WWCC Seminar

 Children and Young Person's Act

 All allegations go to the ombudsman (a recent change)
 Makes sure the department deals with the allegations appropriately
 All teachers are mandatory reporters, tell principal/deputy/senior figure
 Department provides safe secure environment, trains employees to act on suspected risk of
harm
 Teacher plans for safe environment, respond to student needs, know indicators of abuse and
neglect, report risk of harm (moreso general safety and wellbeing of children than individual
cases)
 DOE Code of Conduct
 Applies to all DOE employees
 Department considers under 18 a child
 Includes psychological harm risk
 Can't promise privacy to a student
 EPAC Employee Performance and Conduct Directorate for complaints (above principal)
 + police if necessary
 Government + non-Government schools (children in general) reportable conduct scheme
 Sexual offence/sexual misconduct (incl. child pornography)
 Incl. where students in "special care" relationships, even if student 16 or 17
 Sexual misconduct incl. crossing professional boundaries, sexually explicit
comments/behaviour, grooming behaviour
 No friendships, no social media (post-school is okay, if not grooming)
 Assault, ill-treatment, neglect, any behaviour that causes psychological harm
 "Crossing professional boundaries" - inappropriate, overly personal relationship or focus on a
child, group or young person
 Grooming - testing boundaries, giving gifts, undue focus, isolating child from guardians,
'accidental' touching, keeping 'secrets' with the child
 Physical Assault - hostile act with some force applied, reckless act with foreseeable danger,
inciting fear by threats or actions
 Neglect and Ill Treatment - reckless failure to supervise, gross failure to attend to basic needs,
obvious failure to report a child at risk, excessive punishment for a child's age, physical ability
or developmental stage
 Psychological harm - targeted criticism, excessive/unreasonable demands, severe/persistent
verbal abuse, rejection, scapegoating, using inappropriate locations or social isolation as
punishment
 Reasonable behaviour is behaviour that is reasonable for student management and discipline.
The scheme recognises that sometimes there's unnecessary contact that is trivial and does not
need to be investigated.
 You can touch students in a non-intimate area to attract attention, guide, comfort,
congratulate, provide medical care, disarm a child wanting to harm themselves or another,
and to instruct such classes as sport, drama, dance etc.
 You can raise your voice to attract attention or restore order (classroom management setting).
 Accidental touching that has been established as accidental is a-okay.
 Physical restraint only okay in very unusual circumstances: when the student is at immediate
risk of injury (or others), when there is immediate risk of serious damage to property. It should
be a last resort, and depend on the student's size and age.
 When an allegation is made, principal notifies EPAC immediately. They will assess the risk and
decide on a path of enquiry.
 Principles of investigation by EPAC - risk management, procedural fairness, care & Support,
collecting the right info, confidentiality, transparency of process and good record keeping.
  EPAC - 9266 8070
Anaphylaxis
 Hold like a dagger, blue lid off, press in to leg, hold for 3 seconds
 Red plan for anaphylaxis
 Green for allergies
 Orange plan is general action plan
 Vomiting and breathing difficulty is a sign of anaphylaxis in insect bite cases
 If in doubt, jab
 Jab before you give a puffer
 Keep lying down
 Just follow the plan