MO 1359 imposes new obligations on schools to ensure families and school communities are informed and involved in the school’s efforts to keep children and young people safe (clause 8.1, MO 1359). Family engagement obligations apply equally to school governing authorities and school boarding premises governing authorities.
What does this involve?
This involves the school governing authority or school boarding premises governing authority to develop a policy, statement or other documentation that details the strategies and actions the school or school boarding premises will take to implement clauses 8.1 and 8.2 (clause 8.3).
The school governing authority or school boarding premises governing authority must, at a minimum, ensure:
- families participate in decisions related to child safety and wellbeing which affect their child.
Schools will be familiar with involving families in individual welfare plans and wellbeing plans. MO 1359 arguably widens this obligation to any decision related to child safety and wellbeing. Schools must now ensure all decisions allow for family participation.
- the school or school boarding premises engages and openly communicates with families and the community about its child safe approach and relevant information is accessible.
Schools often post child safety policies and procedures on their website.
- families and the community have a say in the development and review of policies and practices of the school or provider of school boarding services related to child safety and wellbeing.
Schools may need to consider prior consultation with families and the school community before amending their existing policies or introducing new child safety and wellbeing policies.
- families, carers and the school community or school boarding premises community are informed about the operations and governance of the school or school boarding premises related to child safety and wellbeing.
Schools must provide clear, easy-to-understand information about its operations and governance as it relates to child safety and wellbeing. This might prompts schools to consider how they can communicate in a more accessible, and streamlined manner.
MO 1359 Summary
This Part 5 ends our suite of articles in relation to MO 1359 (published on 10 February 2022, and will come into operation on 1 July 2022 with the new Child Safe Standards). We hope you have enjoyed our snapshot of the key changes, as outlined in our earlier articles, which you may link to here:
How we can help
We can assist with training, drafting new policies and procedures in relation to consultation and creating child safety posters to assist in empowering students.
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