Our public commitment
Younique ELC acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Casey region, the Mayone Bulluk Bunurong/Boonwurrung people. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and its surrounding region.
​
Younique ELC is committed to creating a child-safe organization that is inclusive and transparent. We aim to actively support the participation of children in our service. Younique Early Learning has zero tolerance for child abuse. We aim to take all practical steps to protect children from all types of abuse, harm, and neglect, especially Aboriginal children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD), those who are unable to live at home, children with disabilities, and children from sexuality and gender-diverse groups (LGBTQIA+).
We commit to:
-
Taking a preventative, proactive, and participatory approach to child safety in our planning, decision-making, and operation (Child safe standard 2, 5).
-
Empowering children to participate in decisions that affect their lives while fostering a culture of openness that supports all individuals to safely disclose risks of harm to children (Child safe standard 1.4, 3.6).
-
Ensuring children know who to talk to if they are worried or feeling unsafe and that they are comfortable and encouraged to raise such issues (Child safe standard 3).
-
Respecting diversity in cultures and child-rearing practices while keeping child safety paramount.
-
Recruiting staff through a rigorous and consistent screening and selection process to ensure they display the right personal qualities and experiences to provide high-quality supervision and care to children. All staff are required to provide a current Working With Children Check before beginning employment and maintain/hold a current WWCC as a condition of their employment.
-
Providing induction, training, and supervision to ensure staff understand their obligations to protect children, identify child abuse risks, and prevent, detect, and report any inappropriate behavior, misconduct, or suspected child abuse (Duty of care and Reportable Scheme) (Child safe standard 6, 7, and 8).
-
Ensuring all staff, students, and volunteers carry out their responsibilities as mandatory reporters as required by law under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection Act 1998) and maintain up-to-date knowledge of child protection law and the Child Safe Standards.
-
Managing both physical and online environments to keep children and young people safe through governance, systems, and processes (Child safe standard 9).
-
Regularly reviewing and improving our center's child safe standards (Child safe standard 10).
-
Sharing information appropriately and lawfully with other organizations where the safety and well-being of children is at risk and valuing the input of and communicating regularly with families and carers (Child safe standard 4, 11).
Review: 2024​