In this Policy:

child or children means any person under the age of 18 years; and

Shield Tuition, we or us means Shield Group Holdings Pty Ltd t/as Shield Tuition.

Your child’s safety is a paramount priority

Shield Tuition prioritises the safety and well-being of children.  We strive to ensure that all children are safe, happy, and empowered.  Our commitment extends to supporting and respecting all children, as well as our tutors and staff.

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards child abuse, treating all allegations and safety concerns with utmost seriousness.  To the extent our tutors have mandatory reporting obligations under applicable legislation, we take all steps to ensure compliance with those obligations.  To the extent our tutors do not have mandatory reporting obligations, we nevertheless strongly encourage the reporting of any reportable event under mandatory reporting legislation.

Shield Tuition is dedicated to preventing child abuse by identifying and mitigating risks early.  We acknowledge that child abuse can manifest in various forms, including physical, sexual, psychological/emotional abuse, and neglect.

Our hiring practices are rigorous to ensure all staff and tutors comply with our child-safe policies.  All of our tutors are required to hold and maintain the relevant working with children certification for the state that person tutors in.  

We enforce specific policies and procedures to support our leadership team, staff, and tutors in fulfilling these commitments.  For instance, we mandate that no child be left alone with a tutor.  All lessons must occur in common areas with parental presence to ensure a safe learning environment.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, please call 000.

At Shield Tuition, we promote diversity and tolerance, welcoming people from all cultural backgrounds. Specifically, we:

• promote the cultural safety, participation, and empowerment of First Nations children;

• support children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds; and

• ensure the safety and participation of children with disabilities.

Our policy guides all staff and tutors on appropriate conduct with children within our organisation.  All personnel must adhere to our codes of conduct and complete training modules as required.  We encourage contributions from staff, tutors, children, and their families to continually improve this Policy.  Please feel free to email us should you have any suggestions about our Policy: info@shieldtuition.com.au.

Should a tutor engage in inappropriate behaviour, that behaviour will be reported through appropriate channels, including possibly the Department of Health and Human Services and NSW Police, based on the situation's severity and urgency.  We keep families informed of any progress and actions taken in response to reported concerns.

Shield Tuition takes all reasonable steps to recruit skilled individuals to work with children, including by conducting thorough background checks.  Additionally, in recruiting staff and tutors, Shield Tuition adheres to its ethical and legislative obligations.

We prioritise the safety and well-being of children while being fair and just to personnel.  Our recruitment, incident assessment, and disciplinary actions are thorough, transparent, and evidence-based.

All staff, tutors, volunteers, and contractors must observe child-safe principles and behaviour standards, which include:

• upholding Shield Tuition’s commitment to child safety;

• taking reasonable steps to protect children from abuse;

• treating everyone with respect;

• listening and responding to children's concerns;

• promoting the cultural safety and empowerment of First Nations children and those from diverse backgrounds;

• ensuring tutors are never alone with a child; and

• reporting any child safety concerns to a director of Shield Tuition.

Staff, tutors, volunteers, and contractors must not:

• develop inappropriate relationships with children;

• engage in physical contact or private sessions out of a parent's/guardian’s sight;

• use inappropriate language or discussing mature/adult topics in children’s presence; and/or

• discriminate against any child.

This Policy may be reviewed upon the request of any child and/or parent, and will be reviewed if any significant incidents take place, incorporating feedback from families and children where possible.   Shield Tuition is committed to thorough, swift, and appropriate investigation of all allegations, ensuring everyone knows what to do and who to tell if they witness or experience abuse.

For further information, please contact our office at info@shieldtuition.com.au.

To report concerns, please contact Kye Shield (Director) at kye@shieldtuition.com.au.

Additional contacts for child safety in Australia:

• Centre Against Sexual Assault – 1800 806 292;

• 1800RESPECT National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service – 1800 737 732;

• Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre – 1800 015 188;

• Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service – 1800 105 303; and

• inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence – 1800 755 988.

Yours sincerely

SHIELD TUITION TEAM