Safeguarding Children

At Journey Early Learning, child safety is our highest priority. Safeguarding Children is embedded into every level of our organisation through strong governance and proactive leadership. Safeguarding children is a shared responsibility and we maintain a zero-tolerance stance on abuse and harm and implement stringent measures to identify, prevent, and address risks.

This approach is woven into everything we do, equipping everyone in our Journey community with the knowledge, strategies, and resources to ensure every child is safe, secure, and protected.

Safeguarding Drivers

At Journey our safeguarding approach is supported by six Safeguarding Drivers. Together, these drivers articulate how safeguarding is embedded across governance, leadership, culture, systems, and daily practice. They reflect Journey’s commitment to creating child-safe environments and align with the requirements and intent of the Child Safe Standards and the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. These drivers ensure safeguarding is not treated as a standalone function, but as an integrated, organisation-wide responsibility. They prioritise children’s rights, children’s voice, wellbeing, participation, and protection, and support a proactive safeguarding approach embedded in all aspects of Journey’s operations and decision-making.

1. Empowered and Capable Workforce

(Recruitment, Training, Operational Support and Awareness)

 Supported and suitable workforce (Recruitment)

 Training and Professional Development

  Induction Program

 Bravehearts Safeguarding Children program provides regular, high-quality training to equip staff and children to identify and report child harm

  Operational Support: Journey’s operations model offers support and understanding

2. Child-centred Culture and Participation 

 Cultivating a child-safe culture through our commitment statement

 Amplifying voices (child’s voice) and participation through individual plans

 Classroom programs support children to understand their safety and rights

 Classroom programs incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion

 L&D content (Journey Academy) supports respect and value for Aboriginal children

 Bravehearts Safeguarding Children’s Program

3. Leadership and Continuous Improvement

 Commitment from leadership to prioritise practices and decisions that safeguard children

 Journey Policies and Procedures

  Continuous safety improvement

4. Engaging Families, Communities, and External Agencies

 Connecting with families and community

  Liaising with ISS, Child Protection, CCYP, Orange Door

  Orientations and Transition Processes

  Policy and Procedure reviews

  Online Learning Platforms (Storypark)

5. Safe and Supportive Environments 

 Ensuring safe physical environments

 Safe and supportive learning environments

 Child-focused complaint processes

  Creating emotional, social, and psychologically safe environments

 Policies and Procedures

6. Reporting Culture and Practice 

  Investigation framework

  Promoting vigilance and awareness

  Mandatory Training

  Reportable Conduct

  ACECQA National Decision Tree

  SEE ACT TELL Framework

See, Act, Tell

We empower our teams and children through the See, Act, Tell framework, ensuring every child is safe, supported, and heard.

This framework supports staff to uphold children’s rights and to prevent, recognise, and respond to harm and risk, while also empowering children to express their views, raise concerns, and participate in decisions that affect their safety, wellbeing, and everyday experiences.

SEE – Stay alert. Spot the signs.

 Stay tuned in to your environment

 Children may disclose worries

 Notice unsafe interactions, behaviours, or environments

 Trust your instincts and use Bravehearts training

 Being observant is the first step in protection

ACT – Step in. Protect immediately.

  Respond quickly and with care

  Remove the child from harm

  Offer support or seek help

  Ensure child’s safety first

  Provide ongoing care and support afterwards

TELL – Speak up. Safety starts with you.

 Report concerns to the Nominated Supervisor or Responsible Person immediately

 Escalate to authorities if required

 Your actions can stop harm

 Speaking up ensures proper action is taken

The model is integral to supervision, support, and performance management.

Read Our Policy

Child safety is a fundamental responsibility of every organisation that works with children. The Child Safe Standards and the National Child Safe Principles provide a nationally consistent framework to help organisations prevent harm, respond effectively to concerns, and embed a strong child-safe culture at every level.

Together, these frameworks focus on prevention, early identification, and appropriate response to risks of abuse, neglect, or inappropriate conduct, while promoting children’s rights, wellbeing, and participation.

Why This Matters

Children have the right to feel safe, respected, and heard in all settings. Effective implementation of the Child Safe Standards and National Child Safe Principles helps organisations to:

  Reduce the risk of harm before it occurs

  Respond consistently and lawfully when concerns arise

  Build trust with children, families, staff, and communities

  Strengthen transparency, accountability, and confidence

Most importantly, these frameworks support environments where children’s wellbeing, dignity, and rights are protected and promoted at all times.

Our Approach

We embed the Child Safe Standards and National Child Safe Principles into our:

 Leadership and governance practices

  Policies, procedures, and codes of conduct

  Recruitment, training, and professional development

  Risk management and continuous improvement processes

This ensures child safety is actively lived in practice, not just documented in policy

Victorian Child Safe Standards

Queensland Child Safe Standards

National Child Safe Principles

Victoria

The Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) oversees compliance with the Victorian Child Safe Standards and administering the Reportable Conduct Scheme.

In summary, the scheme:

  Requires Journey to respond to allegations of child abuse (and other child-related misconduct) made against our workers and volunteers, and to notify CCYP of any allegations and any Reportable Conduct investigation outcomes

For more details, please see the information sheet What is reportable conduct?

Queensland

Queensland’s new child safeguarding law, the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 came inro effect on 1 October 2025. It comprises two parts: Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme.

The Reportable Conduct Scheme has been brought forward and will now commence for all organisations on 1 July 2026.

You can read more about this here Reportable Conduct Scheme | Queensland Family and Child Commission

Journey has a zero tolerance for child harm or inappropriate conduct. Child safe recruitment is a core safeguarding control at Journey Early Learning. Our recruitment processes are designed to ensure that all employees, students and volunteers working with children are suitable, appropriately screened, and supported to uphold child safety and wellbeing in practice.

Journey’s child safe recruitment processes include the following mandatory requirements:

 Comprehensive pre-employment screening, including a minimum of two professional referee checks. Where available, at least one referee will be a direct supervisor from the previous 18 months. Where this is not possible (e.g. a trainee or persons first employment), alternative referees will be assessed to provide equivalent assurance regarding the applicant’s suitability to work with children.

 Verification of all required clearances prior to commencement, including current Working with Children Checks and prohibited person checks, in accordance with legislative requirements.

 Targeted screening and interview questions that assess alignment with Journey’s child safety values, professional boundaries, and safeguarding expectations.

 Structured recruitment practices designed to identify and explore gaps in employment history, inconsistencies, or responses that may indicate potential risk.

 Explicit communication of Journey’s commitment to child safety and wellbeing throughout advertising, recruitment, selection and onboarding processes.

 Mandatory training and guidance for hiring managers, ensuring recruitment decisions are informed by child safe principles and risk awareness.

All Journey Employees are required to complete annual mandatory child protection Training and Child Safety training. These processes form part of Journey’s broader safeguarding framework and are subject to ongoing review to ensure they remain robust, consistent and aligned with regulatory and child safety expectations.

At Journey, we have a dedicated Safeguarding Team who audit and improve practices across all centres and support all team members with the implementation of our SEE ACT TELL framework

At Journey Early Learning, the safety, wellbeing and rights of children are our highest priority. We are committed to safeguarding children from abuse, harm and neglect, and we maintain clear expectations for all visitors, including students, volunteers and contractors.

In addition to meeting all state-based legislative requirements, all visitors must comply with Journey’s safeguarding expectations. Entry to a Journey centre will not be permitted unless the requirements below are met.

If you plan to visit a Journey centre, you must:

  Always place children’s safety and wellbeing first.

  Sign the visitor register on arrival and read and acknowledge Journey’s Safeguarding Commitment.

  Never be alone with a child. A Journey employee must be present at all times when you are in the vicinity of children.

  Act respectfully, honestly and with integrity. We have zero tolerance towards racism, bullying, harassment or inappropriate behaviour of any kind.

  Uphold Journey’s confidentiality and privacy requirements at all times.

  Immediately notify the Centre Manager if you observe or suspect behaviour that is not aligned with these expectations or Journey’s safeguarding Framework.

  Personal Devices are not permitted to be used within childrens environments

  Failure to comply with these requirements may result in entry being refused or revoked.

If you’re concerned about the safety, health or wellbeing of a child, follow these steps to report your concerns.

We encourage any concerns relating to the safety, health or wellbeing of a child or children at a Journey centre to be reported to us. Concerns can be reported by:

 Speaking in person directly to the Centre Manager

 By contacting us directly at contact@journey.edu.au

You can choose to remain anonymous, but it would be of great help if we could contact you for more information about your concern. If you report a concern, we will make sure the right person is informed so we can respond appropriately. Some concerns may also be reported to the relevant regulatory authority or law enforcement agency in accordance with legislative reporting obligations.

Journey aspires to the highest standard of child safety, which includes digital environments and the use of electronic devices.

We have aligned our policies and practices to the National Model Code and Guidelines, developed by ACECQA and all Governments, to promote a child safe culture when it comes to taking, sharing and storing images or videos of children.

Please see the Centre Manager for a copy of our Audio-visual Recording, Imagery and Use Policy

Family Safeguarding Resources

At Journey Early Learning, we believe families are vital partners in keeping children safe, supported and empowered. To help families understand, protect and strengthen children’s wellbeing, we provide access to trusted resources from experts in child safety.

Family support and child safety resources

ChildSafe Australia – offers a range of guidance for families, including webinars, body safety materials and information to support children’s safety and development.

Bravehearts – provides expert, evidence-based resources to help parents and carers understand child sexual abuse prevention, recognise warning signs, and support children to feel safe and heard.

Online Safety

eSafety Commissioner – Official Australian Government online safety advice for children, parents and carers, including tips and reporting tools to keep kids safe online.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Kids Helpline – Free 24/7 counselling and support for young people.

Emerging Minds – Resources and support focused on children’s mental health and early years wellbeing.

Parenting & Child Development

Raising Children Network – Expert-backed articles, videos and tools on child development from pregnancy through teens.

Beyond Blue – Parenting & Mental Health – Resources to help families understand and support mental health for children, teens and parents.

(VIC) The Orange Door – Help for people who are experiencing or using family violence or who need support with the care and wellbeing of children and young people.

(QLD) Family and Child Connect –  Anyone can contact them for advice and information, including parents, grandparents, other family members and young people. Family and Child Connect is a free service provided by trusted, local organisations who are experienced in working with families. Call 13FAMILY or 13 32 64.

(NT) Department of Children & Families – provides support services across child protection, out of home care, homelessness services, prevention of domestic, family and sexual violence and family and parent support services.

If you need immediate support or suspect a child is at risk of harm, contact your local child protection authority or emergency services immediately.