At AIFS Au Pair, we believe that adults in all aspects of children’s lives, whether parents or other carers have a moral and ethical responsibility to keep children safe and to protect them from harm and child abuse.
AIFS Au Pair actively supports measures towards child protection and child abuse prevention. AIFS Au Pair always considers and acts in the ‘best interests of the child’ principle as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and this principle forms the basis for this AIFS Au Pair Child Protection Policy and Reporting Framework.
As an organisation in the Cultural Exchange sector offering in-home services, AIFS Au Pair has a place in ensuring that children are protected from harm and believes that all children have a right to be safe from abuse and neglect.
AIFS Au Pair uses a range of opportunities to educate their community about child safety and wellbeing, so to create a child safe environment, free from harm. Such opportunities to educate include:
- This Child Protection Policy and Reporting Framework, annually reviewed and updated
- A Code of Conduct for appropriate behaviour towards and around children
- Notices and brochures displayed at our offices, on our website and advertising material, including newsletters
- Child Safer recruitment advertising, interviewing, and red-flagging for warning signs
- Child Safer recruitment screening including reference and police checks, working with children checks, qualification and first aid checks, and employment gap exploration
- Child Safer focused Induction pack content including this Policy & Code of Conduct for Au Pairs and Host Families.
- Supervision, support and performance monitoring of Au Pairs by the Australian Child Safety Officer.
- Professional Development Training in the Child Protection field for both Office representatives and Au Pairs, creating an understanding including legal responsibilities and Duty of Care to children in Australia
- Appointed Child Safety Officer
- Child abuse complaints/reporting procedures; and
- Annual review and renewal of child protection policies, procedures and code of conduct, ensuring our company continues its child safer practices has an appropriate continuous improvement process in place.
AIFS Au Pair acknowledges its responsibility both to protect children and simultaneously ensure allegations of child abuse are investigated in a fair and just manner. This document is designed to assist in this process and to ensure that all current legislative requirements are met. It also serves to ensure that all AIFS Au Pair and office representatives are familiar with the goals and objectives when protecting children, and provide guidance with decisions and activities that impact on children.
AIFS Au Pair recognises that abuse can take many forms, that these are sometimes hard to recognise and that they occur across all socio-economic groups. We have a responsibility to provide training for AIFS Au Pairs to assist them in recognising the indicators of abuse and in the mandatory reporting of child abuse (where applicable).
It is essential for AIFS Au Pair to adopt and adhere to work practices that not only ensure the safety of children, but also minimise the possibility of allegations of child abuse and neglect being made against them, vexatious or otherwise. Where an allegation against AIFS Au Pair is made, AIFS Au Pair holds a responsibility to act in line with this policy using internal assessment and discipline, and reporting to the police or authorities where required.
Scope of Policy statement
This policy statement applies to all AIFS Au Pair and parents in the Host Families. The policy also covers representatives that have direct or indirect contact with children including AIFS Au Pair office representatives.
Contacts
AIFS Au Pair
Anja Schnorpfeil, AIFS Au Pair Manager
02 8235 7051
Australian Federal Police
AFP Child Protection Website
Kids Helpline
1800 551 800
kidshelpline.com.au/
Lifeline
13 11 14
Child Wise Helpline
1800 991 099
State Specific Services
ACT
Child and Youth Protection Services
13 22 81 (international callers - +61 2 6207 5111)
Parentline ACT
(02) 6287 3833
Free telephone and face-to-face confidential counselling services to parents and carers.
NSW
Child Protection Helpline
132 111
Parent Line NSW
1300 130 052
A free telephone counselling and support service for parents and carers with children 0-18.
VIC
Victorian Child Protection Service
Northern Division - 1300 664 977
Southern Division - 1300 655 795
Eastern Division - 1300 360 391
Western Division (rural & regional) - 1800 075 599
Western Division (metropolitan) - 1300 664 977
After Hours Child Protection Emergency Service - 13 12 78
QLD
SA
NT
WA
TAS