National Child Protection Week - Draft SCC Child Safe
The purpose of Child Protection Week is to engage, educate and empower Australians to understand the complexities of child abuse and neglect and work together to prevent it. At Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) our unwavering commitment to child safety is evidence of our Living Catholicity and sits at the heart of everything we do.
The frequency and complexity of concerns related to child abuse and neglect are increasing.
During Child Protection Week, we want you to know that what you are doing is making a difference to students in your school. We know you are having difficult conversations with parents, and that you ‘go above and beyond’ to provide extra support to students in need. We see the efforts you are making to keep students safe and we thank you for your commitment, kindness and courage.
If you can spare 5 minutes, please watch Josh Shipp’s powerful message, “The Power of One Caring Adult.” Please be aware that the subject matter may be confronting.
The CEDoW Child Safety and Professional Services team, known as CEDoW Child Protection, is available for all school staff, to walk with you in the recognition, response and reporting of child safety concerns. We can:
- help talk through concerns,
- provide advice on responding,
- ensure external reporting commitments are met; and
- share some of the administrative burden.
We call this ‘sharing the risk’ with schools, and we hope that it will both lighten your load and lead to better outcomes for students and families.
The theme for 2023 Child Protection Week is 'where we start matters'. CEDoW Child Protection wanted to start by thanking you and your staff.
Pleaase find attached our Draft SCC Child Safe Plan.