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Student Robotics Club SA (Roboroos 4537) has a strong commitment to child safety and establishing and maintaining child safe and child friendly environments.
WHY COMPLIANCE? –
Legislated under the Child and Youth (Safety) Act (2017) and Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016
Working with Children check assessments will be compulsory as of 1^st July 2019. This is for all people aged 18 years and over who are volunteering and working with children.
It is expected by FIRST.org that all competing teams are Child safe and meet Legislative requirements of your country.

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These checks are free and can be used in alternative settings.

WWCC – Working with Children Check (formally DCSI – Child Related Employment Screening)
If you are over 18 & your function in Student Robotics Club SA - Roboroos is:
Regular contact with children on a regular basis
Are in close proximity to children during any overnight or outside of State event
Supervise or manage persons who have regular contact with children
Have access to sensitive records relating to children or young people
This includes

Mentors,
Students and alumni aged 18 or over,
Parents and carers who are supporting children other than their own at times during build, competition and club training and events.
Members of steering committee
Volunteers over 18 years involved in schools outreach

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HOW DO I GET A DCSI WORKING WITH CHILDREN SCREENING?�

SRCSA can apply for you.
It takes less than 3 minutes for the application to be done.
We only need – Your name, email contact, date of birth and ID.
We sight (+photo shoot) 100 point ID from you – photos deleted after screening process is completed
ID could be drivers licence and passport, or any other cards and at least one photo ID is ideal to get these points.
As we submit, you will get an email with a link to be able to log on and complete more details about yourself – allow 15 minutes to complete
You have up to 2-4 weeks to do this before the process will need to be repeated but suggest you complete asap.
When you come to the section of input that asks for ID – choose Organisation before submitting.
This will flag back to us and will save you having to scan up your ID.
When processed, we will receive a confirmation email from DCSI.
You should also receive one. And you should also receive at a later date a copy in the mail. Allow between 2 days and 6 weeks. Who knows?
If you do not receive a copy in the mail (this is unclear) keep your original email as proof if required by JP to produce this. A copy can be made for portability. JP’s have to sign a specific form for electronic copies, but having the original email gives surety.
wendy.stockton@roboroos.org.au

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The Parliament of South Australia

The Parliament of South Australia recognises and acknowledges that it is of vital importance to the State, and all of its citizens, that all children and young people are given the opportunity:

to thrive
to be safe from harm
to do well at all levels of learning and to have skills for life
to enjoy a healthy lifestyle
to be active citizens who have a voice and influence

The Parliament of South Australia accordingly commits to promoting these outcomes and recognises ‘it is the duty of every person in the State to safeguard and promote these outcomes.’

Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 Chapter 2—Guiding principles for the purposes of this Act Part 1—The importance to the State of children and young people

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Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017�

The Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 requires every person to safeguard and promote the outcome that children and young people be kept safe from harm.
Organisations must have in place policies and procedures to establish and maintain a safe environment for children. These must be of a standard set by the Dept. for Education.
Individuals who work or volunteer for an agency or workplace that provides a service to children must notify the Child Abuse Report Line (as soon as practicable) if,

the person suspects on reasonable grounds that a child or young person is, or may be, at risk; and
that suspicion was formed in the course of the person's employment /voluntary work

Reporting suspicions should occur as soon as is reasonably practicable after forming the suspicion

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WHAT ARE REASONABLE GROUNDS?

You do not need to have proof to report any concerns you have about the safety of a child under 16 or a young person. Indicators that represent reasonable grounds to report a suspected offence include:�
A child or young person discloses that he or she has suffered or is suffering non accidental physical injury or sexual abuse

Someone else advises you that a child or young person has been sexually abused or non-accidentally injured, or

Your own observations of the child or young person's physical condition or behaviours lead you to reasonably suspect that the child or young person has suffered or is suffering non-accidental physical injury or sexual abuse.

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CAN ANYONE REPORT CONCERNS FOR THE SAFETY OF A CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON?

ANY person who believes, on reasonable grounds, that a child is in need of protection may voluntarily report to Child Protection Services.
You do not have to prove that abuse has taken place. You only need reasonable grounds for your belief.
You do not need permission from parents or caregivers to make a report; nor do they need to be informed that a report is being made.
If you made a report in good faith, you cannot be held legally liable - regardless of the outcome of the report.
Your identity will remain confidential unless you need to give evidence if the matter goes to court. It is rare that this happens.

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The Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017�Definition of Harm�

Physical or psychological harm (whether caused by an act or omission) includes such harm caused by sexual, physical, mental or emotional abuse or neglect.
In assessing whether there is a likelihood that a child or young person will suffer harm, regard must be had to not only the current circumstances of their care but also the history of their care and the likely cumulative effect on the child or young person of that history.

SA Legislation

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�NAPCAN (video)

DECD SE 2018

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Information overview of Child Safe Environments

As an adult volunteer with SRCSA (Roboroos) you are required to know you are mandated by law to report to the Department for Child Protection.
This power point overview training aims to

Consider and identify situations or behaviours of concern that warrant reporting
Have an awareness of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 including the responsibilities of you as volunteers and mandated notifiers and SRCSA who provide a service to children and young people
identify appropriate ways to respond to disclosures of abuse
understand the process of reporting to the Child Abuse Report Line (CARL)

All volunteers will be required to read through this presentation and complete the online Volunteer RAN-EC training. Your certificate on completion should be submitted to the SRCSA Member Protection Person on the Steering Committee.

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Child focus

SRCSA is committed to maintaining child safe environments. In order to do this we all need to ensure that our children and young people student members are our total focus. That we should consider anything concerning the safety of our student members.
If a person has a child focus they will start by asking what the effect is on the child (or children) now, in the short term and in the long term
When making a decision as to whether a situation is abusive or neglectful we need a strong child focus
When considering a situation, your primary concern should always be the child’s safety

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Definitions and at risk of harm

First let’s look at definitions of abuse and neglect and indicators and/or behaviours that may lead to suspicion on reasonable grounds that a child is at risk of harm.

Physical Abuse
Emotional Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Neglect

We will also be considering

appropriate adult behaviour

the elements of ‘grooming’ of children and young people (and significant adults in their lives) in order to gain trust with the intent to harm.

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Physical abuse and harm

The child has suffered or is at significant risk of suffering serious physical trauma or inflicted injury due to the actions of their caregiver. An injury is considered ‘inflicted’ if it was alleged to be caused wilfully or as a result of punishment.

Such actions may include:

kicking, punching, hitting (eg with open hands, fists, belts, wooden spoons etc and the frequency and force used was significant enough that an injury was likely)

Shaking (particularly of young babies)

Burning (immersion in scalding water, cigarette burns, irons etc)

Biting, pulling out hair

Alcohol or other drug administration/misuse (prescribed and illicit drugs).

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Emotional abuse

The child’s social, emotional, or cognitive development is impaired or seriously at risk as a direct result of persistent caregiver behaviour or attitude towards the child, whereby the child’s self esteem and social competence are undermined or eroded over time. “Emotional abuse is defined as abuse that occurs when a person is subjected to behaviours or actions (often repeatedly) aimed at preventing or controlling their behaviour, with the intent to cause them emotional harm or fear through manipulation, isolation or intimidation.”

Such behaviour may include:

constant devaluing or criticism (eg ‘you're hopeless, useless, stupid’)

ignoring (eg parent or carer is psychologically unavailable to the child)

rejecting (telling a child in varying ways that they are unwanted)

corrupting (to allow children to participate in immoral or criminal acts)

Isolating (limits normal social experiences)

terrorising (may single out or threaten with punishment or death)

witnessing domestic/family violence

hostility

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Sexual abuse

Any sexual activity or behaviour that is imposed on a child by another. �Sexual abuse occurs when someone in a position of power over children �uses that power to involve the child/ren in sexual activity.

Such behaviour may include:

fondling, kissing or holding a child in a sexual manner

talking in a sexually explicit way that is not age or developmentally appropriate

sending obscene mobile text messages, phone calls or emails to a child

showing pornographic films, magazines or photographs to a child

having a child pose or perform in a sexual manner

forcing a child to watch a sexual act

child prostitution

exhibitionism, mutual masturbation, oral sex

penetration of the genital or anal region

persistently intruding on a child’s privacy

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Neglect

Neglect is characterised by serious, ongoing failure to provide for a child’s basic needs, to the extent that the child is not receiving the care and supervision necessary to protect them from harm, has suffered serious physical injury or illness, or there is risk of serious harm to the child’s �wellbeing and development.

Such behavior may include:

failure to provide adequate nutrition, clothing or personal hygiene

inadequate supervision of young children for long periods of time

failure to provide needed or appropriate healthcare and/or medical treatment

disregard for potential hazards in the home

forcing children to leave home early.

Single incidents can have no harmful effects or, in some cases, they can result in trauma or death.

The most common reasons for fatal neglect are supervision, chronic physical and medical neglect.

Physical neglect – impact severely on a child’s development by causing failure to thrive, malnutrition, serious illness, physical harm such as cuts bruises or burns due to inadequate supervision and a lifetime of low self esteem. Nb failure to thrive can be associated with a number of medical conditions and cannot be taken as indication without medical assessment

Educational neglect – chronic truancy, is not enrolled or receiving educational training. This can lead to difficulty in acquiring basic life skills

Emotional neglect – can lead to poor self image, destructive behaviours and chronic depressive symptoms.

Medical neglect – withholding traditional medical care can be the practice of religious beliefs.

Domestic violence – children can be adversely affected by violence whether they witness it, hear it or are exposed to the consequences of emotions post violence

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Grooming

A process by which a person prepares a child, significant adults and the environment for the abuse of this child. Specific goals include gaining access to the child, gaining the child’s compliance and maintaining the child’s secrecy to avoid disclosure. This process serves to strengthen the offender’s abusive pattern, as it may be used as a means of justifying or denying their actions.” (Craven et al., 2006). These definitions may apply to a real world setting, or that which occurs online

The stages of grooming – read more in your short answers document

The friendship forming stage

The relationship forming stage

The risk assessment stage

Exclusivity stage

Sexual stage

Final stage

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If you suspect abuse, but the child or young person has not disclosed to anyone, you need to approach the child or young person in a caring and sensitive way and assure them that you are willing to listen and to help if there is a problem and they ever wish to tell someone.

Be aware that the child or young person may be experiencing emotional distress.

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Thoughts and feelings of an abused child

Guilt
Confusion
Loyalty to the abuser
Belief the abuser will go to jail
I was protecting my siblings
It’s normal
Fear of consequences
I probably deserved it

“You’ve been brought up to love your parents no matter what. I don’t think that I had a choice. I didn’t feel like I did.” (18-year old female).

“They might go to jail for being naughty. I might go to jail for being naughty.”

“…but the way I see it… I mean for starters they’re my parents , the only parents I’ve got, and as warped as their love may be, they still love me and that’s like the most important thing to me, is to have people who love me and care for me… so it’s a hard thing to give up.”

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Ways a child may disclose sensitive information

directly

Verbal or written statements

indirectly

Hints, attitudinal behaviours, paintings, stories music choices or poetry

With conditions

May only talk if certain promises or conditions are met

Disguised disclosure

That the abuse is happening to someone else – they are not ready to tell that someone else is themselves

Third party

Some one else wants to expose abuse that is happening to someone they know.

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When responding to a child who discloses abuse:

Where possible, mask your own emotions

Give them time. Don’t rush them. It was right to tell: ‘I’m glad you told me’

It is not their fault – it is never the child or young person’s fault

Other children have been in this situation – they are not alone

It is not acceptable for adults to harm children or young people � – no matter what.

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�Words to use in responding…

Begin with an emotion:

“That bruise looks painful, can you tell me more about that?”
“You looked unhappy when you came back yesterday, was there a reason for that?”

If the trauma occurred some time ago, it may help to refer to the young person from that time such as:

“That must have been really hard for 8 year old Jeremy.”
”That sounds like it is still hard for you to talk about. I’m impressed and glad that you were brave enough to tell me.”

Disclosure

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Video - In a child’s eyes – responding to Abuse and neglect (England) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJmxKSCrHwk

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General principles to apply

They need to be taken seriously

They have the right to support, help and protection

During disclosure children experience a crisis

Believe children

Listen and offer support

Do not make promises that cant be kept

Reinforce that abuse and/or neglect is not their fault

Reinforce that children have done the right thing by sharing the information.

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�Safe Organisations

What makes an organisation vulnerable to someone seeking to harm children or young people?

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��Organisational factors that increase vulnerability to perpetrators

a lack of understanding of perpetrator grooming techniques
inadequate supervision of children
an unwillingness to intervene in potentially inappropriate behaviours
an absence of clear and formal rules and expectations
an institution’s trust in the perpetrator
a lack of avenues or opportunities to report concerns of child sexual abuse

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How do we keep children safe and supported?

SRCSA is committed to be a child-safe organisation which does not simply create an environment free from risk or danger.

It is about building an environment which is both child safe and child friendly, where children feel respected, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential.

SCRSA aims to promote a culture in which children and young people are safe, protected. Where they are encouraged to actively participate and express their view. In this way they are more likely to speak up in the event they feel unsafe or are being hurt in any way.

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Policies & Procedures

Code of conduct

Risk management

Voice of the child

Information sharing

Safe staff recruitment

Training

Child-safe organisations have these elements in place

SRCSA has these elements in place.

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Volunteers:

Will have clear guidance on their own behaviour around children
Will know what to do if they notice or are told about inappropriate adult behaviour on the part of others

SRCSA policy and code of conduct enables

SRCSA:

To become less desirable to those who would wish to join the organisation with the intent to abuse children

Student members:

Will have a voice and are more likely to speak up in the event they feel unsafe or are being hurt in any way.

You can access this document on our website

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FIRST Youth Protection Program

https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/about/FIRST-YPP-ProgramGuide.pdf
You can access FIRST document here
https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/youth-protection-policy
Take the time to watch the video in following slide. Disregard American contacts.

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FIRST Professional boundaries - Youth Protection Program- (click the black area) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edfJT6ILCDc&feature=youtu.be

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�Reporting suspicion

Volunteers of SRCSA, an Organisation that provides a service to children and young people must notify their suspicion of risk or harm.

A person to whom this part applies must, if:

the person suspects on reasonable grounds that a child or young person is, or may be, at risk; and
that suspicion was formed in the course of their volunteering role, report that suspicion…as soon as reasonably practicable…

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�Reporting Suspicion

Phone line

Speak with a Department for Child Protection worker.

The worker will prompt you with questions.

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�Notification checklist

Information you should have with you, if possible, for both telephone and electronic notifications.

Child/ Young Person Identification details:

Full name
Date of birth/age/year level
Current address/contact number/siblings
School or care setting
Current whereabouts
Parent/Carer details
Cultural details
Perpetrator details

Other family details:

Custody arrangements etc.

Knowledge about the functioning of the family:

Networks, Supports, Health issues, Family Violence, Mental Health issues etc.
Details of concerns
The indicators you have identified (injuries, comments/disclosures, behaviours that have lead you to suspicion on reasonable grounds child is at risk of harm
Notifier/s details

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Child protection process - SA

Referral for support (agencies)

Concerns noted for future if required

CARL worker�assessment

If meets threshold, decision made as to whether to investigate/assess further

Transferred to �Dept. Child Protection Office

For decision/response

Further assessment

With family and�support via �Dept. Child Protection

Referred to SAPOL

If concern relates to extra-familial

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Did we achieve the aims of this overview information training?

Consider and identify situations or behaviours of concern that warrant reporting
Have an awareness of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 including the responsibilities of you as volunteers and mandated notifiers and SRCSA who provide a service to children and young people
identify appropriate ways to respond to disclosures of abuse
understand the process of reporting to the Child Abuse Report Line (CARL)

Go online to the RAN-EC training – takes between 30-60 minutes. On completion you will be emailed a certificate. This is to be submitted to Member Protection Person on SRCSA Steering Committee.

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Online RAN-EC training instructions

Click on the following link
https://www.education.sa.gov.au/working-us/responding-abuse-and-neglect-training/ran-ec-training-courses/volunteers-online-course-responding-abuse-and-neglect-education-and-care
Click on register for the volunteers online course
This will open Plink and you will be required to open an account.
Select from drop down menu of account type – 1. volunteer
Complete the rest of the details including your own password creation.
Use at least on upper case letter
This will open the following – see screenshots next slide then register