1. Purpose

The Good Friday Appeal (GFA) purpose is to raise money to enable The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) to provide world class care for our children. Since 1931, the Appeal has brought all sectors of the community together to raise funds every year and it is the largest fundraiser for the RCH.

The GFA Board, executive and team is committed to the health and wellbeing of children and young people.  Their welfare is our priority and we have a zero-tolerance to child abuse, neglect or harm.  Our aim is to create a child safe and child-friendly environment.

2. Our commitment

GFA team including our volunteers, fundraisers and supporters is committed to:

• Ensuring all children who engage with the GFA feel safe, protected and supported when participating with GFA’s events, activities and fundraisers
• Ensuring GFA team is informed of their obligations to act ethically towards children and young people, understand their role and responsibility to provide a safe environment and be aware of any situations that may impact the wellbeing and safety of children and young people
• Providing guidance, policies and procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is at the forefront of the GFAs work
• Adopting the 11 child safe standards and the relevant legislation, regulations, external policies and standards on child safety and wellbeing

3.  Scope

This policy applies to:

• All people who conduct work either in a paid or volunteer capacity including staff, supporters, fundraisers and volunteers or any GFA activity that involves, results in or relates to contact with children and young people

4. Responsibilities

Everyone involved with the GFA, paid or unpaid has a role in identifying and managing risks of child abuse and harm.

Roles and responsibilities of:

• Board members and/or executive
  • Review and approve policy
  • Oversee risk assessment and risk framework
  • Recruitment and screening practices processes implemented
  • Compliant with WWCC requirements
  • Ensure relevant staff induction, training, supervision and support is provided

• Managers and staff
  • Awareness of policy and provide feedback to documentation policy
  • Compliant with WWCC requirements
  • Understand recruitment and screening practices
  • Aware of the policy and procedure for receiving and responding to complaints

• Volunteers, fundraisers, contractors, consultants and interns
  • Awareness of policy and procedure for reporting complaints
  • Compliant with WWCC requirements

5. Definitions 

Below outlines the glossary terms and definitions:

Board members and/or executive – refers to all GFA Board Members and Executive Director.

Managers and staff – refers to all GFA employees.

Volunteers, fundraisers and interns – refers to all GFA volunteers, fundraisers, work experience and interns who receive no remuneration.

Contractors and consultants – any person who is directly employed by GFA, including those employees on a fixed term or casual employment contract or contractors employed by a staffing agency for a fee. 

Child Abuse – the ill treatment or neglect including emotional, physical or sexual abuse or injury, or any physical or psychological damage that impacts the wellbeing or health of a child causing actual or potential harm to the child’s physical or mental health, survival, development or dignity. There are different types of child abuse, and many children experience more than one type – physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse including grooming, neglect and exposure to family violence.

Child/children or young person – a person under the age of 18. 

Child safe culture – an organisation with shared attitudes, values, policies and practices that prioritise the safety of children and young people.

Concern – any potential issue that could impact negatively on the safety and wellbeing of children.

Complaint – dissatisfaction regarding GFA in relation to our staff, volunteer or individual, conduct or engagement with a child or young person, inadequate handling of a complaint or the concerns about the safety of a group of activity.

Cultural Safety – the positive recognition and celebration of cultures, empowering people to contribute and feel safe to be themselves.

Equity – where all children are equal and can participate fully and safely in an organisation, regardless of their background, characteristics or beliefs. GFA understands that some children have different needs and may require different support or assistance to feel safe and to participate fully.

Intersectionality – ways in which different aspects of a person’s identity can expose them to overlapping forms of discrimination and marginalisation including gender, Aboriginality, sexual orientation, gender identity, among other aspects of a person’s identity.

Inclusive environment – an environment where all children are valued, their rights respected, discrimination is challenged, understand and respond to the needs of all children and their families, including Aboriginal children and their families.

Wellbeing – a positive state of physical, mental and emotional health where you often feel safe, happy and healthy. 

6. Reporting

The GFA team aims to create a positive culture around reporting so that people feel comfortable to raise concerns or complaints. Employees and volunteers must report any child harm or abuse concerns and complaints to or their manager or HR.

Members of the public are also encouraged to report any child harm or abuse concerns involving GFA, its employees or volunteers, to contact@goodfridayappeal.com.au

All concerns or complaints will be:

• Treated seriously and investigated thoroughly and quickly in a safe environment.
• Conducted in line with reporting, privacy and employment law obligations.
• All information will be treated confidentially, except where it is necessary to share information to respond properly to a complaint or to prioritise child safety.
• Escalated to the Executive Director or relevant stakeholders as necessary.
   

7. Relevant legislation and standards

Reference and links to relevant legislation, regulations, external policies and standards on child safety and wellbeing, as relevant to GFA and the activities it provides to support or engage children and young people.

Relevant Commonwealth or Victorian legislation

1. Victorian Legislation including Working with Children’s Act 2005 (Vic)
2. ChildWellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic)
3. Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW)
4. Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW)
5. Child Safe Standards
6. Reportable Conduct Scheme 

8. Related GFA organisational policies and procedures

Reference and links to internal GFA policies and procedures related to child safety and wellbeing.

• Fundraising Terms & Conditions
• Volunteer Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy & Complaints Handling
• Data Collection Statement
• Collection Activities Terms & Conditions
• Supervisor & Volunteer Requirements
• Risk Assessment Collections – Public Roads
• Risk Assessment Collections – Door knocking
• Victoria Police Highway Collection Guidelines
• Code of Conduct (see pages 5-6 of this Policy)

9. Policy access 

This Policy is available and accessible to the public on our website.

10.  GFA Child Safety & Wellbeing Code of Conduct 

We are committed to having an organisation that is safe for all children where child abuse and harm are not tolerated. Child safety is a priority for The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal (Good Friday Appeal) and the prevention and reporting of abuse is supported and encouraged. All staff, volunteers and contractors are responsible for promoting the safety, wellbeing, and empowerment of children. Good Friday Appeal recognises that discrimination can harm children and we treat all children with dignity and respect.

This Code of Conduct sets expectations for how staff, volunteers and contractors at the Good Friday Appeal should behave around children. This helps children participate safely in our events and have fun.

This Code of Conduct identifies positive child safe behaviours that we ask staff, volunteers and contractors to demonstrate. It also identifies behaviours that we consider unacceptable and not permitted at our organisation. Not following standards of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is a breach of this Code of Conduct. 

All Good Friday Appeal staff, volunteers and contractors must always follow these standards of behaviour, including when at the Good Friday Appeal offices, attending an event or fundraising, and when engaging with the Good Friday Appeal families at any time:

• Take all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse.
• Take disclosures of harm or abuse made by a child seriously.
• Raise concerns or breaches of this code with management if risks to child safety are identified. 
• Treat all children and young people with respect, regardless of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, nationality, cultural background, financial situation, disability or other characteristics.
• Consider the different needs of all children involved with the Good Friday Appeal, support them to participate and help them and their families feel included 
• Respect the privacy of children and their families, including keeping all personal information confidential unless required by law to share it.
• Comply with all relevant Australian and Victorian legislation and our child safe policies and procedures. 

We will not:

• Condone or participate in illegal, unsafe, abusive or harmful behaviour towards children – this includes physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, grooming, neglect or sexual misconduct.
• Ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse or harm.
• Fail to report information to police if it is known a child has been abused.
• Take photographs, screenshots or share images of children involved in activities that are not authorised by the Good Friday Appeal.
•  Be alone with a child when there is no professional reason for doing so.

If it is suspect that this Code of Conduct has been breached by another person in the organisation we will:

• Act to prioritise the best interests of the child or children
• Promptly take actions to ensure the child or children are safe
• As soon as possible report the incident or concerns to the Good Friday Appeal.
• Maintain the privacy of those involved, following the Good Friday Appeal record keeping, privacy and information sharing guidelines.

Breaches of this Code of Conduct may need to be reported to the Victorian Police, or to the Commission for Children and Young People. 

11. Policy Status and Review

This Policy, and associated procedures and processes, is reviewed every two years.