Our Commitment to Child Safety
Bluesalt Swim School is committed to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where every child feels safe, respected, supported and valued.
We recognise that children have the right to feel safe and be safe, and that protecting children is everyone’s responsibility.
Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in the way Bluesalt operates, including our recruitment, staff conduct, supervision, teaching practices, communication, complaints processes and risk management.
Bluesalt is committed to complying with applicable Victorian Child Safe Standards and maintaining practices that promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
1. Child Safety Comes First
The safety and wellbeing of children is our highest priority.
Bluesalt aims to:
- Provide a safe and welcoming environment for every child.
- Listen to children and take their concerns seriously.
- Respect each child’s individual needs, identity, culture, background and abilities.
- Promote positive relationships between children, families and staff.
- Prevent and respond appropriately to concerns about child abuse, harm, neglect or inappropriate behaviour.
- Regularly review our child-safety practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
2. Respectful and Appropriate Behaviour
All Bluesalt staff, teachers, contractors, volunteers, parents, guardians and visitors are expected to behave appropriately around children.
This includes:
- Treating children with dignity, patience and respect.
- Using appropriate language and communication.
- Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
- Avoiding unnecessary physical contact.
- Never using physical punishment, intimidation, humiliation or inappropriate discipline.
- Never engaging in behaviour that could reasonably be considered threatening, sexualised, abusive or inappropriate.
- Following Bluesalt’s child-safety procedures and staff directions.
3. Staff and Teacher Screening
Bluesalt takes reasonable steps to ensure people working with children are suitable and appropriately screened.
This includes relevant:
- Working with Children Checks or equivalent checks.
- Recruitment and reference checks.
- Staff induction.
- Child-safety training.
- Ongoing supervision and professional development.
Bluesalt expects staff to understand their responsibilities regarding child safety, reporting, information sharing and appropriate professional conduct.
4. Supervision
Children are supervised during their swimming lesson by appropriately authorised Bluesalt teaching staff.
Parents and guardians remain responsible for supervising children before and after their lesson and in areas outside the swimming lesson environment.
Children must not be left unattended at the centre.
Parents and guardians must follow all pool, centre and safety instructions provided by Bluesalt staff.
5. Physical Contact
Swimming instruction may sometimes require appropriate physical contact to assist with teaching, safety, positioning or rescue.
Any physical contact should:
- Be necessary and appropriate for the lesson or child’s safety.
- Be respectful and professional.
- Be proportionate to the child’s age and needs.
- Be conducted in a manner that maintains appropriate boundaries.
Bluesalt does not permit unnecessary, inappropriate or harmful physical contact with children.
6. Changing Rooms and Personal Care
Bluesalt respects children’s privacy and dignity when using change rooms and other personal areas.
Staff must maintain appropriate professional boundaries in change-room and personal-care situations.
Parents and guardians are responsible for assisting their children with changing, toileting and personal care where required.
Children who are not fully toilet trained must wear an approved aqua/swim nappy.
7.Communication with Children
Communication between Bluesalt staff and children must remain professional, appropriate and related to the child’s participation, safety, learning and wellbeing.
8. Photography, Video and Online Safety
Photography and video recording of children is managed carefully.
Parents and guardians must not photograph or record other children without appropriate consent.
Bluesalt will only use photographs or video for promotional, training, operational or social media purposes where appropriate consent has been obtained.
Bluesalt aims to ensure children are represented respectfully and appropriately in any approved images or recordings.
9. Inclusion and Cultural Safety
Bluesalt welcomes children and families from diverse backgrounds and is committed to providing an inclusive environment.
We respect:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
- Different cultures, backgrounds and identities.
- Children with disability or additional needs.
- Different family structures.
- Different abilities, learning styles and levels of confidence.
We encourage families to speak with Bluesalt about any additional support or adjustments that may help their child participate safely and confidently.
10. Children Having a Voice
Bluesalt encourages children to:
- Speak up if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
- Ask questions.
- Tell a trusted adult if something doesn’t feel right.
- Share feedback about their swimming experience.
Children’s concerns will be listened to and taken seriously.
11. Reporting a Concern
If a child, parent, guardian, staff member or other person has a concern about a child’s safety or wellbeing at Bluesalt, we encourage them to report it as soon as possible.
Concerns can be raised with Bluesalt management by contacting:
Email: [email protected]
Concerns may include:
- Suspected abuse or neglect.
- Inappropriate behaviour by an adult.
- Bullying or harassment.
- Unsafe practices.
- Inappropriate communication.
- Concerns regarding staff conduct.
- Any behaviour that makes a child feel unsafe.
Concerns will be handled seriously, respectfully and as confidentially as reasonably possible.
Where required, Bluesalt will make reports or notifications to the appropriate authorities or regulators.
12. Complaints Involving Children
Bluesalt aims to ensure complaints involving children are handled in a child-focused manner.
Children will be supported to express their concerns in a way that is appropriate to their age, understanding and circumstances.
No child or family should feel that they will be treated unfairly for raising a genuine concern.
13. Child Safety Risk Management
Bluesalt regularly considers risks to child safety across the centre, including:
- Pool and surrounding areas.
- Entry and exit points.
- Change rooms.
- Staff and teacher interactions.
- Photography and technology.
- Communication with families.
- Online environments.
- Emergency situations.
Where risks are identified, Bluesalt will take reasonable steps to reduce or remove them.
14. Continuous Improvement
Bluesalt will regularly review its child-safety practices, policies and procedures.
We welcome feedback from children, families and staff about ways we can continue to improve child safety and wellbeing.
15. Our Commitment
Bluesalt Swim School is committed to creating a culture where children feel safe, respected, heard and supported.
If you have any concern about the safety or wellbeing of a child at Bluesalt, please speak with management as soon as possible.
Bluesalt Swim School is committed to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where every child feels safe, respected, supported and valued.
We recognise that children have the right to feel safe and be safe, and that protecting children is everyone’s responsibility.
Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in the way Bluesalt operates, including our recruitment, staff conduct, supervision, teaching practices, communication, complaints processes and risk management.
Bluesalt is committed to complying with applicable Victorian Child Safe Standards and maintaining practices that promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
The safety and wellbeing of children is our highest priority.
Bluesalt aims to:
- Provide a safe and welcoming environment for every child.
- Listen to children and take their concerns seriously.
- Respect each child’s individual needs, identity, culture, background and abilities.
- Promote positive relationships between children, families and staff.
- Prevent and respond appropriately to concerns about child abuse, harm, neglect or inappropriate behaviour.
- Regularly review our child-safety practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
All Bluesalt staff, teachers, contractors, volunteers, parents, guardians and visitors are expected to behave appropriately around children.
This includes:
- Treating children with dignity, patience and respect.
- Using appropriate language and communication.
- Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
- Avoiding unnecessary physical contact.
- Never using physical punishment, intimidation, humiliation or inappropriate discipline.
- Never engaging in behaviour that could reasonably be considered threatening, sexualised, abusive or inappropriate.
- Following Bluesalt’s child-safety procedures and staff directions.
Bluesalt takes reasonable steps to ensure people working with children are suitable and appropriately screened.
This includes relevant:
- Working with Children Checks or equivalent checks.
- Recruitment and reference checks.
- Staff induction.
- Child-safety training.
- Ongoing supervision and professional development.
Bluesalt expects staff to understand their responsibilities regarding child safety, reporting, information sharing and appropriate professional conduct.
Children are supervised during their swimming lesson by appropriately authorised Bluesalt teaching staff.
Parents and guardians remain responsible for supervising children before and after their lesson and in areas outside the swimming lesson environment.
Children must not be left unattended at the centre.
Parents and guardians must follow all pool, centre and safety instructions provided by Bluesalt staff.
Swimming instruction may sometimes require appropriate physical contact to assist with teaching, safety, positioning or rescue.
Any physical contact should:
- Be necessary and appropriate for the lesson or child’s safety.
- Be respectful and professional.
- Be proportionate to the child’s age and needs.
- Be conducted in a manner that maintains appropriate boundaries.
Bluesalt does not permit unnecessary, inappropriate or harmful physical contact with children.
Bluesalt respects children’s privacy and dignity when using change rooms and other personal areas.
Staff must maintain appropriate professional boundaries in change-room and personal-care situations.
Parents and guardians are responsible for assisting their children with changing, toileting and personal care where required.
Children who are not fully toilet trained must wear an approved aqua/swim nappy.
Communication between Bluesalt staff and children must remain professional, appropriate and related to the child’s participation, safety, learning and wellbeing.
Photography and video recording of children is managed carefully.
Parents and guardians must not photograph or record other children without appropriate consent.
Bluesalt will only use photographs or video for promotional, training, operational or social media purposes where appropriate consent has been obtained.
Bluesalt aims to ensure children are represented respectfully and appropriately in any approved images or recordings.
Bluesalt welcomes children and families from diverse backgrounds and is committed to providing an inclusive environment.
We respect:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
- Different cultures, backgrounds and identities.
- Children with disability or additional needs.
- Different family structures.
- Different abilities, learning styles and levels of confidence.
We encourage families to speak with Bluesalt about any additional support or adjustments that may help their child participate safely and confidently.
Bluesalt encourages children to:
- Speak up if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
- Ask questions.
- Tell a trusted adult if something doesn’t feel right.
- Share feedback about their swimming experience.
Children’s concerns will be listened to and taken seriously.
If a child, parent, guardian, staff member or other person has a concern about a child’s safety or wellbeing at Bluesalt, we encourage them to report it as soon as possible.
Concerns can be raised with Bluesalt management by contacting:
Email: [email protected]
Concerns may include:
- Suspected abuse or neglect.
- Inappropriate behaviour by an adult.
- Bullying or harassment.
- Unsafe practices.
- Inappropriate communication.
- Concerns regarding staff conduct.
- Any behaviour that makes a child feel unsafe.
Concerns will be handled seriously, respectfully and as confidentially as reasonably possible.
Where required, Bluesalt will make reports or notifications to the appropriate authorities or regulators.
Bluesalt aims to ensure complaints involving children are handled in a child-focused manner.
Children will be supported to express their concerns in a way that is appropriate to their age, understanding and circumstances.
No child or family should feel that they will be treated unfairly for raising a genuine concern.
Bluesalt regularly considers risks to child safety across the centre, including:
- Pool and surrounding areas.
- Entry and exit points.
- Change rooms.
- Staff and teacher interactions.
- Photography and technology.
- Communication with families.
- Online environments.
- Emergency situations.
Where risks are identified, Bluesalt will take reasonable steps to reduce or remove them.
Bluesalt will regularly review its child-safety practices, policies and procedures.
We welcome feedback from children, families and staff about ways we can continue to improve child safety and wellbeing.
Bluesalt Swim School is committed to creating a culture where children feel safe, respected, heard and supported.
If you have any concern about the safety or wellbeing of a child at Bluesalt, please speak with management as soon as possible.