Child Safety

Monash Council is committed to creating culturally safe environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across council services, facilities, staff, and spaces. This commitment recognises the importance of culture to children’s safety, wellbeing, and identity, and respects the diverse experiences of First Nations children.

Cultural safety is embedded through council leadership, policies, practices, and visible actions. The Child Safety Policy and Child Safe Code of Conduct clearly state Monash Council’s commitment to respecting and valuing Aboriginal children and ensuring they feel safe, supported, and included. This commitment is publicly displayed on the council website and in key service areas.

Monash Council demonstrates respect for Aboriginal culture by displaying Acknowledgement of Country across buildings, publications, and online platforms; flying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags; installing Acknowledgement of Country signage at entrances; and incorporating Aboriginal artwork and cultural design elements into early years and community spaces.

Staff are supported through ongoing professional development, including regular training and the mandatory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Appreciation training completed by all employees.

Monash Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan strengthens this work, alongside annual celebrations such as Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC Week, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day.

Through these actions, Monash Council demonstrates commitment to Child Safe Standard 1, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to feel safe, respected, and valued.

More information: First Nations Reconciliation | City of Monash

Monash Council is committed to protecting children and young people from abuse and neglect. Child safety is built into council leadership, governance, and everyday work, ensuring it is a shared responsibility across the organisation.

Monash Council’s Child Safety Policy clearly outlines expectations for keeping children safe. All staff are required to complete mandatory child safety training every two years and formally acknowledge the policy through council’s training system.

Monash Council demonstrates its commitment to child safety by publicly displaying its commitment on the Council website and including child safety statements in all job advertisements and position descriptions. Clear child safety policies and procedures apply to all staff, councillors, contractors, and volunteers.

Strong governance supports child safety through a Child Safety Governance Framework and Child Safety Steering Committee, clear incident response and reporting procedures, and a secure, centralised reporting system. Child Safe Contact Officers support safe practice across council departments.

Safe recruitment practices are in place, including Working with Children Checks for child‑facing and incidental child contact roles and police checks for all staff.

Leaders play a key role by managing child safety risks within their teams, reviewing risks each year or after incidents, and supporting staff to follow child‑safe practices.

Through strong leadership, clear systems, and ongoing training, Monash ensures child safety is embedded in our culture.

Monash Council is committed to empowering children and young people and ensuring their voices are heard, respected, and valued. Children and young people are encouraged to participate in services, programs, and decisions that affect them in ways that are safe, inclusive, and age appropriate.

This commitment is supported through Monash Council’s status as a Child Friendly City and as a signatory to the Charter for Child Friendly Cities and Communities. This framework guides how children’s participation and empowerment are embedded across policies, procedures, services, and programs.

Monash Council supports children and young people to participate by providing opportunities such as the Junior Advisory Group, undertaking child‑friendly consultation on projects that impact them, and delivering school visits that support learning about local government and our services. A wide range of programs exist across departments, including Active Monash, Libraries, Children, Youth and Family Services, and Sustainable Monash, support social connection, skill development, and wellbeing.

Children are supported to understand their safety, rights, and wellbeing through activities during Children’s Week, Community Safety Month, and within services.

Monash Council staff are guided by the Child Safety Policy and Child Safe Code of Conduct, supported by mandatory child safety training and ongoing child safety information.

Through these actions, Monash Council ensures children and young people are supported to speak up, be heard, and feel safe, meeting Child Safe Standard 3.

More information: A Child and Young People Friendly City | City of Monash

Monash Council is committed to open, respectful, and two‑way communication with families and communities to support child safety. Families and communities play an important role in creating safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for children and young people, and their involvement is valued and encouraged.

Monash Council recognises and respects diversity and works to ensure child safety information is provided in accessible and inclusive ways. Parents and carers involved in Monash Council services or programs are expected to understand and follow Council’s Child Safety Policy.

Monash Council supports families and communities by embedding the importance of family and community involvement within the Child Safety Policy and by providing clear guidance through the Child Safety Incident Response and Reporting Procedure, which explains how child safety concerns are managed and how families are involved. Child safety information is made transparent and accessible through publicly available documents on the Council website.

Key child safety documents, including the Child Safety Policy, Child Safe Code of Conduct, Incident Response and Reporting Procedure, and Governance Framework, are published online and available in diverse languages. A clear Commitment to Child Safety is also displayed, outlining how Monash Council keeps children safe and responds to concerns.

Families and communities are involved through community consultation on relevant policies and plans.

Through accessible information and meaningful engagement, Monash Council demonstrates its commitment to Child Safe Standard 4 and shared responsibility for child safety.

More Information or to provide feedback on a service or program: visit our Contact Us oage

Monash Council is committed to respecting equity and diversity and providing services that are inclusive, accessible, and safe for all children, young people, and families. This commitment recognises that children have different identities, experiences, strengths, and needs, and that respecting these differences is essential to keeping children safe.

Equity and inclusion are embedded across leadership, policies, and services. Monash Council’s Child Safety Policy clearly outlines its commitment to preventing child abuse and harm related to discrimination, including discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sex, intersex status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The policy also commits to providing information that is culturally safe and accessible.

Monash Council upholds equity and diversity by responding to children’s diverse circumstances and additional vulnerabilities, supporting staff in child‑facing roles through ongoing training, and encouraging children to express their identity and culture through programs and services.

Monash Council places a strong focus on children who may face increased risk of harm, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disabilities, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and LGBTIQA+ children. Their voices are supported through participation opportunities such as the Monash Youth Committee and Junior Advisory Group.

Equity is also considered through inclusive planning and assessment processes and reflected in leadership priorities, including the Council Plan 2025–2029.

Through inclusive leadership, skilled staff, and thoughtful planning, Monash Council demonstrates its commitment to Child Safe Standard 5, ensuring all children feel safe, valued, and supported.

More Information: Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Access | City of Monash

Monash Council is committed to ensuring that only suitable, safe, and appropriate people are employed or engaged to work or volunteer with children and young people. Strong recruitment, screening, induction, and supervision practices are in place to reduce the risk of harm and create safe environments for children.

Child safety is embedded across recruitment and people management processes and is a shared responsibility across all roles.

Monash Council supports safe recruitment by including the child safety commitment in all job advertisements and position descriptions and assessing each role for child contact using a Screening, Induction and Training Matrix. Working With Children Checks (WWCC) and police checks are required for all child‑facing roles.

All staff and volunteers are interviewed using child safety‑focused questions, with two professional reference checks completed. Recruitment requirements are clearly outlined in policies, including the Probity Policy and Talent Attraction and Selection Policy, and hiring managers receive training with a focus on child‑safe recruitment practices.

Once engaged, staff receive key child safety documents, complete online induction and child safety training, and are supported through supervision by their People Leader.

Ongoing monitoring includes regular checks of WWCC and VIT registration status and secure management of screening records.

Through these practices, Monash Council demonstrates compliance with Child Safe Standard 6, ensuring children are safe when engaging with staff and volunteers.

Monash Council is committed to ensuring that children and young people know how to raise concerns, feel safe to speak up, and are supported when they make a complaint. Participants in Monash Council services and programs, as well as families and communities, are informed about how to raise child safety concerns or complaints.

Monash Council supports safe and clear complaints handling through a Child Safety Incident Response and Reporting Procedure and a Reporting Process Flowchart, which explain how staff, volunteers, contractors, and the public can report child abuse concerns or misconduct. These procedures clearly outline how Monash Council responds to concerns and how children are supported throughout the process.

All staff receive mandatory child safety training, which includes guidance on recognising child abuse, responding safely and sensitively to disclosures, and understanding when and how to report concerns or complaints.

Monash Council ensures complaints processes are accessible and inclusive by providing information in culturally safe and accessible ways, including the use of interpreters where required. Alternative formats and spoken explanations are available for children who are blind, vision‑impaired, or unable to read.

Child safety policies and procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure complaints processes remain effective, clear, and child‑centred.

Through clear procedures, trained staff, accessible communication, and continuous review, Monash Council demonstrates compliance with Child Safe Standard 7 and ensures children are supported to safely speak up.

If a child would like to provide feedback or make a complaint they can do so to a staff member during a program or service, visit our Contact page, or contact the Child Safety Officer directly at childsafestandards@monash.vic.gov.au

Monash Council is committed to ensuring that all staff, volunteers, and contractors understand their role in safeguarding children and young people. Child safety knowledge and skills are built through induction, mandatory training, supervision, and ongoing support.

Child safety training is a core requirement at Monash Council and applies to all new and existing personnel. All staff are required to complete mandatory child safety training at commencement and every two years. This training covers child safety policies and procedures, recognising signs of child abuse and harm, reporting requirements, and how to respond safely and appropriately to disclosures.

Training completion is monitored through the Learning Management System (LMS), with clear communication from the People and Safety department. Staff are required to read and acknowledge the Child Safety Policy and Child Safe Code of Conduct through the LMS.

Monash Council supports staff capability through a range of training options, including modules that promote respect for culture and diversity, face‑to‑face or online Child Safe seminars for teams with higher‑risk roles, and more in‑depth training for Child Safety Contact Officers.

Staff, volunteers, and contractors are provided with guidance materials during induction and have ongoing access to child safety resources through the staff intranet, with child‑safe focused documents supporting volunteer roles.

Leaders supervise staff working with children and ensure child safety expectations are understood and followed.

Through comprehensive training and leadership support, Monash Council demonstrates compliance with Child Safe Standard 8.

Monash Council is committed to ensuring that children and young people are safe in both physical and online environments when they engage with services, programs, facilities, and activities. Risks to child safety are actively identified, assessed, and managed to prevent harm.

Child safety in physical and online spaces is embedded through policies, training, governance, and risk management practices. The Child Safety Policy and Child Safe Code of Conduct clearly outline expectations for keeping children safe and set standards of behaviour for all staff, volunteers, and contractors, including when interacting with children online or using digital platforms.

Monash Council manages risks across services and spaces through departmental risk assessments and the child safety continuous improvement register, which are regularly reviewed, including following incidents. Risk oversight is supported through the Child Safety Governance Framework and Child Safety Steering Committee, with serious incidents reviewed by an internal Child Safety Incident Response Team to ensure timely action.

Monash Council also ensures third parties meet child safety expectations by requiring Working with Children Checks (WWCC), including child safety clauses in leases and hire agreements, and embedding child safety requirements in community grants processes.

Staff and volunteers receive child safety training that highlights online safety risks.

Through these measures, Monash Council demonstrates compliance with Child Safe Standard 9, supporting safe participation in all environments.

Monash Council is committed to continuously improving policies, procedures, and practices that safeguard children and young people. Regular reviews and monitoring ensure child safety systems remain effective, current, and responsive to emerging risks, incidents, and legislative changes.

Clear responsibility for child safety improvement sits with the Manager Workplace Relations & Safety and the Child Safety Officer, providing accountability and oversight across the organisation.

Child safety policies and procedures are reviewed at least every four years, or sooner where required due to legislative changes, incidents, or identified risks. All child safety documents clearly display their next review date, and updates are communicated to staff and remain accessible.

Ongoing improvement is supported through strong monitoring processes, including a Continuous Improvement Register and Risk Register to track actions, and the recording and review of incidents through the safety management system to identify trends and improve responses. Annual compliance reporting is completed to monitor alignment with child safety legislation.

Departmental child safety risk assessments are reviewed annually or following incidents. Staff are required to disclose relevant convictions, charges, or Working with Children Check (WWCC) exclusions, with quarterly WWCC reviews for child‑facing roles. Leaders reinforce policy compliance and appropriate behaviour.

Where appropriate, outcomes of reviews are shared with the community or communicated directly with complainants. Through clear accountability and continuous improvement, Monash Council demonstrates compliance with Child Safe Standard 10.

Monash Council is committed to ensuring that child safety policies, procedures, and practices are clearly documented, accessible, and well communicated. This supports transparency, accountability, and a shared understanding of how children and young people are safeguarded across services, programs, and activities.

Monash Council meets Child Safe Standard 11 by making key child safety documents publicly available on the Council website. These include the Child Safety Policy, Child Safety Code of Conduct, Child Safety Incident Response and Reporting Procedure, Reporting Flowchart, and Child Safety Governance Framework. The Child Safety Policy addresses all 11 Child Safe Standards and explains how Monash Council complies with each standard.

Clear expectations and responsibilities are outlined through child safety policies and procedures, including behavioural expectations in the Child Safe Code of Conduct and reporting requirements for staff, volunteers, contractors, and the public. Child safety obligations are also embedded in other Monash documents including the Procurement Policy, Probity Policy, and Talent Attraction and Selection Policy.

To support accessibility and inclusion, the Child Safety Policy is available in diverse languages and culturally safe formats, with contact details provided for community feedback.

Child safety documentation is supported through mandatory training, targeted training for Leaders, and systems that track training completion. Regular reviews, risk assessments, and updates ensure child safety information remains current, accessible, and effective.

Through clear documentation and communication, Monash Council demonstrates compliance with Child Safe Standard 11.