Child safe policy

All children who take part in Friends of Werribee Gorge & Long Forest Mallee Inc. (FOWGLFM Inc.) volunteer conservation activities have a right be safe and feel protected. FOWGLFM Inc. will work to create a child-safe and friendly environment where conservation is fun and activities are appropriate to the age, abilities, culture and interests of children and adults.

As a member group we have adopted the Landcare Victoria Inc. Child Safety Policy which conforms to the Victorian Child Safe Standards. 

Volunteers working with Friends of Werribee Gorge & Long Forest Mallee Incorporated must comply with the Child Safe Policy of Landcare Victoria. Members will have a Working With Children card and the Secretary will keep a database recording WWC card currency.

Safety, welfare and participation of children will be ensured by:

1. treating everyone with respect.
2. encouraging children to take part in conservation activities with enthusiasm.
3. taking all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse and keep them safe.
4. listening to and responding to the views and concerns of children.
5. encouraging children to participate in safe and appropriate activities.
6. promoting the safety, participation and empowerment of all children including all diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, culturally and linguistically diverse and ability different children.
7. ensuring as far as practicable that one adult is not left alone with a child away from the group.
8. encouraging children to ‘have a say’ and participate in all relevant organisational activities where possible, especially on issues that are important to them.
9. ensuring that a child is safe if an allegation of child abuse is made. 
10. reporting allegations of child abuse or child safety concerns to the police, Coordinator of FOWGLFM Inc. and CEO of Landcare Victoria.

Committee Members and volunteers must not:

1. exhibit behaviours with children which are unnecessarily physical, or may be construed as ‘special treatment’ such as offering gifts to a specific child.
2. put children at risk of abuse.
3. do things of a personal nature that a child can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes.
4. use inappropriate language in the presence of children or discuss ‘inappropriate’ adult topics.
5. express personal views on cultures, race or sexuality in the presence of children.
6. discriminate against any child especially because of culture, race, ethnicity or disability.
7. have inappropriate online contact of a personal nature with a child or their family.
8. ignore or disregard any suspected or disclosed child abuse.

A copy of this Child Safe Code of Conduct will be made available to volunteers working with Friends of Werribee Gorge & Long Forest Mallee Incorporated. Their acceptance of the code will be acknowledged by their signature, initials or tick on their signing into the activity. 

See below for further information: ‘Landcare Victoria Child Safety Policy’ July 2022

Version 2, adopted 24 February 2024