Child Safety and Wellbeing
The safety of children and young people is everyone’s responsibility.
All children and young people who attend services, events, programs and community spaces have the right to feel safe and be heard.
If a child is in immediate danger call the police on 000 (triple zero).
To report concerns about the safety of a child contact the Child Protection Crisis Line on 131 278 (24 hours, 7 days a week, toll free within Victoria)
Child Safe Standards
The Rural City of Wangaratta is required by law to implement Child Safe Standards in order to protect children from harm.
The Standards were established by the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005. The Standards address sexual, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse. It also covers serious neglect of children under the age of 18 years.
The Child Safe Standards are a set of eleven standards that aim to create and maintain child safe environments.
The Child Safe Standards aim to:
- Promote the safety of children
- Prevent child abuse
- Ensure organisations and businesses have effective processes in place to respond to - and report all - allegations of child abuse.
The Child Safe Standards work by:
- Driving changes in organisational culture – embedding child safety in everyday thinking and practice
- Providing a minimum standard of child safety across all organisations
- Highlighting that we all have a role to keep children safe from abuse.
Child safety and those most at risk:
Although all children are vulnerable, some face extra vulnerabilities. The standards provide three overarching principles that organisations must consider:
- The cultural safety of Aboriginal children.
- The cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
- The safety of children with a disability.
Council's commitment
All children or young people who attend services, programs, and events delivered by the Rural City of Wangaratta have the right to feel and be safe. This includes in spaces owned or managed by Council.
The wellbeing and safety of children and young people in our care will always be our priority.
The Rural City of Wangaratta has zero-tolerance of child abuse. Council is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and friendly organisation where all children are valued and protected from abuse.
The Rural City of Wangaratta is committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation where protecting children from abuse is embedded in the everyday thinking and practice of Council, its employees, contractors and volunteers.
What is considered conduct against a child?
Conduct against a child includes:
- Sexual offences
- Sexual misconduct
- Physical violence
- Significant emotional or psychological harm
- Significant neglect.
Who can I contact for help?
Kids Helpline is a free 24/7, confidential and private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years.
You can speak to them:
- over the phone
- via email
- through online live chat
You can contact Kids Helpline about a wide range of issues. This includes everyday topics such as family, friends and school to more serious issues of child abuse, bullying, mental health issues, drug and alcohol use, homelessness and suicide.
How to report a concern
If you believe a child is of immediate risk of abuse phone 000.
Report concerns to the Child Protection Crisis Line on 131 278 (24 hours, 7 days a week, toll free within Victoria)
To notify Council of any concerns please email childsafe@wangaratta.vic.gov.au or call 03 5722 0888 (Monday – Friday) and ask for People and Culture. Any concerns about a Rural City of Wangaratta employee, administrator, volunteer or contractor’s behaviour or conduct towards a child or young person will be treated seriously.
You can also contact the Commission for Children and Young People at contact@ccyp.vic.gov.au or call 03 8601 5884 (Monday to Friday).
Resources