Child Safety

RED BRICK CREATIVE PTY LTD t/a 

AUSTRALIAN ACTING ACADEMY

CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

 

1. Introduction: 

The Australian Acting Academy (AAA) is committed to the safety and
wellbeing of all children and young people in our care. This Child Safety
Policy and Risk Management Strategy outlines our approach to protecting
children from harm and ensuring their physical and emotional welfare in
alignment with Queensland's legislative requirements.

AAA also draws on the recognised National Principles for Child Safe
Organisations developed by the Commission for Children and Young People
(CCYP) to guide best practice. These include child empowerment, family and
community engagement, cultural safety, equity, and ongoing review. *(For
more detail on the Child Safe Standards please refer to Appendix A).

 

2. Purpose: 

To establish a comprehensive risk management strategy that:
● Protects children and young people from harm.
● Supports a child-safe organisational culture.
● Complies with the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening)
Act 2000 and Regulation 2020.
● Aligns with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

 

3. Scope: 

This policy applies to all AAA employees, contractors, volunteers, students,
parents, guardians, and visitors.

 

4. Statement of Commitment: 

AAA is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
We:
● Promote a safe and inclusive environment, with particular attention to our
Safety Net Philosophy, which stands for creating safe spaces for young
people to take
creative risks.
● Take all reasonable steps to protect children from harm.
● Encourage the empowerment and participation of children in our programs.
● Respect and promote cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,
children with disability, LGBTIQA+ children, and children unable to live at
home.
● Ensure that program content is age appropriate and supports our mission of
creating safe spaces for young people.
● Provide students with access to trusted, appropriately trained adults as they

develop their skills, ensuring that our focus remains on the whole person and
not solely skill development.
● To involve parents in an active and empowered role in our students’ journey,
and to ensure that our team provides our students and their parents with
opportunities to connect.
● We use respectful, age appropriate language and consider the person we are
communicating with in all interactions.
● Students are encouraged to raise concerns if they feel unsafe, uncomfortable,
worried, or unsure about any behaviour or situation within the Academy
environment. Concerns may be raised with any staff member, parent,
guardian, or the Child Safeguarding Contact, and all concerns will be taken
seriously.
● The Academy will respond to concerns in a respectful, supportive, and
age-appropriate manner, and students will not be punished or disadvantaged
for raising concerns in good faith.

 

5. Reportable Conduct Scheme

The Australian Acting Academy acknowledges the introduction of the
Queensland Reportable Conduct Scheme administered by the Queensland
Family and Child Commission (QFCC).
 

The Academy is committed to monitoring its obligations under this framework
and aligning internal safeguarding practices with reportable conduct
principles, including:
● Prompt response to allegations involving staff, volunteers, or
contractors
● Appropriate documentation and investigation processes
● Protection of children from harm
● Procedural fairness
● Reporting obligations where applicable
● The Academy will continue reviewing this policy as legislative guidance
evolves.

​

6. Code of Conduct:

All adults engaged with AAA must:
● Treat children with respect, fairness, and dignity.
● Maintain clear professional boundaries.
● Never engage in any form of inappropriate behaviour, including grooming,
physical or emotional abuse, or neglect.
● Never engage in private communication with children outside of organisational
channels.
● Follow clear behaviour guidelines for supervision, language, transport,
technology use, and interactions.
● All staff and volunteers will adhere to our full Code of Conduct Policy, which
outlines clear expectations and procedural requirements for adults within the
organisation.

​

7. Maintaining Safe Environments

● All staff, coaches, volunteers and parents will ensure that the physical
environments that students train in are safe.
● Parents will drop off and pick students up at appropriate times.
● If parents are late to collect children, coaches will wait with the children until
they are safely collected. Late pickup fees may apply.
● If students are late being collected, coaches will attempt to contact parents via
contact details provided on enrolment.
● Coaches will also advise Management of late pickups (beyond 15 minutes)
via email.
● An incident report form must be filed by the coach for late pickups (beyond 15
minutes)
● Coaches and staff must not leave a child unsupervised, children waiting for
their parents must be in direct line of sight of coaches and within a close
proximity.
● Coaches and staff must under no circumstances take students home or to any
other location in their personal vehicles, nor assume responsibility for
transporting students via any other means.

​

8. Recruitment, Selection, Training, and Management: 

AAA employs child-safe recruitment and management practices:
● All staff/volunteers must hold a valid Blue Card.
● Job descriptions include child safety responsibilities.
● Recruitment includes behavioural interview questions and reference checks.
● Induction and annual training cover:
          o Child protection laws and reporting obligations.
          o Recognising and responding to harm.
          o AAA’s policies and procedures.
● Staff performance is reviewed regularly regarding child safety responsibilities.

​

Ongoing Training and Review:
● Child safety training is revisited at compulsory all-staff training prior to each
term, with a particular focus in Term 1 each year.
● Additional online modules are provided to support self-paced learning and
meet individual development needs.
● Staff performance reviews include a review of adherence to child safety
responsibilities and behavioural expectations.

​

9. Handling Disclosures or Suspicions of Harm: 

Information relating to child safeguarding concerns will only be shared with
individuals who have a legitimate need to know in order to protect the safety
and wellbeing of the child or comply with legal obligations.
 

Harm includes physical, emotional, psychological, sexual abuse or neglect. All
staff are trained to:

● Respond calmly and appropriately to disclosures.
● Document accurately.

● Report immediately to the Child Safeguarding Contact and, where required, to
Police (000 or 131 444) or Child Safety Services.
● Staff who are mandatory reporters under legislation must comply with all
applicable legal reporting obligations.
● Even where staff are not legally mandated reporters, AAA requires all child
safeguarding concerns, disclosures, suspicions of harm, or boundary
concerns to be reported internally in accordance with this policy.
 

All staff have a duty to report any behaviour by another employee, contractor,
or volunteer that raises concerns about child safety or breaches professional
boundaries, even if the behaviour does not appear to involve abuse.

Reports must be made to the Child Safeguarding Contact or a member of
management. If a child is believed to be in immediate danger, emergency
services must be contacted immediately by calling 000.

In the event of a medical or immediate threat to safety, staff must first contact
emergency services (000), then notify the student’s parent or guardian as
soon as it is safe to do so, followed by notification to the Child Safeguarding
Contact or senior management.

 

10. Managing Breaches of the Strategy: 

Breaches of this strategy or Code of Conduct will be addressed through
disciplinary action which may include suspension, termination, or referral to
authorities. A register of breaches will be maintained and reviewed annually.

​

11. Risk Management Plans for High-Risk Activities: 

Risk assessments will be completed for all:
● Excursions and off-site activities.
● Overnight events or travel.
● Online or live-streamed events. Plans will outline supervision, safety
protocols, consent, and emergency procedures.

​

12. Compliance with Blue Card System Requirements:

AAA ensures:
● All staff have valid and current Blue Cards.
● Records of Blue Card numbers and expiry dates are maintained.
● Blue Card status is monitored regularly.
● Access to the Organisation Portal for Blue Card management is maintained.

 

13. Communication and Support:
This policy is publicly available on our website. Children and parents are
informed of their rights and who they can speak to. Posters and visual
resources support understanding. The Child Safeguarding Contact is named
in onboarding materials and available to support staff and families.

​

14. Review of Strategy:

This policy is reviewed annually or after any serious incident. Stakeholder
feedback (children, families, staff) is sought. Revisions are endorsed by senior management. The Academy is committed to continuous improvement, including annual review of training, procedures, and alignment with evolving best practice standards.

 

15. Child Safeguarding Contact:

The designated Child Safeguarding Contact is the Managing Director. The
Managing Director has completed child protection training through
Bravehearts, including Introduction to Child Protection and Child Protection for
Child-Facing Organisations. The Child Safeguarding Contact is responsible
for receiving and documenting reports, assessing and escalating concerns as
needed, and consulting external child protection advisors when appropriate.
Contact details are provided to all families and staff.

Where concerns involve the Managing Director, a member of senior
leadership, or the designated Child Safeguarding Contact, reports may be
made directly to another director of the organisation or to an appropriate
external authority.

The Academy is committed to ensuring that all staff, students, and families
have access to a safe and appropriate reporting pathway free from conflict of
interest or fear of reprisal.

 

16. Use of AI in Child Safety Matters 

The Australian Acting Academy acknowledges the increasing use of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and cloud-based digital systems within workplaces and
everyday communication. The Academy recognises that the use of these
systems may create privacy, confidentiality, and safeguarding risks if not
managed appropriately.

To protect children, families, and staff, the following requirements apply:
● Staff must not enter identifying information relating to children, families,
staff members, or incidents into public AI platforms or unapproved
digital systems.
● Identifying information includes, but is not limited to:
          ○ names
          ○ dates of birth
          ○ addresses
          ○ schools
          ○ class locations
          ○ medical or psychological information
          ○ incident-specific details that may reasonably identify a child or
             family.
● Where AI is used to assist with administrative drafting, policy review, or
reflective practice, all information must first be fully de-identified.
● Staff must not upload child-related information into cloud storage
systems or applications that have not been approved by the Academy.
● AI tools must not be relied upon as a substitute for:
          ○ organisational policies

          ○ management direction
          ○ mandatory reporting obligations
          ○ professional judgement
          ○ legal requirements
          ○ emergency procedures.
● Any suspected breach of confidentiality involving AI or digital systems
must be reported immediately to management.

 

17. Acknowledgement and Induction:

All staff and volunteers must read and acknowledge this policy. A Child Safety
Induction Checklist is completed upon onboarding.

 

18. Additional Notes on Pre-Existing Relationships

Employees must maintain appropriate professional boundaries with all
students, including those with whom they or their families have a pre-existing
personal relationship. If a staff member has a prior friendship or family
connection with a student, this must be disclosed to the Child Safeguarding
Contact to ensure transparency. Interactions with the student within the
Academy setting must remain strictly professional, and no preferential
treatment or informal communication methods should be used.

 

19. Whistleblower Protection

The Academy will support and protect any staff member who, in good faith,
raises a concern related to child safety or misconduct. Retaliation or
victimisation for making a report is strictly prohibited and will be treated as
misconduct. Staff are encouraged to speak up and report concerns without
fear of negative consequences, in line with a culture of safety and
accountability.

 

20. External Complaint Pathways

In addition to internal reporting processes, individuals may raise concerns with
external authorities if they believe an issue has not been addressed
appropriately. External pathways include:
● Queensland Police (000 for emergencies or 131 444 for non-urgent
matters)
● Child Safety Services (Department of Families, Seniors and Disability
Services and Child Safety)
● Office of the Public Guardian (for independent oversight in
Queensland)
● QFCC (Queensland Family & Child Commission)

 

21. Use of Images and Recordings of Children

The Australian Acting Academy is committed to safeguarding the privacy and
dignity of all students. While the Academy may capture photos or videos for
educational and promotional purposes, specific protocols must be followed,
especially when staff use personal devices.

​

Use of AAA Devices
The AAA provides an iPad for each class for the purposes of marking rolls,
access of information and capturing images and video for the purposes of the
curriculum, along with archival and marketing purposes. All students' parents
are required to sign a release upon enrolment allowing the use of images, or
to contact us to make alternate arrangements if images are not to be used.

Use of Staff Personal Devices:
● Authorisation: Staff must obtain prior authorisation from management
before using personal devices to capture images or recordings during
classes or events.
● Consent: Ensure that parental or guardian consent has been obtained for
any student who may be photographed or recorded, in line with the
Academy's Media Release policy.
● Storage and Transfer: All images or recordings captured on personal
devices must be transferred to the Academy's secure storage system by
the end of the day following the class or event, except by special
authorisation from management.
● Deletion: After successful transfer, staff are required to permanently delete
the images or recordings from their personal devices, including any
backups or cloud storage services.
● Prohibited Use: Sharing images or recordings of students on personal
social media accounts or any unauthorised platforms is strictly prohibited.
 

The Academy supports staff, students, and families to access online safety
information and complaint services through the Office of the eSafety
Commissioner. This includes resources on cyberbullying, inappropriate
content, and safe digital behaviour. These principles inform our digital media
and livestream practices. (https://www.esafety.gov.au/)
 

Compliance:
Failure to adhere to these protocols may result in disciplinary action, up to and
including termination of employment. These measures are in place to ensure
the safety and privacy of all students and to maintain the Academy's
commitment to child protection.

​

22. Appropriate Relationships and Communication Boundaries

​

To ensure student safety and maintain professional standards, the Australian
Acting Academy sets clear expectations for staff, contractors, and volunteers
regarding personal boundaries. While we create environments where students
are encouraged to express themselves under the support of kind, caring
coaches. Professional boundaries are necessary to ensure child safety. It is
the adult’s responsibility to always ensure that professional, appropriate
relationships exist between themselves and young people.

​

1. Use of Personal Contact Details

Staff must not share their personal contact details (e.g., phone number, email,
social media handles) with students except as approved by staff as part of our
attendance management procedures.
● Staff must not request or use student personal contact details unless
specifically authorised for an approved Academy function.
● All communication with students and families must occur through official AAA
systems and channels.

​

2. Social Media Boundaries
● Staff must not add, follow, message, or otherwise interact with students on
personal social media platforms.
● Media content featuring students must only be published via approved AAA
accounts and with verified parent/guardian consent.
● Private sharing of media, tagging students, or posting to personal accounts is
strictly prohibited.

3. Interactions Outside of Class
● Personal interactions with students outside the Academy setting must be
avoided unless:
         o A pre-existing family or community relationship exists, and
         o The relationship is disclosed to the Child Safeguarding Contact, and
         o Clear professional boundaries are maintained within the AAA context.
         o Staff are expected to avoid private or social interactions with students
            outside of the Academy context.
         o Attending student social events or parties is not appropriate unless the
            staff member has a disclosed and pre-existing family relationship.
         o Staff members who were previously students of the Academy must
            take particular care to create clear and appropriate boundaries upon
            the commencement of employment. This includes reframing former
            peer relationships into professional ones, especially where minors are
            involved.

4. Contact with Parents/Guardians
● Staff may only contact parents or guardians using Academy-approved
methods for Academy-related matters (e.g., class changes, follow-ups).
● Personal relationships with parents must not compromise impartiality, student
privacy, or the enforcement of child safety procedures.

5. Support for Staff
At the Australian Acting Academy, we recognise that staff may sometimes be
confided in by students or families about emotionally challenging situations.
While this is a sign of trust, it can also place emotional pressure on staff,
especially those in caring or mentoring roles.

​

The following principles apply:
● The Academy acknowledges that students or their parents may share
information with coaches or staff that is emotionally sensitive or personally
distressing, such as grief due to a loss in the family, ongoing health
conditions, or mental health concerns being professionally managed.
● These situations are distinct from disclosures of harm, abuse, or risk,
which must be reported in accordance with the Child Safety Policy and
escalation procedures.
● Staff who find themselves impacted by such disclosures, or who feel
unsure of how to respond appropriately, are encouraged to seek
immediate support from the Managing Director or Artistic Director.
● The Academy promotes a culture of mutual care and recognises that staff
wellbeing is vital to providing safe environments for young people.
● It is important for students and parents to understand that while our team
members are caring and empathetic individuals, they are not trained
mental health professionals or counsellors, and must be confident and
comfortable referring families to qualified services where needed.
● Guidance is available to staff to assist in responding empathetically while
maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
 

Compliance:
Breaches of these guidelines will be considered serious misconduct and may lead to
disciplinary action, including dismissal or referral to external authorities.

This strategy aims to foster a safe, inclusive, and empowering environment for all
children and young people engaged with the Australian Acting Academy.
If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact emergency services on 000.

​

Version

This policy is reviewed annually or after any serious incident or legal update. Version history and updates will be recorded below. 

Latest review: May 2026. Next review: May 2027

 

Appendix A – National Child Safe Standards

The Australian Acting Academy acknowledges and aspires to align with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission and endorsed across jurisdictions, including Queensland. These standards guide best practice for creating child-safe environments:

​

1. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership,
   governance and culture.

2. Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in
   decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

3. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety
   and wellbeing.

4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.

5. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to
   reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.

6. Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.

7. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness
   to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and
   training.

8. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while
   minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

9. Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and
   improved.

10. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children
    and young people

​

Appendix B – Resources & Contact Details

​

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact emergency services on 000.
 

If you require assistance or if you would like to talk to a trained professional about
any issues relating to children or suspected abuse, please call:
 

Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800
 

Lifeline on 13 11 14 (in Australia).
 

Additional organisations who can assist with enquiries or concerns relating to
children, such as:
 

Bravehearts: 1800 272 831
 

NAPCAN: 02 8073 3300