Staff Responsibilities for Child Protection
All staff at St Joseph's School have a responsibility for child protection. We put procedures in place to protect the safety of our students throughout recruitment, training, and safety checking, and ensure current staff are familiar with our Child Protection policy and procedures. We also promote awareness about student welfare to our wider school community.
Employment safeguards
The St Joseph's School board is responsible for ensuring all 
children's workers (core and non-core) employed or engaged by the school are safety checked before their appointment.
It is likely that most people working in schools will meet the criteria of being a children's worker. Under the Children’s Act 2014, children’s workers are either core or non-core workers.
- A core worker is a children's worker whose role involves being the only children’s worker present, or who has primary responsibility or authority over a child or children in their care.
- A non-core worker is a children's worker who is not classified as a core worker. Their work involves contact with a child or children, but with a core worker present.
Children's Act 2014, s 23(1)
Non-teachers employed by the school are police vetted if they have unsupervised access to students.
Child protection training
All staff, including any contractors or volunteers, are expected to be familiar with, and implement, our Child Protection policies and procedures. Staff must engage with our Abuse Recognition and Reporting policy every year, and are supported to uphold their responsibility for child protection. We support staff by:
- informing staff about our Child Protection policies as part of their orientation
- having a designated child protection person who is available and accessible to all staff, and has experience and training in responding to child protection concerns (at St Joseph's School, this person is the principal)
- offering support as required through professional development and performance management programmes
- making it clear that staff should discuss any concerns with the designated child protection person, and no one should act or make decisions alone.
Training is available for staff in child protection development/learning.
Staff responsibilities and conduct expectations
Staff have a professional responsibility to report any concerns about student safety and welfare, particularly in regard to abuse, neglect, or professional misconduct to the designated child protection person. We remind staff not to act alone when responding to student concerns, unless there is immediate danger. If it is in the best interest of the student, staff members are encouraged to proactively share information with other people or organisations who may be able to help.
The designated child protection person at St Joseph's School reviews safety concerns, along with any other relevant information, and decides whether to share information with external agencies, or make a report of concern. Any person who is concerned that a child is at risk of harm may also make a report of concern directly to Oranga Tamariki or the police. Oranga Tamariki and the police are primarily responsible for any investigation of alleged child abuse.
Anyone who has concerns about the safety of a child can make a report of concern to Oranga Tamariki. A report of concern is recommended if it is believed that a child has been or is likely to be harmed, ill-treated, abused, neglected, or deprived. Reports of concern can also be made when there are serious concerns about a child's wellbeing.
Reports of concern can be made by contacting Oranga Tamariki.
Safeguarding Children provides guidance for making an effective report of concern, including details to provide in a report.
When Oranga Tamariki receives a report of concern, they may:
- provide advice about support available to the family/whānau
- refer the matter to other social services, including our social services partners
- complete a child and family assessment and/or investigation.
A joint investigation with the New Zealand Police takes place when there are allegations of harm which meet Oranga Tamariki and the police's joint Police Child Protection Protocol.
We promote a culture where staff feel confident that they can raise concerns without fear of retaliation. See Protected Disclosure.
Contact between staff and students at school
We treat all students with care and dignity, and ensure our methods of contact and communication support safe relationships between staff and students. We work with staff to create a safe and supportive learning environment and promote positive student behaviour. Unacceptable behaviour, including bullying, is managed through our school behaviour management strategies.
- When staff are interacting with a student one-to-one, they ensure wherever possible that the space is not closed off from other people.
- Teachers take particular care with students who express themselves freely and seek close physical contact. When this is a concern, it is discussed with a parent or caregiver.
- Staff are aware that students who require learning support may have particular needs with regards to safety and supervision.
- Corporal punishment is prohibited and staff avoid physical contact with students that could be considered intimate, sexual, threatening, or violent.
- If a teacher is attacked by a student, they try to protect themselves without causing injury to the student involved, and immediately report this incident to the principal. Physical Restraint is a last resort and may only be used by teachers and authorised staff members to prevent imminent harm.
Out-of-school contact between staff and students
Where possible, we seek to promote physical and emotional safety for our staff and students outside of school.
- Staff are vigilant about safe and appropriate out-of-school contact with students, including through social media, texting, and emails.
- During education outside the classroom activities and camps, staff ensure safe interactions, sleeping, and travel arrangements for all students, and follow the procedures in EOTC Supervision.
Related policies
Resources
: Term 4 2022, Term 4 2020
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