Paddle Victoria Child Safe Code of Conduct
To formally register your agreement to abide by this Code of Conduct, please use the link below, fill in the details and submit your agreement. A database of those who have agreed to the code will be kept at the Paddle Victoria office.
This Code of Conduct outlines the appropriate standards of behaviour by adults towards children and young people.
The Code of Conduct aims to protect children and reduce any opportunities for abuse or harm to occur. It also helps staff, volunteers and members by providing them with guidance on how to best support children and how to avoid or better manage difficult situations. This Code of Conduct applies to all people involved in Paddle Victoria activities, including coaches, officials, volunteers, and parents.
All Paddle Victoria staff, volunteers and members are responsible for promoting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by:
• Adhering to our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy, this Code of Conduct, Paddle Australia, and other Paddle Victoria policies.
• Child Safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance, and culture.
• Taking all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse and ensuring that people working with children are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
• Treating everyone with respect and ensuring that equity is upheld, and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
• Welcoming all children, their families and carers and ensuring that they are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
• Establishing a culturally safe environment in which cultural, religious, and political differences are respected when interacting with Aboriginal children or those who are culturally or linguistically diverse and those with a disability.
• Staff and Volunteers are equipped with knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
• Listening to children and ensuring that they are empowered about their rights and participate in decisions affecting them.
• Reporting and acting on any breaches of this Code of Conduct, complaints or concerns appropriately and treating them seriously and with respect.
• Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for Children and young people to be harmed.
• Working with children in an open and transparent way – other adults should always know about the work you are doing with children.
• Respecting the privacy of children and their families, and only disclosing information to people who have a need to know.
Paddle Victoria staff, volunteers and members MUST NOT:
• Seek to use children in any way to meet the needs of adults.
• Ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions, or disclosures of child abuse.
• Use prejudice, oppressive behaviour or language with children.
• Engage in rough physical games.
• Discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability or sexuality.
• Initiate unnecessary physical contact with children or do things of a personal nature that children can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes.
• Develop ‘special’ relationships with specific children or show favouritism through the provision of gifts or inappropriate attention.
• Exchange personal contact details such as phone number, social networking site or email addresses with children.
• Have unauthorised contact with children and young people online or by phone.
By observing these standards you acknowledge your responsibility to immediately report any breach of this code to Paddle Victoria, Executive Officer – executive_officer@paddlevic.org.au/ 0430 312 252 or if you suspect child abuse report immediately to the police 000.
This Code of Conduct will be reviewed by Paddle Victoria annually
To formally register your agreement to abide by this Code of Conduct, please use the link below, fill in the details and submit your agreement. A database of those who have agreed to the code will be kept at the Paddle Victoria office.
Child Safe Code of Conduct Agreement