Preventing harm and abuse

How we keep people safe

Safe leaders

• We choose leaders who are kind, trustworthy and understand how to keep people safe
• We do checks before they start working with children, young people or vulnerable adults

Planning ahead

• Before any activity, we think about the people, the place and the program
• We ask: What could go wrong? How can we prevent it?
• After each activity, we review what happened and look for ways to improve

Safe spaces

• We make sure leaders can always see participants
• We keep areas well-lit and mark private or hidden spaces as “out of bounds”

Online safety

• We only use approved websites and apps
• Leaders can only message through safe channels
• Parents or carers are always included in communication

Supporting leaders

• Leaders meet with their managers to talk about how things are going
• We have a three-year plan to keep improving safety and fairness across all sites

We want everyone - in person and online - to feel welcome, protected and heard.

Running safe activities, programs and services

We believe the best way to prevent harm is to think carefully about:

People

• We interview and check references for all staff and volunteers
• We provide training on safety, respectful behaviour and how to spot risks
• Training includes topics like:
  • • • Work Health and Safety
      • Code of Conduct
      • Safeguarding Foundations
      • Safeguarding Advanced (for child-related roles)
• Leaders also learn about grooming behaviours and how to respond

Place

• Our spaces are welcoming to everyone, including First Nations peoples and people from all cultures
• We assess physical and online spaces to make sure they’re safe
• Leaders only use approved websites and apps, and include parents or carers in communication

Program

• We plan activities based on age, equipment, location and risks
• For offsite or overnight programs, we take extra care to plan for safety
• We complete risk assessments before starting
• We give activity briefings and ask for permission from parents or carers
• After each activity, we review how it went and look for ways to improve

Find out more about people, place and program

Permission forms

For programs involving children or vulnerable adults, we ask parents or carers to fill out a permission consent form before participation. This form:

• Explains what activities are planned
• Collects contact details and important information
• Helps leaders plan well for everyone involved

We respect your privacy and follow our Privacy Policy. You can also talk directly with a leader if you have questions or want to share more information.

Our Safeguarding Specialist team

We have a small national team of safeguarding experts who:

• Help develop policies and strategies
• Support sites with training and advice
• Provide tools and resources to improve safety

Quality improvement

We follow a simple process of plan → check → review → act to keep improving.  Leaders at every level use this approach to learn, improve services and build safer communities.

Raise a concern

Prevention works best when people speak up early. If something doesn’t feel right - even if it’s just a small worry - please let us know. Learn more