Statements of Commitment

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO CHILD SAFETY

SMCELC is committed to providing a safe environment for children and young people. We understand our responsibilities and statutory duty of care to comply with the Child Safe Standards and to build our capacity as an organisation to prevent and respond to allegations of child abuse.

SMCELC is committed to implementing and abiding by our Child Safe Environment Policy incorporating the National Child Safe Standards (2022), which accentuates our zero tolerance for child abuse and raising awareness about the importance of child safety in SMCELC and the community.

We are dedicated to protecting children from abuse and neglect and promote a child safe environment, maintaining children’s wellbeing. We adhere to our comprehensive Child Protection Policy, standing by our mandatory reporting responsibilities to protect children from physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse and neglect. Information is shared with other organisations appropriately and lawfully to protect children.

We work to ensure there is clear awareness between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour concerning adults and children. We require clear precincts between children and employees, volunteers and the community to maintain children’s safety.

We are dedicated to promoting cultural safety for all children and young people, including First Nations children, children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe and inclusive environment for children with a disability. We believe all children are unique and have the right to be protected.

We value diversity and do not tolerate any discriminatory practices.

We are committed to ongoing professional development for employees to maintain their ability to distinguish and respond to situations of abuse and neglect, ensuring employees are responsive to their responsibilities in keeping children safe.

We work in collaboration with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and have confidence in educating children about their right to be safe. We believe in teaching children what to do if they feel unsafe and encouraging them to express their view and thoughts on matters that directly affect them.

As educators we listen to and empower children to act on any concerns, they or others may raise which is reflective in our policies and procedures in keeping children safe. We value the input of, and communicate regularly with families and carers and review our policies and procedures at least annually.

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

SMCELC is committed to adopt practices and procedures that work towards providing an environment that is cleaner and healthier for all stakeholders whilst supporting sustainability and increase our awareness of its importance. We aim to incorporate sustainable practices into all aspects of SMCELC operations, decision making and values to minimise our impact on the environment.

SMCELC acknowledges the responsibility and role we play in modelling sustainable practices to protect and appreciate the environment. We aim to engage children in opportunities to participate in environmentally sustainable practices, encourage decision making and problem solving and increase their awareness and sense of responsibility for caring for the environment.

Our policies and procedures will assist to support our commitment to move towards a sustainable future and implement practices that contribute to a sustainable future. Through our Sustainability Commitment Statement, we will aim to:

communicate, educate, and support all major stakeholders in environmental sustainability, including children, families, educators, visitors, and the wider community of SMCELC
provide educators with professional development opportunities and resources required to integrate environmentally sustainable education into all areas of their program
comply with all relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practices relating to environmental standards where possible
promote sustainability through reducing waste, minimising consumption, and protecting and conserving wildlife and natural habitats
incorporate our commitment to sustainable practices and actions into SMCELC Philosophy
demonstrate exceeding themes of the National Quality Standards in relation to element 3.2.2
assess the impact of our existing practices and actions during a process of evaluation and critical reflection to identify new opportunities to develop sustainable goals to support our commitment to sustainability.