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Wayfinding Music

Child Safe Policy

Organisation

Wayfinding Music

Version

v2.0

Approved

9 March 2026

Approved by

Monty Taylor, Director

Next Review Date

March 2027

 

1. Purpose

This policy explains how Wayfinding Music puts child safety into everyday practice across our services, locations and interactions. It applies to all directors, staff, contractors, volunteers and any other adults engaged by or associated with Wayfinding Music.

 

2. Legislative and Standards Framework

This policy is developed in accordance with the following legislation and national standards:

  • Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) — including mandatory reporting obligations for workers who deliver services to children
  • Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW) — establishing Working With Children Check requirements
  • National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — the ten principles underpinning child safe cultures
  • Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) — governing the handling of personal information about children and families

 

3. Our Commitment to Child Safety

Wayfinding Music is committed to the safety, wellbeing and empowerment of all children and young people who attend our sessions, events and activities.

We believe every child has the right to feel safe, to be heard and to be treated with dignity and respect. We take all child safety concerns seriously and respond promptly and appropriately.

We expect all adults in our organisation to actively prevent harm, speak up about concerns and follow our child safe policies and procedures.

 

4. Our Setting

Wayfinding Music provides small-group music sessions, community events, and related learning activities for children and young people.

Our activities take place across hired community and council venues used for music sessions, rehearsals and workshops, and our online communication channels (email, website, enrolment forms and internal messaging).

Because children participate in practical, creative and group-based activities, we pay particular attention to physical spaces, supervision, transport, communication boundaries, online contact and the conduct of all adults around children.

 

5. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to all adults engaged with Wayfinding Music in any capacity, including:

  • Directors and people with management responsibilities
  • Employees, casual staff and contractors
  • Volunteers, guest tutors and presenters
  • Any adult involved in our activities, rehearsals, events, excursions or communications with children

 

6. Responsibilities

Everyone covered by this policy is responsible for contributing to a child safe environment. This includes the responsibility to:

  • Read, understand and follow this policy and our Child Safe Code of Conduct
  • Complete required induction and training before working with children
  • Maintain professional boundaries with children and young people at all times
  • Report concerns, disclosures, allegations, incidents or breaches promptly to the Child Safety Contact
  • Support children to raise concerns and participate in decisions that affect them
  • Help maintain safe physical and online environments

 

Leadership and management have additional responsibility to:

  • Ensure child safe practices are embedded in recruitment, induction and day-to-day operations
  • Model and reinforce child safe behaviour
  • Respond promptly and appropriately to any reported concern or incident
  • Ensure this policy and related documents are kept current and accessible

 

7. Recruitment and Screening

Wayfinding Music takes a careful approach to recruiting adults who work with children. All prospective staff, contractors and volunteers are:

  • Assessed against child safe values and behaviours as part of the selection process
  • Required to provide references that speak to their suitability for child-related roles
  • Required to hold a valid Working With Children Check (see Section 8)
  • Inducted into our child safe culture, policies and procedures before beginning any child-related work

 

No person may work unsupervised with children until recruitment screening and induction are fully complete.

 

8. Working With Children Check

Under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW), all people engaged in child-related work must hold a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC) clearance.

Wayfinding Music verifies WWCC status before any person commences child-related work. Any person whose WWCC is refused, withdrawn or barred must be removed from child-related duties immediately.

 

Current staff clearances

Parents and carers are welcome to verify any clearance at any time using the free NSW Government verification tool:

wwccheck.ocg.nsw.gov.au/Applicants/Verify

Name

Role

WWC Number

Monty James Taylor

Director, Teacher

WWC1941958E

Matthew James Murphy

Director

WWC1147126E

To verify, enter the staff member’s full name and WWC number into the verification tool above. Verification is free and does not require an account.

 

9. Reporting Concerns, Disclosures and Incidents

All adults in our organisation have a responsibility to report child safety concerns, disclosures or incidents promptly. This applies regardless of whether the concern involves a staff member, volunteer, contractor, parent or other person.

 

How to report

  • Report immediately to the Child Safety Contact: Monty James Taylor (0434 874 881).
  • If the concern involves the Child Safety Contact, report directly to Matthew Murphy (0418 673 114).
  • Staff must not attempt to investigate concerns themselves — the role is to listen, support and refer.

 

The detailed step-by-step reporting procedure, including incident record requirements and escalation steps, is set out in the Child Safe Risk Management Plan.

 

10. Mandatory Reporting

Under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW), paid and voluntary workers who deliver services to children are mandatory reporters.

A report must be made to the NSW Child Protection Helpline — 132 111 (24 hours, 7 days) — if there are reasonable grounds to suspect a child is at risk of significant harm. Staff are protected from civil and criminal liability when making a report in good faith.

Staff who are unsure whether to make a mandatory report should contact the Child Safety Contact immediately. When in doubt, report.

 

11. Training and Induction

All staff, tutors, volunteers and contractors must complete child safety induction before beginning any child-related work. Induction includes:

  • Reading and signing the Child Safe Code of Conduct
  • Completing a child safety orientation with the Child Safety Contact or their delegate
  • Familiarising themselves with reporting procedures and key contacts
  • Confirming WWCC clearance has been verified

 

Ongoing training and refreshers will be provided where available and are encouraged for all staff. Completion of induction is recorded by the Child Safety Contact.

 

12. Online Safety

All adults must:

  • Use only organisation-approved channels for communication with parents and, where appropriate, with young people
  • Avoid one-to-one personal messaging with children. All external communications with children must include parent / guardians.
  • Manage photos, videos and recordings carefully — with consent and only for approved purposes.
  • Not contact children or families via personal social media accounts 
  • Report any online safety concern to the Child Safety Contact immediately

 

Approved communication platforms are listed in the Child Safe Risk Management Plan and will be communicated to all staff during induction.

 

13. Privacy and Confidentiality

Information about child safety concerns, incidents and complaints is sensitive and must be handled with care. All staff must:

  • Share information about child safety matters only on a need-to-know basis
  • Not discuss child safety concerns with other staff, families or third parties beyond those directly involved in managing the response
  • Not post or discuss child safety matters on social media or in public forums
  • Handle personal information about children and families in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)

 

Confidentiality does not prevent reporting to the Child Safety Contact or to statutory authorities where required. Mandatory reporting obligations take precedence over confidentiality.

 

14. Equity and Inclusion

Wayfinding Music is committed to inclusive practice. We recognise that some children may face additional barriers to safety and participation, including children with disability, children from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and children who may be at greater risk due to their circumstances.

We aim to identify and actively respond to these barriers so that all children experience the same standard of safety, respect and support.

 

15. Participation of Children, Families and Communities

We aim to make child safety visible and understandable to children, families and the communities we work with. We do this by:

  • Explaining expectations and boundaries in age-appropriate language
  • Inviting parent and family feedback on our programs and policies
  • Making child safe documents available online and on request
  • Encouraging children and families to ask questions or raise concerns at any time

 

We provide child-friendly ways for concerns to be raised and take all feedback seriously.

 

16. Breaches of This Policy

Any breach of this policy or the Child Safe Code of Conduct will be taken seriously. Depending on the nature and severity of the breach, consequences may include:

  • Requirement to undertake further training or supervision
  • Formal counselling or disciplinary action
  • Suspension or termination of engagement
  • Referral to relevant authorities, including police or child protection services

 

Breaches will be assessed and managed by the Child Safety Contact in consultation with leadership. All parties are entitled to a fair process.

 

17. Related Documents

This policy should be read alongside the following Wayfinding Music documents:

  • Child Safe Code of Conduct
  • Child Safe Risk Management Plan
  • Complaints and Concerns Process
  • Enrolment and consent forms

 

18. Record Keeping and Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually (by March each year) and earlier if there is an incident, complaint, legislative change or any other development that warrants a review.

The Child Safety Contact is responsible for coordinating review with input from staff, leadership and other relevant people. All staff will be informed of any updates.

 

Child Safety Contact

Questions or concerns about child safety should be directed to:

   

Child Safety Contact

Monty James Taylor

Role

Child Safety Contact

Email

montytay@gmail.com

Phone

0434 874 881

If your concern involves the Child Safety Contact, contact: Director, Matthew James Murphy (0418 673 114).