The Victorian Child Safe Standards are a set of mandatory requirements that provide a comprehensive framework to protect children from harm and abuse. These Standards apply to a broad range of organisations, including councils, that offer services or facilities for children.

The primary aim of the Standards is to promote the safety, wellbeing, and empowerment of children and young people, while preventing harm and abuse within organisations that work with them. By establishing clear guidelines, the Standards help organisations create and maintain child-safe environments where children and young people feel respected, heard, and protected.

Maroondah City Council is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We have a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse. We are committed to creating and maintaining a child-safe and child-friendly organisation where all children and young people are valued and protected from harm and abuse. As a child safe organisation, we are committed to providing welcoming, safe and accessible environments where all children and young people feel valued, are listened to, and are genuinely considered and involved in decisions that affect their lives.

The wellbeing and safety of the children and young people in our care will always be our priority. We have specific policies, procedures and practices in place to support our people to achieve these commitments.

As a child safe organisation, Council is committed to the appropriate reporting of concerns about the safety of children and young people, responding to complaints promptly, thoroughly and fairly, and taking immediate action to protect children and young people at risk.

A complaint or child safety incident can be about Council or its personnel including:

• The organisations services or dealings with individuals
• Allegations of abuse or misconduct by a Council employee, contractor, volunteer, student, Councillor or other individual associated with Council.
• Disclosures of abuse or harm made by a child or young person
• The conduct of a child or young person at the organisation
• The inadequate handling of a prior concern
• General concerns about the safety of a group of children, young people or activity.