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RSAT Child Safety Policy

Why it matters

Children and young people have the right to be safe and to be heard. Organisations such as Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre (RSAT) that engage with children (as performers, participants or students, amongst other things) have a legal and moral responsibility to ensure their safety and wellbeing and to minimise the risk of harm.
This policy is RSAT's Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy. It sets out RSAT's commitment to child safety, how we put that commitment into practice, and what we expect of everyone engaged with or by RSAT. RSAT will be proactive in identifying risks of harm to children early and in acting to reduce or remove those risks.

To whom and when this applies

This policy applies to all adults engaged with or by RSAT, whether paid or unpaid, including, but not limited to, Ensemble members, employees, Board members, guest cast members, directors, stage managers, other production staff, front-of-house staff, workshop and education program leaders, development program participants, contractors, subcontractors, volunteers and interns (together, Personnel).
This policy applies to all RSAT activities in which children are or may be involved, wherever they occur, including:

productions, rehearsals, workshops and other activities at RSAT's theatre;
activities at other venues, including rehearsal spaces, partner organisations' premises and schools;
touring and school programs; and
online activity and communication connected with RSAT..

This policy applies from 23 October 2026 and replaces the RSAT Child Safety Policy effective 21 February 2023.

Definitions

In this policy:

Child (or young person) is anyone under the age of 18
Child abuse and harm includes:

sexual abuse: any sexual activity or behaviour imposed on a child, including sexual touching, exposing a child to sexual acts or material, and producing, sharing or possessing child abuse material;
grooming: when a person builds trust with a child (and sometimes with their family or other adults) in order to sexually abuse the child;
sexual misconduct: sexualised behaviour towards a child that may not be a crime, such as sexual comments, jokes, messages or images;
physical violence: hitting, pushing, shaking, restraining or otherwise physically harming or threatening to harm a child;
emotional or psychological harm: bullying, humiliating, threatening, intimidating, ridiculing or isolating a child, and racism or other discrimination; and
neglect: failing to provide a child with basic needs, such as adequate supervision, food, rest, safety or medical care.

Child Safety Officer means the person appointed under paragraph 13.
Designated Supervisor means an adult appointed under paragraph 36 to supervise children during a particular RSAT activity.
Parent includes a parent, carer or legal guardian.
Cultural safety means an environment in which a child's culture and identity are respected and they feel safe being who they are.
WWCC means a Working with Children Clearance under the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic).

Child Safe Standards

RSAT must comply with the 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards, made under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic) and regulated by the Social Services Regulator (SSR). The Standards set out the minimum measures RSAT will implement to be a child-safe organisation:

Standard 1: Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are respected and valued.

Standard 2: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.

Standard 3: Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

Standard 4: Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.

Standard 5: Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.

Standard 6: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.

Standard 7: Processes for complaints and concerns are child-focused.

Standard 8: Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.

Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

Standard 10: Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

Standard 11: Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

In applying each Standard, RSAT pays particular attention to the safety, needs and cultural safety of:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people;
children and young people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds;
children and young people with disability;
LGBTIQA+ children and young people; and
children and young people who are unable to live at home.

Commitment to Child Safety

RSAT is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people who engage with our organisation, whether as performers, program participants, students or otherwise. Every child has the right to feel safe, respected, valued, and heard.
RSAT has zero tolerance for child abuse and harm. We treat every concern seriously, act on it promptly and report it to the relevant authorities where required.
Child safety is everyone's responsibility. The Board, the Artistic Director/CEO and all other leaders will champion and model child-safe behaviour and support anyone who raises a child safety concern in good faith.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Board is responsible for approving this policy, making sure RSAT has the resources to implement it, and overseeing its implementation.
The Producer is appointed as RSAT's Child Safety Officer. The Child Safety Officer is the first point of contact for advice and support to children, parents and Personnel about the safety and wellbeing of children engaged with RSAT, and is responsible for:

receiving and responding to complaints and concerns about child safety;
making sure a child safety risk assessment is completed for each activity involving children;
making sure Personnel receive the training required by this policy;
making external reports to authorities where required; and
reporting to the Board on child safety.

If a complaint or concern is about the Producer, or the Producer is unavailable or has a conflict of interest, it should be raised with the Chair of the RSAT Board, who will manage it in accordance with this policy.
All Personnel must comply with this policy and the Code of Conduct, complete the training required for their role, and report any child safety concern promptly.

Cultural Safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People

RSAT acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we work and recognises the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and its importance to the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
RSAT will:

encourage and actively support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights;
include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety in the child safety training provided to Personnel;
identify, confront and not tolerate racism. Any instance of racism can be reported to the Child Safety Officer and will be addressed with appropriate consequences;
actively welcome and support the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and their families in RSAT's programs and productions; and
consider the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and their families when developing and reviewing RSAT's policies and practices, seeking advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations or community members where appropriate.

Valuing Diversity and Upholding Equity

RSAT values diversity and does not tolerate any discriminatory practices. We are committed to protecting children from abuse and harm, including contempt, ridicule, hatred or negativity towards a child because of their race, culture, religion, gender identity, sex characteristics, sexual orientation or disability.
RSAT will:

seek to understand the diverse circumstances of the children and young people we work with, and provide extra support to those who may be vulnerable;
ask families, before an activity begins, about any medical, accessibility, cultural, religious or wellbeing needs, and make reasonable adjustments to support participation;
make information, support and complaints processes available in ways that are culturally safe, accessible and easy to understand, including in plain English and, on request, in other formats or languages; and
treat the views and identities of all children with respect.

Supporting Children's Participation and Empowerment

RSAT supports, enables and promotes the active participation of children and young people by:

telling them, at the start of every program or production and in an age-appropriate way, about their rights (including to safety, information and participation), this policy and the behaviour they can expect from adults;
telling them who they can talk to if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable (the Child Safety Officer, a Designated Supervisor or any adult they trust) and how to raise a concern;
seeking their views on matters that affect them, such as scheduling, the staging of sensitive material and their wellbeing, and taking those views seriously;
recognising the importance of friendships and encouraging peer support within the group;
listening to, and acting upon, any concern they raise;
inviting their feedback at the end of each program or production and using it to improve our practice; and
where relevant to the activity, providing access to age-appropriate information about personal safety and respectful relationships.

RSAT aims for children to gain satisfaction from their involvement with our organisation by supporting them to feel respected and in control of their work, offering opportunities for achievement and creative growth, and encouraging them to balance their commitment to a production or program with their education, rest, family and social life.

Involving Families and Communities

RSAT recognises the important role of families in keeping children safe. RSAT will:

before a parent gives consent, provide information about the child's expected role and activities, the schedule (including late finishes), venues, supervision arrangements, any adult themes or sensitive content, this policy and the Code of Conduct, and who to contact;
obtain written consent from a parent, and the agreement of the young person, before the child takes part in an activity, including consent about photographs and video, and information about medical and support needs;
nominate at least one RSAT contact who is available to parents at all times during each activity, to speak with them or to help them speak with their child;
keep families informed about schedule changes and their child's progress, and tell them promptly about any incident or concern affecting their child, unless doing so would place the child at risk;
invite families to give feedback on our child safe policies and practices, including when they are reviewed.

Recruitment, Screening and Working with Children Checks

RSAT will take all reasonable steps to make sure we engage the most suitable and appropriate people to work with children. For roles that involve contact with children, RSAT will:

prepare duty statements, role descriptions or engagement letters that state RSAT's commitment to child safety and the role's child safety responsibilities;
refer to RSAT's commitment to child safety and the WWCC requirement in advertisements and calls for expressions of interest;
include questions about child safety values and experience in interviews;
conduct referee checks (with the applicant's most recent supervisors, where possible) that include questions about the applicant's suitability to work with children; and
verify relevant qualifications and professional registrations.

A WWCC is only one part of keeping children safe. It does not assess whether a person is suitable for a particular role. RSAT therefore also relies on careful recruitment, induction, training and supervision
All Personnel must hold a current WWCC (or a valid exemption) before starting their engagement with RSAT. This applies to every person engaged with or by RSAT, whether or not their role involves direct contact with children and whether or not that contact is supervised. RSAT has chosen to go beyond the legal minimum because Personnel across the organisation may come into contact with children in our shared spaces.
Personnel must hold the correct type of WWCC: a volunteer WWCC (which is free) for unpaid work, or an employee WWCC for paid work. RSAT will reimburse the reasonable cost of an employee WWCC obtained for an RSAT engagement.
Before a person starts with RSAT, the Producer will:

verify the person's WWCC using the WWC status checker (or, for an exempt registered teacher, verify their current registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT));
from 19 October 2026, connect the person to RSAT through the SSR's WWC Connect service within 7 days of engaging a paid worker, or 21 days of engaging a volunteer, and update WWC Connect within the same timeframes when the person stops child-related work for RSAT or their details change; and
record in RSAT's WWCC register the person's name and contact details, WWCC number, type and expiry date (or evidence of their exemption, such as a dated screenshot), the date it was verified, and the dates the person started and stopped child-related work for RSAT.

Registered teachers are exempt from holding a WWCC while their VIT registration is current. Where a registered teacher does child-related work for RSAT outside their teaching role, RSAT must connect them through WWC Connect using their VIT registration, and the teacher must notify Working with Children Check Victoria of that work.
Personnel must tell the Child Safety Officer immediately if their WWCC is suspended, cancelled or made subject to an interim bar or exclusion, or if they are charged with or found guilty of an offence relevant to the safety of children. RSAT will immediately stop engaging that person in any child-related work and update WWC Connect. Personnel are responsible for renewing their WWCC before it expires..
WWCC records will be kept for at least seven years after RSAT stops engaging the person in child-related work.
All Personnel will be inducted into this policy and the Code of Conduct before their first engagement, and must sign the acknowledgement in Attachment 1. People who supervise Personnel will monitor conduct towards children and act on any concern. Personnel who are new to supervising children will work alongside experienced supervisors before supervising on their own.

Child Safety Training

Child safety training is mandatory for all Personnel. RSAT will provide training that suits each person's role:

Training for all Personnel: an induction by the Child Safety Officer covering this policy and the Code of Conduct, recognising signs of child abuse and harm (including harm caused by other children), how to respond to and report concerns (internally and externally), how to support a child or colleague who discloses harm, and how to create a culturally safe environment. Such training must be completed before a person's first engagement, and refreshed at least every two years or whenever this policy changes materially;
Training for personnel with direct contact with children in a production or program (including directors, cast, stage managers, creative teams and workshop leaders): in addition to child safety training provided for all Personnel:

a briefing before first contact on the activity's risk assessment, supervision arrangements, adult themes protocols (if any), communication rules and emergency and reporting procedures; and

The Child Safety Officer will complete a recognised training course for Child Safety Officers and a refresher course at least every two years.

From 19 October 2026, anyone applying for or renewing a WWCC must complete the SSR's mandatory online child safety training before their application can be finalised. That training does not replace RSAT's training, because it is not specific to RSAT's policy, activities or reporting procedures.
The Artistic Director/CEO or their delegate will maintain a register of all WCCC holders, and keep a training register recording the training each person has completed. The Child Safety Officer will review RSAT's training plan each year.

Safe Physical and Online Environments

Risk management

RSAT takes a preventative and proactive approach to minimising the risk of harm to children. Before any activity involving children, the activity lead and the Child Safety Officer will complete a child safety risk assessment that considers the setting, the activities, the physical and online environment, any adult themes, session times and finishing times, the venues used and any third parties involved. The assessment will record the risks and the controls in place, will be reviewed whenever circumstances change, and forms part of RSAT's risk management process.

Supervision

When children take part in an RSAT activity:

at least one Designated Supervisor will be present at all times;
at least two adults holding a WWCC (which may include the Designated Supervisor) will be present, and no adult will be alone with a child in a private or unobserved space;
supervision numbers will be set in the risk assessment, having regard to the number, age and needs of the children and the nature of the activity;
children will sign in and out, and will be accounted for at the start and end of each session;
children will not be left unsupervised;
at the end of a session, children will leave only with a parent or a person authorised by a parent, or travel independently where a parent has given prior written consent. The Designated Supervisor will remain until every child has been collected or has left in line with that consent; and
sessions will include appropriate breaks, access to food and water, and finishing times that are consistent with what parents have been told.

Dressing rooms, bathrooms and backstage areas

RSAT will provide children with a dressing space separate from adults. Only Designated Supervisors may enter children's dressing spaces, and only after knocking. Children must be able to dress in private. Children may not enter adults' dressing rooms or crew areas unless accompanied by their Designated Supervisor and with the approval of those in the room. Costume fittings with a child will take place with a second adult present or in an open, visible space, and a parent may attend.

Alcohol and the venue

Children must not be served, sold or given alcohol, or asked to handle it, at any RSAT venue or event. Children may attend opening nights, after-show functions or other social events only with a parent, or under the supervision of a Designated Supervisor and without access to alcohol.

Partners, venues and contractors

When RSAT works with partner organisations, schools or hired venues, or contracts services involving children, RSAT will agree in writing who is responsible for supervision, screening, communication with families, reporting and information sharing; check that the other party's child safety arrangements are adequate; and require contractors to comply with this policy and the Code of Conduct.

Transport

RSAT does not ordinarily transport children. If transport is necessary, it will be arranged with the prior written consent of a parent and every child will be accounted for at the end of the journey.

Online safety and communication

Online and phone communication with children is part of our physical and online environment and must follow the Code of Conduct. In particular:

Personnel may communicate with children only through official RSAT channels, and only for purposes connected with the activity;
group messaging with children must be set up by RSAT, have at least two RSAT adults as members, and be disclosed to parents;
Personnel must not send private one-to-one messages to a child, or follow, friend or message a child on personal social media.

Photographs and video

RSAT will:

obtain written consent from a parent and the young person before photographing or filming a child, with separate consent for promotional use and for publishing the child's name;
allow only authorised Personnel and photographers to take images and never leave a photographer alone with a child;
never take images in dressing rooms or of children in a state of undress;
store images securely and use them only for the purposes consented to, avoiding identifying details where possible; and
respect any withdrawal of consent.

Exposure to Adult Themes and Sensitive Content

RSAT's work often deals with adult themes. Where children are engaged in a production or program that contains adult themes, coarse language, or depictions of or references to sex, drugs, alcohol or violence, RSAT will:

describe that content clearly in the expression of interest and audition information;
give families the script or a detailed content summary before they are asked for consent, and offer them the opportunity to discuss it with the director or the Child Safety Officer; and
obtain informed written consent from a parent and the agreement of the young person, specifically acknowledging the content.

Roles depicting sexual activity, intimacy (including kissing), drug or alcohol use, or nudity will be performed only by performers aged 18 or over. No child will be asked to perform nudity or simulated sexual activity, or be placed in a sexualised situation.
Where children are present, onstage or in rehearsal, during scenes containing adult content:

they will be told in advance, in an age-appropriate way, what will happen and why;
the staging and rehearsal of those scenes will be planned in consultation with the Designated Supervisor, who will be present when they are rehearsed;
they may decline to take part in particular scenes or content without any penalty, and may raise discomfort at any time;
the director or Designated Supervisor will check in with them regularly about their wellbeing and debrief with them where appropriate;
no real alcohol, drugs, tobacco or vaping products will be used as props; and
Personnel will not discuss adult themes with children beyond what the work requires.

Complaints and Reporting Procedures

RSAT wants children, parents and Personnel to feel able to raise any concern about a child's safety, safely and without fear of negative consequences. Anyone may raise a concern or complaint with any RSAT adult they trust, or directly with the Child Safety Officer (or the Chair, if the concern is about the Producer), in person, by phone, by email or in writing.
RSAT has developed a Complaints and Reporting Procedure that sets out how complaints and concerns are received, managed, investigated and resolved, including breaches of this policy or the Code of Conduct and the means to take disciplinary action. If a child tells you they have been harmed, or you are concerned about a child:

stay calm, listen, take what they say seriously and tell them they did the right thing by telling you;
do not promise to keep it a secret, question them in detail, investigate or confront the person allegedly involved;
make sure the child is safe;
report it to the Child Safety Officer (or the Chair) on the same day;
write down what you saw or were told, using the child's own words where possible, with the date and time;
share the information only with people who need to know.

On receiving a complaint or concern, the Child Safety Officer will:

offer support to the child, their family and the person who raised the concern;
take immediate steps to protect the child and other children, which may include standing down the person concerned while the matter is dealt with;
record the complaint and all actions taken;
decide whether the matter must or should be reported to Victoria Police, Child Protection or another authority, and make any report as soon as possible;
tell the child's parents, unless doing so would place the child at risk or police or Child Protection advise otherwise;
not investigate a matter that has been reported to Victoria Police or Child Protection without first consulting them; and
make sure the matter is resolved, and that the outcome, reasons and actions taken are recorded.

External reporting obligations. All Personnel should be aware that:

failure to disclose: any adult who forms a reasonable belief that a sexual offence has been committed by an adult against a child under 16 must report it to Victoria Police, unless they have a reasonable excuse. Failing to do so is a criminal offence;
failure to protect: a person in a position of authority at RSAT who knows of a substantial risk that a child under 16 will become the victim of a sexual offence by an adult associated with RSAT, and who has the power or responsibility to reduce or remove that risk, must take all reasonable steps to do so. Negligently failing to do so is a criminal offence;
reporting a concern within RSAT does not discharge a person's own legal obligation to report to police; and
RSAT will report concerns to police or Child Protection where a child may be at risk, whether or not the law requires it, and will co-operate with Victoria Police, Child Protection and the SSR.

Concerns about harmful behaviour by one child towards another will be taken seriously and managed with care for the safety and wellbeing of every child involved, including by informing their parents and, where appropriate, reporting to Child Protection.
No person who raises a concern in good faith will suffer any disadvantage for doing so.
A breach of this policy or the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action, up to and including ending a person's engagement or Ensemble membership with RSAT. Conduct that may be criminal will be reported to Victoria Police.

Information Sharing, Privacy and Record Keeping

The Child Safety Officer will keep secure records of all child safety concerns, complaints, incidents and near misses, including the actions taken and the outcome, whether or not the complaint is substantiated.
RSAT will collect only the personal information it needs about children and their families, store it securely and share it only with people who need to know, or where the law requires or allows (for example, with police or Child Protection).

Code of Conduct

RSAT's Code of Conduct (Attachment 1) sets out the behaviour expected of all Personnel when in contact with, or working around, children. All Personnel must comply with the Code of Conduct and sign a statement confirming they have read, understood and will comply with it. RSAT will keep a copy of all signed statements.
RSAT will give children and young people who take part in its programs and productions a young person-friendly summary of the Code of Conduct, so they know what behaviour to expect from adults and how to raise a concern.

Communication

RSAT keeps Personnel, parents and children informed of its child safe policies and procedures by:

making sure Personnel have read and understood their obligations under this policy and the Code of Conduct;
giving a copy of this policy to parents when seeking consent for their child to take part in an activity; and
providing plain English child safe information to children and parents.

Implementation, Review and Continuous Improvement

The Child Safety Officer will report to the Board at least every second year (or as otherwise may be needed) on child safety, including WWCC and training compliance, complaints and incidents and the management of child safety risks.
After every production or program involving children, the Child Safety Officer will review how child safety was managed, including feedback from the children, their families and Personnel. Any complaints, concerns and incidents will be analysed to identify causes and any systemic failures. Findings will be reported to the Board and shared, in an appropriate form, with Personnel, families and the children involved.

Approval and Review

The RSAT Board must approve this policy and any material changes to it. The Artistic Director/CEO is authorised to make non-material changes to keep the policy current, relevant and compliant, but must inform the Board of those changes.
This policy will be formally reviewed at least every two years, and also: