CareSouth is committed to keeping children, young people and people with disability safe, by promoting a culture in which the safeguarding of those with whom we work is embedded in our policies, procedures, practices and Code of Conduct.
John Dorahy, the Chair of CareSouth’s Board of Directors, recently released the organisation’s Safeguarding Children, Young People and People with Disability Commitment Statement.
More than 200 staff from across the organisation pledged their commitment to safeguarding at communal meals, held in our offices at Nowra, Berkeley, Deniliquin, Griffith, Goulburn and Canberra.
“Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility at CareSouth, every day. That’s why the Board of Directors of CareSouth have supported and endorsed this Safeguarding Policy, to show our commitment at the highest level of the organisation,” said John.
CareSouth is one of the first NSW based Out-of-Home Care providers to undertake this voluntary accreditation program.
“This commitment statement applies to all CareSouth staff, volunteers, carers, students and contractors, and captures our core values and principles. It shows our leadership as a child safe organisation. Everyone involved with CareSouth has a crucial role to play in safeguarding children, young people and people with disability” said CareSouth CEO Deb Tozer.
“The safeguarding of children, young people and people with disability is an individual and shared responsibility, and one which we uphold on a daily basis, at all levels of the organisation. We are undertaking accreditation with the Australian Childhood Foundation to cement our work in this area,” said Deb.
All CareSouth staff have read our Safeguarding Children policy and completed the Australian Childhood Foundation’s Safeguarding Children online training module. This accreditation program will support us to develop and implement best practice in institutional child protection.
“It works on prevention and early intervention, putting systems in place that make it harder, and riskier, for people linked with CareSouth to commit abuse or crimes,” said Manager of Policy & Research, Karen Wilcox. “It will enhance the work we do to help keep children, young people and people with disability safe”.
The Safeguarding accreditation program supports many of CareSouth’s programs that already work to help protect children from:
• Emotional and psychological abuse
• Sexual abuse and exploitation
• Physical abuse
• Exposure to family violence
• Neglect.
CareSouth is leading the way within the child welfare sector in providing the safest possible policies, practices and culture for those with whom we work. For more information about the program, see the Safeguarding Children website.
