Safeguarding Children and Young People
Surf Life Saving is committed to providing a safe environment for children and young people.
The organisation’s Safeguarding Children and Young People Program provides a framework of policies, procedures, resources and education to support clubs in meeting this commitment. A key action area of this program is to screen and recruit the right people, ensuring that where applicable, members have a valid Working with Children Check.
The Safeguarding Children and Young People Program assists Surf Life Saving in our commitment to the protection of children from abuse, harm and exploitation.
The program builds the capacity of Surf Life Saving to protect our children and young people by providing resources and education to support clubs to provide a safe environment for all members.
Resources, webinars and an online training course have been developed to assist all Clubs to achieve these standards, all of which can be accessed on the link above or from the Surf Life Saving Australia Website.
NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC)
Under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 and the Child Protection (Working with Children) Regulation 2013, a WWCC is a prerequisite for anyone in a child-related role, either paid or voluntary.
2023 SLSNSW Working with Children Check Requirements outlines the legal requirements and responsibilities for members and clubs in relation to WWCCs in New South Wales.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales has developed a number of procedures and resources which complement the Surf Life Saving Australia Member Protection Policy and the Safeguarding Program and encourages all clubs to use a range of responses to manage the potential risks in their individual environments, including meeting their Working With Children Check (WWCC) legal obligations.
Code of Conduct
The Surf Life Saving Codes of Conduct outline the expected standards of member behaviour as well as safeguarding children and young people and should be followed at all times by all Members and all people involved in any way with Surf Life Saving. SLSA policy 6.04 Child Safe
There are two key elements to the Codes of Conduct:
- The General Code of Conduct, which relates to interactions between Members, Participants and Persons in Positions of Authority (clause 3.5.1)
- The Code of Conduct for interactions with CYP who take part in SLS programs, activities, services
or events (clause 3.5.2).