Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable People Handbook

1.3 The St John SA approach: As an organisation working with and supplying services to children and vulnerable persons, St John SA and its Members will: Create and maintain a culture with a focus on the protection and safety of children and vulnerable persons under our care Recognise children and vulnerable persons as individuals, have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, free from emotional and physical danger, abuse or neglect Be committed to taking all reasonable steps to protect the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable persons Encourage and respect the views of children and vulnerable persons Listen to and act upon any concerns that children, vulnerable persons or their families raise with St John SA Ensure children and vulnerable persons and their families know their rights and how to access the complaints procedure available to them, as well as their child protection and vulnerable persons responsibilities Ensure that all adult Members (aged 18 years and over) are aware of their responsibilities in regards to children and vulnerable persons Proactively cooperate with government agencies, particularly in the reporting of suspected cases of assault, abuse or neglect Ensure that members are made aware of the forms and indicators of abuse, neglect and exploitation, and the impact of abuse on children and vulnerable persons – refer Annexure 1 – Recognising the signs of abuse.

1.4 Our safe practices: At St John SA we will implement and embed supportive practices to safeguard the children and vulnerable adults we work with each and every day. We will do this by: Adhering to our children and vulnerable persons policy and ensuring that it is supported by robust procedures Carefully following the procedures laid down for the recruitment and selection of all Members Providing effective management for all Members through supervision, support and training Implementing clear procedures for raising awareness of and responding to abuse within the organisation and for reporting concerns to the relevant authorities that need to know, while involving and supporting all stakeholders appropriately Ensuring general safety and risk management procedures are adhered to Promoting full participation and have clear procedures for dealing with concerns and complaints Managing personal information confidentially Implementing a code of conduct for everyone across the organisation which is supported through education and training Reviewing policy, procedures and the code of conduct at regular intervals, at least annually.

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Member Handbook July 2016 St John Ambulance SA Inc