ForewordCFA has an unsurpassed reputation for its highstandard of service to the Victorian Community, bothwithin Australia and internationally. For this reason,the community has a very high expectation that CFAmembers will provide a safe environment for thechildren and young people in our care.CFA takes this responsibility and the trust thecommunity places in us very seriously. As suchCFA and its members have been proactive inthe development of the CFA Children/YoungPersons Policy which works hand in hand withthe Victorian State Governments Working withChildren Legislation.Children and young people have participated ineducational and social activities, with CFA for over50 years. In fact many of our senior operations staffstarted out as Junior Members and fondly reminisceabout “growing up” at the station.Many members have expressed the view that allof these “rules and regulations” are taking all of thefun out of working with children, and they fear thatthe Juniors program may disappear. The truth isactually the opposite having a formal policy makesour programs safer for both the children and thevolunteers who work with them. The popularity of theJunior Championships and the increasing numberof newly established Junior brigades, highlight thedesire of young people to be part of CFA and theneed for CFA to continue to play an active role intheir development.Although we now have greater screening andselection processes for our Junior Leaders, CFAdoes not apologise for these more stringentpractices. We understand that by being vigilant in theselection of our volunteers who work with children,we are hopefully deterring people who may wish tojoin CFA for the purpose of abusing them.Child protection is not just a concern for brigadeswith Juniors. Providing a safe environment for allchildren who come into contact with CFA is of equalimportance, as CFA is also actively involved withchildren in programs such as JFAIP, <strong>Fire</strong> Safe Kids,<strong>Fire</strong> Safe Youth, Mobile Education Unit, Advanceand VCAL or through public presentations festivalsand CFA family events.Although there is an increased awareness in thecommunity of child abuse issues, it’s important torecognise that the vast majority of volunteers whowork with children have the best interests of childrenat heart. The positive contribution these men andwomen make to the lives of young people in ourcommunities is recognised and highly valued.The CFA Children/Young Persons ProtectionPolicy <strong>Information</strong> <strong>Booklet</strong> helps to clarify ourresponsibilities in relation to the welfare and safety ofchildren assisting brigades in developing programsthat are fun and safe for all members and allowingchildren and young people to actively participate inCFA both now and in the future.AcknowledgementsThe development of this booklet would not havebeen possible without:■ The Expertise and guidance of BernadetteMcMenamin OA, Fiona Williams and the teamfrom Childwise.■ The willingness of CFA members to share, adviseand participate in what seemed like hundredsof consultations.■ The Youth Programs Steering committee whowere there from day one and gave a considerableamount of time and energy to the evolution ofthe booklet.■ And most importantly, CFA Junior Leaders, whosecommitment to the safety and welfare of ourJunior Members initiated the booklets creation inthe first place.DisclaimerCFA has provided this booklet to assist brigades withconcerns in relation to working with children.It is intended as a guide only.The physical and sexual abuse of children is acriminal matter and as such should be referred to theappropriate authorities.For further assistance contact your District Office.SourcesThe following information has been sourced fromthe Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, TheDepartment of Human Services and ChildwiseChoose with Care: A Handbook for Building SaferOrganisations for Children.Published May 2013 in Australia by Volunteer Services,Operational Training & Volunteerism,CFA Headquarters, 8 Lakeside Drive, Burwood East,Victoria 3151.© CFA 2013Other than that permitted under the Copyright Act1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced byany means without written permission from the <strong>Country</strong><strong>Fire</strong> <strong>Authority</strong> – Victoria. Enquiries should be addressedto the publisher.For any matters relating to this publication, contact:Youth Programs Manager, Volunteer Services,Operational Training & Volunteerism,CFA Headquarters, 8 Lakeside Drive, Burwood East,Victoria 3151.CFA Children/ Young Persons Protection Policy <strong>Information</strong> <strong>Booklet</strong>Edition 2 – May 2013
ContentsDefinitionsIntroductionWhy does CFAneed a ChildProtection Policy?How areChildren and YoungPeople involvedin CFA?What is a ChildSafe Organisation?How is CFAgoing to ensureit is a Child SafeOrganisation?(Prevention)CFA Children/ Young Persons Protection Policy <strong>Information</strong> <strong>Booklet</strong>Edition 2 – May 2013■ What is the Working with Children CheckPageii1■ Who in CFA needs a Working with Children Check23■ Junior Members 3■ Brigade Members 16 & 17 3■ Advance/VCAL 4■ JFAIP 4■ <strong>Fire</strong> Safe Kids/Youth 4■ Mobile Education Units (MEU) 4■ Informal Events/Family Involvement 478■ By having a policy 6■ By complying with the WWCC Legislation 6■ By having a Code of Behaviour 6■ By providing <strong>Information</strong> 11■ By understanding what Child Abuse is 12■ By recognising Indicators of Abuse 13■ By ensuring that Appropriate People areselected to Work With Children 15■ By dispelling the Myths Around Child Abuse 15■ By analysing the Risks 16■ By knowing what to do when Abuseis Suspected 18■ By having a Process in Place 18■ Making a Report 20i
Change language