Child Safe Policy

Purpose

All Australian health and allied health services are required to have a registered Child Safety Policy that complies with appropriate legislation and regulations to protect children and young people from risk of harm and to safeguard their wellbeing.

This Child Safe policy (“policy”) has been developed in accordance with the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017, Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 and the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations by Kate Marshall as Sole Trader at Serenity Counselling (“us”, “we”, “our”).

Serenity Counselling reserves the right to change this policy at any given time. The newest version of this policy is lodged with the Department of Human Services and is also available on the Serenity Counselling website.

 

Commitment

At Serenity Counselling, we aim to provide a safe environment where children and young people are valued, respected, and empowered to plan and participate in their own wellbeing, with the highest priority being their safety and protection.

We actively accept and support all children and young people regardless of their abilities, neurodiversity, sex, gender, social economic or cultural background.

Information about services that can assist children and young people (such as the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 and Youth Helpline on 1300 13 17 19) will be displayed in areas within our practice that are accessible to them.

 

Scope of Policy

This policy applies to Kate Marshall, sole trader, trading as Serenity Counselling, any volunteers, subcontractors or employees (staff) of Serenity Counselling, and any children, young people and families connected with Serenity Counselling.

 

Definitions

  • Child or young person: Persons under 18 years of age.
    Complainant: Person who makes a complaint.
  • Harm: Section 17 of the Safety Act defines ‘harm’ to mean physical or psychological harm (whether caused by an act or omission), including harm caused by sexual, physical, mental or emotional abuse or neglect.
  • National Police Check: A summary of an individual’s offender history in Australia and a record of their criminal history relating to convictions, finding of guilt or pending court proceedings. They are available from South Australia Police (SAPOL) or organisations accredited by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. Serenity Counselling requires a National Police check for workers and volunteers, as well as a Working with Children Check.
  • Working with Children Check: People working or volunteering with children in South Australia must, by law, have a valid, not prohibited Working with Children Check. A Working with Children Check is an assessment of whether a person poses an unacceptable risk to children. As part of the process, the Screening Unit will look at criminal history, child protection information and other information.

 

Communication

Serenity Counselling makes its child safe policy available to children, young people and families on its website and will provide a paper copy on request. 

By signing Serenity Counselling’s Informed Consent Form, the signatory indicates that they have read, accept and comply with the policy. 

 

Code of conduct

Serenity Counselling’s Code of Conduct covers standards, issues and risk factors when working with children and young people. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

Promoting safety and wellbeing of children and young people by:

  • Adhering to the Child Safe Policy at all times and taking reasonable steps to ensure the safety and protection of children and young people.
  • Following procedures recommended by child protection authorities when dealing with allegations of abuse or neglect of children and undergoing appropriate professional development in this area.
  • Treating everyone, regardless of abilities, neurodiversity, sex, gender, social, economic, religious or cultural background with respect, honesty and equity.
  • Promoting children’s self-esteem and positive self-image through their interactions and relationships with children.
  • Modelling positive behaviour and conduct with children and young people. Setting and upholding clear boundaries and roles for appropriate behaviour with all adults, children and young people.
  • Listening and responding appropriately to the views and concerns of children and young people.
  • Being alert to bullying behaviours and responding promptly and appropriately.
  • Being alert to children and young people who have been harmed or may be at risk of harm and reporting this quickly to the Child Abuse Report Line (13 14 78).
  • Responding quickly, fairly and transparently to any complaints made by a child, young person or their parent/guardian.
  • Encouraging and empowering children and young people to plan and participate in their counselling treatment, and to discuss and communicate their needs and concerns.

 

Serenity Counselling will not:

  • Discriminate against any child or young person because of age, gender, cultural background, religion, vulnerability or sexuality or any other grounds.
  • Hit or physically assault a child or young person.
  • Use language that is offensive, abusive, or otherwise inappropriate.
  • Show preferential treatment to one child or young person over others.
  • Shout, yell or speak to a child or young person in an angry, intimidating, or threatening manner.
  • Engage in rough physical play with children or young people.
  • Condone or participate in illegal or unsafe behaviours when working with children or young people.
  • Develop any ‘special’ relationships with children and young people that could be seen as favouritism such as the offering of gifts or special treatment.
  • Do things of a personal nature that a child or young person can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes.

 

Reporting breach of Code of Conduct

Breaches to the Code of Conduct can be made by contacting the Department for Child Protection on 8124 4185, or a complaint can be made to the ACA (Australian Counselling Association) by completing an online form. The ACA’s complaints policy can be viewed here.

All breaches of this code of conduct will result in investigation and may lead to disciplinary action in accordance with the ACA’s discipline and grievance policy.

 

Supervision, training and support

All staff of Serenity Counselling are made aware at induction of their obligation to maintain a current, not prohibited Working with Children Check and renew this every 5 years through the Department of Human Services Screening Unit. 

Where mandated by the Australian Counselling Association and other relevant bodies, staff will also continue to have regular, mandatory supervision, peer support and will always seek to extend their knowledge through ongoing training.  Supervision sessions prioritise and include focus on child safety and wellbeing whenever relevant.

Staff will also be required to read, understood and maintain current knowledge on the mandatory notification booklet. Serenity Counselling will also provide access to printed copies on request, and will ensure staff are aware of where to find this information online.

All staff will be required to attend the RRHAN-EC training and will continue to keep their certificate current, as well as furthering their knowledge of safety with continued training.

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children- Keeping our kids safe is a resource used by Serenity Counselling for helping to keep children and young people safe.

Reporting and responding to harm or risk of harm

Mandated notifiers have a legal obligation to notify the Child Abuse Report Line (CARL) as soon as practicable if they suspect on reasonable grounds that a child is or may be at risk of harm. Counsellors working with Serenity Counselling are mandated reporters and will undertake to report any reasonable belief that a child of young person is or may be at risk of harm and in need of protection.

At Serenity Counselling, children and young people are listened to, believed, and always supported.

 

Reporting Concerns

If any staff of Serenity Counselling have a reasonable belief that a child or young person is, or may be at risk of harm, they will, as soon as possible, contact the Child Abuse Report Line (CARL) on 131478 or if at immediate risk, report to the South Australia Police (SAPOL) on 000, as per legal obligations as a mandated notifier.

Staff will then be guided by the relevant authority (CARL or SAPOL) as to whether an internal investigation should be performed, and any other actions are required.

Notification of the child’s family/caregiver will depend on the guidance of the relevant authority. Serenity Counselling has a right to take any action to ensure that staff and any clients including children are always safe. This may involve contacting the police if any person or family make a threat.

Any concerns or actions taken that are relevant to duties as a mandated notifier will be documented.

 

Supporting children, young people, and their families

Counselling staff at Serenity Counselling understand that we continue to have a role in supporting the child or young person after a report has been made. This could include:

  • Referring the child, young person, or their family to other appropriate services.
  • Continuing to provide a service to the child or young person and their family and monitoring the circumstances.
  • Displaying information about services that can assist children, young people, and their families (such as the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 and Youth Helpline on 1300 13 17 19) in areas accessed by them.

 

Reporting and responding to general complaints or feedback

Positive and constructive client feedback is essential to ongoing service improvement for Serenity Counselling. Clients are welcome to lodge a complaint in person during a session, over the phone, by email or in writing.

In response to complaints staff of Serenity Counselling will:

  • Address issues promptly, sensitively, and fairly
  • Listen to the complaint/feedback and make a record of it
  • Acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing.
  • Clearly document and securely store decisions and actions taken in response to complaints and feedback
  • Respond to the complainant with an outcome

 

Risk Assessment

Identified Risk

Actions to minimise risk

Culture of organisation is not child-safe focussed.
  • Child-safe Code of Conduct is in place which sets the behavioural standards expected including how a breach is handled.
  • Culture of management reflects our strong commitment to the safety of children and young people.
  • National Principles for Child Safe Organisations are embedded in policies and procedures.
  • Requirements of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 (which mandates child safe environments) and the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 (which mandates Working with Children Checks) are met and maintained.

Physical contact
  • Unnecessary physical contact is avoided and is limited to contact appropriate to the delivery of services being provided.
  • where physical contact is required, this is undertaken in a safe way by explaining why contact is required and what will happen, asking the child/young person for their permission (or their family if this is more appropriate) before proceeding.

Online Communication
  • Online communications are limited to that which is necessary for the delivery of safe, appropriate services for the child or young person, and are generally directed via their parent or guardian.
  • There will be no contact with a child or young person via social media or other social platforms.

Supervision
  • Signed consent is to be given by a child/young person’s parent or guardian before counselling commences, and this includes permission to counsel the child/young person in a private room with a closed door where appropriate.
  • Children and young people that are not clients are not able to attend Serenity Counselling unless prior arrangements are made, and the child’s parent or guardian remains with them to supervise them.
  • Serenity Counselling does not provide childcare or adequately safe play areas for children to wait for parents. Therefore, we undertake to inform clients that they must make provisions for their children to be cared for off-site during their appointment if they are not directly involved in the counselling session.
  • Where small children or babies are unable to be cared for off-site, clients must discuss this in advance with staff of Serenity Counselling to organise safe alternative arrangements.
  • Where a child is the client or is directly involved in counselling, Serenity Counselling will ensure clear observation of child-occupied areas by either the parent/guardian or primary support person, or their counsellor with appropriate clearances.
  • If child/young person not collected by parent/guardian at the time when the session ends, staff of Serenity Counselling will supervise the child/young person until they are collected by either the parent/guardian or person they have provided as their emergency contact.
Taking images of children and young people
  • In the unlikely event that it is necessary for an image to be taken with children or young people as part of the image, written consent of the child or young person and their parent/guardian is required.
  • Disclosure will be made as to how the image is to be used and consent must be provided by the child, young person and parent/guardian.
  • Images must be presented in a way that de-identifies the child or young person.

Physical environment of  the office
  • A risk register is kept and maintained regularly. This risk register will be reviewed annually to ensure it is up to date and effective.
  • Risk assessments are to be conducted for all new activities in this location
  • It is the responsibility of the Kate Marshall to ensure all equipment is in good working order.

Serenity Counselling will not:
  • Have physical contact
  • Allow children unsolicited use of internet or internet images while the child or young person is in the counselling room.

Serenity Counselling and it’s staff will:
  • Always protect privacy and confidentiality, with exceptions only for mandatory reporting or legal requirements.
  • Conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner.
  • Adhere to trauma-informed approaches.
  • Always listen to and believe a child or young person.
  • At a minimum, review the policies and procedures once every 5 years as required by the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.
  • Review policies and procedures prior to 5 years if there is an incident or risk of harm is observed relating to children’s well-being or safety within that timeframe, and it is evident that policies and procedures should be reviewed to prevent similar incidents or risks.
  • Lodge a new child safe environments compliance statement with Department of Human Services each time we review and update our policy. 

Privacy and confidentiality
  • Documents containing confidential information are stored privately in a locked filing cabinet within a room that is also locked with a deadbolt.
  • In the unlikely event that it is necessary for an image to be taken with children or young people as part of the image, written consent of the child or young person and their parent/guardian is required.
  • Disclosure will be made as to how the image is to be used and consent must be provided by the child, young person and parent/guardian.
  • Images must be presented in a way that de-identifies the child or young person.Digital files containing confidential information are protected electronically and access to these is restricted to Kate Marshall.
  • Information regarding any child or young person will not be disclosed without written consent of the child, young person and their parent/guardian unless Serenity Counselling reasonably believes they are at risk of harm to themselves or others.

Queries, concerns and further information

If you have any queries, concerns or require further information relating to privacy and Serenity Counselling, you are invited to contact us via phone at 0482 012 258 or by email at: admin@serenitycounselling.com.au.

 


References

“Child Safe Environments Training – Certificate – Adelaide.” Educators SA, 2024, educators-sa.sa.edu.au/training/cse/child-safe-environments-training/.

DHS. “Department of Human Services SA (DHS).” DHS, 9 Apr. 2024, dhs.sa.gov.au/how-we-help/ngo-and-sector-support/child-safe-environment/training-safe-environments. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

—. “Department of Human Services SA (DHS).” DHS, 26 May 2023, dhs.sa.gov.au/how-we-help/ngo-and-sector-support/child-safe-environment/creating-a-policy.

Government of South Australia. Child Safe Environments – Guideline to Writing a Policy. 24 Nov. 2024. Department of Human Services.

—. Mandatory Reporting Information Booklet Safe Environments for Children and Young People. 2017.

First Published: 02/10/2024

Last Revised: 12/01/2026