Volunteer Induction Package

Work Health and Safety

Work, Health and Safety training is essential for all employees and volunteers in the workplace.  All workers and employees including volunteers and visitors are required to take reasonable care for both their own health, safety and welfare and the health, safety and welfare of others.  Volunteers are considered to be workers under current WHS legislation.

Holy Family Catholic School places great value on the work done by volunteers. We aim to ensure that volunteers work in a safe environment and in a safe manner.  Please help us to do so by reporting any hazards or safety issues to the Supervisor.

Volunteer Rights and Responsibilities

As a volunteer you have a number of rights you should be aware of:

• to work in a healthy and safe environment;

• to be provided with information that adequately describes your roles and responsibilities;

• be provided with an induction prior to commencement as a volunteer;

• to be provided with sufficient information, instruction and training for you to perform your tasks safely;

• to be provided with adequate supervision

• who to speak to if you have any queries about any aspects of your work.

As a volunteer you also have responsibilities to:

• work safely;

• not affect the safety of others;

• observe all established Policies and Procedures;

• report any safety concerns;

• undertake Responding to Abuse and Neglect: Education and Care training for Volunteers;

• undertake your mandatory notification obligations, as required;

• hold a current acceptable Police Clearance.

There are a number of important points relating to safety within our school that you should be familiar with:

Signing in/out

• All volunteers are required to sign-in at the Front Office and collect a visitor pass on arrival. Please sign out at the Front Office prior to leaving the school and return your visitor pass.

Safe Work

• You are only asked to do work which you can perform safely. If you feel that you cannot do a job safely or have any safety issues, please discuss with your Supervisor / Leader immediately.

Emergency Procedures

• Make yourself familiar with the emergency evacuation plan for the area you are working in.

• Should there be a need to evacuate a building, proceed via the safety route directed on the nearest emergency evacuation plan.

• In the case of a fire, do not re-enter the building until instructed to do so by the person in charge (Fire Warden).

• If you are in charge of an activity, you must organise the evacuation of people you are responsible for from the building, and check that all persons are accounted for.

• In the case of a ‘Lockdown’, go to the nearest room and secure all doors and windows. Keep away from external windows. Wait for the all clear by the Principal or nominee.

Reporting

• Should you see a hazard, or you are aware of something that might injure you or someone else, or you are involved in an injury, incident or near miss, please report the matter immediately to your Supervisor.

First Aid

• First aid kits are located in the front office, Hall and Centre.

• First aid office is located in the Front Office Reception area. All staff are first aid training and are only on location during normal office hours. If you have any special medical needs, please advise our first aid staff.

Equipment

• This school provides equipment for your use. Volunteers are discouraged from bringing equipment from home. However, should this be necessary, please discuss this with your Supervisor / Leader.

Chemicals

• You must only use chemicals supplied by this school. The chemicals used by this school have been assessed for risk prior to use. Make yourself aware of the location of material safety data sheets prior to use.  If you have any concerns or require personal protective equipment, to use any of these products please discuss with your Supervisor / Leader.

Working Alone and Security

• For safety reasons volunteers are discouraged from working alone.

• Do not leave personal items unattended.

• If leaving the office/buildings outside of the working day, consider the personal safety of yourselves and others.

Smoking, Drugs, Alcohol and Your Health

• Holy Family Catholic School is designated as a smoke-free workplace. There is no smoking in the buildings or on these grounds.

• Whilst on duty you should be in sufficient physical and mental health to be capable of complying with your duty of care to your colleagues and students;

• You should not be impaired in the carrying out of your duties by reason of alcohol, medication, or an illegal drug.

Vehicles

• Volunteers will not normally be asked to use their vehicle. If you use your car as part of your volunteer duties, please refer to the school’s policies and procedures.

• If you drive a car as part of your volunteer duties, a current driver’s licence and compliance with registration insurance and safety requirements are required.

Housekeeping

• Please leave all work areas clean and tidy. Please report any issues with work spaces.

Site specific amenities:

• Drinking water is located either in the staff room or in each classroom

• Staff toilets are available around the school for use by volunteers. Please do not use any student toilet.

Duty of care and Child protection (including mandatory notification)

Duty of Care:  As a volunteer you will play an important role in the education of our children in partnership with all staff of our school.  In your relationship with children and young people, you are required to ensure that the physical and emotional welfare of children and young people is safeguarded, and that your own behaviour is guided by this duty of care.

Please talk to the Principal if you have any questions regarding your duty of care.

Protective Practices: Professional boundaries

Education and care professions rely on the fostering of positive relationships between adults and children and young people, in ways that do not compromise children’s and young people’s welfare.

You can access a copy of the Protective Practices Guidelines from the school website at www.holyfamily.catholic.edu.au, which will assist members of the community to maintain professional boundaries. The Guidelines give examples of boundary violations in communication, personal disclosure, physical contact, place, targeting individual children and young people, role, and possessions.

As a Volunteer, you will find helpful guidance in managing professional boundaries in the Guidelines on:

• Working in country/local communities
• Using social networking sites
• Working one-to-one with children and young people
• Managing privacy expectations
• Conducting home visits.

Protective Practices Guidelines address appropriate physical contact in a range of situations, including

• assisting or encouraging a child or young person
• good practices with school age children and young people
• good practices with children up to school age.

Non-physical intervention is the recognised means of managing the behaviour of children and young people. Use of verbal instructions is always preferred to physical intervention.

The Guidelines address safe practices when it is legitimate to use physical restraint: that is only where a child’s, young person’s or adult’s safety is threatened.

Education and care staff support children and young people with disabilities or additional needs through individual plans, which take various forms. These plans document the strategies that are to be used in supporting the child or young person, and will assist you to ensure your duty of care to the child or young person.

Policies and Legislation

Conduct representing a breach of legislation includes:

• Child abuse and neglect
• Illegal behaviours
• Sexual harassment

Click on the link to view the Protective Practices Guidelines.

Your Induction will include the Responding to Abuse and Neglect: Education and Care (RAN-EC) online training module for Volunteers.  

What is Child Abuse?

Your training will include information on the four types of child abuse:

Why report Child Abuse?

From time to time, volunteers working with children will experience children disclosing sensitive information. Children have limited power to protect themselves from abuse and will only be protected from abuse and neglect if responsible adults take action on their behalf. Reporting child abuse is the first step in stopping the abuse and protecting children from further harm.

When to report Child Abuse?

You are required by law to report child abuse and neglect when you form a suspicion on reasonable grounds:

• A child or young person tells you that s/he has been abused;
• Your own observation of the behaviour of a particular child or young person and/or injuries, or your knowledge of the child generally leads you to suspect that abuse is occurring;
• A child or young person tells you s/he knows someone who has been abused (the child may be referring to her/himself);
• Someone tells you of the abuse who is in a position to provide reliable information (perhaps a relative, friend, neighbour or sibling of the child/young person).

What does the law say?

Volunteers are Mandated Notifiers and obliged by law to notify Department of Child Protection if they suspect on reasonable grounds that a child or young person has been or is being abused or neglected and they formed their suspicion in the course of their work (whether paid or voluntary) or in carrying out official duties. Volunteers must notify Department of Child Protection of their suspicion as soon as practicable after they form the suspicion.

What do you do if you have suspicions or concerns?

You are not expected to act alone. Always seek guidance and work in partnership with the Principal or Deputy Principal.  Your role as a volunteer means you are supported by professionals at the site in meeting your responsibilities as a mandated notifier.

Child Abuse must be reported to Department for Child Protection

either online: www.reportchildabuse.families.sa.gov.au

OR

Child Abuse Report Line 131478

After Hours Crisis Care 131611