Child Safety Policy

Issued by	Ethical Hire ABN 77 679 399 001
Version	1.0
Last updated	06/03/2026
Applies to	Ethical Hire public website, platform, workers, clients, participants, providers, coordinators and authorised representatives, as applicable

1. Purpose and Scope

This Policy sets out Ethical Hire’s commitment to the safety, wellbeing, and empowerment of all children and young people who interact with services arranged through our Platform.

Scope of Application

• Platform Users: Applies to all Workers, Clients, Coordinators, Providers, and their representatives using the Platform.
• Applicable Interactions: Covers all interactions where a child or young person (under 18 years) may be present, supported, or impacted by services facilitated via the Platform. This includes in‑home, community, facility, school, and telehealth contexts.

Legal Interoperability: This Policy operates alongside the Ethical Hire Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, Code of Conduct and Community Standards, and role‑specific policies (Support Worker, Client, Coordinator). Where local laws or regulatory rules impose stricter standards, those standards prevail.

2. Our Commitment to Child Safety

Ethical Hire is committed to ensuring that all children and young people, including NDIS participants under the age of 18 and children present during the delivery of supports arranged through the Platform, are protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation, violence, misconduct, and harm.

Our commitment aligns with:

• National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
• NDIS Code of Conduct
• NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators
• Relevant State and Territory child protection legislation
• Ethical Hire’s Code of Conduct and Community Standards

We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse, neglect, exploitation, grooming, violence, discrimination, and any conduct that places a child or young person at risk.

Ethical Hire is committed to:

• Promoting the rights, wellbeing, dignity, and participation of children and young people.
• Supporting children to express their views and raise concerns in ways appropriate to their age, development, culture, disability, and communication preferences.
• Creating culturally safe and inclusive environments for children.
• Ensuring child safety considerations are embedded into recruitment, onboarding, training, reporting, investigations, and continuous improvement processes.
• Taking immediate action where concerns regarding child safety are identified.

The best interests, safety, and wellbeing of children will always be prioritised in decisions and actions taken under this Policy.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

Ethical Hire (Platform Operator)

• Provides policies, tools, and guidance to support child‑safe practice.
• Requires screening, qualifications, and compliance declarations from Workers consistent with law and role requirements.
• Investigates reports received via the Platform; retains the right to suspend accounts and refer matters to authorities.
• Maintains a zero‑tolerance stance and cooperates fully with lawful requests from regulators and law enforcement.

Workers (Support Workers, Nurses, Allied Health)

• Must hold and maintain required screenings (e.g., Working with Children Check where applicable), training, registrations, and insurance.
• Must follow this Policy, legal reporting duties, professional standards, and relevant behaviour support plans.
• Must report concerns, incidents, and suspected abuse promptly via the Platform and to the appropriate authorities.

Clients, Parents, Guardians, Coordinators, and Providers

• Must provide a safe environment and disclose necessary risk information prior to services.
• Must not direct, permit, or engage in unsafe or prohibited practices.
• Must report concerns or incidents promptly and cooperate fully with investigations.

4. Definitions of Child Abuse and Harm

Child abuse includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviors:

• Physical Abuse: Non‑accidental physical injury or conduct causing physical harm.
• Sexual Abuse and Misconduct: Any sexual activity with or toward a child, grooming, exposure to sexual content/acts, or exploitation (including online exploitation).
• Psychological or Emotional Abuse: Behaviours that harm a child’s mental wellbeing (e.g., threats, humiliation, isolation, exposure to domestic violence).
• Neglect: Failure to provide essential care, supervision, or protection from hazards, including medical neglect.
• Family and Domestic Violence: Embodying or witnessing violence/threats within the child’s family that affect the child’s safety or wellbeing.
• Online Harm: Grooming, bullying, coercion, or exploitation using digital technologies.

5. Child‑Safe Conduct Standards

Expected Conduct

All Users interacting with children via services arranged through the Platform must:

1. Maintain Professional Boundaries: Act professionally at all times; do not form private/secret relationships or communicate via unapproved, off-platform channels.
2. Obtain Informed Consent: Ensure consent is appropriate to the child’s age/capacity and explicitly obtained from the parent/guardian when required.
3. Use Respectful Communication: Use positive language and behaviour; never humiliate, belittle, threaten, or coerce a child.
4. Adhere to Support Plans: Follow behaviour support plans and only use authorised strategies; never use unauthorised restrictive practices.
5. Ensure Transparency: Maintain two‑way visibility where practicable (e.g., keep doors open in shared spaces, notify guardians of exact session times/locations).
6. Practice Appropriate Touch: Physical touch must only occur when necessary for support, clinically appropriate, consented to, and in line with training.
7. Safe Transportation: Avoid transporting children unless it is part of the agreed service, lawful, risk‑assessed, and meets all licence/insurance/restraint requirements.
8. Professional Financial Boundaries: Avoid gifts of value, personal favours, or financial transactions with children or families outside the agreed service scope.

Prohibited Conduct

Users must not under any circumstances:

• Engage in any form of abuse, grooming, or sexualised communication/behaviour.
• Arrange private meetings or communications intended to conceal interactions (including via personal social media or private messaging apps).
• Share personal contact details to intentionally bypass the Platform.
• Photograph, film, or post images of a child without explicit guardian consent and a lawful, service-related purpose.

6. Screening, Qualifications, and Training (Workers)

Before undertaking any work involving children or where there is a reasonable likelihood of contact with children, Workers must maintain all required checks, registrations, and qualifications relevant to their role and jurisdiction.

These requirements may include:

• A valid Working with Children Check (WWCC), Working with Vulnerable People Check (WWVP), Blue Card, Ochre Card, or equivalent screening clearance as required by State or Territory legislation.
• A valid NDIS Worker Screening Check where required by the NDIS Practice Standards, registration status, funding arrangements, or role responsibilities.
• A current National Police Check.
• Any required professional registration, accreditation, or licensing (including AHPRA registration where applicable).
• Mandatory child safety, safeguarding, and role-specific training requirements.
  Current First Aid and CPR certification where required by the Worker’s role.

Workers must immediately notify Ethical Hire if any screening clearance, registration, licence, or professional accreditation expires, is suspended, cancelled, restricted, or becomes subject to investigation.

Workers must not provide child-related services where a required clearance or registration is invalid, expired, suspended, or revoked.

7. Risk Assessment and Planning

• Pre‑Booking Disclosures: Clients/Guardians must disclose relevant risks and support needs before service delivery. This includes behaviours of concern, triggers, communication needs, health conditions, and environmental hazards.
• Dynamic Assessment: Workers must assess environmental risks immediately upon arrival (e.g., access, active supervision, pets, smoking, physical hazards) and may refuse or cease work if the environment is unsafe.
• Behaviour Support: Where formal behaviour support plans exist, they must be provided to the Worker prior to service. Workers are required to read and strictly adhere to them.
• Environment: Safe, highly visible settings are preferred. For one‑to‑one sessions, practical visibility measures must align with family and provider expectations.

8. Digital and Online Safety

• Use Secure Channels: Communications should prioritize secure in‑platform messaging and approved telehealth tools. Avoid using personal phone numbers or personal accounts.
• Privacy by Design: Share only the minimum information necessary. Do not record sessions unless it is explicitly agreed upon, lawful, and necessary. Store recordings securely and delete them after the minimum legal retention window.
• Online Conduct: Do not friend, follow, or interact with children on personal social media platforms; do not share personal content; report any online grooming or bullying concerns immediately.

9. Transport and Community Access

• Prior Approval: Only transport children if the service is explicitly booked and approved, falls within your professional role scope, and is legally permitted.
• Equipment Safety: Ensure all seatbelts and child restraints are legally compliant, correctly fitted, and appropriate for the child’s age/size. Follow all local road rules.
• Vehicle Compliance: Use a fully registered and appropriately insured vehicle. Ensure you have disclosed work/commercial usage to your insurer.
• Transparency: Maintain clear itineraries and set clear check‑in expectations with guardians during community activities.

10. Reporting Concerns and Incidents

IMMEDIATE DANGER: If a child is in immediate danger, call 000 (or your local emergency services) immediately.

1. Mandatory Reporting: Comply with applicable state/territory child protection reporting laws. Where you have a reasonable belief that a child is at risk of significant harm, make an official report to the relevant statutory authority without delay.
2. Platform Reporting: Submit an incident report via the Platform within 24 hours for any child‑safety concern, near miss, or incident. This includes suspected abuse, neglect, grooming, or unauthorised restrictive practices.
3. Platform Escalation: Ethical Hire reserves the right to suspend accounts, notify essential parties, and refer cases directly to child protection authorities, police, or regulatory bodies.
4. Non‑Retaliation: No Platform User will suffer adverse actions, penalties, or retaliation for making a report in good faith.

10A. NDIS Reportable Incidents

Where services are provided to NDIS participants, Platform Users must comply with all applicable incident management and reporting obligations under the NDIS Act 2013, NDIS Rules, and NDIS Practice Standards.

The following incidents may constitute reportable incidents and may require notification to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission:

• Death of a person with disability.
  • Serious injury of a person with disability.
  • Abuse or neglect of a person with disability.
  • Unlawful sexual or physical contact with, or assault of, a person with disability.
  • Sexual misconduct committed against, or in the presence of, a person with disability, including grooming.
  • Unauthorised use of restrictive practices.

Where applicable, reportable incidents must be notified to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission within the timeframes prescribed by law, including:

• Within 24 hours for death, serious injury, abuse, neglect, assault, unlawful sexual contact, and sexual misconduct.
  • Within five (5) business days for unauthorised restrictive practices.

Ethical Hire reserves the right to request information, investigate concerns, cooperate with regulators, and take immediate action to protect participants, children, and Platform Users.

11. Information Sharing and Privacy

• Minimum Necessary Principle: Share confidential child information only to the extent required to guarantee safety and service delivery, or where law requires disclosure.
• Consent Boundaries: Obtain parent/guardian consent for non‑essential disclosures. Note that consent is not required where the law mandates reporting directly to child protection authorities.
• Records Management: Keep factual, objective, and timely notes of all concerns and actions taken. Store records securely and strictly adhere to legal data retention lifetimes.

12. Responding to Allegations Against Users

• Immediate Account Action: Where an allegation indicates potential safety risks, Ethical Hire may immediately suspend the accused User’s account and block all active or upcoming bookings pending review.
• Investigation Cooperation: Users must cooperate fully with Ethical Hire and lawful investigating authorities. Users must not interfere with evidence or attempt to contact the child or family regarding the allegation.
• Outcomes: Actions resulting from substantiated breaches may include formal warnings, permanent removal from the Platform, regulatory body referral, and the provision of digital footprints/records to law enforcement.

13. Safe Recruitment and Verification

• Worker Onboarding: Verification of identity, right to work, legal screenings, and professional qualifications is mandatory prior to platform account activation.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Ethical Hire conducts periodic checks, requests updated documentation, and audits user profiles. Workers must notify the Platform of any status changes (e.g., new criminal charges, convictions, or WWCC suspension) within required legal timeframes.

14. Cultural Safety and Inclusion

• Respect each child’s distinct cultural identity, language, spiritual beliefs, and family structure.
• Provide professional interpreters or alternative communication/assistive technologies where feasible.
• Actively seek guidance from families and guardians regarding specific cultural protocols and environmental preferences.

15. Training and Capability

• Platform Resources: Ethical Hire provides ongoing guidance materials regarding child‑safe marketplace practices.
• User Responsibility: Workers are individually responsible for completing role‑relevant specialized training (including behaviour support, communication methods, and disability‑specific competencies) and maintaining documented proof on their profiles.

16. Physical Environment Standards

Clients, guardians, and providers must ensure the physical workspace meets basic safety benchmarks:

• Ensure safe access and egress, adequate lighting, and hazard‑free operational spaces.
• Secure all pets and eliminate exposure to smoking, vaping, or illicit substances during active service delivery.
• Provide fully serviced, appropriate medical/transfer equipment (e.g., hoists, slings) alongside valid maintenance service records where relevant.

17. Managing Photographs, Videos, and Media

• Informed Consent First: Obtain explicit parent/guardian consent before taking any photos or videos. Clearly explain the purpose, storage medium, access limits, and retention plan.
• No Social Media Posting: Do not publish child images, names, or identifying information online unless there is explicit legal authority and a legitimate purpose directly aligned with this Policy.
• Secure Storage: Store all digital media securely with limited access controls, and permanently delete the files when no longer required for the service.

18. Breaches and Consequences

Examples of Breaches

• Any form of abuse, grooming, or sexualised conduct.
• Unauthorised restrictive practices or physically unsafe handling.
• Failure to report suspected harm or neglect promptly.
• Purposefully ignoring active behaviour support plans or safety instructions.
• Off‑platform solicitation, concealed communications, or client privacy breaches.

Consequences of a Breach

Consequences are handled in accordance with our Terms and may include formal warnings, profile de‑ranking, temporary account suspension, permanent platform ban, recovery of financial losses, and immediate referral to law enforcement or statutory regulators.

19. Continuous Improvement

• Review Cycle: Ethical Hire will periodically review and update this Policy in line with changing legal regulations and national child‑safe standards.
• Feedback Loops: We encourage direct feedback from children, families, and Platform Users to help us refine and improve our child‑safe practices.
• Incident Learning: We regularly analyse incident trends to update our core guidance, product tooling, and marketplace risk controls.

20. Acknowledgement

By utilizing the Ethical Hire Platform, you acknowledge, understand, and agree to comply with this Child Safety Policy, all applicable regional laws, and relevant professional standards when interacting with or supporting children and young people.

Quick Reference Checklist for Workers

• Screenings: Do I hold a current, valid WWCC (where required) and all relevant local screenings?
• Information: Do I have access to the child’s behaviour support plan, risk profile, and physical environment details?
• Environment & Transport: Are the environment, physical equipment, and planned transport arrangements verified safe and compliant?
• Channels: Are all my communications and records being kept within approved, secure platform channels?
• Reporting: If I am concerned about a child’s safety, have I reported it to the authorities (if required) and via the Platform within 24 hours?