The Venny provides services for children under the age of 18, and therefore The Venny recognises its responsibility and commitment to child safety. Our organisation is committed to protecting children from harm and providing a safe space for children.
The Venny is committed to:

• Promoting and protecting the best interests of children.
• Safeguarding children who are participating in The Venny programs including on and off site activities.
• The safety, participation and empowerment of all children.
• Preventing child abuse and identifying risk early to remove and reduce these risks.
• Regularly training and educating staff and volunteers on child abuse risks.
• The cultural safety of Aboriginal children, and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and the provision of a safe environment for children with a disability.

The Venny supports and respects all children, as well as our staff and volunteers. All children, regardless of their gender, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, family or social background have equal rights to protection from abuse, harm or mistreatment.
The Venny has:

• Zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently with our policies and procedures.
• Legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we have reasonable concern about a child’s safety or reasonable belief that a child has been abused or harmed, which we follow rigorously.
• Robust human resources and recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers.
• Policies, procedures and training in place that support out leadership team, staff and volunteers to achieve these commitments.

Every person working at, volunteering or participating in The Venny’s programs is responsible for the care and protection of the children under our care. This includes reporting information about suspected child abuse or harm of children and young people. The Venny is aware of the Victorian Government’s mandatory reporting obligations and associated legislation. A child’s safety is a shared responsibility between The Venny, its staff, volunteers, contractors, patrons and members of The Venny’s community.

If you believe a child or young person is at immediate risk of abuse or harm, please contact Emergency Services on 000.