Mayor of Camden Ashleigh Cagney, the mother of young children, backs the notion that child safety is everyone’s business.
The issue has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons, and Mayor Cagney feels that keeping children safe is a shared responsibility.
“This applies to everyone, from parents, community members, local organisations, sporting groups and government agencies,’’ she says.
“As a mother myself, I can’t think of anything more important.’’
Camden Council recently created a child safe working group.
The NSW Government introduced the Child Safe Scheme following the Australian Government’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which ran from 2012 to 2017.
Under this scheme, the child safe standards were formed and, as a child safe organisation, council’s internal working group has been tasked with the implementation of the child safe standards.
As part of this work, the working group, which meets monthly, is focusing on several areas of child safety including:
• The child safe policy, which outlines council’s commitment to child safety and aims to provide guidance on key responsibilities and practices in relation to child safety and protection at council;
• Child safe e-learning, with staff members able to access resources relating to the child safe scheme;
• Working with children checks for adults who work or volunteer in child-related council activities.
“As parents we engage a range of services to work with our children, from schools to sporting programs to tutors, all of which are required to be child safe organisations,’’ Cr Cagney said.
“When organisations and communities adopt the Child Safe Standards, children’s safety and welfare is at the forefront with a key focus on prevention.
“I implore all parents, and everyone within the community, to do your own research and your own checks. We want you to feel empowered in this space.”
For more information on council as a child safe organisation, on how to report child protection and safety concerns and for parents on engaging children’s services, visit https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/children-and-families/child-safe-scheme
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