Child Safety

At Sacred Heart the care, safety and wellbeing of every student entrusted to our care is the central and fundamental responsibility of our entire College community. We hold a foundational belief that every young person has the absolute right to feel safe and be safe. Creating an inclusive, welcoming and secure environment where students can flourish is at the very core of our daily operations, governance and educational mission.

Compliance and The Victorian Child Safe Standards

In strict accordance with the 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards, we enforce operational policies and mandated procedures designed to proactively prevent child abuse, identify vulnerability and eliminate safety risks across all facets of our campus and digital environments.

Our comprehensive safeguarding framework is built upon three secure pillars of compliance:

1. Rigorous Human Resources and Vetting: We employ strict screening, reference checks, and vetting protocols for all workplace participants – including staff, volunteers, and third-party contractors – ensuring an unwavering commitment to child safety before any individual enters our community.
2. Continuous Professional Continuous Improvement: All College staff undergo ongoing, mandatory professional development and compliance training to ensure they are highly equipped to recognise, report and safely respond to any indicators of child safety risks.
3. Student-Centred Culture and Agency: Through supportive classroom environments and active student voice, we empower our young people to understand their rights, identify safe boundaries and participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives.
    

Governance

Governed by Mercy Education Limited, our local safeguarding practices are reinforced by a robust, systemic oversight network. Mercy Education facilitates, monitors and audits the implementation of child safety policies and codes of conduct across all its member schools. This institutional governance ensures strict, ongoing compliance with all applicable state and federal legislation, ministerial orders and diocesan regulations.

Our College policies are vital, active components of the overarching legal framework – ensuring that statutory compliance translates seamlessly into daily, vigilant protection for every student in our care.