CHILD SAFETY

NSW Child Safe Standards

Positive Pathways Child Contact Services is committed to implementing the NSW Child Safe Standards, which help organisations create cultures where children are safe, valued and respected.

The Child Safe Standards focus on:

Leadership and commitment to child safety.
Children's participation and voice.
Family and community involvement.
Inclusion and respect for diversity.
Safe recruitment and screening of staff.
Effective complaints and reporting systems.
Ongoing staff training.
Safe physical and online environments.
Continuous improvement.
Documented child-safe policies and procedures.

Recruitment, Screening and Staff Induction

Positive Pathways is committed to ensuring that all staff and contractors who work with children are appropriately qualified, experienced, and committed to child-safe practices. Prior to engagement, all personnel undergo a rigorous recruitment and screening process, which includes verification of qualifications, professional reference checks, Working With Children Check (WWCC) clearance, National Police Check and assessment of suitability to work with children and families. All new staff and contractors are required to complete a comprehensive induction program covering child safety, mandatory reporting obligations, professional boundaries, risk management, confidentiality, incident reporting, and organisational policies and procedures. Ongoing supervision, professional development, and regular child safety training are provided to ensure personnel maintain current knowledge and continue to uphold the highest standards of child-safe practice.

Mandatory Reporting

Professionals working in a child related field are legally required to report concerns when they believe a child may be at risk of significant harm.

If a child discloses abuse or a staff member becomes concerned about a child's safety, Positive Pathways may be legally required to make a report to child protection authorities, regardless of whether a parent agrees.

Our primary responsibility is always the safety and wellbeing of the child.

Children's Rights

Children using our service have the right to:

Feel safe and protected.
Be treated with dignity and respect.
Have their views listened to and considered.
Be free from discrimination, bullying and abuse.
Participate in decisions affecting them where appropriate.
Raise concerns and have them taken seriously.

At Positive Pathways, the safety, wellbeing and best interests of the children are our highest priority. We are committed to providing a safe, respectful and child-focused environment where children can maintain meaningful relationships with family members while feeling protected, heard & supported.

We have zero tolerance for child abuse, neglect, exploitation, grooming, bullying or any behaviour that places a child at risk or harm.

Safe Contact Visits

To promote child safety, Positive Pathways:

Use our Risk Management Framework and Risk Management Tool to conduct location assessments before services commence.
Reviews relevant court orders, apprehensive violence orders and referral information.
Maintains appropriate supervision during contact visits.
Monitors interactions and intervenes where safety concerns arise.
Maintains professional boundaries at all times.
Documents and reports significant incidents when required.
Increases staff ratio if there are 3 or more children in a supervised visit.

Regular Policy & Procedure Auditing

Positive Pathways is committed to maintaining current, compliant, and best practice policies and procedures. All organisational policies and procedures are formally reviewed annually to ensure they remain consistent with current legislation, industry standards, contractual obligations, and operational requirements. Reviews may also be undertaken at any time where legislative changes, regulatory updates, organisational developments, or identified risks require amendments. Where revisions are made, all employees and contractors will be provided with the updated documentation and required to complete a formal Acknowledgement confirming they have read, understood, and agree to comply with the revised policies and procedures.

This ongoing review process ensures Positive Pathways maintains the highest possible standards of child safety, governance, and professional practice, providing children, families, referring agencies, and the courts with confidence that our services reflect current legislation, evidence-based practice, and continuous quality improvement.

Staff Certification & Clearance Auditing

Positive Pathways is committed to ensuring all employees and contractors maintain the qualifications, certifications, and clearances required to safely perform their roles and meet legislative and organisational requirements.

Positive Pathways maintains a comprehensive register of all employee and contractor qualifications, certifications, clearances, issue dates, and expiry dates. This register is actively monitored to ensure all mandatory documentation is renewed prior to expiry, enabling uninterrupted compliance with legislative, contractual, child safety and organisational requirements.

At a minimum, the following requirements apply:

Relevant Industry Qualifications – Qualifications in an appropriate field such as Social Work, Community Services, Youth Work, Psychology, Education, Early Childhood, or another relevant discipline, as required for the role.
Working With Children Check (WWCC) – Must remain valid at all times. Although renewed every five (5) years, WWCCs are audited every six (6) months.
National Police Check – Must be renewed every two (2) years.
First Aid Certificate – Must be renewed every three (3) years.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certificate – Must be renewed annually.
Child Protection Training – Must be completed or refreshed annually.

Any staff member or contractor whose mandatory qualifications, certifications, or clearances have expired, lapsed, or are unable to be verified will not be permitted to undertake work on behalf of Positive Pathways until compliant documentation has been provided. This proactive auditing process supports our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of child safety, professional practice, and legislative compliance.

Privacy & Confidentiality

Positive Pathways is committed to protecting the privacy, dignity, and personal information of all children, families, and clients. All personal information is collected, stored, used, and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Confidentiality is fundamental to creating a safe and trusted environment for children, ensuring sensitive information is only accessed or shared where authorised, legally required, or necessary to safeguard a child's wellbeing. All employees and contractors are required to sign a Privacy and Confidentiality Agreement during induction and renew this acknowledgement annually as part of their ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct, child safety, and legislative compliance.

Secure Information Management and Cyber Security

Positive Pathways is committed to the secure storage and protection of all electronic records, including referrals, client files, reports, photographs, and other confidential information. Digital records are stored using secure, password-protected systems with access restricted to authorised personnel only. Appropriate safeguards, including secure authentication, encryption where applicable, regular software updates, and secure backup processes, are implemented to minimise the risk of unauthorised access, loss, or data breaches. The use, storage, and transmission of information are managed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) to protect the privacy and safety of children and families.

To further strengthen organisational resilience, Positive Pathways maintains Cyber Liability Insurance to provide protection in the event of a cyber incident, including data breaches, cybercrime, or malicious attacks. This complements our ongoing commitment to robust cyber security practices, ensuring sensitive client information remains protected and that appropriate support and response measures are available should a cyber security event occur.

Raising Concerns or Making a Complaint

Positive Pathways encourages children, young people, families, carers, and referring agencies to raise any concerns relating to a child's safety, wellbeing, rights, service delivery, or the conduct of employees and contractors. We are committed to fostering a culture where children feel safe to speak up, concerns are listened to respectfully, and all reports are taken seriously, responded to promptly, and managed in accordance with our child-safe policies, legislative obligations, and continuous improvement practices.

Written complaints can be submitted to:

Director
Positive Pathways Child Contact Services

M: 0418 275 328

Email: admin@positivepathwaysccs.com.au

Complaints will be acknowledged and investigated in accordance with our Complaints Handling Policy.

Child Safety in NSW

Our service operates in accordance with relevant child protection laws and child-safe principles in New South Wales.

These laws and standards are designed to ensure that organisations working with children:

Put children's safety first.
Protect children from abuse and harm.
Listen to and respect children's views.
Respond appropriately to concerns or allegations.
Maintain safe environments for children and families.

Reporting Child Safety Concerns

If you are concerned about the safety or wellbeing of a child, you should speak with our Director immediately.

You may also contact:

NSW Child Protection Helpline
13 21 11 (24 hours)

NSW Police Emergency
000

Working Together for Child Safety

Creating a child-safe environment is a shared responsibility. We encourage children, parents, carers, family members and professionals to work together to ensure every child feels safe, respected and supported.

If you would like further information about our Child Safe Policies, Complaints Procedure, or Child Safe Code of Conduct, please contact us.