Catholic school communities place the highest priority on the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people. Founded in Christ and sustained by faith, Catholic schools seek to fulfil their mission of enabling each student to come into the fullness of their own humanity. This includes paying attention to the inherent dignity of children and young people, and their fundamental right to be respected, nurtured and safeguarded by all.

Lumen Christi Catholic Primary School and the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Sale (CEOSale) are committed to safeguarding children and young people against sexual, physical, psychological and emotional abuse and/or neglect, and is working in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Melbourne and Dioceses of Ballarat and Sandhurst through the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) and with Diocesan schools to achieve this.

The Victorian Child Safe Standards

There are new Victorian Child Safe Standards that have come into effect through Ministerial Order No. 1359 on July 1st, 2022.

These standards set out the requirements and actions that our school must take to keep our children safe. 

There are eleven Child Safe Standards that schools are required to action.

Child Safe Standard 1: Establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

Child Safe Standard 2: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.

Child Safe Standard 3: Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

Child Safe Standard 4: Families and communities are informed, and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.

Child Safe Standard 5: Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.

Child Safe Standard 6: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.

Child Safe Standard 7: Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.

Child Safe Standard 8: Staff volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.

Child Safe Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

Child Safe Standard 10: Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

Child Safe Standard 11: Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

Diocese of Sale:Catholic Education Limited Child Safety

Child safe organisations must have:

1. strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements
2. a child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety
3. a code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
4. screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel
5. processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
6. strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
7. strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children.

In complying with the child safe standards, organisations must include the following

principles as part of each standard:

• promoting the cultural safety of Aboriginal children
• promoting the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
• promoting the safety of children with a disability.

DOSCEL: Whistleblower Policy and Contact Information