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Child Safety - Syndal Preschool’s Statement of Commitment

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  • Syndal Preschool is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people.  Child safety is a core part of our philosophy. It is the primary focus of our education, care and decision-making.

  • Syndal Preschool has zero tolerance for child abuse and racism.

  • Syndal Preschool is committed to providing a child safe environment wherein children and young people are safe and feel safe and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives.  We help ensure our children have the knowledge and confidence to speak to someone if they do not feel safe.  

  • Syndal Preschool promotes the cultural safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children; children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds as well as the safety and wellbeing of children with a disability.

  • At Syndal Preschool we know that children learn best when they feel safe and are safe. We foster a learning environment where all children are encouraged to express their views as they learn and develop in their community as valued citizens. Children are empowered to know their rights and to participate in decisions that impact them. Children’s sense of identity is valued and nurtured to ensure cultural multiplicity is embedded in their kindergarten program and our policies.

​The Child Safe Standards (1 July 2022) are a set of 11 compulsory standards introduced in Victoria to strengthen child safety and wellbeing in all organisations working with children — including kindergartens and early childhood services. All Early childhood services in Victoria must comply with the Child Safe Standards.

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Psychological, Emotional and Digital safety

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  • We actively promote psychological and emotional safety by building trusting and respectful relationships with each child in our care. Syndal Preschool fosters opportunities for each child to safely participate in the digital environment, express their views, and engage in meaningful learning. We are committed to creating a safe and respectful online culture, both within the service and in partnership with families.

  • We believe all children have the right to:

    •  Actively participate in digital space

    • Feel safe and supported in all online interactions

  • Through reflective practice and supervision, educator’s model responsible digital citizenship, while ensuring all digital tools used at the service are age-appropriate, purposeful, and aligned with children’s wellbeing and learning goals.

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Physical Safety​

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  • We manage risk in the physical environment to avoid harm from hazards. We do recognise that adventurous play is an important part of early childhood development and contributes significantly to children’s confidence, resilience, risk assessment skills, and overall wellbeing.

 

  • We support age-appropriate, well-supervised opportunities for children to engage in play that may involve elements of risk—such as climbing, balancing, exploring natural environments, and experimenting with new physical challenges.

Screening and Recruitment

 

  • Syndal Preschool is committed to ensuring that all staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children. Every person involved in the Syndal Preschool community has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role they play, individually and collectively, in ensuring that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.
     

  • We implement and maintain an appropriate screening and recruitment process to support child safety. We verify credentials prior to engagement and monitor them regularly to ensure continued compliance with the Child Safe Standards and regulatory requirements.

Duty of Care

 

Syndal Preschool actively manages the risks of abuse or harm to each child, including fulfilling our duty of care and legal obligations to protect children and prevent any reasonable, foreseeable risk of injury or harm. Syndal Preschool leadership, educators and volunteers are informed of the actions required by them to help keep children safe and well, and to promote and protect the rights of every child.

 

Where there are concerns regarding the safety of children, our staff are ethical, professional and timely in our communication of concerns.

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