About
Child safety
Our commitment to child safety
Austin Health is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people, whether they are receiving treatment or visiting the hospital for any reason. Austin Health has zero tolerance for any form of child abuse and commits to protect children from “all forms of physical and emotional violence, injury or abuse, neglect, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse.” (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – Article 19). Austin Health will take allegations of abuse and neglect seriously and will make every effort to mitigate and to respond to risk in line with hospital policy and procedures.
Austin Health is committed to providing a safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Particular attention is paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, and those from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children and young people with a disability. We promote tolerance and diversity in our organization to ensure children from differing cultural backgrounds and abilities can participate equally.
All staff at Austin Health have a responsibility to understand the importance and specific role they play individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is prioritized in all that they do and in the delivery of healthcare. We are committed to training and educating our staff on child safety, appropriate behaviours, Mandatory Reporting and Reportable Conduct, to ensure that everyone in our organization understands that child safety is everyone’s responsibility.
