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Child Protection Policy and Reporting Framework August 2017 AIFS Au Pair

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Child Protection Policy and Reporting Framework August 2017 AIFS Au Pair Child Protection Policy and Reporting Framework August 2017 AIFS Au Pair American Institute for Foreign Study (Australia) Pty Ltd 10 -14 Oxford Square Darlinghurst NSW 2010 ABN 58 087 638 499 T: 1300 889 067 Email: [email protected] © Copyright 2017 Table of Contents Contents Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................... 2 About Us ............................................................................................................................................. 3 AIFS Around the World ....................................................................................................................... 3 Our Mission ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Our Values ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Why choose AIFS? ............................................................................................................................... 4 1. Child Protection Policy Statement ........................................................................................................ 5 Scope of Policy statement .......................................................................................................................... 6 2. Reporting Responsibilities ...................................................................................................................... 6 3. Understanding Abuse ............................................................................................................................. 7 4. Legal Requirements ............................................................................................................................... 8 5. Responding to complaints, disclosures & reporting .............................................................................. 9 6. Reporting allegations: a step by step guide ......................................................................................... 10 7. AIFS Au Pair Reporting Scenarios ......................................................................................................... 13 8. Child Abuse Indicators ......................................................................................................................... 18 9. Disciplinary Process for Non-Compliance ............................................................................................ 19 10.Contacts .............................................................................................................................................. 19 Attachment A – Child Abuse Trauma Indicators by Age Group ............................................................... 20 Attachment B - Relevant child protection entities for reporting child abuse in each Australian State and Territory. .................................................................................................................................................. 22 2 About Us The American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) was established in 1964 to offer cultural exchange opportunities to young people from around the world. The American Institute for Foreign Study (Australia) Pty Ltd commenced its Australian operations in 1999 to give young Australians the chance to participate in our outbound programs, Camp America and Au Pair in America. Each year, over 3,000 young people will participate on an AIFS program into or out of Australia. AIFS currently offers young Australians the opportunity to participate on Camp America or Au Pair in America. Our inbound options: Work & Travel, Farm & Travel, Hgh School, Study Abroad and Au Pair programs attract more than 3,000 young travellers from over 20 countries . AIFS Around the World The American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) and our family of companies organises cultural exchange programs throughout the world for more than 50,000 students and young people each year. Since our founding in 1964, more than a million people have participated on an AIFS study or working-travel program. Our Mission • To provide the highest quality educational and cultural exchange programs • To enrich the lives of people throughout the world Our Values • Excellence in programs, operations and people • Exceptional caring support for our program participants • Honest, equitable and non-discriminatory treatment of program participants, partners, and employees • Innovation • Teamwork and collaboration both within the organization and with partners • Encouragement of employee initiative and professional development • Responsible financial stewardship • Support of multi-cultural values 3 Why choose AIFS? The opportunity and need for enhanced global understanding is greater now than ever. AIFS programs teach young people from all over the world to understand each other's qualities, their similarities and differences. Participants will learn vital language skills, become more culturally aware, will meet new people, and explore new places with the opportunity to add an international dimension to their CV. In fact, our strength lies in providing AIFS program participants with the educational edge they need to succeed in a highly competitive, diverse and interdependent world. Our Network In addition to our Australian operations, globally AIFS has principal offices in Bonn, Boston, London, Paris, Stamford, San Francisco, Warsaw and Washington DC. Our Staff AIFS staff understand the challenges, rewards and benefits associated with overseas study, work and travel with most staff having lived or studied in another country. This invaluable experience coupled with their local knowledge provides our customers with a comprehensive level of service every step of the way. AIFS Au Pair employs a number of representatives who during the course of their duties work either directly (Au Pairs) or indirectly (office representatives) with children. All of our representatives have legal responsibilities and a Duty of Care towards children in our care. 4 1. Child Protection Policy Statement At AIFS Au Pair, we believe that adults in all aspects of children’s lives, whether parents or other carers have a moral and ethical responsibility to keep children safe and to protect them from harm and child abuse. AIFS Au Pair actively supports measures towards child protection and child abuse prevention. AIFS Au Pair always considers and acts in the ‘best interests of the child’ principle as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child , and this principle forms the basis for this AIFS Au Pair Child Protection Policy and Reporting Framework. As an organisation in the Cultural Exchange sector offering in-home services, AIFS Au Pair has a place in ensuring that children are protected from harm and believes that all children have a right to be safe from abuse and neglect. AIFS Au Pair uses a range of opportunities to educate their community about child safety and wellbeing, so to create a child safe environment, free from harm. Such opportunities to educate include: • This Child Protection Policy and Reporting Framework, annually reviewed and updated • A Code of Conduct for appropriate behaviour towards and around children • Notices and brochures displayed at our offices, on our website and advertising material, including newsletters • Child Safer recruitment advertising, interviewing, and red-flagging for warning signs • Child Safer recruitment screening including reference and police checks, working with children checks, qualification and first aid checks, and employment gap exploration • Child Safer focussed Induction pack content including this Policy & Code of Conduct for Au Pairs and Host Families. • Supervision, support and performance monitoring of Au Pairs by the Australian Child Safety Officer. • Professional Development Training in the Child Protection field for both Office representatives and Au Pairs, creating an understanding including legal responsibilities and Duty of Care to children in Australia • Appointed Child Safety Officer • Child abuse complaints/reporting procedures; and • Annual review and renewal of child protection policies, procedures and code of conduct, ensuring our company continues its child safer practices has an appropriate continuous improvement process in place. 5 AIFS Au Pair acknowledges its responsibility both to protect children and simultaneously ensure allegations of child abuse are investigated in a fair and just manner. This document is designed to assist in this process and to ensure that all current legislative requirements are met. It also serves to ensure that all AIFS Au Pair and office representatives are familiar with the goals and objectives when protecting children, and provide guidance with decisions and activities that impact on children. AIFS Au Pair recognises that abuse can take many forms, that these are sometimes hard to recognise and that they occur across all socio-economic groups. We have a responsibility to provide training for AIFS Au Pairs to assist them in recognising the indicators of abuse and in the mandatory reporting of child abuse (where applicable). It is essential for AIFS Au Pair to adopt and adhere to work practises that not only ensure the safety of children, but also minimise the possibility of allegations of child abuse and neglect being made against them, vexatious
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