CODE OF CONDUCT WHEN INTERACTING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Purpose

All children and young people at Parkside Junior Football Club (PJFC) have the right to feel safe and welcome at our club and enjoy participating in community footy.

To ensure this environment is fostered by all members of the PJFC community, PJFC is detailing a Code of Conduct for interacting with Children & Young People (Code of Conduct CYP).

This requires everyone at the club to abide by certain behavioural standards when it comes to dealing with children & young people. The code of conduct sets out a summary of behaviours required by members of the PJFC community toward and in the presence of children and young people.

By adhering to the code of conduct, members at PJFC will ensure an environment that is safe for children and young people to participate in.

This code of conduct should be read in conjunction with HJFC’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and the HJFC Child Safety Reporting Procedure.

Scope

This code of conduct applies to all members and volunteers of the PJFC.

Child safety is everyone’s responsibility and it is expected that every adult will act in a fair, encouraging and safe manner with and in the presence of children and young people at our club.

All PJFC members and volunteers are responsible for promoting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and have a duty of care to raise any concerns if there is suspicion that a child is at risk of abuse or neglect.

All PJFC volunteers MUST

• Adhere to the PJFC child safe policy

• Take all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse and harm;

• treat all children and young people with respect including listening to and valuing their ideas and opinions and respond to them appropriately

• promote friendships and encourage children and young people to support their peers;

• Ensure inclusive behaviour towards children, young people and their families who identify as;

o Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people,

o children and young people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds,

o children and young people with a disability and

o children and young people who identify as LGBTI+, transgender and/or non-binary;

• ensure that all children and young people are appropriately supervised while participating in an AFL program while respecting the privacy of children and young people;

• wherever possible ensure that another adult is present when working near or with children and young people;

• use disciplinary strategies that are fair, respectful and appropriate to the developmental stage of the children or young people involved;

• Model appropriate behaviour which demonstrates fairness, respect and inclusivity

• ensure physical contact with children and young people is appropriate to the delivery of footy and with permission (eg demonstrating tackles);

• Ensure children and young people are aware of how to raise concerns in a safe and sensitive manner

• All communication between the club and parents is exchanged through the team app. Whereby a young person is above the age of 16, parental consent and approval is required for any exchange of communication between a young person and any club volunteer

• ensure that any photograph, livestream or film taken of a child or young person is taken in circumstances that are directly relevant to the child’s or young person’s participation at PJFC and the child or young person is appropriately dressed and posed;

• respect the privacy of children and their families, and only disclose information to people who have a need to know.

• immediately disclose any charges or convictions affecting their suitability to engage with children and young people to the AFL People Department; and

• immediately report any concern for the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person, or a suspected breach of the Policy or this Code of Conduct, in accordance with the Complaints and Reporting Procedure.

PJFC members and volunteers MUST NOT:

· engage in any form of behaviour that may reasonably be considered to be child abuse, including grooming a child or young person;

· engage in any form of sexual behaviour with or in the presence of children or young people;

· ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse or harm;

· initiate unnecessary physical contact with a child or young person, or do things of a personal nature for them that they can do themselves;

· take disciplinary action involving physical punishment or any other form of treatment that could reasonably be considered as degrading, cruel, frightening or humiliating

· use prejudice, oppressive behaviour or language with or in the presence children and young people;

· discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability or sexuality; HJFC members and volunteers;

· avoid one-to-one unsupervised situation with children and young people in a change room area (other than with your own child), whilst ensuring adequate supervision to keep children safe (eg standing outside entrance to change rooms);

· Unless by approved exception, must not take photos, videos or other recordings in change rooms

· Pre approved exception includes recording of club song / Happy Birthday song and cameras only allowed during the singing of the song

• Develop ‘special’ relationships with specific children or show favouritism through the provision of gifts or inappropriate attention;

· Exchange personal contact details such as phone number, social networking site or email addresses with children and young people – all communication to the playing team at PJFC must be through the team app

· consume alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco or vape when working with children and young people at PJFC;

· transport children and young people without PJFC permission and the child/young person’s parents/guardian consent.

By observing these standards you acknowledge your responsibility to immediately report any breach of this Code of Conduct.

This Code of Conduct will be continually reviewed annually.