaint and commence disciplinary process and investigation (if required).
Determine, in accordance with legal requirements and duty of care, whether the matter should/must be reported to Police, Child Protection and/or the Commission for Children and Young People and make a report as soon as possible if required.

Outcome

An investigation is completed.
Relevant employee, Councillor, contractor, volunteer, parent/s, carer/s and child/young person notified of outcome of investigation.
If necessary, disciplinary action will be taken against the relevant employee, Councillor, contractor or volunteer.
Policies and procedures are reviewed and updated where necessary.

Victorian Child Safe Standards

The Child Safe Standards are a set of eleven standards that aim to create and maintain safe environments for children and young people.

The Standards came into effect in Victoria in January 2016. Further changes to the Standards came into force on 1 July 2022 to make the Standards even stronger.

The City of Casey aims to be aspirational – not just compliant – in keeping children and young people safe.

The Child Safe Standards aim to:

Promote the safety of children and young people
Prevent child abuse
Ensure organisations have effective processes in place to respond to and report allegations of child abuse
Encourage children and young people to ‘have a say’, especially on issues that are important to them or about decisions that affect their lives.

Although all children are vulnerable, some face extra vulnerabilities. Council, therefore, pays particular attention to the needs of children and young people:

with a disability
from CALD backgrounds
who are unable to live at home
who are LGBTQIA+.

More information about the Victorian Child Safe Standards and Reportable Conduct Scheme, including translated resources, can be found on the Commission for Children and Young People website .

Support for children and young people

Kids Helpline is a free 24/7, private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years. They can be contacted for any reason via online chat, phone, or email.

Resources for children, young people, parents, and carers

For children and young people

For parents and carers

Parents and carers frequently choose activities, services or programs for children. To be confident that children are welcome and safe when attending an activity or service, a range of issues must be considered. The following resources may be of assistance.